Sprinkle #15 Think Globally

Hello again! Today's Sprinkle is all about helping people that you have never met and live in different countries all around the world. I have found some really cool initiatives that I thought I would share with all of you:

1. Kiva is a really cool site!! When I found this I was so excited because it was such a good idea and something new and different. Kiva is a site that accepts micro loans of $25 and matches them with people around the world who own their own business which helps them buy equipment or supplies etc. The best part is that they pay you back so that it is not a donation it is actually a loan. Another really neat thing is that you can actually pick the person and or people that it goes to rather than someone that they choose. You can read their stories, see what business they are running etc. Check out http://www.kiva.org/ and loan someone only $25 which you will get back!!! Such a great initiative :)

2. Invisible Children...I ran across this movement on Oprah one day and I could not believe the story behind it. This is actually the story that moved me to start my blog! In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims.After returning to the States, they created the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda.s night commuters and child soldiers.The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, "How can I help?" To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation.Since the documentary was released in 2005, much has changed in Uganda. Night commuting has ceased and the Lord’s Resistance Army has been operating outside of northern Uganda for over a year. However, displacement and the looming threat of a return to war has hindered any major progress towards normalcy in the north and has deepened the high levels of poverty throughout northern Uganda. How can you help? go to http://www2.invisiblechildren.com/ and you can buy the DVD, watch it, give a copy to your friends (comes with an extra to pass around) and that money will help build school's in Uganda. What an amazing story of 3 friends wanting to make a difference and what a job they have done!! I have the DVD so if anyone wants to borrow it please let me know.

Those are my two topics for today and I will have more for you tomorrow. If you pay this forward please let me know!! nicole.dundas@hotmail.com Facebook page The Happy Sprinkle or on Twitter @nickydundas

Nicky, getting my stitches out today!