Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I know it’s been a little over half the month of October, but better late than never!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so get screened and we can all fight breast cancer together!

Weekly Update

Hey everyone!

So this past week has been Homecoming Week! Go RU! Did anyone see our amazing Batmobile bed at the Charity Bed Race on Thursday??

How awesome are the outfits? Check out the rest of the pictures on Facebook!

Anyway, on Tuesday, we had our general meeting. Covered in the meeting was a number of upcoming events. I’ll briefly cover them, but they were sent out in an email so if you haven’t received that email, contact rufimrc at gmail.

FIMRC’s Fiesta Against Famine on November 3rd is our first upcoming major event. The night will be full of cultural food, activities, and performances and will help raise money for FIMRC’s clinics. To help out with decorations, the video, ticket sales, PR, or prizes, please contact Nikki or John.

Upcoming volunteer opportunities include helping out Elijah’s Promise and the Park Cleanup/ Nicodemus Wilderness Project and the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative. Kriti will be organizing all of these opportunities so contact her if you would like to get involved.

Also, Vivian is having a Global Service Competition. You’ll have to come up with a project that addresses a global issue abroad. Once presented to the e-board, the winner of the competition will get to lead their project with the full backing of FIMRC. This means that you can design and lead your own project and FIMRC will provide any resources that you’ll need in order for your event to be a success! Besides helping out others abroad, you’ll be able to gain experience for future events which is awesome!

As a reminder, our next general meeting will be attending the Candyland: Ice Cream Extravaganza at the Rutgers Student Center Multi-Purpose Room. The free event will be held from 7:30PM to 10:00PM. Show up and represent FIMRC!

-Karen

Together, We Can End Malaria

What is Malaria?

Malaria is a preventable disease in the blood that’s transported from person to person through certain types of mosquitos. Early diagnosis and treatment can help shorten the duration of the infection and prevent death.

Here’s a page from the Gates Foundation site detailing the working being done in countries with malaria. Through the methods involving bed nets and insecticide sprays, thousands of lives have been saved. To learn more about what’s being done to help malaria prevention, please visit the Gates Foundation website. You might be able to make a difference in someone’s life.

The Living Proof Project

In a rural clinic in Pantasma, Nicaragua, mothers await the arrival of the life-saving vaccine that will protect their children against rotavirus. 

Rotavirus is a preventable and treatable diarrheal disease that causes 500,000 deaths each year among infants and young children.

(via: The Gates Foundation)

Check out the photos documenting one rotavirus vaccine’s trip through Nicaragua to a child in need.

Weekly Update 10/9

It’s Homecoming Weekend! Everyone, get your Rutgers school spirit going =D

So a number of things have happened since the last weekly update. On Tuesday, at the e-board meeting, it was decided that because the November 16th event is on a Wednesday and in the middle of exams week, it might be hard to get to people to attend our benefit concert. As a result, we’ve now changed the date to November 3rd, a Thursday. However, because it’s earlier, we’ve decided to change our event! It’ll now be a cultural event featuring ethnic foods, and entertainment. We’re still working on the details but more info on the upcoming event will be given this coming Tuesday at our general meeting.

On Thursday, the Rutgers Got Talent show was held at the Livingston Student Center. I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend, but I heard it was great fun!

Finally, since it’s Homecoming Week, Rutgers will be holding a number of events, some of which we’re getting involved in. First of all, window painting. Granted that’s by residence halls and as an organization, we’re not getting involved in it per se. However, I feel like everyone should attend the window painting event in their residence hall! Get to know the other people you’re living with! There’s nothing like window painting, food, and music to bring people together.

Now, the one thing we are getting involved in is the Charity Bed Races! For those of you who don’t know, every year during Homecoming Week, there’s a bed racing event on College Ave. Organizations decorate their beds and race them down the street. This year, FIMRC will be participating in the race. We’re hoping a lot of members will get involved because it’s for a great cause! We’ll be decorating the beds on Wednesday and racing them on Thursday at 9 PM. More info will be given out during the general meeting but get involved if you can!

Having said all this, our next General Meeting will be held this coming Tuesday, October 11. Be there!

- Karen

Miss Representation

I believe this calls for change.

Girl Effect Campaign Posts

I’m proud to say that 3 other members within the FIMRC Chapter at Rutgers have joined the Girl Effect Blogging Campaign. Read their posts below!

Snigdha (Vice President of Community Outreach): http://skanaka.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/10/

Heidi Cho (Webmaster/Historian): http://rufimrc.tumblr.com/post/11010590190/

Krisha Patel (Public Relations Coordinator):

I am in LOVE with this video. Not only does it encapsulate the major issue of developing nations, it gives a perspective most people fail to acknowledge. In other cultures women are seen as the dominant member of the family. it’s imperative for them to be educated and given a chance to succeed. Join the effect, write a review/reaction/thought based on this video and spread the word. This kind of organization deserves to be known. – Krisha

And here’s my post.

We encourage you to write your own post. While you’re at it, please upload it at http://www.taramohr.com/girleffectposts/ so others can read what you write. Go on and check the other posts online too!

Start the Girl Effect and change the world.

- Karen

Girl Effect Campaign

Watch and Be Inspired

 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING…

There are more than 600 million girls living in developing countries. Take a guess on how many aren’t in school. If you guessed anywhere near 25%, you’d be right. This means that out of the 130 million out-of-school children (boys and girls), 70% are girls. Why is that?

The minute a girl reaches the age of 12, she’s seen as a woman already. There’s a chance she’ll be married by 14 and have children by 15. Her chances her contracting HIV or have childbirth complications goes up.

It’s hard to picture it. As a 19-year-old girl and a college student, I even have to admit that it’s hard to imagine a life like that just because mine is so different. I wasn’t forced to marry at the age of 11 like Addis. I didn’t have to go on a hunger strike to prove to my parents that I wanted to go to school like Anita. In the United States, there are laws against  childhood marriages. And it’s understood in our society that the more you invest in your education, the better off you, and your future children/family, will be. Living in a first world country, we take all these things for granted. I’m pretty sure all of us have complained about school multiple times throughout our childhood. It’s a pain to have to wake up early, there’s too much homework, etc. Essentially, we take it as something we have to do, not want to do. There aren’t many of us who take a step back each day and tell ourselves that this is a privilege. Yes, it’s mandated by law up to a certain age, but nevertheless, it’s still a privilege. As for college, it’s not mandatory, and yet we still view it as a necessary step for our future. Now ask yourself this: wouldn’t the world be a better place if people who wanted to have an education were able to get it? Yes, it would.

Face it. Childhood marriages and not being allowed to continue education are issues that plague people just like us in poverty-ridden countries. For girls, it’s two of the many hurdles in their future preventing them from doing so much more. And it shouldn’t be like that.

So what can we do?

BUT THERE’S A SOLUTION.

The Girl Effect is a campaign to recognize and invest in the potential of girls in poverty-ridden developing countries. To be able to help them succeed in life instead of entering the never-ending cycle of marriage by 15, motherhood by 18, childbirth complications, and HIV.

Why should we do something? Because it’s a ripple effect. A girl who receives 7 or more years of education in the developing world will marry 4 years later and have 2.2 fewer children. An extra year of schooling can raise her income by 10 to 25%. She will be able to take care of her family and to provide her children with better health and a better future.  And that girl will inspire others to realize that they have the potential and capability within themselves to take control of their own future. Because  not only will she create a better future for herself, but she’ll be creating a better future for the world. And this is something that will go on for generation after generation.

This week, from October 4 – 11, is the Girl Effect Blogging Campaign. Tumblr, Blogger, or WordPress? This is for you. Take the first step in making a change in a girl’s life and in the world by writing a blog post about the Girl Effect. Submit it too! Spread the word, and we can make a difference. In case, you don’t have a blog, you can help out too through other means of social media. Tell your friends on Facebook, tweet something with the hashtag #girleffect, or email your friends and family to let them know you support The Girl Effect. Technophobe? That’s quite alright. Start a campaign at your school. Tell people about it (presentation kits are available online) or plan an event.

It doesn’t matter how you do it. Any way you can, just tell the world about the Girl Effect.

To see other posts from the Girl Effect Blogging Campaign, please visit: http://www.taramohr.com/girleffectposts/

Learn more about The Girl Effect at their website.

Moral of the story? We can start the Girl Effect. Change a 12-year-old girl’s life for the better and impact the world. Who knows? We just might end up changing the course of history.

- Karen

FIMRC T-Shirts

Please vote for our t-shirt on Our Cause is Your Cause. If we win the contest, we’ll get free shirts that we can sell and raise money for our cause. It’s all for the kids! You can vote as money times as you want, so please do!

Weekly Update

This is a little late so sorry about that!

This past week, we had another general meeting. I hope everyone was able to get involved in the committees that interested them!

Something we weren’t able to bring up at the meeting was FIMRC’s event on November 16th. FIMRC will be holding a benefit concert at the BCC and the money we raise will go towards one of FIMRC’s projects overseas. We would love it if everyone got involved, even if it’s just helping set up that day! I emailed everyone concerning the event and there’s a GDoc sign up sheet attached. If you didn’t get the email and would like to get involved, I can re-send it to you! Just let me know.  With that being said, Snigdha will be doing a lot of fundraising this year by selling some of her stuff. She’s willing to give the money she makes to help out with FIMRC’s trip costs. However, if you would like to be eligible, you will need to help out with this event.

Speaking of helping out, there are a number of local volunteer events this week! On Thursday, October 6, you can volunteer at the Disability Pride Parade from 7:30PM to 2PM. Either information will be going out or has already gone out about it.

On Friday, FIMRC will be volunteering at Elijah’s Promise at around 9:30 AM. We understand that you’ll most likely have classes on Thursday/Friday, but if you’re free, it’d be great if you could help out =)

Since these are volunteer events, email Chankrit if you have any questions!

(***Also, Registration deadline for Trinitas Medical Center is October 11)

And finally, this Thursday is the Rutgers Got Talent show at the Livingston Student Center from 7PM – 11:30PM. It’s a great event to go to with your friends and it’s only $5!

Have a great week, and good luck on exams!

- Karen