New Yorkers did a double take this week when they spotted Bono beneath a cowboy hat singing with U2 on a subway platform, along with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.
A video posted by U2 italian fans (@u2italianfans) on
According to reports, The renowned group has been taping music and comedy bits all over the city for their guest appearance on NBC’s Tonight Show Friday night.
The video above shows the rockers from Ireland singing Angel of Harlem at the Grand Central station stop. Check out more photos below. Good times!
A grandmother who recently graduated from a Florida college says she hopes her achievement will show others that it’s not too late to further their education.
At nearly 80-years-old, Rosa Salgado not only earned her Associate of Arts degree in education with honors (having a 3.8 average) from Miami-Dade College, but also graduated alongside her two grandsons.
One of them, David Salgado, graduated with the same Associate of Arts degree and said his grandmother has really inspired him.
“For me and my family, for her to take this one step graduating, it fills my heart,” he told WTVJ-TV.
Salgado, an immigrant from Colombia, faced various challenges, including the language barrier and the hospitalization of her youngest daughter, but through it all, she never gave up on her dream of earning a college degree. She hopes she can inspire others to realize that they are never too old to learn and to fulfill their life-long dreams.
A disease that can cause birth defects, including blindness, deafness, and congenital heart defects, has been wiped out in the Americas.
After more than 250 million teens and adults received shots in an aggressive, ten year campaign, vaccination programs using the MMR vaccine in 32 countries have officially been credited with eliminating Rubella in the region that includes North and South America and the Caribbean.
Rubella, also called “German measles,” usually causes only mild symptoms, but pregnant women who catch it can miscarry, and their children may suffer a wide range of birth defects.
Aside from travelers coming in from outside the 32 countries, there have been no cases of rubella reported in the Americas since 2009. That led the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the disease eradicated in the region stretching from Greenland to the edges of Antarctica.
Rubella is only the third vaccine-preventable disease eliminated from the Americas. Smallpox was eradicated in 1971 and polio in 1994.
Measles, mumps and rubella are all preventable with the same MMR vaccine. Each shot costs a little over a dollar. PAHO’s next target is eliminating measles.
“The fight against rubella has taken more than 15 years, but it has paid off with what I believe will be one of the most important Pan American public health achievements of the 21st century,” said PAHO/WHO Director Carissa Etienne. “Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and finish the job of eliminating measles as well.”
Three babies are alive and happy, thanks to doctors who literally printed out the framework for new windpipes. All three were born with the same rare, life-threatening disease and none were expected to live very long. But three years after the first implant was tried, the first patient, Kaiba Gionfriddo, is now a curious, active 3-year-old who runs and plays with his family. He even got to meet his favorite cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, at Disney World recently, thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The other two children are showing the same kinds of improvements as Kaiba, leading the doctors behind the breakthrough treatment to say it worked “better than we could have ever imagined.”
All three babies were born with a disease called tracheobronchomalacia, which causes the windpipe to collapse and makes normal breathing impossible. In the video above, doctors explain how they created and implanted implanted 3D printed splints around the babies’ airways, creating a framework to hold the windpipe open and allow it to grow normally.
Three years after the first device was implanted in Kaiba, pictured here, the splint is dissolving just as it’s supposed to and doctors expect the child’s trachea will eventually show no signs of the disease that nearly killed him as a newborn.
“It’s wonderful and beyond anything I could have hoped for,” Dr. Glenn Green, one of the two doctors behind the procedure said in the University of Michigan video. “It’s so exciting to see.”
Green and Dr. Scott Hollister carried out the procedure at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, have published an article about 3D printed implants in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Following up on the three children over three years, they determined the devices saved all three lives and hold great promise for other children born with the disease.
The messages appeared literally out of the blue–or should we say, across it.
For two days, a plane had been skywriting positive messages such as “love,” “hope,” and “coexist” for the people of New Orleans. The ‘illustrator’ has both baffled and delighted folks on the ground, signing his messages in the air with hearts and smiley faces.
After two days of anonymity, Nathan Hammond came forward as the sky writer– one of only five such pilots left in America.
Local Louisiana businessman, Frank Scurlock, hired him to spread the words of encouragement because of recent violence across the U.S. Scurlock has even set up a GoFundMe page geared at keeping the messages coming.
The skywriting looks almost magical as it happens, and like any good magician, Hammond, using his small airplane named “Sky Magic,” won’t give away the tricks of his trade. They don’t teach penmanship in flight school, and he isn’t talking about how he honed his unique skill. But in the video above, he does admit the key to success for any aspiring skywriter.
“The last thing you want to do is spell something wrong,” Hammond told WWL.
Are you wondering about all the pictures of bare feet suddenly showing up on your Instagram feed? It’s because your friends are helping put shoes on the feet of needy kids.
TOMS Shoes is well known for donating a pair of shoes to someone in need every time a pair is purchased from the footwear company, but now, they are donating up to a million pairs based solely on your participation.
Through May 21, every time someone posts a photo of their bare feet to Instagram with the hashtag #withoutshoes, TOMS will donate shoes to a child living in poverty.
The company’s video below explains why they’re doing it, and exactly how their “One Day Without Shoes” campaign works.
According to founder Blake Mycoskie, providing shoes to needy kids can improve health, protect against disease and increase school attendance by 62%.
Check out TOMS website May 21 for the final tally.
Photo on homepage by Lorenz Kerscher, CC
Kick your shoes off and share the good with your friends…
It’s not uncommon to hear about celebrities lending their voice to a good cause at an event or gala. But recently, we’ve noticed Hollywood stars singling out regular folks on social media to offer kind words of support.
1. Ryan Gosling Raises Bowl of Cereal In Tribute to Filmmaking Fan
Actor Ryan Gosling recently demonstrated a way to eat breakfast cereal as a sign of respect. After pouring himself a bowl of Corn Flakes, the Canadian actor raised his spoon in honor of the late filmmaker Ryan McHenry, 27, the creator of a Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal viral video. According to reports, the Scottish video editor died after a two-year battle with cancer. In addition, to posting his tribute video on Vine, Gosling tweeted, “My heart goes out to all of Ryan McHenry’s family and friends. Feel very lucky to have been a part of his life in some small way.”
2. Robert Downey Jr. Takes Time To Chat With Bruised Young Fan on Twitter
It seems that actor Robert Downey Jr. is not only a larger-than-life hero in movies like The Avengers, but he also helps out the “little guy” when given the opportunity. Using the powers of tweeting, he recently made an impact on a young fan after chatting back and forth with him about a photo showing his scuffed-up face. Downey wrote to the young boy named, Aidan, after his mom reached out, stating he had a “rough day.” Downey wrote back:
@RobertDowneyJr I was racing with my bro. I was slowing down and he pushed me into the house. Not on purpose. You are the best actor. Aid
After getting advice from Hollywood’s biggest star, Aidan tweeted, “You made my day and my year. Thanks for talking to me.”
3. J.K. Rowling Urges Fan, “Don’t Ever Give Up”
Even superstar author J.K. Rowling still takes time to use her life and wisdom to inspire others. On Twitter she answered an important question posed by a fan who sounded in need of comfort: “What would you say to someone who has failed to find meaning and wants to finally give up?” Rowling’s response? Tweeting a series of beautiful photos, like this:
The Harry Potter author concluded, “I’d say, the world is full of wonderful things you haven’t seen yet. Don’t ever give up on the chance of seeing them.” The fan tweeted back, “I’m tearing up over here! Humans can truly be amazing to one another. Thank you @jk_rowling and everyone replying.”
4. NFL Player Helps Teen Have Unforgettable Prom Night
Khameyea Jennings recently got the prom date of a lifetime. NFL player Sen’Derrick Marks visited the eighteen-year-old at a Florida hospital and said he wanted to take her to her senior high school dance. A defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Marks connected with the girl, who has been battling liver cancer, after partnering with the Dreams Come True – a program that fulfills the wishes of Florida youth with life-threatening illnesses. He said he wanted to be a part of the program to fulfill his goal of “do[ing] something where you actually make someone’s day, to make a difference in someone’s life.” Thanks to Marks, it looks like Jennings had an unforgettable prom night.
Fear, insecurity, and self-doubt can be the biggest obstacles many of us face in life. In order to overcome that negativity, many people turn to unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, compulsive shopping or alcohol abuse.
“Compulsive or addictive behavior may temporarily numb that negativity, but it won’t put you on a healthy and wholesome path,” says Darlene Hunter, author of Win-Ability: Navigating Through Life’s Challenges With A Winning Attitude.
Positive thinking gained scientific credibility in 1985 when Michael F. Scheier and Charles S. Carver published their seminal study, Optimism, Coping, and Health: Assessment and Implications of Generalized Outcome Expectancies. Since then, hundreds of academic papers have been published in support of positive thinking.
“Confidence starts with your attitude– and finding a path that supports living with confidence,” says Hunter.
• Pursue your passion.
What is the activity you love doing the most? You get a great sense of accomplishment and joy when you do that which you were born to do. It could be baking, taking care of children, writing, drawing, dancing, anything at all that makes you happy in life. If you could never do it again, would you miss doing? …You need to do more of that.
• Be true to yourself.
Do not set your career path in a certain direction based on what your friends or family members want for you. If you dream it, you can live it. Do not let fear turn you around. It is also important for you to be honest about your resources, skills, and what is needed to help you move forward. Do not think that you have all of the answers. Be open to suggestions and advice from others who are already doing what you are trying to do.
• Stay the course; be resilient; never give up.
No matter what you might be facing at the current time or the challenges that are ahead of you, as you move forward in your quest to accomplish your goals and dreams, you must stay the course. As you set forth to achieve your goals and your dreams, you cannot be thin-skinned. You must be durable, strong with a determination that you will get to where you want to go. Quitting is not an option and failure is not a word that you should use when you are seeking to reach your goals and dreams.
Thanks to “Fospice” (think foster + hospice), a program run by Foster Dogs, a lucky select few elderly or terminally ill dogs like Biscuit are given comfort, love, and care in their final months, a service usually reserved for humans.
Even with tumors covering his body, Biscuit, a hefty 13-year-old pitbull was able to experience a happy end to his life. Through the Fospice program, he was able to land in a loving home with a woman named Marie, and receive some much-needed veterinary attention. The vet’s prognosis gave him just three weeks, which he spent in the comforting presence of his new friend.
“Too many old and sick dogs die in shelters, instead of living out their golden years in loving homes and with proper medical treatment,” said Sarah Brasky, who founded Foster Dogs in July 2013, and runs The Dog Matchmaker, which helps place rescue animals with new adoptive families.
“While I would not want any animal to be stuck in a shelter, it can be particularly difficult for seniors who miss their lifelong families, and need quiet and comfort during their final years/months.”
Inspired by a similar program run by the ASPCA, Foster Dogs will search for a foster home and sponsor the dog’s basic needs for the remainder of their life. Fospice parents receive a generous sponsorship package, including a dog bed from Harry Barker, a custom portrait by My Animal Art, a 6-month subscription to BarkBox, and a handmade orange “rescue leash”.
A Fospice mom and pup, by Samantha Cheirif
Fospice mom Chelsea Massimin first saw 13-year-old Lucy, a black Chihuahua that suffered from cancer and kidney problems, caged in a nearby shelter. The pup had been at the pound for 7 long months after being seized from a hoarding situation with approximately 30 other dogs. Prior to that, she had lived in another dog shelter.
“What a hard life, I thought, just to die in the pound,” said Massimin, who bundled Lucy up in a towel and brought her home to join the other family dogs. She gained 3 pounds after arriving and began looking remarkably well.
“We will continue to cater to her every whim, cook for food, and carry her in and out every 2 hours until Lucy is officially ready to cross the rainbow bridge,” said Massimin. “No animal should ever cross that bridge without knowing love.”
While the Fospice program can only help five dogs with full adoption packages each year, they pitch in to help other rescues as well.
Lauren Hirata certainly appreciated the help. She saw Lily Bean’s picture popping up on the Friends with Four Paws Facebook page day after day, week after week, but there were never any takers. She was the first to finally reach out and inquire about her.
After Lauren took Lily Bean to the vet, a checkup confirmed that she was older than originally thought and had slight heart murmur. The Fospice program helped her pay the bills needed to support Lily Bean, who is now happy and healthy, yet very hard of hearing.
Lily Bean, by her Fospice mom, Lauren
“She has learned some sign language for basic commands like sit and shake,” Lauren said. “Her days are now filled with napping on the couch, napping on my bed, napping in the sun–and she loves riding the subway in her oversized tote bag.”
All rescue groups are encouraged to contact Foster Dogs if they have, or will soon rescue, an elderly dog that has a very limited amount of time left. While they can only help a select few, they will be able to provide more donations in the form of mini grants, thanks to a new 501(c)(3) status.
Tourists are drawn to the stunning beauty of fjords, but you may be surprised, like scientists were, to discover the role these coastal regions play in clearing carbon dioxide from Earth’s air.
Fjords, those long, slender inlets surrounded by looming, giant cliffs, were created by climate change — carved by retreating glaciers at the end of the ice age. Now, they’re helping to slow another round of climate change by soaking up an amazing amount of carbon dioxide that would otherwise wind up in the atmosphere.
Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers said that while fjords account for only one-tenth of one percent of the total surface area of oceans, they remove 11% of all the world’s organic carbon — about 18 million tons.
Scientists now know that rivers flowing into fjords are rich in carbon from plants, trees and other organic sources. Normally, this carbon might be released into the air, but if it’s washed into a fjord, it hits a wall of chemistry and physics, becoming trapped underwater.
The water in fjords lacks oxygen, so there’s no bacteria to break down the carbon and turn it into CO2. Instead of being released into the air, the carbon simply sinks to the bottom of the fjords’ deep channels. The process is aptly named a “carbon sink.”
Studying how nature absorbs carbon gives scientists a better idea of how to create technology that can reduce or redirect man-made carbon emissions from cars, factories and power plants.
Since he can’t actually fly, this Texas Superman drove 11 hours to Illinois to surprise a seven-year-old cancer patient.
Senior Corporal Damon Cole of the Dallas Police Department is a member of Heroes, Cops and Kids, a group of officers who dress as super heroes to lift the spirits of children in their community.
Cole felt compelled to make the long trip to little Bryce Schottel’s home after checking out his Facebook page; Schottel has been fighting lymphatic cancer since February, and only super heroes have been able to bring a smile to his face before each round of chemotherapy.
The officer gave the boy a Superman cape, action figure, and a ride in his Superman-mobile. Cole said the child’s reaction was “the best ever.”
Before leaving, Cole pulled a second costume change, dressing up as Iron Man to blow bubbles, play cards and battle it out in video games.
“There’s not a lot of people in this world that do anything like this anymore, who are so selfless and generous,” mom Regina Carlton told ABC News. “It was a complete stranger who made that trip to make my son smile.
(WATCH the heartwarming video below or READ more, w/ photos, at KDAF)
SHARE the Good (below) and Show Support for Bryce on Facebook
The Chinese government continues to officially clean up their act.
Thanks to a new mobile app–and government transparency– civilians now have the ability to view hourly updates of air and water pollution violations in their neighborhoods. That knowledge is being used to pressure polluting companies to make improvements.
The app maker, environmentalist Ma Jun, had urged Chinese officials to make their pollution measurements public, and in a surprise move, the usually secretive government did just that. Ma was granted permission to use information on factory emissions to create a database, which led to a mobile app.
Three million people have downloaded Ma’s “Blue Sky Map App,” which spurred local companies to watch their output and “emit” more responsibly.
“I learned that with every 1,000 records put into our database, we could get one factory to respond, to change behavior,” Ma told the Skoll World Forum on Entrepreneurship where he won a $1.25 million prize for his innovation.
More than 15,000 factories are represented on the app, and 1,800 of those have already taken steps to decrease pollution.
In addition, 120 international companies credit the app and Ma’s organization, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, with helping them improve environmental quality along their supply chains.
Ma says he remembers “blue skies and dazzling sunlight” over Beijing when he was younger. He hopes the combination of technology, transparency and public involvement will bring back the blue skies of his childhood.
Reachi, a communication now in the hands of the Filipino Red Cross, can help emergency responders stay in touch even when cell signals are down.
When the power goes out, this device, which is solar powered, will stay on.
The Danish designers responsible for the device, Pernille Skjødt and Ida Stougaard, initially entered their invention in the Global Social Ventures Competition, Now, they’re hoping to distribute the device to the 1.8 million volunteers in the Philippines’ Red Cross 143 program.
“Once the regular communication lines and power lines are damaged, it is difficult to establish an overview of a disaster,” the duo explained in their Masters Thesis. “Early information can improve the planning and prioritization of relief for a more effective response, and potentially save lives.”
The mesh network will allow people carrying a mesh-enabled device to send short text messages through each other, as each device creates a link that spans 1km in range. Pairs of two volunteers will meet at a specific place at a specific time on the day after a disaster has occurred to text the device. Reachi has no vulnerable electrical ports, the silicone keypad creates a watertight sealing, and all additional joints are glued together for a water proof design.
Their first test market will be in the Philippines, an area prone to 30 natural disasters each year.
“As each device creates a link, the volunteers are able to communicate through each other,” the two designers explained. “This way, a signal is guaranteed, without the need of vulnerable, physical structures.”
Entrepreneurs across the country are creating ideas and social enterprises designed to confront our world’s biggest challenges. But there’s one catch: starting a social enterprise isn’t easy.
Enter the Halcyon Incubator, a program of S&R Foundation designed to support early-stage social entrepreneurs with, most notably, a residency program where up to 8 start-up hopefuls will work and live together in the historic Halcyon House in Georgetown. This four-month residency is coupled with a living stipend, and free workspace for eight months to ensure that social entrepreneurs from any socioeconomic background can succeed with a great idea and exit the program with a plan for action. Best of all? It is free to those who are accepted and fellows don’t have to give up any equity in exchange.
“Social entrepreneurs are going to fundamentally change how we solve problems in the next few decades,” says Ryan Ross, Program Manager of the Halcyon Incubator. “By providing an immersive program for the fellows, the program can significantly increase the social impact of the ventures.”
At Halcyon, fellows are also provided with many of the trappings of a traditional incubator or accelerator, including mentorship, programming around key entrepreneurial skills, and access to funders. While these are all vitally important to the experience, Halcyon has carved a unique niche with its synergistic residency component.
Andrew Foote, co-founder of Sanivation with its unique business model for toilets, is a current fellow at the Halcyon Incubator. He believes that by reimagining how sanitation services are delivered to the urban poor in developing countries, it can save the lives of thousands of people. Sanivation is a social enterprise that installs toilets in homes in Kenya for no upfront cost, and then transforms the waste collected into charcoal briquettes that can then be used for clean fuel.
Sanivation, along with fourteen other ventures housed currently at Halcyon, provide a veritable wellspring of ambitious plans to make the world a better place. These folks are “drenched in hope,” as one observer put it.
Foote described it this way, “Halcyon has provided me with the time, space, and mentorship to not just have the audacity to say Sanivation is going to serve 1 million people in 5 years, but to have a concrete and vetted action plan about how we are going about do it.”
Halcyon has also taken a unique approach by accepting both for-profit and non-profit startups. “We are looking for ambitious and sustainable ventures that are creating innovative solutions. This goal can be realized across sectors,” says Ross.
The program accepts applications twice a year and is currently recruiting its next round of fellows. Do you have a startup or an idea that will change the world? The application for the Washington DC based program can be found online and is due by Thursday, May 7th at 5 pm EDT.
Spread the Word to Give More People the Option of Applying… (below)
What’s your favorite memory of your mom that is something she did that no one else did, something quirky or endearing that really makes you smile?
All this week, we want to collect everyone’s favorite ‘mom-isms’ and compile them for a Good News Network Mother’s Day post on Sunday. Please share yours in the comments below, or use Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #MyMomism
To start us off, I’ve asked my Good News Network team to share their favorite endearing memories of mom…
Terry Turner, Writer
We heard plenty of “momisms” in our house and they sounded like her own language. Three of my favorites are “permalet” (something the beauty parlor does to your hair); “fax” (which referred to everything involving the Internet, social media, texting or any other digital format — as in, ‘fax me when you get there’); and “jijantic” (something big –– as in, ‘Godzilla is a jijantic lizard’). I still can’t pronounce gigantic correctly after hearing her use this so often.
Charlie Towne, GNN business partner
In grade school the guys would stop on their bikes at our house, which was the last stop before school – they would gather in the kitchen while Mom finished my lunch. If they got too rowdy she would “remind” them that she had been a world wrestling champion––and had the belt to prove it. She was all of 80 pounds but somehow was able to perpetuate this story for a long time without having to produce the evidence – despite constant requests from the guys to see her belt… Love her madly and miss her.
By Sun Star
Kristy Cooper, Contributor
When I think of mom’s cute traits I immediately smile about her lifelong fitness addiction. Nowadays, everyone AND their grandmothers stay in shape. The billion dollar fitness industry is widely embraced. However, when I was little, this was considered quirky and definitely not the norm. Back when fast food ruled, mom made us drink wheat germ while my friends guzzled Kool-Aid. I opened my lunch box to find a dessert of carrots with raisins, while my friends had Twinkies and cupcakes. Mom was the resident “Jane Fonda” teaching aerobics every day after work and dragging me and my two sisters along. Decades later, we are all grateful for mom’s enthusiasm. The youngest runs marathons, the middle wins fitness competitions and I have a nutrition degree.
McKinley Corbley, Editorial Assistant
My mom is really into music. She’s always said that if she wasn’t a business woman, she would’ve been a singer. Whenever a new album is released by any of her favorite bands, you’d better BELIEVE that you are going to be hearing it 254,834 times. Not only would the album be accompanied by her harmonized singing, but a kind of wiggly grooving that could’ve maybe been dancing? (I’m kidding, Mom.) My fondest memory of this is when we went out together and Blurred Lines started playing on the jukebox. Mom jumped off her stool and started boogying about the bar. “Mom, this song is awful, have you listened to the lyrics, what’re you doing!?”
“But it’s just so catchy!” she exclaimed gleefully.
Photo by wishymom
Helaina Hovitz, Deputy Editor
My mom likes to pretend that she doesn’t love animals, but she does. I’ve seen her sneaking kisses to our dog when she thinks nobody’s looking, and talking to him in a baby voice when she brushes his paws.
I remember back in third grade, when I brought home my first pet, Sally the hamster, she pretended she wasn’t that into her. Sally was originally our class pet, and I’d volunteered to take care of her over winter break. I grew attached to her and asked the class if I could keep her. One day, when Sally didn’t wake up from her nap, I marched into my mom’s room and announced, through tears “Sally’s dead!” We put her in a box and buried her in the backyard and my father and I said a few words. I was very upset. I cried all night. My mom cried too.
(Top photo by Irelynkiss)
Tell Us Your Favorite Mom-ism Below, or Post on Twitter/FB with #MyMomism
A new survey finds that 60 percent of Americans who have reached their 100th birthday say they do not “feel old.” On average, they feel more than two decades younger than they are.
They point to a positive attitude as the key to a long, happy life.
According to the tenth annual UnitedHealthcare poll of 100 adults over 100, more than 60% of centenarians see themselves as “very positive people.”
“Year after year, we hear from centenarians that there is a correlation between healthy aging and a healthy mindset,” said Rhonda Randall, D.O., chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions. “It’s a good reminder for us all to take care of our mental, emotional and social health.”
They also acknowledged the importance of family, with half saying they would rather spend time with their family than with anyone else in the world–although comedic actress Betty White was a close second. Thanks to modern technology, 83 percent of centenarians said they were able to keep in touch with family members on a daily or weekly basis.
When asked who they thought of as a role model growing up, nearly half of centenarians chose their parents over any other individual, teacher, or celebrity.
What a way to welcome the month of May with the arrival and the naming of a new royal.
The Kensington Palace tweeted Monday that Duke William and Duchess Catherine had named their baby girl, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Her name, Elizabeth, is connected to her great-grandmother and her great-great grandmother. The name, Diana, is connected to William’s late, beloved mother.
The baby girl will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Cheering onlookers hailed it a miracle as rescuers pulled a 101-year-old man from beneath the ruins of his house where he was buried for a week following the Nepal earthquake.
Funchu Tamang had only minor injuries and survived for seven days on flour and water as he waited for people to dig him out.
Rescue crews airlifted the man to a hospital where he’s recovering from injuries to his left ankle and hand. Doctors say Tamang is in stable condition and his family is with him.
And there’s another glimmer of hope in the country — five babies born to survivors in a makeshift, tent-hospital in Katmandu — giving Nepalese reason to celebrate survivors born a century apart.
April’s 7.9 quake is the second major earthquake Tamang has survived. He was in his 20s when an magnitude 8.0 quake woke him from his sleep in the very same village on January 15, 1934.
As Nepalese struggle to recover from the devastation of last week’s 7.9-magnitude earthquake, art therapy is helping children cope with the traumatic experience.
Children are especially vulnerable during emergencies. Over the years, art therapy has been used in disaster relief as a highly feasible means of reaching out to traumatized children and victims of natural catastrophes and war. Children put on paper the unspeakable – their fears, their emotions, their mourning. The creative process allows them to reveal their suffering, thereby relieving themselves of their psycho-emotional burden.
Sneha Shrestha, founder of Nepal’s first Children’s Art Museum is collecting funds to provide art therapy to children affected by the earthquake.
“We know that our role is going to be so vital over the next several years helping children cope with the disaster,” Shrestha said.
Several organizations have been delivering tonnes of humanitarian supplies to Nepal as part of ongoing efforts to reach at least 1.7 million children living in areas hardest hit by the earthquake.
A group of museum volunteers is now collaborating with UNICEF in child friendly spaces set up in informal camps across Kathmandu. Even as simple as a tent or an outdoor classroom, these ‘oasis’ play an enormous role in giving a child a sense of normalcy amid chaos. Children are given a safe space to run, interact, and play together.
“The spaces we have set up in informal camps offer children a chance to have fun and continue learning when going to school is no longer an option – while providing them with psychosocial support,” Rupha Joshi, an emergencies communication officer for UNICEF, said.
Children need stimulation and play on a regular basis. Child friendly spaces are widely used in emergencies as a first response to children’s needs and an entry point for working with affected communities. According to the International Child Art Foundation research shows that earthquakes increase the rates of mental health problems in the communities they strike. Art therapy services were found to be instrumental in accessing young victims’ internal processes and helping children be children again.
