A World We Dare to Imagine

A World We Dare to Imagine - iHelp

iHelp is an organization that is set on a mission to teach individuals how to defend themselves and others from harm. iHelp provides basic defense classes and self defense workshops for all individuals. Our goal is to make sure that you will be able to defend yourself in a variety of situations - in a choke-hold, a gun pointed at your head and more. By providing these classes, individuals will have the proper skills needed to prepare themselves for unexpected situations and it will also help develop increased mental and physical health. 

I believe that it is important that all individuals, regardless of size and shape, to learn self defense because in the modern society attacks occur without warning, and to any individual when she least expects it. In large cities, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, these attacks are a lot more common. Therefore, by providing these basic self- defense classes, we will help individuals mentally and physically prepare themselves for dangerous and unpredicted circumstances. The unique thing about iHelp is that it is readily and easily accessible to anyone.  iHelp is an organization with a family culture that encourages helping and caring for others. Therefore, our motto is, "ihelp because I care". 

Ultimately, AMDP should support iHelp because it a socially responsible organization that gives to the community. iHelp is a social enterprise that truly cares about the safety of all individuals and it would be a great way for AMDP to give back. AMDP will help out by teaching the basic classes and the donations received will be used toward opening more workshops in order to reach more individuals. 

Blue Sweater Post #3

The Blue Sweater

The last few chapters of The Blue Sweater, talks about Jacqueline and Acumen. The reason why she started Acumen (a non-profit global venture capital fund) was due to her belief in the market as the starting point for solving problems of poverty. The fund supports entrepreneurs with the drive to find a solution that will allow the poor to help themselves. I believe that she has pin pointed the problem and has found the right solution to solving poverty. She has realized that giving money and items to the poor is not the ultimate solution, but helping them become entrepreneurs is the key because only then, can they build a life worth living. It was also very interesting to learn about the correlation between investing in health care and people's ability to earn income. In the book, it talks about how a bed net gift allowed a man named Eliarehemu, who was suffering from malaria, to get healthy and earn income. So because of the investment in bed nets, this man was able to use it and become healthier, which allowed him to work and earn income.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Blue Sweater. I respect and look up to Jacqueline. She had left a successful career in finance to come to Africa to help people. She took the time to understand them and ultimately came up with the best solution which was to help them become entrepreneurs so that they can take care of themselves. 

Blue Sweater Post #2

The Blue Sweater

My favorite part in the second half of The Blue Sweater, was when Jacqueline Novogratz was in Rwanda. In Rwanda, Jacqueline worked by helping poor women start businesses. She helped Honorata, Liliane, Prudence, Agnes, and Annie start a bakery which they named Duterimbere. It was amazing to be able to see the impact that she was making on these women's lives. She made them realize that "for the first time in their lives - a real correlation between the effort they put into their work and the income they earned. They began to believe the organization could succeed and that they themselves would play a key part in that success." She was able to empower these women to believe in themselves which I believe is a great accomplishment. 

Jacqueline leaves and then comes back to Rwanda after the genocide to find that her friends were victims. However, when visiting the bakery it was very sad to find out her friends were killed, but "for one brief moment, there had been a packet of joy here in a place where women dared to have aspirations, to make their own decisions on their own terms". It can be seen that Jacqueline was able to really make a difference and impact the lives of the women that owned the bakery as well as many other women in Rwanda that witnessed aspirations as being possible for women.

Blue Sweater Post #1

The Blue Sweater

I was very excited to be assigned to read The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novogratz after hearing her on Ted Talk in class. From her Ted Talk, I could tell that she is a very passionate individual that thrives off helping others. I really respect Jacqueline and look up to her. And I am really looking forward to reading her book and being able to learn and see how her strong passion came about. 

The first thing that caught my interest was the title of the book, The Blue Sweater. It was interesting to learn about the story behind the blue sweater. Jacqueline owned a blue sweater that she loved and wore all the time, but after being made fun of when wearing it, she donated it to Goodwill. Years later, she saw that same sweater on a little boy when volunteering in Rwanda. This just comes to show that we are all connected. 

The quote that caught my attention the most was when Jacqueline went to explore the the slums of Hillside Rio. She wanted to experience not only the rich but the poor parts of as well. "I'd never experienced such poverty alongside such wealth before, and I'd also never felt such a strong desire to make a difference or felt so fully alive." This quote was so powerful because it was in this moment that she realized how unfortunate some peoples lives really are and realized her calling. All in this one moment, she also realized how she has been living in a bubble and has not really seen the "real world", until now. Overall, I really enjoyed the reading so far and I am looking forward to learning more about Jacqueline and her journey. 

Anything Post #2

Try, Try Again

In 5th grade, my teacher would post a poem each month on the board and we were asked to memorize it by the end of the month and recite it to the class. Out of all the poems that I memorized during my years as a 5th grader, it was interesting to see that this particular poem stayed with me until now.           

Try, Try Again

From The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett

'Tis a lesson you should heed,

Try, try again;

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try again;

Then your courage should appear,

For, if you will persevere,

You will conquer, never fear;

Try, try again.

The poem is very catchy, it's easy to memorize, and it is a useful lesson. The poem taught me that making mistakes are fine as long as you don't give up and keep trying. And in the end you will succeed. Growing up, this poem has reminded me to keep persevering. I have lived, not giving up and I believe I am more successful because of that. I believe that this poem was a great lesson that my 5th grade teacher had taught me and for that I am grateful. 

 

The Genius of Money - Post #3

An Interview with Charles Terry

Charles Terry graduated from Harvard Law School with a small focus on corporate law, but chose to work for minimal wages by focusing on urban, community and poverty law in New York City. Initially he taught law at New York University of Law while being involved in may social projects, but eventually left teaching to be the Executive Director at The Door. At The Door he faced the common problem of always needing more money. Terry talks about how he was always interested in money, "ever since [he] first chose not to go the path of making lots of money through practicing law." I found this quote to be very interesting because I can't help but wonder if Charles had chosen to take the path of making lots of money, if his character would be different. Would he still be a philanthropist and give his money, time, and other skills back to the community? or would he allow money to consume him? 

Overall, reading this interview made me a lot more conscious about money. I realized the responsibilities that come with money and that making money is not a bad thing as long as you don't allow money to take over your life and be the source of your happiness. 

The Genius of Money - Post #2

Chapter 15 - The Transcendentalist and the Immigrant

Two Views of Money in America 

In chapter 15, John Bloom gives us a little background about the two different views of money early on in American history. The different views were between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton's vision of an economic direction for the future ruled over Jefferson's view. As a result, "economic trade required a monetary system as a tool of accounting to accommodate intra- and inter-national exchange of goods and currencies." 

From Hamilton's policy, came two perspectives on money in America that speaks more to the direct human experience - Ralph Waldo Emerson and Eva Hoffman. Emerson, who was an American transcendentalist believed that money was necessary; however, he questioned who had the right to own it. Emerson believed that each individual would know if he was worthy enough to take on the social responsibility to own money and use it to benefit the society - create jobs. On the other hand, Eva Hoffman a Polish immigrant, believed that money had the power to rule individuals. Hoffman states that an individual's "desire is connected to the worldly and material, rather than the spiritual." Hoffman believes that many individuals have allowed money to rule their lives and determine their happiness, but if individuals have faith in a higher being then they will be able to overcome the temptation of money and materials. Both Emerson and Hoffman asks us to explore our relationship with money because they believe that it is important to recognize the power that money has over us and to not succumb to it. 

The Genius of Money-Post #1

Chapter One – Tribute Paid

At the Intersection of Spirit and Money 

In this first chapter, John Bloom starts off by stating, “The realms of spirit and religion, engaged as they are with the non-material world, nevertheless must find a way to work in a world that trades in money.” With this, I believe that he is trying to show the readers that even though religion teaches about believing in something higher and overlooking material items - like money. Money is inevitable because we live in a society where money regulates the economy.

Bloom agrees with the religious organizations and believes that money brings the worse out of people; it represents greed, rights and power. It is possible that money can change us and take over our identity. He believes that we should not let money overpower us but instead “by seeing that money is connected to our intentions whether moral-ethical or disingenuous”. Bloom knows that we cannot ignore money, he believes that, “money is both material and spiritual”. Therefore, he suggests that we should find a common ground between the two. To allow money to be integrated in our lives but without letting it take over our identity.

Food Blog 3

Final Food Post

First off, I would like to say that I really enjoyed reading Growing a Farmer, by Kurt Timmermeister. His writing was very simple, easy to read, and interesting. I really liked how the book takes us on a journey with Kurt from the restaurant business to him growing a farm - we were able to go through his decision-making and learning process. Initially, I thought that this book would be boring because the title had the word Farmer in there and I thought it would be a story about a farmer living on the farm; however, the book was much more than that, it was eye-opening and it has taught me a few lessons.

As the book finally comes to an end, Kurt was able to accomplish his dream of living the “simple

life”. He has created a life for himself, by purchasing an old and beat up farm and turning it into something that was sustainable. As we see Kurt grow as a farmer, we see his appreciation for food grow as well. Kurt forms a strong connection with the food and no longer sees it as just food – he views it as much more. The food was something that he personally grew and produced; it was a long and difficult process. It is interesting to see how respect is formed for something after we understand the process behind it. Overall, by the end we see that Kurt is very happy with his accomplishments and he is able to create a sustainable life that he really enjoys.

To me, his life does not seem simple at all. Deciding to grow a farm was a risky choice and it required a lot of work – but in the end we see Kurt really enjoying the farm that he has built for himself. This has taught me to find something in life that I enjoy doing and go for it, regardless of how hard it is. Because life is an obstacle where I will fail in many things, and those failures are learning opportunities, but the end results will be priceless.

Anything Post

The History Lesson 

On October 3, 2015, I went to visit the Sriracha factory for my audit class. It was a class field trip and we were given the assignment – to go to the warehouse and understand the business operation, name the controls that they had in place and the controls that they were missing. However, I learned a lot more than a class lesson during the field trip, I learned about my family’s history.

My sister and I carpooled to the factory and after arriving and seeing how many families were at the factory we decided to call and invite our parents. When my sister and I arrived, we immediately took a photo with the founder David. He was a cute little old man who reminded me a lot of my grandpa. He didn’t speak at all, he just stood there taking photos with everyone. After taking the photo, my sister and I went on the tour with a couple of our friends and met up with my parents after they finished the tour. My parents were really excited and told us that they wanted to take a family photo with David. We told them that we already had, but we’d take one with them too. We headed over to where David was taking photos earlier on in the day, and we were told that he had left for lunch and that we could take a photo with his cardboard cutout. We did that, and left.

When we arrived home we showed our parents the picture and we learned that David Tran named the company Huy Fung Foods, Inc.  He named it after the refugee ship that brought him and 3,000 others out of Vietnam and that my dad and my dad’s family were also on that ship. My dad and my mom went on to tell us more about how they escaped Vietnam in a ship and how they had to pay 9 pieces of gold to the government in order to leave. My mom was not as wealthy as my dad so she and her family escaped in a small wooden boat of 200 that could’ve flipped over anytime. I always knew about my parent’s hardship when they came to America but I never thought about the hardship that they had to go through to leave Vietnam and at such a young age. Learning more about my family’s history was very interesting and eye opening. Overall, this day has made me appreciate and respect my parents even more and has taught me to appreciate everything in life because I realized how fortunate I am.