Earthquake in Nepal

On April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Kathmandu, Nepal, killing more than 8,000 people and injuring more than 19,000. Then, on May 12, in a series of unfortunate events, another 7.3 magnitude quake hit a region further east. It was followed closely by at least six strong aftershocks, being felt as far away as in Delhi, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

More than three-quarters of the buildings in Kathmandu have been deemed uninhabitable or unsafe, with at least half a million people living in makeshift camps or among the ruins of their houses.

The main hospitals in the capital continue to function but are stretched to capacity, and it is not clear to what extent essential services have been disrupted.

To make the situation even worse, the country is heading into monsoon season, which brings intense rainfall, and with that, mosquitos carrying potential diseases – a real danger to babies, children and the elderly.

Relief Efforts
The Red Cross is the world’s largest disaster aid organization, with support from volunteers and citizens around the world. Red Cross teams are on the ground providing assistance and the public is encouraged to help support the effort.

Money raised will be used to:
* Distribute emergency relief supplies to affected communities
* Provide medical supplies and support to local medical facilities
* Support local authorities in assessing and responding to the needs of affected communities

Please give what you can to the Nepal Region Earthquake Fund – every penny counts! All eligible donations made by May 25 will be matched by the Government of Canada.

How to celebrate Earth Day

If you aren’t already aware, it’s Earth Day today, April 22.

So what is Earth Day? It’s an annual event held across the global to raise awareness about environmental issues. It encourages people to get involved in environmental protection and conservation efforts.

Did you know?

• The garbage in a landfill stays for a about 30 years
• Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year
• 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped into the ocean every year – most of it is plastic
• Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people
• Earth will face a 40 percent shortfall in water supply by 2030
• Glaciers have melted/thinned by over 10 metres since 1980

Join millions of people across the world today and do at least one thing to save our planet. All actions – big or small – make a difference.

Activities range from cleaning up a local park, leaving your car at home and taking public transit, to using a cloth bag when grocery shopping and teaching your children about climate change – and much more!

For more information on how you can get involved, see the links below.

• Top 10 actions
• 50 Earth Day activities for kids
• 10 awesome eco-activities to do this Earth Day
• Quizzes, games and activities

So get out, or stay inside, and get the entire family involved! Remember to make every day Earth Day.

India’s other daughters – The village that plants 111 trees when a girl is born

After months and months of reading about all the negative treatment of women, girls and children in India, it’s nice to finally see a success story.

At a first glance, it seems fabricated. Especially considering this is in the same country that frowns upon women. From birth, they are considered a family debt and thought to only bring forth shame. But, shockingly, this is for real. A village in India gathers as a community and plants 111 fruit trees in honour of every female child that is born.

Here’s the full article. It’s definitely worth the read and share! Hope this message spreads across the globe and brings forth change, not only in India, but other countries with similar, archaic views towards women.