Conradine 'Connie' Campbell

Conradine Campbell known to her friends as Connie had her whole life ahead of her. At the young age of 34 Connie was young and healthy and was doing two of the things that she loved the most ( Being a mother to her 11 year old daughter and pursuing her music Career ). 


Connie had a seizure and suffered a Brain stem stroke, while on tour at Crossroads nightclub in Bladensburg, Maryland. Connie is still in the hospital and needs serious and extensive therapy. Connie is a Jamaican citizen and her status in the USA is of a visitor and not a Citizen or Resident so that has not only left her family financially strained but it has been a hinder in getting Connie the therapy that she needs.


Every Human should been giving the same opportunities for healthcare, no matter where you are from. This could have happened to anybody at anytime. Please watch the whole video and please join the Facebook group page." PLEASE DO NOT MAKE DONATIONS ON THIS BLOG FOR CONNIE " Please join Facebook and find out where you can make donations for Connie. 


Remember there is no such thing as a donation to big or too small, giving comes from the heart.  

Schools in Jamaica -Old Harbour Bay Primary St.Catherine Jamaica

This morning I was at Old Harbour Bay Primary School in St.Catherine. The thing that I really love about this school is the morning devotion. My mission is not so much about religion but with so many negative things going on in the world it is always a blessing to see something positive.

The problem that I have been facing a lot is trying to get people outside of Jamaica to support my mission to give every child a fair chance.This is not my first visit to Old Harbour Bay and it will not be my last, The reason for the photos today was to show that there is always room for improvement.

It is nice to be able to give school supplies,uniforms and volunteer time but my mission is to be able to raise enough money to give every child at that school the same opportunity as every other child in the world. I can't think of one school in the US that doesn't have some more of play area other then a dirt field.

    
I think that every child should be given the same rights to education as well as the freedom to be able to enjoy their child hood. I can't think of one school in the US that doesn't have a playground or a child friendly play area. I hope that as we gain supporters this will be changed.

About Mustard Seed Communities in Spanish Town

Today I went to visit the Mustard Seed Communities in Spanish Town.  I will say on the record that I think that Mustard Seed is doing a wonderful job helping to take care of  children that other wise may have been left on the streets or neglected. Before I contacted  Mustard Seed I was calling around to see who could use my help and most organizations seem to have a specific amount of money even for you to visit.


I contacted one place that wanted a minimum of 2,000 ( US ) Just to come in visit. Please don't get me wrong because I understand that different organizations have different ways of getting donations to take care of their basic needs but to me I thought that was a little unrealistic to expect everyone to have that kind of money. Mustard Seed didn't ask for a dime and opened up their Community to us.


As of today they have 171 children orphans that either have HIV, AIDS, disabilities or have just been abandoned. It would be impossible from them to take care of all the children without help from people kind enough to make donations. I would also like to share that they offer programs where groups can come and stay for a week. I think that is a great opportunity to get to know what Mustard Seed Communities is all about and why everybody needs to support what they are doing.


They also allow you to become a foster parent from abroad. That means that when you come back to visit Jamaica you can stay at their Community and spend time with your foster child. You are also allowed to take them out places such as the beach,parks,etc...Today was just a reminder that I am doing the right thing and that it is ok to start off small and grow.


I also have made great progress towards my own organization and should have all my paperwork filed by the end of the month.

For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude

Public Appeal .....

Many orphanages, children’s home, and Hospitals are understaffed. Without volunteers and donations, many orphanages would not be able to provide the necessary care to help insure that children’s needs are meet. Many of these children have HIV and AIDS and some have just been abandoned. They just need love and to be reassured that there are still people who care about them. Most orphanages have to deal with limited resources. When infants are not held, talked to and touched, some become socially impaired and unable to form loving relationships. This lack of attention may also lead to poor physical, emotional and intellectual development.

Our Mission is to return a sense of self confidence and normalcy to children with emotional, behavioral and medical needs. Our mission is to focus on Orphanages, children’s home and Hospitals but we will not limit ourselves to anybody that is in need. While we hope to have an impact on institutions, communities and Jamaican’s who have migrated to first world countries, our first priority will be to meet the needs of children. I therefore appeal to each and every person to support my efforts and trying to raise both awareness and funding. I have set myself with a personal goal to reach 1,000 (US) by March 31, 2010. I understand that this won’t solve all the of the crisis in Jamaica but it will allow items such as Diapers, wipes , bottles, powder formula, educational tools ,personal hygiene, sanitation and health aids to be distributed.






         WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP ?  

   * You can join me by visiting orphanages, children’s home, and Hospitals.

* You can donate used clothes and toys.

 *You can start your own fundraising at work, home or church.

 * You can shop online at www.swfashion.webs.com  100% of profit goes to those in
 need.

*You can also visit my personal website http://childrenjamaica.blogspot.com/ you can 
read my personal story and why this mission is important to me. You can also make donations and leave any comments.

 * If you would like to help out a local cause feel free because there are many children
 and people that are in need ( Pay it forward )

 * If you can’t do any of the things listed above then, I just ask you to pray for those that are in need. 

I juI wanted to share my breakfast with you. A plate of love, a bowl of peace, a spoon of hope, a fork of care and a glass of prayer.

Teenage pregnancy in Jamaica

 Few people would argue with the statement that one of the most precious of all of life's events is the birth of a child. This is certainly the case for a grown adult with an education, a financial future planned, and an emotional support system in place. However when the mother to be is a teenage girl there are concerns and considerations that limit some of the joy usually felt at the news of an impending birth. Teenage pregnancy is currently on downward spiral fortunately, but these young mothers face significant challenges to their futures, their health, and the health of their babies. 

Teenage girls account for nearly one quarter of all births in the West Indian island of Jamaica.

According to the United Nations Population Fund, contraceptive use among Jamaican teens is low. Data from Jamaica's National Family Planning Board shows 66 per cent of all births are not planned and among women under the age of twenty, 40 per cent have been pregnant at least once, and 85 per cent of these pregnancies are unplanned. Despite a strong Christian following in this Caribbean country of 2.6 million, many Jamaicans become sexually active as early as fourteen or younger. Too early sex, according to the Board, is associated with factors such as poverty, absence of male role models at home--nearly half of households are headed by single women--and cultural approval of early child-bearing, particularly in poor communities. Women in poor neighbourhoods who have not had a child by their twenties risk being taunted and labelled 'mules'--or sterile

Despite existing contraceptive distribution projects, many women and girls cannot access contraceptives at the right place, time and price. Young people may be embarrassed to ask and are often prevented from getting them by providers in clinics or pharmacies who can be judgemental, especially regarding sexually active young women. Politicians have not considered that many teens become pregnant involuntarily due to rape or incest, while others have confused sex for love, especially economically dependent girls with older, persuasive men.




Instead of blaming and punishing girls, More education on parenting, sex education and family planning is needed, particularly aimed at adolescents of both sexes, who represent 20 per cent of the population. Society needs to educate people. We have to begin in schools with adolescents, especially in the inner city, so the cycle can be broken'.

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

My personal feelings for today !!!

Today a lot of things have been running through my mind so the subject that I was going to blog about I will save that for another day. I spoke to a few friends today that have me the inspiration that I needed today .I had to pick up the pieces and keep it moving.I have come to realize that everything will not happen over night and not everybody will respect what I am doing or even understand. So I just wanted to post this quote 

“You have to stand for what you believe in. And sometimes you have to stand alone.”— Queen Latifah

Pregnancy in Hiv/ Aids in Jamaica

        

For every thousand pregnant women in Jamaica sixteen are infected with HIV.


Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned as a result of Aids. AIDS is responsible for leaving vast numbers of children across the world without one or both parents. The age of orphans, however, is fairly consistent across countries. Surveys suggest that overall about 15% of orphans are 0-4 years old, 35% are 5-9 years old, and 50% are 10-14 years old.




The scale of the orphan crisis is somewhat masked by the time lag between when parents become infected and when they die. If, as expected, the number of adults dying from AIDS rises over the next decade, an increasing number of orphans will grow up without parental care and love.




Children whose parents are living with HIV often experience many negative changes in their lives and can start to suffer neglect, including emotional neglect, long before they are orphaned. Eventually, they suffer the death of their parent(s) and the emotional trauma that results. They may then have to adjust to a new situation, with little or no support, and may suffer exploitation and abuse.




Children grieving for dying or dead parents are often stigmatised by society through association with AIDS. The distress and social isolation experienced by these children, both before and after the death of their parent(s), is strongly exacerbated by the shame, fear, and rejection that often surrounds people affected by HIV and AIDS. Because of this stigma, children may be denied access to schooling and health care. Once a parent dies children may also be denied their inheritance and property. 




Often children who have lost their parents to AIDS are assumed to be HIV positive themselves, adding to the likelihood that they will face discrimination and damaging their future prospects. In this situation children may also be denied access to healthcare that they need. Sometimes this occurs because it is assumed that they are infected with HIV and their illnesses are untreatable.
    
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
-- Mother Teresa