Identity
Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world
The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.
03.07.24
Images provided by CARE
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Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.
And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.”
This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.
“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.
Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.
About the women:
Mabinty
Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.
Kadiatu
Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.
Isatu
When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.
Zainab
Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.
Adama
Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.
Ya Yaebo
“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.
On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.
Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.
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Community
Inspiring update on man who was recognized by sentencing judge as a childhood friend
He broke down in tears when he recognized her and promised to not let her down.
03.09.24
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
There isn't a single person past the age of infancy who has never made a mistake, and the majority of people do something that they're not proud of at least once in their lives. While some mistakes are bigger than others, they're all moments we'd rather keep to ourselves most of the time. For some people those mistakes are poor decisions or lapses in judgment that land them behind bars.
One man found himself facing a judge for sentencing after making poor choices. Arthur Booth had the entire internet weeping after a video of him went viral when the sentencing judge in court recognized him as one of her childhood friends. When Booth recognized the judge, he began to openly sob with embarrassment. He was ultimately sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to a drug rehabilitation center.
People wondered what happened after that fateful day in court, and a couple of years later a short update came, showing him reuniting with the judge after finishing his sentence and rehab. But that was years ago, where is he now?
Turns out, Booth is doing quite well. Rebel HQ uploaded a video showing what the once struggling man was up to, and the update couldn't be any sweeter. On the day the judge reunited with her former classmate outside of the courtroom, she reminded him, "You've got to take care of your family, try to get a job, stay clean. You're going to do something good for somebody else, that's what you've got to do."
Booth took her words to heart, making good on his promise and exceeding the expectation to succeed. The once embattled man has stayed away from the things that had cost him his freedom–drugs and gambling. In fact, he travels the country as a manager of a successful pharmaceutical company based in Florida, according to Rebel HQ. The man owns his own home and continues to keep in contact with the childhood friend and judge who gave him the words he needed to hear at the right time.
Watch the entire update below:
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Health
Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.
Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.
03.13.24
Elya/Wikimedia Commons
Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.
But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.
The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.
First, let's be clear about what we're even talking about here with a visual. In the image below, left is "over" and right is "under."
Toilet paper hung "over" (left) and "under" (right)
Elya/Wikimedia Commons
So which one is the right way? According to health experts, "over" is the way to go.
"One key to maintaining a hygienic washroom is minimising contact between people and surfaces," Dr. Christian Moro, associate professor of health sciences and medicine at Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "Depending on the type of roll holder, [hanging the toilet paper "over"] often lowers the chance that a user will touch the wall behind when fishing for paper, leaving germs behind on that surface which can be spread to the next user."
Picture it: Grabbing the end of the toilet paper when it's hung "over" means you only touch the part of the toilet paper you're going to use. When it's "under," you sometimes have to fish for it or scrape your fingers on the wall in order to grab the loose end. In addition to whatever might be on people's hands already, think about all the people who wipe twice, potentially transferring fresh fecal matter or other bacteria to the wall on the second pass, which then get picked up by other people who inadvertently touch that wall when trying to grab their TP.
Theoretically, we all should have become better hand washers during the pandemic, scrubbing with soap for the full 20 seconds it takes to remove bacteria. But I wouldn't be willing to bet on it.
And touching any surface in a bathroom is pretty nasty, according to a study from the University of Colorado. As Inc. reported: "Using a high-tech genetic sequencing tool, researchers identified 19 groups of bacteria on the doors, floors, faucet handles, soap dispensers, and toilets of 12 public restrooms in Colorado — six men’s restrooms and six women’s restrooms. Many of the bacteria strains identified could be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces."
Bacteria means things like e.coli, which is a common source of food poisoning and one of the most common bacteria found on bathroom surfaces in the study. If you've ever had a bout of food poisoning, I'm sure you'll agree that a toilet paper roll hanging preference isn't worth risking it.
But sanitary health concerns aren't the only argument for the "over" camp. After all, the original patent for the toilet paper roll, issued in 1891, clearly shows the TP in the "over" position. Thank you for the clarity right from the get go, Mr. Wheeler.
The toilet paper roll was patented by Seth Wheeler in 1891.
Now, before the "under" folks come running with their pitchforks, there are some understandable exceptions to the "over" rule. Namely: cats and kids.
If you have a furry friend or a tiny toddler who likes to unroll the toilet paper roll, "over" makes it super fun for them, while "under" stops them in their tracks. For many people, cats and kids are the primary motivator of their TP hanging habits.
That doesn't change the fact that "over" is actually the "correct" way to hang toilet paper according to health science and the inventor's intention, of course, but "under" is certainly preferable to having a pile of TP on the floor.
Now go forth, do that with information as you will, and try to make peace with your over vs. under rivals.
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Family
Mom points out an unspoken, 'unfair' part of having kids who play travel ball
Families can spend thousands on travel sports leagues.
03.08.24
via Casey Kelley (used with permission) and Vince Fleming/Unsplash
Parents whose children participate in elite travel ball leagues can spend up to $12,000 annually on fees, equipment, hotel rooms and gas. One mother, Casey Kelley, from Alabama, has spoken out, saying that if parents spend all of that money and time, their children should get to play in games. Kelley's daughter plays on a club volleyball team.
The topic was inspired by a conversation she had with other volleyball parents who agreed that every kid should get a decent amount of playing time.
“I’ll tell you what I think. I think, if you’re paying to be there, so it's not like high school sports, I think everyone should have the opportunity to play because this is a developmental league ... and they’re there to develop and to learn,” she explained in a TikTok video.
“Especially if these parents are paying thousands of dollars for them to be in the league and then traveling, spending money on hotels for their kid to sit there and maybe play a minute or two the whole weekend. I think it’s unfair,” she continued.
@caseyjkelley What do you think? #travelball #clubsport #athlete #kids #mom #question
It's reasonable for Kelley to believe that spending a lot of money and traveling all over the map only to watch your kid play for a few minutes feels pointless. However, a lot of parents disagreed with her in the comments.
"You pay for practice. Playing time is earned," Nathan Sullins wrote.
"Absolutely not. If you want fair playing time you play rec ball. Travel ball playing time is performance based," another user wrote.
But these parents haven’t changed Kelley’s mind.
“I’m not opposed to kids earning their spot or the best kids playing more, but I feel that every kid who makes the team should at least have some playing time,” she told Upworthy. “I know it’s not a popular opinion, but it’s how I currently see it.”
Kelley further explained the story in a follow-up video.
@caseyjkelley Clarification post and the last one on this topic #travelball #athlete #travelballparents #clubsport #parenting
What do you think?
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Joy
Legally blind man walked 5 miles to work until a 'village' organized to create a rideshare
"I don't call out. I want to work."
03.13.24
Bill Moczulewski is a 57-year-old hardworking janitor at Walmart in Cabot, Arkansas. He works the night shifts from Tuesday through Friday, 10 pm to 7 am. Bill lives 5 miles from his job, and he has to walk there and back every day, no matter the weather conditions.
The entire walk, round trip, takes about 2 hours a day.
According to GoFundMe, Bill used to ride his bike to work but was struck by a car one day, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from returning to his job. He’s such a hard worker that he still made it to work using a walker. A few years later, Bill was struck by a car again.
A long walk like that could be troublesome for most people, but Bill is legally blind, which makes the trek even more dangerous. "I don't call out," Bill told CBS News. "I want to work."
A couple of years ago, Christy Conrad saw Bill on his daily walk and offered him a ride. The two struck up a friendship and she vowed to give him a ride whenever she could. "He's going to go to work no matter what," Christy said. “I picked him up in nine degrees the other morning.”
Unfortunately, Christy couldn’t always be there for Bill, so she created a Facebook group called Mr. BIll’s Village to build a team to help Bill get to work and back. Now, group members drive around looking for Bill and give him a ride if they can. It’s like Cabot has its own game of “Where’s Waldo” going on in the streets. Village members watch for Bill, pull over and give him a ride if he needs one.
The group is a way for members to come together to ensure that Bill can get around and members also pick him up meals from time to time, too.
Today, the group has nearly 4,000 followers and Bill just about always has a ride to work. "It's never the same person from one day to the next. There's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know," Bill said.
To help with Bill’s commute, Chris Puckett, a local auto dealer, offered to give Bill a car. But given his vision problems, a car wouldn’t do him much good. So he gave the gift to Christy.
The group has also established a GoFundMe campaign to help Bill with his expenses. Christy has been using the money to get him a bite to eat from time to time. They recently enjoyed some Domino's pizza Bill hadn’t had in quite a while.
The story of Bill Moczulewski and the village that supports him is a wonderful example for all to share. If you work hard, you can inspire others to work hard for you. "It's never the same person from one day to the next. There's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place, you know," Moczulewski said.
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Joy
Woman hits relatable comedy gold in video attempting to psyche herself up for her period
"This deserves a standing ovulation!!!!"
03.12.24
Periods have been giving people a run for their money since the beginning of time. It's a pretty safe bet that nobody likes them. If there was a way to replace them with a text message, email or post card that simply read, "not pregnant this month," people would happily sign up for that instead. There are so many better ways to deliver the message than debilitating cramps, irritability, headaches and the need for menstrual products.
Emily Vondy took to social media to show her attempt to psyche herself up for her period, and it's got people laughing. The woman appears to be standing in a mirror filming herself do a pep talk to prepare herself for her upcoming menstrual cycle. But it was honestly probably doing the opposite, though the song is clearly a bop.
"The average woman has about 450 periods in her lifetime, which adds up to ten years. Ten years of our lives will be spent menstruating and I don't want all those years to suck, so this is my attempt to gaslight myself into thinking my period is super cool," Vondy says to open the video.
Yikes! Ten years seems a bit excessive, mother nature, but that's the point of the tune Vondy starts rapping. Pointing out the reason people have periods and how cool our bodies are may make the cramps of a period not seem so bad. Again, not sure it will have the desired effect but commenters really felt her jam was on point.
"Are my kids of homeschooling age yet? No. Do I have a daughter? No. Will this song be apart of our homeschool science curriculum? Yes. Yes it will," one woman writes.
"Ohhhhhh my gosh!! No lie THIS.... This song should be reproduced and used in Health classes all around. It's VERY on point of what to expect or should expect and gives the needed encouragement. I'm going to save it for my now 4yr old daughter. It's fun," another says.
"Straight to the point NOT PERPENDICULAR this was the most valiant effort I can imagine for period hype. Go team," someone encourages.
There were puns made in the comments as well and a little confusion on her math with people wondering how periods only lasted 10 years of life. Vondy explained that she meant if you added up all the minutes a person was actively on their period then it adds up to 10 years. Either way, everyone seemed to agree the song was a banger and should be used in curriculum and available on iTunes.
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Pop Culture
Teacher creates his own Gen Z slang, then gaslights students into thinking they're real
This prank is clipped, y'all.
03.12.24
Representative Image from Canva
Look, maybe it’s just because I’m no longer in the young crowd, but does it seem like we get new, confusing slang at an exponentially faster rate than before? Just when we finally decipher words likerizz and no cap, now there’s mewing and gyat to contend with. And this is coming from someone without children. I can only imagine how out-of-the-loop parents and teachers must feel.
That is, unless you’re Sam Salem, an eighth-grade substitute teacher who decided to take linguistic matters into his own hands by creating his own “Gen Z slang.”
Salem, who travels around the country doing comedy shows when not “facing his toughest audiences- classrooms full of Gen Z kids,” recently posted a series of videos to his TikTok sharing a truly diabolical plan to not only use made-up “Gen Z-sounding slang words,” but “gaslighting” his students into thinking they’re real.
And then whenever a student questions him, Salem simply assures them that A) a rapper uses the word all the time, B) it’s all the rage with high schoolers, or C) it’s all over Tiktok. Total evil mastermind.
Below are Salem’s handcrafted Gen Z words. So just know, if you hear a youngster using one of these, you have him to thank.
“Clipped”: when something is really good, alá highlight clips of a sports game.
“Mute”: a replacement for lowkey. So when you want something down in a non-overt way, do it “on mute.”
“Feta”: a negative thing. Think how feta cheese crumbles. When something is feta, it is a good thing that falls apart easily.
“Parked”: just like a parked car doesn’t move, something that’s parked is boring and not going anywhere.
“Pebbles”: while a mountain or a boulder presents a huge obstacle, pebbles are “smooth sailing.” So when something is pebbles, it’s easy to overcome.
“Terk” : inspired by Salem’s favorite Disney movie, “Tarzan,” a Terk is your loyal-to-the-end bestie. Just like the character Terk was to Tarzan.
@samuelsleeves give me more fake slang words to use on my students #teaching #teachersoftiktok #highschool #middleschool #education ♬ original sound - Sam Salem
“Sparse”: the opposite of “ate.” As in, “ate and left no crumbs.” So basically, as a way to say that whatever thing a person is doing is very not cool. So not cool that it’s sparse. Get it?
“Getty”: inspired by the famous Getty museum of Los Angeles, this word suggests that something is “a work of art.”
"Oozing": kind of a polite way to tell someone they’re talking too much, since the words are “oozing” out of them, or if they’re doing something that’s embarrassing. Nobody wants to be oozing.
“Swirled”: someone who is wishy-washy—a friend one minute and ignoring you the next, for example—might be someone who is swirled.
“Nabs”: an acronym that’s the opposite of BAE (Before Anyone Else). Which is this case would be Not AnyBody’s Somebody. Could be a good thing, like when someone is single, or a bad thing, when there aren’t any romantic prospects.
“Remy”: Another Disney reference, Remy is inspired by “Ratatouille.” Just like a rat shouldn’t go together with food “because it’s gross,” when something is remy that means two things which shouldn't go together surprisingly do.
@samuelsleeves Replying to @*LisaG* don’t be swirled otherwise you’ll end up nabs #teaching #teachersoftiktok #genz #millennial #ratatouille ♬ original sound - Sam Salem
Over in the comments section, people were applauding Salem’s fake slang , and not in a muted way.
“You ARE the trendsetter now,” one person wrote.
“You’re ironically creating new slang,” seconded another.
In essence, Salem actually did make fetch happen. Kudos.
Seems like Salem is not gonna stop creating new words anytime soon. To keep up with the trends, follow him on TikTok here.From Your Site Articles
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