"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
~ Robert F. Kennedy
Dear Friends,
I am deeply humbled by all the loving comments and emails which I have received over the last few days....
You fill my heart with deep hope and wild love, and inspire me more than my little words can express.
I want to be as transparent, as 'real' as I can, with you.
Not simply because I believe reality is always good (except perhaps on certain 'reality Television shows' lol)...
But because I think in the work I do with people in Africa, there is a temptation to put people up on a pedestal... To almost 'deify' wounded human beings. And I think this is not only dangerous, but counterproductive.
But because I think in the work I do with people in Africa, there is a temptation to put people up on a pedestal... To almost 'deify' wounded human beings. And I think this is not only dangerous, but counterproductive.
I am as real, as human as the next guy. As filled with flaws and imperfections and annoying habits ;).
But I have found that imperfect, 'everyday' people like me can make a difference in this world. And this is why I write this blog and share with you the stories that I do..
I wrote recently of my friend Juliet. She lives across the ocean in Virginia, USA. But through the medium of the internet and this little blog we have become friends...
She is filled with passion for the this world and like so many of us wants to make a difference...
This weekend she will take a group of young adults on a wild ride of love, to show them how they each can make a difference in the world...
They are making 800 crosses to plant by the side of major road, each cross representing 325 children that will die of hunger in that day....
They will sleep in a cardboard box city which Juliet has built, so they can experience what its like to be homeless...
And among the other incredible activities she has planned, they'll see five little clips from a young good looking doctor in Australia (LOL!!! you've heard of McDreamy now meet McGoonetilleke ;) ;) about some of his experiences in Swaziland and some little thoughts on making a difference ;).... you'll find them here....http://www.youtube.com/user/MaithriGoonetilleke
The internet is a miracle... How else could we form such strong heart to heart connections with people all over the world?
When I spoke to Juliet on the phone last week about how I might be able to help her in her project, we just kept saying... "How is it possible that we're talking right now!"
It somehow turned this whole experience of blogging, which has the risk of feeling a little ephemeral at times, into a very real, tangible experience...
It happened again yesterday as I was reading your beautiful comments and emails... I felt a tide of very real tenderness and gratitude wash over me... I could feel you each in that little internet cafe with me... ;)
Africa is just a breath away... but there is still much to do...
I just didnt want to neglect saying a humble and heartfelt thank you to all of you for your love and support...
I think I shared these photos with you a while back on my blog....but I thought i'd repost them...To me they will always represent "HOPE"...
When I left Swaziland the last time, my friend Jacque and Babe Elliot Matsenwa had a dream of building a care point for orphans and vulnerable children in the Moyeni area.
It would be an enclosed seven room structure with toilet, windows, tables, blackboard, two ten thousand litre water tanks... where AIDS orphans, and poor people in the community could come for a meal each day and informal education provided by volunteer mothers in the community.
The dream was there...but sadly funds were not...
So when I returned to Australia I spent 6 months talking.... Talking till i grew sick of the sound of my own voice lol... I spoke at medical 'grand rounds' at tertiary hospitals, at tiny sporting club meetings in isolated country towns.... I spoke to Christian churches and muslim groups...at retirement homes and youth groups....
And in 6 months we had raised 40 thousand dollars... Just a whole lot of ordinary folks making ripples...
These pictures tell the rest of the story and is a testament to the work that Jacque, Babe Elliot and 'the angels of Moyeni' did with what we raised.
Picture 1 - Where it all began
Picture 2 and 3 : It doesnt need to be built to start serving!
Picture 4: The Angels of Moyeni - Babe Elliot, Jacque and the the mothers who cook a meal a day for the kids)
Picture 5 and 6 - A Roof!!!! And holes to let the light in!
Picture 6 and 7 - 2 ten thousand litre water tanks!
A Coat of Paint and a little love as 'holes' turn to windows ;).... and the children find a place.... A "Care point"...to call their own...
Theres a sufi saying which I love...( if you want to meet an angel and a Sufi Darvish visit Brother Irving )
I dont know the exact wording but the saying goes something like this:
"Past the seeker as he prayed,
There came the helpless and the hungry and the homeless,
And seeing their suffering he cried out to his God saying
"Great God, How can you see your children suffering and not do anything to help them?"
And God in His heaven replied "I did do something.
I made you."
My love to you ripple maker,
Sala Kahle (Be well), till we meet again in Swaziland,
Maithri
Post Script - I fly out April 2nd... I will post again in the first week of April from Africa.
For all those who have enquired about making donations, I will set up a paypal account and put it on my side bar in the coming weeks...Once in Swaziland, I will assess with the team where best to allocate collected funds.
Posts
55 Whispers of Hope:
Looking forward to supporting you with prayers of hope and love.
I am moved by the grace and love of Juliet to give these blessed americans the experience of hunger and homelessness. We all can develop more compassion and understanding of those who are in desperate circumstances.
Blessings, brother, with greatest love.
I am truly inspired by the things that you are doing, and by the things that come about from one person in a grand world. What a great reminder that each and every one of us has the ability to impact life to such an immense degree. The ripple effect is something we should believe in and count on more. And in the long run it is us that will be continually blessed because it is our eyes that are opened, and our hearts that are touched, our lives that are being lived more fully. Bless you for the work you do, bless you for sharing it with the rest of us.
you know what made me smile? those big eyed little kids sitting down, all in a row, to have their picture taken...I bet they were so excited(and a tad overwhelmed), it was almost impossible to get them to sit still long enough for one picture!
thank you, dear maithri, for bringing into my life a part of the world I would not seek out, as it is filled with such pain and thus fills me with such helpless sadness...through your words and heart, I have begun to see that behind the sadness there might lie hope and in that, there will be the smile of a child with the tear of his or her mother~together they are one and now, they are a part of my world too....
take good care and bless you...dear brother.
What a wonderful achievment for you all that have played a part in making that dream come true.
So what you doing next?
x
I am in puddles of tears right now my dear friend! . . . puddles & puddles. You inspire me to be a better person.
I can't wait for you to send us news from Africa!
Carla
p.s: I watched the youtube videos:
Your voice blew me away ~ you are one talented & gifted soul :)
such hope thast's what I see hope we all need it to awaken sandy
Hey, brother, high five! Isn't life just wonderful? That community centre is testament to just how important it is for us to build those bridges. Just reaching out with whatever you have to give is perfect - it's the reaching that counts. It really is only love that makes the world go around so sweetly.
Bravo to Juliet for sharing her passion with those youngsters. What a wondrous thing it is that she is doing.
What a great result..!
I shall look for the Paypal link and add something to the coffers.
Those beautful kids look thrilled.
hugs
xx
Paypal is a great idea...I'll keep a lookout.
Great post! I look forward to your posts from Swaziland...but the photos, stories make it more real to me all the time. Love to you from a fellow "citizen of the world!"
You are love in action! You are love and so are all of the people with whom you connect! Thank-you for sharing this.
What Julie is doing is a loving gift! We are blessed to have both of you in our lifes!
hi maithri!
i love reading your thoughts and comments...and JFK is one of my favorite speakers. when i come here, i am continually reminded how much all of us can do..it doesn't have to be grand...just small ripples end up making big waves. if we all ripple just a little bit...imagine what we can do. you are a gift to me, my friend. my thoughts continue to be with you as you prepare to go...much love,
donna
Here is another ripple of hope, brother Maithri :) The last paragraph might be of especial interested to you, and you may want to write to him :)
President Obama Selects Health Policy Expert to Head Office of National AIDS Policy
President Barack Obama today announced the appointment of one of the nation's leading public health policy experts as the Director of Office of National AIDS Policy. Jeffrey S. Crowley, MPH, Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute will coordinate the federal government's efforts on HIV/AIDS policy and will help guide the administration's development of disability policies.
"Jeffrey Crowley brings the experience and expertise that will help our nation address the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis and help my administration develop policies that will serve Americans with disabilities," said President Obama. "In both of these key areas, we continue to face serious challenges and we must take bold steps to meet them. I look forward to Jeffrey's leadership on these critical issues."
The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is the White House Office tasked with coordinating the continuing efforts of the government to reduce the number of HIV infections across the United States. The office emphasizes prevention through wide-ranging education initiatives and also helps to coordinate the care and treatment of citizens with HIV/AIDS. The President has made a strong commitment to developing a national AIDS strategy, which will be a top priority for the Office of National AIDS Policy. In addition, ONAP coordinates with international bodies to ensure that the fight against HIV/AIDS is fully integrated around the world. The ONAP is part of the Executive Office of the President's Domestic Policy Council (DPC).
Jeffrey S. Crowley's Bio:
Jeffrey S. Crowley, M.P.H., is a Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute and a Senior Scholar at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center. In these roles, he is recognized and respected for his capacity to integrate public health research with political strategy to achieve policy changes. He has authored numerous reports and policy briefs, and has testified before various Congressional Committees and the Institute of Medicine on several occasions. His primary areas of expertise are Medicaid policy, including Medicaid prescription drug policies; Medicare policy; and consumer education and training.
Crowley previously served as the Deputy Executive Director for Programs at the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA). While at NAPWA, he helped implement several key initiatives including The National HIV Testing Day Campaign and the Ryan White National Youth Conference.
Crowley has spent the last fourteen years working to improve access to health and social services for people living with HIV/AIDS, people with physical and mental disabilities, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable populations. His writings have been printed in numerous publications and journals.
Crowley received his Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, and his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College. He is also an alumnus of the United States Peace Corps, where he served as a Volunteer/High School Science Teacher at the Nsongweni High School in Swaziland.
Hello again from Greece. You seem to be a man of eminent integrity and outstanding ablilities. Be very proud of what you are doing!
What Jinksy said!
One ripple can start a mighty wave!! Very true. I like the fact you walk your talk. So many people don't do that.
I was thinking yesterday about the flaws you must have. Perhaps snoring loudly, leaving your dirty socks everywhere or even worst, you can't balance your checkbook. (Just kidding.) I do know you are just a man. You have to admit, Maithri, you are an extraordinary man.
Coming here reinforces that there is goodness left in this world. Thank you.
Brother, you are truly a beacon of hope and inspiration. So many of us wish and dream of the possibilities of doing what you do, splitting the feelings you share between ourselves and the ones we love. Many of us never find the path to help humanity the way you do... you are a blessing! I pray that Allah shines through and upon you forever.
Peace and blessings!
Sincerely,
~JaMarlon
Go safely dear Maithri.
I would love to be a volunteer mother. I wish there was a way I could make that happen.
take good care,
xxx lori
p.s. juliet is an angel
And I envy you that you can actually do what you talked about until you went hoarse and until you hated the sound of your voice:)
All I could do for now is to give a little and to pray more for you and your team's safety as well as the success of your undertaking. Oh, I can see the cute kids looking so giddy while getting their pictures taken. That is just so amazing to see some progress in their place. God bless you and your team, Doc M.
Oh, I'd be disappointed if you're perfect because you got already so much talent in you it's almost scary LOL!
I wish Juliet luck with her project and you a safe trip. I hope the recent fires in Australia did not affect you. Many thanks.
Greetings from London.
"McGoonetilleke"
*snicker*
those pictures are wonderful!!
YES!! I will be looking for that paypal bar.
Thank you so much for posting so we can all follow you. I will be looking forward to the paypal link. I've been wondering about that. I can't wait to read of Africa.
Love to you,
T
Hi Maithri,
Heed these two words - "You are!"
So keep being who you are and doing what you do because you are making a difference in the lives of many through love.
Thank you my friend.
May love continue to pour from you.
Dear Maithri! You know, your blog is so inspiring! Sometimes when I read your post, I got teary eyes. I give you the award of I heart your blog! check it in my blog. =)
Blessings, my dear friend, for the light you shine into the darkness and the light others shine. Your post reminds me of the old song, "If everyone lit just one little candle..."
Much shalom to you and to this hurting world.
Wonderful project and metaphor, "ripple maker." I hope that we all can be that in our lives...a ripple for a change in our consciousness as a world people. What a powerful project the school teacher, Juliet (?) is leading...her students will never forget the importance of this event.
Have you noticed that young people so understand the impulse to help others...it takes a lot of adult "learning" to unlearn our impulse to help others.
Thank you, Maithri, for being one of those who understand how to give and how to lead others in this most necessary ripple effected path. <3
Hi Maithri!
I left something for you on my blog.
The date for it is:
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Much Love To You!!!
Wow dear Maithri I am speechless at all you do!!!
Hi Maithri, I'm so excited. I nominated your blog for The Blog of the Day Award and you won! I received the notification in my email as follows:
The Soaring Impulse
Posted: 27 Feb 2009 12:24 PM CST
Blog of the Day Awards for Fri, Feb 27, 2009
A Blog of the Day Award goes to The Soaring Impulse
You're supposed to go over and pick the award up. (I have a link at my blog sidebar.) It's quite competitive! And you are impressive- far greater than this little award! Great post today.
So much love pouring out in the world, it's so nice to see. It's easy to focus on the negatives in life, the world, but we need hope and you are a conduit of that and I thank you.
Peace, love and joy to you and yours...
Where do you find the STRENGTH to deal with all of this.
You are incredible, mister. I'm consistently inspired to become a better human being because of you.
I'm loving the YOUTube stuff you are doing, love the paypal idea...you are helping so much with your outreach and your caring heart. You make this world a brighter, lovlier place. These people who encounter you are truly blessed on their journey.
God bless you on the next leg of your journey into Africa again Maithri...looking so forward to the next post in April. Until then, know we are all thinking about you and caring about you and your stories.
xoxo
Love Gillian
All the best to you honey. And yes, I know you're just a guy, cuz I'm just a girl. And every day I march out and help ferral kitties, but in doing so also help homeless people and their pets. I'm just a girl. An ordinary girl. I often think about what it would be like if every person in the world helped one homeless person or one animal in need. The world would change. Hummmmmmmmmmmmm. And so it goes.
Hi Maithri,
I admire you for your generous heart. You are making a difference in the lives of the people who live the community you are serving in Swaziland. I also take my hats off to Juliet for her wonderful projects.
I believe that in our own capacity we should try to help others. For my share, I have also launched a little project late last year: I collect writing pens for the poor children in my province in the Philippines. I know it isn't much a ripple but I just want to let them feel the kindness of strangers and that they, too, can finish school even if they are poor. I made it and so can they. Good luck to you. Good luck to us.
I have not been around for awhile, but you and all the beautiful people who are part of the community of this blog are in my heart always.
This post made my day.
Love to you!
PS - loved the McDreamy remark!!
That is an uplifting story. You remind readers that anything is possible when a person chooses to believe. Another beautiful initiative is the Hamelin-initiated Fistula Foundation: http://www.fistulafoundation.org/
Blessings,
An inspirational entry...and really nice quotes...keep it up brother...
Peace and honour to you.
Cyrus
Maithri,
I have been away for a little while. My, how I've missed you. I know that you understand this, that it is the very reason you live, but I just wanted to tell you this: you are a ripple of hope. Your life, your choices, your words, your commitment, you cause countless ripples each day. Ripples of hope and love and peace. Thank you.
It always lifts me to come to your pages... there is always "movement" here... and always positive movement... and how wonderful to know that the guy Obama appointed was in Swaiziland... a man who "knows"... from experience... I've been reading Obama's book Dreams From My Father... and is good to know that Obama knows, from experience... when things come from the heart... well... you know what I mean...
... safe travels, my friend...
Thinking of you my brother. Hope you are doing well.
Wishing you all the best...be safe..be happy..stay strong:)
hey young poet, stop by my blog when you have a chance. there's a well deserved award waiting for you.
x0
Hi Maithri,
I see that the US Peace Corps still operates in Swaziland, the projects they listed so needed and achievable! I have tossed around the idea of joining this organization for a long time (or others like it), if they would have me that is! The work you are doing is so commendable. I look forward to your posts once you get there and helping in any way I can. Best wishes and safe travels...
Maithri,
May my3 (The Trinity) forever guide your steps and synchronize your heart with love for the people of the world. We know that it only takes one. Jesus proved that!
It has been long since I was able to come here.
I saw your photo of a beautiful girl that you called the face of poverty. I would post your face over the caption "the face of love".
I count any life a success if the world is even a tiny bit better place for having been here. You my friend, are living a very successful life.
Thank you for all you do.
May you find laughter and sunshine in each day.
...Z
Kia ora Maithri,
May the wind fill your sails brother. Happy and safe journey. Kia kaha!
Aroha,
Robb
Hi Maithri :)
Thanks for stopping by and reading.
Your blog is truly wonderful. I was sat here this morning bemoaning my troubles and then read your blog and instantly was grateful.
Grateful for my situation and also that there is good in this world and wonderful people trying to make it better :)
I know that there is, it is just sometimes need reminding of this fact!
Your blog is very inspiring I have to say. And some beautiful photos too.
Blessings to you and yours!
Just missing your whispers of hope. I am praying for God to bless your journey and those you meet.
My brother
you make my heart
SING
SING
SING.
dr mc goonetilleke LOLOLOL I love that LOL
thank u for my smiles
smiles for miles
what can i do
simple as that ...(smiles)
what can i do to help?
donation YES
anything else u need over there? to take with you?
you name it i will organise it.
simple as that
everything is simple
everything
tell me what u need maithri and i will get it for you.
much love to you my brother,
much love.
Dear Maithri,
I have missed your gentle spirit these last few weeks. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and will look forward eagerly to your return to the blogworld. In the meantime, safe travels. Peace. Godspeed.
Dear Maithri,
I have watched every single video on your channel several times.
I am moved more than I can say.
I am glad to find the paypal on your sidebar. I will of course give what i can.
Thank you so much for all that you and your team do. I look forward to reading your words in the days and months to come.
How exciting to find and read such a blog as this.
Trent
You're a good'un Maithri.
Keep up the good work.
Loved the pictures.
I'm in tears. Like your friend I asked God the other day "Why would you do this to me." To hear God's response is comforting. It makes sense. Thank you dear friend for all you do and for all the love you spread.
Good luck in Africa.
XO
Gosh dang it, man. You did it again: you've moved me to tears.
WHY?! can't there be more of you out there?! With a million Maithris, we could save this world.
GOD BLESS YOU!
Jesus. You're something else, all right.
Just, please, try to curtail your beauty and your wonderful writings--I doan wanna have to cry every time I read your words, mofo!
;-)
You fill my heart with so much hope that it catches fire...
I cannot thank you all enough my friends for all that you mean to me.
I am so humbled to call you my friends,
Always love,
Maithri
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