Better World Pitch: Gift It Up

What’s the most wonderful time of the year to give a gift? Trick question. It’s ALWAYS a wonderful time to give a gift.

It’s been scientifically proven that giving makes people happy. In the U.S., we designate certain days out of the year to get people presents—birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the list goes on. Even Halloween can be considered a gift-giving day if you think about it. But besides giving gifts, we more importantly love to receive them. We ask for things that we want. We anticipate what we’re going to get. In many countries around the world, though, people don’t get to experience this feeling of giving and receiving.

That’s where we step in. The name of our non-profit is called Gift It Up. Our mission is to spread the love and share the wealth with those who are less fortunate. We achieve this by sending care packages to people year round. Rather than just donating money, you get to decide what goes into the box, the destination, and the age and gender of the receiver. You can easily navigate through our website to find items to put in the care package, such as toys, school supplies, blankets, clothing, hygiene items, etc. You also have the option of including a personalized message and photo. We then send teams to hand-deliver those presents.

We at Gift It Up are committed to making a difference in the lives of people around the world. We are not just sending them brown paper packages tied up with strings. We are delivering a sense of hope, letting them know that they are not alone, that there are people who care. So stop waiting for December 25th to come around. It's to pay it forward and Gift It Up now!

Africa's Hierarchy of Needs

In the final chapter of Challenge for Africa, Wangari Maathai discusses, what she feels should be, the areas of focus for Africa. She states, "In any examination of the challenges of Africa, one natural resource often goes underappreciated: Africans themselves." In general, this quote can be applied to the majority of countries, not just those in Africa. Corruption, poverty, hunger, war, land destruction, and economic turmoil can all be traced back to people. Humans play a large role in their own fate, and often times, they forget that. In Africa's case, governments do not invest a lot of time or money into their people. Maathai repeatedly emphasizes throughout the book that "the disempowerment of ordinary people underlies Africa's gravest problems." She makes the point that African countries do not feel unified because the African people, themselves are not unified. The people lack confidence because they lack support and guidance. Maathai argues, "It is fundamental that Africa's leaders create the conditions under which their people gain confidence, dignity, and a sense of self-worth--with the citizens themselves actively participating in this effort." Her idea of working with people directly to solve their problems reminded me a lot about Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Maslow came up with a pyramid (as shown below) of the basic levels of needs that people have. His theory was that until the level below was satisfied, one could not move up to the next level. Some argue that not all of the needs are necessary in each level, but the general idea is that people need to first fulfill basic physical and physiological needs like food, water, and safety.

In the beginning of the final chapter, Maathai talks about the African family and how men have been uprooted from the home. She makes the argument that the administrations are insensitive to the "African man's need to provide emotional and physical security to his family." Maathai is not suggesting that women cannot handle raising and providing for a family. She is trying to point out the physical and emotional distance that's been created, which is in turn causing the family to fall short in the basic needs described in the first three levels of Maslow's hierarchy. It is important for people to recognize the importance of family. Family doesn't have to mean blood relations. It should be placed in the broader sense of uniting a group of people who share a culture and a history. Until people begin to feel that they belong to that group, they do not feel secure or respected by others. Maathai believes that Africa needs to focus more on the people and how they all fit together. Their needs are the most important, and until the government and the public realize that, Africa will remain at a stalemate. It's only when the people begin to examine and prioritize their needs that their country will be able to take the next step and move forward. 

Culture: Nature vs. Nurture

Culture. Is it something you're born with, or is it something you're born into? I was born and raised in the U.S. I learned and speak fluent English, I went through public schooling, I eat American food, I have a diverse group of friends, I go to church, and I watch American TV shows. On the other hand, I'm 100% Chinese by blood. I grew up in a Chinese household, I celebrate all of the major holidays, I speak Mandarin, I eat Chinese food, I have a Chinese name, and my entire extended family lives in China. So does that make me American or Chinese? Can a person identify with multiple cultures? How does that affect their lifestyle? What if a group of people struggle to define their culture? How does that impact them?

Wangari Maathai has a chapter in her book The Challenge for Africa entitled "Culture: The Missing Link?" in which she discusses the importance of having a culture and the detrimental effects of not having one. She describes culture as the the thing that gives people self-identity and character. She states that without culture, a community loses self-awareness and grows weak and vulnerable. Wangari believes that Africans are losing their cultures, destroyed and overpowered by other more constructed ones. Many African cultures have been molded and shaped by foreign cultures. Wangari uses the example of her Christian name that was given to her after she was baptized. She lost her traditional name "Wangari" and adopted the biblical, European name "Miriam." To her this was a sign of a foreign culture overshadowing her native one. Through self-reflection and her own motivation and dedication, Wangari was able to learn and discover her true identity and decided for herself that she wanted to embrace her African descent. Wangari notes that many Africans struggle with culture identification, and as a result, the entire communities in which these people live are vulnerable and experiencing this sense of loss and confusion. They are more susceptible to foreigners who try to force their culture upon them. They struggle to think for themselves. Their culture is being uprooted from beneath them. Even the people with the most power and wealth find themselves unable to protect their land, people, and ways of living. They fall into the danger zone of being culturally dominated by others. In the case that Wangari brings up, culture has become more nurture than nature. Africans have become more adept to adopting cultures that surround them rather than looking inward and appreciating and developing their own traditional, native one.

For me, I identify as having both American and Chinese cultures. I do not believe that culture is solely nature, nor is it all defined by nurture. Having two cultures is advantageous in my opinion because I have the opportunity to look at situations from two perspectives. Just because I identify as both American and Chinese does not mean I have an identity crisis. I know that my sense of culture will continue to change as I grow older, but for at this moment, I am just appreciative of the ones I have.

Food Blog Coming Soon

I'm excited to announce that my food blog will be up and running VERY soon. It's been a long time coming, but I've made it my mission to launch it before the start of fall semester. I've always been a huge foodie, and cooking and baking are two of my favorite hobbies. My food blog will be both an exploration of my favorite places to go and eat out and a showcase of some of my favorite recipes. Anyone who loves to cook, wants to learn how to cook, or just loves food will find something that they can relate to on my blog. I'm asking my friends and family to help by sending me their favorite recipes, which I will in turn remake with my own spin on them. I want to take the fear out of cooking and make it a much more enjoyable and easier activity that everyone can enjoy. It doesn't matter if you don't have time everyday to cook. I've learned over the past two years how to buy groceries on a college student budget and make one meal last four to five days. I want to share my recipes, ideas, and love for food with everyone.

Having a blog will keep me occupied and also give me a place to let go of stress. I'll be able to write about what I love and hopefully help others in the process. It'll also give me the opportunity to consistently keep writing. I'll try to post at least two to three times each week. It sounds easy, but I can already see myself making some excuses about not having enough time. My goal is to write no matter what. Starting a food blog has been a big dream of mine for a while now, and it's about time I finally commit myself to it. I don't care if I only have a few followers. At least I'll be doing something that I love.

Food is something I'm passionate about and I want to share that passion with everyone. I hope that you'll check it out once I launch it officially. More news and updates to come!

Top-Down to Bottom-Up

When there's a problem, the initial response many people have is to find someone or something to blame. It's often in those moments when uncertainty and fear cloud our better judgment and the people and things we think are the main causes are not actually the roots. In The Challenge for Africa, Wangari Maathai talks about how it's not entirely the government's fault for the state that certain parts of Africa are in. Yes, the politicians and other bureaucratic institutions have a greater influence on the overall standard of living, but ultimately, the fate of the continent falls in the hands of the general population themselves. A lot of times we'll hear newscasts about corrupt government officials and bad government policies and gloss over the fact that much of the problems actually originated from within society itself and not the government. In the case of farming in rural Africa, Maathai notes that the farmers were never taught properly how to prepare the land and are, in turn, ironically destroying fertile grounds in the process. She attributes this poor education to the government but also directs partial blame on the farmers. When we focus on the government being the puppeteers, we label the citizens as helpless and unable to fend for themselves. This gives people, like the farmer on the hillside, the wrong impression that their actions have little impact. What we should be thinking about instead is how the public can influence the government to bring about positive social change and do work for the benefit of the entire population. In this manner, we are flipping the top-down hierarchical pyramid and recreating it to be more bottom-up. Until the general public takes it seriously, the government cannot make much progress.

Expert Article Final - Grub Turned Gourmet

Hello Fellow Writing 340 Classmates!

I have my final expert article finished and ready for posting. Unfortunately copying and pasting it directly to Blogger came with many issues, so instead I have uploaded it onto Google Drive. The following link will take you straight there. The hyperlinks should work, but please notify me if they don't. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. 

Thanks for reading! I can't wait to read yours :)

Signing out for the night,

Tiffany

Paying It Forward (Literally)

When I was 7 years old, I really wanted a red Game Boy Color. My parents told me that if I saved up half the required amount, they'd pay for the other half. Determined to get my hands on Super Mario Bros., I spent three months doing extra chores around the house, holding lemonade stands, selling old toys and books at garage sales, and collecting spare change. (The couch became my best friend.) When I finally walked out of Target with that gaming console in my hands, I couldn't have been happier. That is, until I saw my best friend with her new Game Boy Advance.

Starting at a very young age, I saw money as the thing that stood between me and happiness. No one ever had to actually tell me that money was important or valuable. There was always just the association between it and everything I wanted. If I wanted candy from the gumball machine, I needed a quarter. If I wanted the latest Harry Potter book, I needed a twenty dollar bill. Saving up money became a consistent routine. It was both exciting and frustrating. The older I got, the greater the amount that I needed. My goal was just out of reach, and with every dollar, I was one step closer to freedom--freedom from having to wait patiently and from having to turn down other things in the process. No matter how long it took, I always felt successful and extremely happy. Unfortunately, that feeling was only temporary. Once the new turned old or once the book left a cliffhanger (that was the worst), it was back to saving up for the next thing.

Nowadays, I save my money for other reasons. Most of it is going towards paying back my parents for college, but a lot of it, I'm actually using to pay it forward (literally). The two causes I support are Operation Christmas Child and No Kid Hungry. Both are non-profits that are close to my heart. Operation Christmas Child is a project that involves people filling and donating shoeboxes with toys, books, hygiene items, and school supplies to be sent around the world to underprivileged children during the holiday season. No Kid Hungry is a campaign that connects kids in need with nutritious food, with the ultimate goal of ending child hunger in America. Each month I set aside a fixed percentage of my earnings to donate 50/50 to these causes. Even though I can't physically be next to the kids when they open the presents or when they pick up their free school lunch, I know that my donations are making a difference in their lives. 

 In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynn Twist captures our relationship with money. The following quotes is one of my favorites.

"However we choose, we express ourselves in the way we send our money into the world, and with every dollar goes the energy, the imprimatur, of our intentions. The mind-set of scarcity and the longing for "more" lose their grip, and we begin to make different choices. Money becomes a conduit, a way to express our highest ideals. Money becomes the currency of love and commitment, expressing the best of who you are."

Saying that you don't have enough money is not a good enough excuse. As Twist puts it, "Money is a great translator of intention to reality, vision to fulfillment" (194), meaning that we have the choice to use money in whatever way we want. Whether it be buying a new car or giving to the church, our true intentions come out with how we use our money. My motives for saving money have changed since I was 7, and the feeling of happiness that I get from paying it forward lasts much longer than it did from buying material items. My commitment to saving money is now far more valuable and rewarding, and whatever it takes, I'll continue to pay it forward.