With the World Cup coming to an end, let us not forget Africa

Music sensation Shakira is determined to leave a legacy that will have a positive impact on African development. Shakira’s camp released this news statement about the Barefoot Foundation's project in South Africa.

“Barefoot founder and 1Goal Ambassador Shakira visited a school in Soweto with the 1GOAL campaign, an international campaign to ensure that education for all is the lasting legacy of World Cup 2010. 1GOAL is supported by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and FIFA and co-chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan. 1GOAL asks fans to lobby their country's leaders and help ensure all boys and girls have access to quality primary education.

Shakira visited the school in the township of Soweto, sharing her own experiences with students and advocating for the importance of education. She celebrated the heroic efforts of the teachers and students at the school before teaching the students a few dance moves. Shakira's song, "Waka Waka - Time for Africa," is the official anthem of the World Cup and benefits education programs.” –Barefoot Foundation news release.

The Barefoot Foundation‘s aim is to improve education and quality of life for children and partners Colombian Nonprofit, Pies Descalzos. Together the two organizations have launched projects that range from global advocacy and school construction to food programs and psychological counseling.


With projects in Columbia, Haiti, and South Africa, the Barefoot Foundation can use your help. Learn how you can sponsor a child, make a donation, volunteer, spread the word and much more at http://www.barefootfoundation.org/.

More celebraties are lending a hand to improve education. Serena Williams, tennis pro, opened a second school in Kenya with the help of Build African Schools, a non- profit organization dedicated to building schools, installing electric power and providing computers and other educational equipment for children in Africa, http://www.buildafricanschools.org/

The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education (AAFE) has reached tremendous heights toward improving access to quality education for children in the US, through Agassi Prep located in Nevada. "AAFE, is more than a school or a set of beliefs, it is a movement committed to transforming education so that all children have a shot at success," express the Agassi camp, http://www.agassifoundation.org/.

Learn more about what celebrities are doing to impact social change and also contact them via http://www.looktothestars.org/.

Shop The Thread Loop...15% Off, Make a World of Difference

Hello my Fashionistas, I’ve found a great way for us to stay chic and have a positive impact on social change. My good friend Jo Blundell left the corporate world and started an “eco fashion” online boutique. The Thread Loop is a shopping hub where you can buy clothes and things that are more than pretty. They’re all created with a consciousness toward people, communities and the planet.

So what’s eco fashion...Sustainable fashion, also called eco fashion, is a part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism and social responsibility. Sustainable fashion is part of the larger trend of sustainable design where a product is created and produced with consideration to the environmental and social impact it may have throughout its total life span, including its "carbon footprint". (courtesy of wiki)

According to the May 2007 Vogue appears not to be a short-term trend but one could last multiple seasons. While environmentalism used manifest itself in the fashion world through a donation of percentage of sales of a product to a charitable cause, fashion designers are now re-introducing eco-conscious methods at the source through the use of environmentally friendly materials and socially responsible methods of production. (courtsey of wiki)

The Thread Loop was founded by Jo Blundell (on the left) whose background is a far from fashion or green having come from a marketing and financial services background. She was inspired to make the change after reading an article some years ago on the enormous social and environmental damage of the current fashion industry business model.

Currently the Thread Loop features six designers, who have developed a wide range of sustainable products to include blouse, dresses, bags and accessories and much more.

Shop www.thethreadloop.com and receive 15% off with this code: globalactionsblog (the offer expires 31 July 2010...act now).

How can you get involve...although many of us are conscious of recycling our newspaper, buying organic produce and using energy efficient appliances in our efforts to “save the planet,” we don’t put the same level of energy into where our clothes come from and how they are made.

By learning more we make a difference.

Check out Jo’s page on Big issues... http://www.thethreadloop.com/The-big-issues_234.aspx

Eco fashion is not a trend; see the Vancouver Fashion Week 2009 EcoFashion show. Also check out amazing eco fashion magazines such as Boho...and find out if you’re a Boho girl at http://www.bohomag.com/.

My Purpose

I’m Kimberly and I want to make a difference in the global community. My quest to figure out how to do this has led me here. I grew up in the United States and graduated from Howard University and the University of Oklahoma. I am a proud sister of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. My career started in the United States Air Force in 2005 and I have since served one tour in Iraq. Service to all mankind has been my passion for some time now. My first volunteer pursuits include working with Teach for America  and AmeriCorps programs Jumpstart and Heads Up. These wonderful experiences were eye opening and have fueled my desire to do more.

Along the way I’ve meet amazing people who too are working to impact social change throughout the world and I’ve learned about organizations that are implementing programs and touching lives around the global. I’m continuing to learn more through reading about change makers with extraordinary stories. I want to share this with you and create a single location to connect with people, organizations and stories driving global actions.

Join my quest by following this blog. You will learn more about current movements, be connected to global social change, and have easy access to ways to get involved and take action on issues you are passionate about.

Share your experiences with me and be featured in www.beaboutchange.blogspot.com

It’s as easy as giving free hugs.