|
THE SPIRAL FOUNDATION: Supporting cultural traditions and improving quality of life I first became aware of the SPIRAL FOUNDATION in 2002 when they began working with a group that I am a member of in my hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. The Mindfulness Community of Hampton Roads has been involved for almost ten years in several social projects benefiting children in Hue, Vietnam. These projects include the building of a village school, the creation and support of L'Ecole de l'Aimee, a school for children with disabilities and ongoing funding for life-saving heart surgeries for children from families who could not otherwise afford it. The Spiral Foundation specifically piqued my interest because not only do they raise money to support worthy projects such as the promotion of healthcare and education, they actively create, promote and assist in projects designed to make communities in some of the poorest regions in Nepal and Vietnam self-sufficient while maintaining traditional skills and cultural identity of the residents. They develop programs that establish income-generating, long-term solutions to poverty, enabling villagers to play a larger role in developing their community. Improvement in economic conditions will lead to an improvement in health conditions and living environment as well. Those of us in the international adoption community are all too aware that it is often in these poorest of communities that families find themselves unable to support themselves and often are forced into the painful position of relinquishing their children to State care. Finding a solution to poverty, even on a small scale, is a step in the right direction. WHAT IS THE SPIRAL FOUNDATION? THE SPIRAL FOUNDATION is a five-year old humanitarian organization dedicated to sustaining income generation, education and primary health care programs in Vietnam and Nepal. THE SPIRAL FOUNDATION addresses a consciousness toward world equanimity by making a conscious effort to maintain the local culture and traditions, by assisting people in developing their handicraft skills and by providing funds to assist in their educational and healthcare needs. THE SPIRAL FOUNDATION is financing two ongoing, income generation projects, THE SPIRAL WORKSHOP, in Hanoi and THE SPIRAL WORKSHOP in Kathmandu developing handcrafted gift items made from easily renewable local natural and recycled or discarded materials. All proceeds from the sale of the handcrafted items go directly back to the people that created them and to fund humanitarian aid projects. Some of the specific projects include: Nepal and Vietnam:
Please visit the Spiral Foundation shops and see items created from these programs. Many beautiful items can be found here to enhance you home, and you will be supporting a wonderful cause as well.
Have a group that you want to tell the world about? Contact me at ellen@internationaladoptionnews.com.
|
