“What we are doing here can seem like a drop in the ocean but the ocean will be a drop less if we don’t do it. It’s a challenge, a really big challenge.”

Social Media for Social Good. That’s the idea, and I think we can really do something great. I’ve met some fantastic people via social media – blogs, twitter, and so on. The fact that I already have people offering donations is testament to that. My challenge to the rest of you is… join us.

In my previous post, I talked about the suffering in the Horn of Africa. Everyone loves facts, so here are some.*

• A current [refugee] camp with the capacity for 90,000, currently has 380,000 people crammed into it
• Some 10 million people are said to be affected by the Horn of Africa’s worst drought in 60 years.
• The United Nations said on Wednesday [that] 3.7 million people in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation risked starvation
• Across East Africa, more than 11.3 million people need aid, the World Food Program said.

Definition of Famine

• More than 30% of children must be suffering from acute malnutrition
• Two adults or four children must be dying of hunger each day for every group of 10,000 people
• The population must have access to far below 2,100 kilocalories of food per day

[Famine] conditions include more than 30% of children being acutely malnourished, and four children out of every 10,000 dying daily. – BBC News

And from my charity of choice (as well as the same article):

Save the Children’s Sonia Zambakides told the BBC the situation in Somalia was shocking.

“I was talking to mothers with children, the children looked maybe nine months to one year old – the mothers were telling the children were three and four years old, so they are absolutely tiny.”

She said some of the mothers had walked up to six days with no food to try to find help.

A point of reference – this is the area I’m talking about, with a great break down from information gathered from various agencies such as BBC News (obviously), as well as the UNHCR, USAID, OCHA & Fews Net.
So far, we have some amazingly generous contributions already. Really, any amount is great. Remember, these amounts are tax deductible, because it’s giving to a charity. I know (truly I know) we’re in difficult economic times. I’ve been, as I say, a “victim of the economy” since ’09, really, and am currently unemployed. Anyway, Save the Children is wonderful because your donation has the potential to be quadrupled due to the grants they applied for. Some of you might also want to check with your employers, who often match donations as well. (I also like Save the Children because if I recall correctly, they don’t send you massive amounts of mail after you donate as well.)

Without further ado… the initial names (in alphabetical order) and pledge amounts.

Ali F – $100 if we reach 50 comments + and additional $10!
c² – $50
Christine Bell – $50, $75 if we reach 100 comments!
Portia da Costa – £30 if we reach 30 comments
Melissa Cutler – $20
Dana/vitch36 – $15
Limecello (yes that’s me) – $50 if we reach 50 comments
Courtney Milan -$1 per comment up to 300 comments
rissatoo – $20
Shelli Stevens – $50 if we reach 50 comments, and $150 to Doctors Without Borders
SonomaLass – $1 per comment up to $100
Shiloh Walker – if we hit 400 comments, she’ll increase her donation by $100, and also post a long excerpt of If You Hear Her

Comments matter. Trust me on this. Also, this year, to help raise awareness, we’ve got prizes! As an incentive to comment – and hopefully donate!- some generous authors are offering prizes. You can find the list here. Those will be drawn when this drive closes, which is a month from now, and posted a week after that. But that’s not the purpose.

I have to say, I hope to be updating this post with more contributions! I have no questions for you today. Just the hope that you’ll spread the word. Thank you. <3

Tiny, emaciated children with wrinkled skin hanging off their bones, rib cages jutting out, bulbous eyes gazing out forlornly, flies covering their faces – the all-too-familiar images of African hunger.

“Some of them die on the way, some die in the wards,” said Dr Christopher Karisa. “What we are doing here can seem like a drop in the ocean but the ocean will be a drop less if we don’t do it. It’s a challenge, a really big challenge.” – BBC News

And this, from the same article as the previous quote, which just breaks my heart.

One aid worker told me: “We were supposed to have an early warning system but what is the point of warning the rest of world when it doesn’t listen?”.

So what are we going to do to help alleviate the tragedy and suffering? Donate to Save the Children. Specifically, this page that can potentially quadruple your gift! HERE! Please – join us. Challenge your friends and family to donate as well. I’m keeping this post/drive open for a month.

To end on a positive note – there is of course, always hope. Take for example, this woman, who I think is one of the most incredible in the world. Read her story. You won’t regret it.

*I also got info from these sources here, here, here, here, and here.

UPDATE! This is a list of fantastic, lovely, generous people who have also decided to donate! Join them! Make me keep adding to this post! <3

Carey Baldwin – $50
Kiersten Krum – $10
Evangeline Holland – $25
SBTB Sarah – $1 per comment up to $200
Sarah Mayberry – $100
Pam Jaffee – $100 for 100 comments
Ang Phillips – $100 for 100 comments
Landra Graf – $5
Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe – $100
Tessa Dare – $100
Tamara Allen – $1 per comment up to $500
Leslie Dicken – $25
Natalie J. Damschroder – $10 for every 100 comments
HelenKay Dimon – $1 per comment up to $200
Melissa Schroeder – $1 per comment up to $250 $600 for 700 comments!!!
Miranda Neville – $100
Maya Banks – $500
Kira Brady – $100
Avery Flynn – $50, and an additional $50 if we get 50 small press authors to make a donation!
Toni Anderson – $20
Vivian Arend – $1 per comment up to $300
Kathleen Collins – $20, but she’ll donate $50 if we hit 500 comments!
Larissa Ione – $100
Pamala Knight – $25
Raine Weaver – $20
Dariel Hendy – $100
Lauren Dane – $100
Jaci Burton – $100
Cara Carnes – $50
Vanessa Kelly – $25
Holli Winters – $10
Sutton Fox – $50
Phyl – $25
Lissa Matthews – $100
Julie Leto – $100
Liz – $100 to Doctors Without Borders
Amanda Twentyfive aka Cassandra Carr – $25, and then an additional $5 for every 100 comments
Farrah Rochon – $25, and $50 more if we hit 525 comments
Jess Granger – $50
Romance Biggest Winners Participants – $235 if we reach 350 comments
Farrah Rochon’s Mom – $25, and $50 more if we hit 525 comments
Cathy MacDonald – $25
Emily – $25
Lisa – $45
Sarah Morgan
Joanna Chambers – £50
Jeanette Murray – $50 if we hit 450 comments
Jess Dee – $50
Meljean Brook – $50, and an additional $50 if we hit 450 comments!
Liz Talley – $50
Nikki Duncan – $25 for now
Melanie C Duncan – $10
Liz Kerrick – $25
Pam K – $10
Brandi Drapinski – $10
Layla Hunter – $50
Jennifer Haymore – $100
Marika Weber – $75
Mary M. – $50
Cecilia Grant – $100
Lynn Raye Harris – $100
Leigh Ellwood – $25
Robin L Rotham – $100
Liza L – $25
Shannon Stacey – $100
Laura Hunsaker – $10
Anonymous – $125
Carla Gallway – $10
Bailey Stewart – $10
Laurie London – $100
Jules Bennett – $20
Carolyn Crane – $10 for every 100 comments
Ciar Cullen – $50
Minx Malone – $25
Lori – $18
Sasha Devlin – $25
Cathie – $25
Brandy W. – $25
Joely Sue Burkhart – Small Press Author Challenge
Lorelie Brown – Small Press Author Challenge
Danielle Monsch
R.G. Alexander – $100
Karen Erickson – $25
Bella F. – $5
Moira Rogers (Bree) – $25
Crista McHugh – $25
Taryn Kincaid – $50, and $50 more if we get a total of 50 small press authors to donate (only 15 off!)
Stacey Joy Netzel – $25
Amber Kallyn – $25
Kate Davies – $10
Selena Illyria – $10
Diana – $10
JM Kelley – $5
Christy Lockhart – $50
Miranda Baker – $10
Alisha Rai – Small Press Author Challenge
KD Sarge – $10
Sami – $20
Valerie Parv – $50
Jennifer Lohmann – $50
Leslie – $20
Kathryn – $30

If you plan to donate, please remember to go here, where your gift can be matched with grants and potentially quadrupled!