We had a very successful Learning event for 10 facilitators in Community Life Competence Process in Uganda with a special attention on including older people in HIV/AIDS response in our communities. The team was introduced to the practice of SALT as way of working and dream building. From the comments of participants, it was a life changing event. 'One participant, an older person living with HIV commented that all along he was…

A 12 year old boy who had recently been discharged from a children’s home continued to receive support from the institution.  He was invited to attend activities during the weekends. Unfortunately on one weekend, he was told by some children there that his 11 year old girlfriend who was still residing in the Home was bad mouthing his family.  The boy was livid but he could not find an opportunity to confront or clarify the matter with his girlfriend. The information ate into him and the…

On the second anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, a protestor's sign reads, "If there is land for factories, there should be land for housing." Photo by Ben Depp. www.bendepp.com

By Alexis Erkert

January 19,…

After Sasha Rabsey, Founder and President of The HOW Fund (yes, obviously I love the synergy with how-matters.org!), came back from an international conference on poverty reduction at the end of last year, she called me and wanted to talk and learn more about racism, privilege and development. Unfortunately in terms of ready resources, I didn’t have much to share with her other than this 1981…

"You contributed the space for people to  discuss, to reflect and to act. Intangible maybe but invaluable!”  Jean Louis Lamboray commented after reading my lasr post.  Space and time are 2 very important gifts we can give and definitely,  2 very important resources we need to do our work. Space and time are often in shortage when young people are deemed to be putting themselves or others at risk of harm. For instance, a 9 year old boy who is attending school 3 out of 5 days a week is deemed…

The female condom is a thin pouch that a woman can insert in her vagina before sex to prevent pregnancy and  sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. It is the only proven, female-initiated method of HIV prevention currently on the market.  Many women find that their ability to negotiate safer sex with a male partner is enhanced by having access to female condoms because it enables a woman to say, “If you don’t want to use your condom, I will use mine.”  Some couples prefer the…

Dear friends,

Five and half years. That’s how long Laurence has worked in the Constellation Support Team. Four years. That’s Gaston. It’s been almost four years since we took on the bet of living and working in Chiang Mai. Both of us have worked, cried, laughed with communities on their way to competence in more than 10…

In the midst of a bitter quarrel.  a mother told her 5 children that they could leave her. The siblings aged from 12 to 20 years old took a few minutes to pack a few personal belongings and then left the flat together.  When tempers cooled the following day,  mother and a couple of the younger children called to inform us of the situation.  We then contacted the eldest sibling and she told us that she wanted to discuss the situation with us. At the meeting we were most heartened that she…

One year ago I started to 'Counsel' a Patient who had 'Suicidal Ideation' owing to her HIV status; she did not want to live and did everything possible to communicate her message of 'wanting to die'; however, I won't give up on her and I prayed with her using Psalm 23, 27, 51, 91 and 103! She was encouraged to listen to her 'favourite Gospel Music', to change her linens, Curtains and to even get scented Candles (Aromatherapy). Recognising the…

By Alexis Erkert and Beverly Bell

January 4, 2012

As 2012 begins, a growing movement of displaced people and their allies in Haiti is actively claiming the right to housing, which is recognized by both the Haitian constitution and international treaties to which Haiti is signatory.

Haitians displaced by the earthquake two years ago…

Pensez vite... dans une réunion, dans un avion ou sur un ordinateur... Ou, peut-être, à Yogyakarta, en Indonésie? 

La réponse est simple: Si vous vous êtes engagé dans un voyage d'apprentissage avec votre communauté dans l'année à venir, vous serez…

Today I stood by the bedside of a 15 yr old girl who is dying from HIV/AIDS and I tried to get her to take her ARVS/MEDS which will help to make her feel better and she just couldn't swallow the medication; she then puked saying that its the 'bitterness' of the tablet that makes her nauseous and I felt so HELPLESS because I can't do nothing more for her; its the Medication that will help at this stage of her ILLNESS! Then I stood by the window and…

I know, I know. I’m supposedly on a self-declared shut-down, but I couldn’t resist sharing my top 12 people, trends, sites, and organizations to watch in 2012!!

In no particular order...

Dear All,

Happy New year

The Countdown Begins...

Time for long-term New Year Resolutions

Where will you be on February 15, 2012?

Think quickly… in a meeting, on a plane or at a computer….or, perhaps, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia?

Quite simply answered: If you have resolved to go on a…