Part 4 in the dialogue between me and Ben Coker, Jr. of South Carolina following my Veterans Day post. Hi Mr. Coker, I’m enjoying our dialogue. I am not the student of history that you are but as a television news producer and international traveler I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on current events. I would like to address your question on whether … Continue reading War and Remembrance 4
My friend, Duncan, and I had wrapped up dinner at a restaurant in Varanasi, India and more than half the food was uneaten. We asked for a carry out bag, knowing in the back of our mind that we would probably never eat the food. While walking down towards the Ganges, we started to pass beggars, beaten down to the ground by years of poverty, … Continue reading Varanasi: Karma and Contradiction
The other night my colleagues and I ordered pizza to be delivered to our workplace at the International Broadcast Centre during our shift at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. There have been tons of issues with the catering here so we had food brought in. At the end of the evening there were still four untouched boxes of pizza that were cold and had … Continue reading Waste Not, Want Not
Thanks Bazi Kanani of Denver’s 9News for doing this wonderful story about the income generating project, BeadforLife. If you would like to host a bead party visit http://beadforlife.org. The organization is on its way to booking 100 parties in 100 days. It’s time and money very well spent and the women of Uganda will rain blessings down on you for helping their families rise up … Continue reading BeadforLife on 9News
When I came to Delhi in 2008 I remember the palpable culture shock. It was overwhelming even for a rather intrepid traveler. I had been in Beijing and Uganda earlier in the year so I thought I would be prepared for anything, but nothing I had ever experienced set me up for India. On the roadway from the airport cows roamed the street. The traffic … Continue reading Delhi’s Commonwealth Games Face
As a journalist I’m used to working long days. Adrenaline keeps you in the game for 16 to 20 hours during breaking news and disaster coverage. You sleep for three hours then you’re back at it. But nothing prepared me for how exhausted I would be after just a couple of hours of listening to the painful testimonies of young Ugandan men and women who … Continue reading Uganda’s Child Soldiers: In Their Own Words
It was the most amazing coming out party. A small village outside Kampala, Uganda, full of women, celebrating the miraculous accomplishment of rising up from life crushing poverty to become homeowners and landowners. They started singing and dancing in the morning and the festivities did not stop until midnight. One of the most joyful sights I’ve ever seen. Thanks to BeadforLife, the people in the … Continue reading Beads, Bricks and a Better Life
Ndagire Sarah walked the red dirt carpet in her perky hairdo and a beautiful blue and white gown. She carried herself like a rich lady in a gomesi, the formal dress of women in Uganda. When I saw her I was overcome with tears of joy. I had met Sarah in 2006 when she was so sick with HIV/AIDS that she could hardly breathe. She … Continue reading Deed for Life
Just returned from a three week trip to Uganda where we did more video production for BeadforLife (http://beadforlife.org.) The highlight was seeing women who were dying of poverty just three years ago celebrate paying off homes they saved for and built themselves. In a joyous ceremony BeadforLife presented 22 women with the titles to the land they sit on. The women paraded from home to home dancing and ululating, … Continue reading Out of Africa
Several of my friends and even my family think social networking is a waste of time. They won’t Facebook, Twitter or read blogs and can’t really understand what I get from it. I’ve found the most vehement opposition from my tango dancing mother and my friends who are cyclists. These are not ladies who exercise casually, but rather women who compete on the dance floor, do … Continue reading Favorite Friends I’ve Never Met
Vicky Collins Online 