Life is a journey

…not a destination…

Hello & Welcome to Episode 20th of the Lighthouse, where I can tell you more about my week, I hope to instill in you some more happiness, fresh mind, joyful spirits, fueled with songs & photos!

This week a Team from the United States of America came to visit the operations of our organization: the challenges of accessing rural far away places, the climate change (very dry & droughts), lack of potable water, scarce food, little employment opportunities…we met & spoke with many refugees, from Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eritrea… It was heartbreaking to see that they have so little, and still, they manage to survive. On the hopeful side, we saw that our organization promotes resilience & empowerment, advocating for technical agricultural trainings & creation of job opportunities that can allow people to earn a living, and choose the trajectory of their lives. In life, we never give up & we do not lose hope.

This travel made sure to assess the situation & strategically plan for sustainable future solutions…all mixed with political will, individual will, motivation & joint collaboration!

Here the X (former Twitter Social Media) of the mission, Thank you so much for coming!

Effective assistance starts with thorough assessment and strategic planning.

A team of @USAIDSavesLives travelled across #Djibouti 🇩🇯 to interact with refugees, migrants, and vulnerable rural Djiboutians.

I am thrilled the fruitful discussions will feed into our joint response pic.twitter.com/MS15f21rg6

— Mary M Njoroge (@mnjoroge2011) December 8, 2023

Playlist of the week

I kissed a girl – Katy Perry

Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift

Si viene si va – Ligabue

Mi vendo – Renato Zero

Changes – Charles Bradley

Come & get your Love – Redbone

Patience – Take that

Round-up photos of traveling

rural and urban communities, focus groups, across the country of Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah, Ali Sabieh, Ali Addeh refugee camps – food assistance & cash-based transfers for families to choose their foods (meat, vegetables, eggs, oil, wheat…) December 2023

I am grateful that I have seen these places, met many people and could experience what it means to have so little, demands are high and basic needs need to be met.

I do believe in development and international cooperation, therefore I hope that through effective communications people will have better life opportunities.

What to read, what to watch

Taylor Swift TIME Person of the year 2023, read her life journey & storytelling expertise, on this link

Movie tip Leave the World Behind: suspense & thriller in this new Netflix movie starring Ethan Hawke & Julia Roberts. The movie is set in a home with a swimming pool, an ideal far away place, to relax and enjoy the beauty of trees & green areas, away from the hustle & bustle of the busy work of New York city life. The House, the Curve, the Noise and the Last One: the four chapters of the movie outline an intense & captivating plot that will keep you sit & totally immersed in the story…

TV show fun tip : F is for Family : a family of five, working as a Team into the Bumpy roads of LIFE (house chores, employment, children…) Set in the 70ies, with songs & cultural cameos, it is a great entertaining show for adults that enjoy the music & the references of this period in the United States of America!

Wishing to all a fun weekend, leading up to some restful holidays!

Ciao!

Gaia

Cinema Paradiso: She looks to the Future, and Smiles

This can be the title of the cover image of this blog post, representing myself in a outdoor café in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, with my best friend Bahia, a gorgeous, smart & fun young woman from Somalia /Switzerland.

The power of dreaming is a strong tool to keep patiently working towards what we imagine can be possible.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt, UN diplomat and partner of 32nd United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said once.

2 years in Bangladesh strengthened my soul & my emotions towards People, learning to let go, walk around, focus on the Good, again – learning to let go, Be kind, sleep a lot, nap even more, manage your feelings by leaning towards a peaceful but firm approach towards life & work decisions, think that everything will be all right at the end, be cool about life, laugh, drink lots of water, drink coffee as a placebo effect to get the focus and go, listen to people but do not get too attached and empathetic, again, learn to rest and let go-flow of consciousness writing –

E’ melhor ser alegre do que ser triste – Bebel Gilberto

The Vision is that of a woman in love and satisfied with her life … everyday is a work in progress – got to deal with constant questions, re-evaluations, self-assessments, life purposes, love meanderings, trust in love intentions of future people coming along…

I am writing in the middle of the Bangla rainy season, where brishti (rain) & batash (wind) are always constant, where the desire of being cozy remains, and where work flows in a permanent way. The sound of the rain gives me peace & willingness to share. As I am focusing on my strange life these days, and praying God/Allah for what happens next in the Cinema Paradiso saga, the health & well-being of the people I serve and for my colleagues & friends’ present & future happiness, I hope I am on the Caminho do Bem – in the Path of the Good/ Acredite, não duvide – Believe, do not doubt.

She created a strong & learning Team, willing to rise and thrive, Together. She allocated resources correctly for the fair and equal distribution of roles, responsibilities and learning opportunities. She understood that Sharing is better than keeping, and that Caring builds a huge sense of trust, an immense satisfactory feeling and the willingness to keep growing together, and to see People Rise Up & Glow Up.

from left: the Brishti Queen (brishti is rain), the Batash Queen (batash is wind) and the Megh Queen (megh is clouds) – 30 May 2022 Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

She learned to be grateful to what she has done and achieved, and proud of the young woman she has become – full of flowers & butterflies around her.

What will be a BIG DREAM is the conception, creation & planning of THE FIRST United Nations FILM SHOW in Cox’s Bazar, where all the UN communications officers will put in place a series of Bangla and English movies about refugees, directed to schools students in Cox’s Bazar, to sensitize them about social cohesion, harmony, understanding needed between the Bangladeshi host community (2 million 650 people live in Cox’s Bazar) & the Rohingya refugees coming from Myanmar – after World Refugee day (20 June – the shows will be free, open to the public, from 22 to 24 June 2022 in the Cox’s Bazar Cultural center of Laboni Beach). The humanitarian response is entering its fifth year, therefore a local national action is needed to ensure sustainability and localization of the complex, sensitive and protracted humanitarian response. Due to shortage of fundings, the humanitarian community will not stay for longer, therefore the empowerment of local stakeholders is key to ensure the dignity, safety and voluntary repatriation of more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in current 34 refugee camps, 28,000 of which have been relocated to the island of Bhasan Char.

When she gets impatient about the upcoming “what’s next”, she has grown to believe to take more care of her hair – it takes time & beauty, therefore, she slows down and takes her time, as she would comb her hair, massage the head skin, apply shampoo, conditioner, aloe vera cream, massage again, listen to a good “girly” song (Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus..) relax and think that’s the best life we could ever have…and that we are doing enough….

Sharing a songs playlist that summarizes the state of mind and mind-forward thinking:

She is like the wind

Crazy for this girl

Here comes the rain again

Coming around again

Let go

and…a chill-out set of long-listening albums…

Acid Jazz Lounge the complete anthology 1968- 2020

Best of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s golden hits mastermix

70’s Soul – Al Green, Commodores, Smokey Robinson, Tower of Power, and more

Embrace June 2022!!

Eastside

Sunday thoughts. I have three passions (+1 cross-cutting): Art, Photography and Journalism. Singing all along. I like rhythm, time and depicting-documenting reality & the world. With a smile and an emotional touch to it. 

10 best watercolor painting (c)Pinterest.com

I believe in free, independent choices, and I think that Art, Photography make you more conscious of what you have chosen. Journalism gives you a lens to interpret the world, providing you with healthy, well-researched and verified news that can enable you to take action in the world and be more aware of the happenings around you.

17 amazing facts about Madagascar, the island it took humans 300,000 years to discover, source: The Telegraph.co.uk 

I also like optimism and positive news. In the middle of wars, hatred and violence, there is good music and good people. There are hard-working populations , gentle and kind, willing to love and do good for their society. We should take inspiration from them and admire in awe what they do for their country and for others. 

Just a glimpse of my Sunday playlist for you, a little bit pop today:

365, new song by Katy Perry

New Rules, Dua Lipa

High Hopes– Panic at the Disco

Counting Stars– One Republic

Believer– Imagine Dragons

Eastside– Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid

Hold you back– Emotional Oranges

Thick & Thin– Lany