Always has a line out front. $7.10 for two cupcakes. Sheesh! They get away with this only because so few people bake anymore and icing is a chore to make.

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Here’s a story about how our well-laid African philanthropic plans went awry and how the kindness and experience of new found friends saved the situation and ensured some deserving children a little more food this year.

It all started when a dear friend of mine heard we were going to Kenya. She is the patron of an orphanage there and offered to fly in and take my daughter, Taylor, with her to visit while we were there.

Taylor offered to bring soccer balls and coloring books and learned that the kids need FOOD, not toys, which will get stolen or sold for food anyway. The best thing, our friend assured us, was to purchase the orphanage a cow – a sustainable food source (and a little harder to steal than a soccer ball).

Through a bake sale, some Facebook postings and the artful manipulation of her relatives, Taylor raised $800 in donations to take to Kenya to buy a few cows for an orphanage in Kakamega, Kenya.

While in Africa, our Orphanage-Patron Friend had a family emergency and couldn’t come to Kenya. We realized Kakamega was FAR from Nairobi, in the malaria-infested rain forest near the border of Uganda.

No way were Mom and Dad going there to deliver a few cows!

Alternate plans were hatched. We decided that our benefactors would be perfectly fine if we donated to a different orphanage, as long as the money went to feed needy children.

We wanted to make sure the money would go directly to the care of the kids, not into the pocket of some “director.” We heard stories of the corruption from our friends in Nairobi and we were so afraid, after all our hard work fund raising, that the donation might be “misdirected.”

One day, after coming home from the marvelous Giraffe Center (pics here), we drove by a sign, “Cheryl’s Childrens’ Home.” We stopped in and took a tour. They were well run and hospitable.

Still, who is the director? Can we trust them? Will they pocket the money?

We went back, after returning from our amazing Safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve (pics here) and met with the Director, Samuel Sambuli and the Projects Team Leader, Kieren Barnes.

Not only did they impress us with their day to day operations, but with their vision for buying a plot of land to grow food, build a high school and create live-in foster care situations for some of their students.

They have an annual operating budget of $120,000, of which only $60,000 is secure each year. The $800 donation we wired to them when we got home will be a huge help to closing the scary gap they deal with every single day.

So to those of you who donated, thank you.

This money goes directly to feeding these adorable children.

One of the things I really liked about Cheryl’s Childrens’ Home strategy, is that in addition to orphans, they also take in indigent children. Samuel explained that it’s harder to feel sorry for yourself if you’re an orphan when you see children who HAVE parents who still need their support. It’s not the lack of parents that causes all the problems. Some kids who have parents are just as in need. He says that motivates the children to strive for more.

I encourage you to check out the website http://cherylshome.org and consider sponsoring a child or a teacher.

For example, James Kanoga is utterly delightful and needs money to go to college – about $120 a month for tuition at a minimum.

The little children each cost about $45 per month to sponsor. You can choose one or let them pick for you.

They are all just precious as you can see from these photos.

To see more photos of the kids, the teachers, the orphanage and our photo-taking moments, CLICK HERE.

Taylor and I took pictures of each of the groups and gave them to them. I took a Canon battery-powered Selphy printer with me and gave these kids the first picture of themselves they ever had. They were thrilled! This is a picture of Taylor, surrounded by kids watching the photos print out.

We learned so much through out the whole process. Especially that it’s possible to make a difference directly to the source of need. If you want to help people, it’s so easy, and so rewarding.

Much love. Asante sana! (Thank you very much in Swahili.)

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- Posted using MobyPicture.com

Everyone loves it when I blog the latest free podcasts we publish on Personal Life Media.

So here are some of the most recent on my playlist:

(You can get them at our site or in iTunes.)

Living Green Show

How to Transition More of Your Workouts into Nature – Outdoor Fitness with Tina Vidham http://bit.ly/cYdAR1

Green Talk Radio

Extracting Pure Water from Thin Air with Wayne Ferreira of EcoloBlue http://bit.ly/9If6QHThe Story of Stuff with Author

Annie Leonard http://bit.ly/cuuie7Simple, Delicious, and Natural Cooking with Mariel Hemingway http://bit.ly/ah9Efx

Music For Midnight

Tropical Chillout (Feat. Microbunny, Dengue Fever, Rookiecop, Popcorn, & Damondo) http://bit.ly/ddaVsH

Business Success Tips

Happiness and Attachment: We debate the ingredients for a happy life and the effects… http://bit.ly/bChoaE

The Zen of Vipassana Mediation – Stephanie Daily’s story… http://bit.ly/c5W4G4

Making Money with Video Affiliate Marketing: Sean gives us some advice on how to mak… http://bit.ly/aCCK7T

The Business Uses of Video: We expand on our discussion of the business and marketin… http://bit.ly/bEOppN

Get Your Domain Name Before Sean Does: We talk about some good domain name and SEO s… http://bit.ly/aLWFFN

Paul’s New Business Model for Success http://bit.ly/cAz67tTraits of a Good Salesperson  http://bit.ly/cswMh8

The Answer: Paul and JC talk about their inspiration after reading the book “The Answer.” http://bit.ly/azNuet

Buddhist Geeks

The Jedi Mind Training of Concentration: In this episode we wrap up our discussion with med… http://bit.ly/bEAGTbThe Zen of Zen History: James Zito is a Buddhist film-maker, and the director of a newly re… http://bit.ly/dcJYaIHappiness – There’s an App For That: In this episode we’re joined by Soren Gordhamer, long … http://bit.ly/co7N7S

The New Man

David Morelli – How to Clear Bad Energy and Find True Power: Do you ever wonder why you struggle… http://bit.ly/aTTXSC

Jordan Harbinger – How To Be Charismatic: Do you ever talk to strangers? … http://bit.ly/bZEZjv

Alex Linsley – How to Piss Off Chauvinists and Feminists  http://bit.ly/9ozAVf

Inside Out Weight Loss

From Comfort Food to Comfy Body: Does losing weight mean you have to leave… http://bit.ly/cXVMrS

Divine Essence, Diet Soda, and Reversing a Downward Spiral: Overweight, out of work… http://bit.ly/94RIdm

How to Forget to Overeat: Can you teach yourself to forget to overeat? … http://bit.ly/9Oyoaa

When Thinking Thin Feels Doesn’t Feel Good: Weight loss, health, nutrition, diet… http://bit.ly/acVOs7

Menopause and Weight Loss: Re-Syncing with a Changing Body: Women and men too, when… http://bit.ly/9lNGlF

Menstrual Mayhem, Mindfulness and Weight Loss: Ladies and Gentlemen too, learn how t… http://bit.ly/d41Kz3

Guided Journey for More Time and Less Weight: Relax into a delicious journey to exp… http://bit.ly/cT58CP

Making Saying No Easier by Saying Yes: Saying no to foods and saying no to friends a… http://bit.ly/cR3ueV

Mindfulness, Self Acceptance and Weight Loss: Mindfulness Meditation has been shown … http://bit.ly/c6ryqd

Pleasure and Weight Loss with Jena LaFlamme http://bit.ly/anBFiL

Beauty Now

Dr. Nicole: As Seen On The OC Housewives, ABC, E and more! http://bit.ly/bieFwL

Kym Douglas: Television Host, Author, Healthy and Beauty Expert As Seen On Ellen, Good Day LA,… http://bit.ly/anWjrL

Camera Dojo

Conversation with Syl Arena – LIDLIPS, Speedlites, and More http://bit.ly/cIJ755

Conversation with Neil van Niekerk – Taking Your Flash to the next level: This week we talk wi… http://bit.ly/ahMKxr

Conversation with David Ziser – Choosing the right aperture http://bit.ly/dqsH01

Just for Women

Lara and Johnny Fernandez: Soul Mate Search for the Serious: Who knew that radical self ca… http://bit.ly/db3r1L

Dr. Sandor Gardos: Herpes, HPV, and Penis Power. http://bit.ly/bRfTWY

Nicole Daedone: O Meditation ~ A Radical Approach to Self Care http://bit.ly/bDoc2O

Expanded Lovemaking

Dr. Patti talks to Bruce Frantzis, Taoist lineage master, about sexual Qi Gong (Chi Gung) for Lovemaking. http://bit.ly/7sGd1c

Squirt Your Heart Out – Every Woman Can! Dr. Patti Talks to Tallulah Sulis, Somatic Edu… http://bit.ly/chfg54

Unleashing the S3xually Hyper-Responsive Woman: Dr. Patti Talks to David Van… http://bit.ly/cHlieZ

Tantalizing Techniques to Keep the Fires Burning All Year Long: Dr. Patti talks to Lou… http://bit.ly/b85upc

What Your Partner Wants You Know about Mind-Blowing O’s  http://bit.ly/bzQxuB

Awakening to Full Body O’s: Dr. Patti talks to Crystal Dawn Morris, Tantr… http://bit.ly/bpjXIe

Super-charging Pleasure with Specific “Sandbox Dates”: Dr…. http://bit.ly/a9P61f

Becoming Multi-O (Part Two): Dr. Patti talks to Crystal Dawn Morris, Tantric Te… http://bit.ly/9etrpC

Tantra & Kama Sutra

Dance with Desire: Recovering Body Wisdom with Kimerer LaMothe http://bit.ly/crgG3a

Ancient Roots of Feminine Eros with Max Dashu http://bit.ly/d6SQoR

Expand Her “O” Tonight with Dr. Patti Taylor… http://bit.ly/b5rxGE

Igniting the Feminine through Masculine Energy Mastery with John Maxwell Taylor http://bit.ly/9z7Mw2

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Paul Watson, founder of SeaShepherd.org and creator of the television show Whale Wars at TEDxSF this week.

My daughter, Taylor (13) closely follows his work and the work of activists worldwide who are mobilizing to save the slaughter of our protected ocean life.

In this video, Dr. Watson thanks Taylor for her work in bringing awareness to her school mates and friends through a petition signing effort.

Follow SeaShepherd on:

Facebook Sea Shepherd

Twitter @SeaShepherd

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