By: Priya MigneaultFor all of you lovely readers out there I wanted to let you know that this will be my last 'Weekly Dose of Hope' at least until the new year. Scotland has become the first ever country to create legislation that will ensure everyone who menstruates free access to menstrual products. The new bill states that period products must be available at schools, colleges, and universities and that the government will have a responsibility to make these products available to anyone who needs them. Monica Lennon, who has been fighting for this for almost half a decade, says "But the point I made is that during a pandemic, periods don't stop. Poverty is increasing. This is needed more than ever,". In even developed nations some people who menstruate, particularly girls, are having to skip school because they don't have access to pads or tampons and are having to go to the food bank just to receive these necessary items. The world's first ever recycling plant that is able to dispose of asbestos safely has been approved and is up in running in England. Asbestos use to be used as building instillation but has been since been proved to cause deadly lung diseases when inhaled. The asbestos is heated in a special kiln that separates the cement and chrysotile asbestos, which is no more harmful than cement when it's separated. The kiln has passed all environmental regulations and will be on the market in 2021. At age 14, Canadian gymnast Taylor Lindsay-Noel, had an accident and became paralyzed, but that didn't stop her from dreaming and executing different goals, “I was getting to re-write my narrative—divorcing an identity—only, a lot earlier. I grew up really fast, and earlier. Most people learn by the time they are adults that things can change suddenly. I found out early,” Taylor explains. In college Taylor ran a talkshow called 'Tea time with Tay' which talked about everything tea. This passion led to her starting her own company 'Cup of Te'. For each starter kit sold from them, they donate $1 to aid mental health causes and initiatives in their community. “This was especially important to me because growing up, tea was a source of comfort and a catalyst for great conversations,” says Taylor, “And if there were ever a conversation that needed to be continued, it would be one that strives to break down the stigmas that are wrongfully perpetuated on those with mental illness.” 'Cup of Te' is on Oprah's Holiday favourites list this year.
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By: Priya MigneaultA couple of months ago Sandra Creamer was admitted to New Zealand's Supreme Court, at the age of 65, by her son Joshua. Creamer didn't have an easy upbringing and after leaving her husband, she became a single mother of four. She didn't have the time or money to attend post secondary school, until her children started high school. When her eldest son, Joshua, told Creamer that he wanted to study law after graduation which inspired her to return to school and start her law degree. Creamer enrolled into the Institute of Koorie Education at Deakin University and someone said to her: “Do you really think you can do a law degree? It’s hard.” She responded by saying: “Being a single mother and raising four children by myself is hard, and if I can do that, I know I can do a law degree.” By the time she started, her son Joshua had already started out, and eight years later he was the one who admitted Creamer to the Supreme Court. For American Thanksgiving the video conferencing app, zoom, will be removing their 40 minute limit on calls. This is an international initiative so everyone will have access to unlimited calls throughout the day. Zoom has decided to do this because they are aware that Thanksgiving will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they are wanting everyone to stay together and connected this holiday. The UK has a officially announced that a ban on selling gas and diesel fuelled vehicles has been set for 2030. This announcement comes from Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of their green industrial revolution, in which approximately $21 billion CAN would be spent on other green projects. The ban is being put in place five years ahead of discussed deadlines, with hybrid cars expecting to be off the market by 2035 as well. Although this year has been very different than expected, the UK is determined to build back greener. Johnson said in a statement. “The recovery of our planet and of our economies can and must go hand-in-hand.” By: Priya MigneaultOver the past 25 years the world has made a tremendous amount of progress towards providing education to women and girls. Currently about 89% of girls are being educated, which is a 16% increase since 1995. According to a recent UNSECO report 180 million more girls have enrolled in primary and secondary schooling compared to a generation ago. There are now also three times more women enrolled in university. This is partially because of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which came out in 1995, and is a commitment by 189 countries to advance the rights of girls and women locally and globally. Recently, Canadian Actor Ryan Reynolds donated 300 Canadian Goose Parkas, along with other winter gear such as boots, gloves, and toques, to an elementary school in the Arctic Bay. In September Inuk singer-songwriter Becky Han put out a tweet asking people to donate one or two parkas to her childhood school, which had students without proper winter gear. The tweet was retweeted numerous times and it eventually caught the eye of Reynolds, who was immediately ready to help. He reached out to Canadian Goose to get the order placed and organized. The schools principal, Gregg Durrant, says that the students were ecstatic about their new gear as they all recieved enough for the coming winter months. In the Arctic Bay the coldest temperature recorded was -38.8 C, on February 9th, 2020. Foster dad, Robert Carter, recently adopted five siblings so that they wouldn't be separated. The kids names are Marionna, Makayla, Robert, Giovanni, and Kiontae. They were all living in three different foster homes when he decided to adopt them. Carter was in the Ohio foster system for years and recalls how hard it was to constantly be separated from his younger siblings. He says he didn't want that for these kids. Before the adoption Carter was fostering the three boys and decided to get all the siblings together with their foster parents to reconnect and he realized how distressed they were being away from each other. He then knew he had to adopt them all. Carter says he knows it's going to be hard as a single father, but he is ready for it. He is currently focusing on building trust with the kids, and having faith that the love will build over time. By: Priya MigneaultH&M have released the news that they will be the first to have an in-store clothing recycling machine. The machine can both shred and knit used clothing by cleaning and pressing the clothes into longer fibres, which are then converted into yarn for new garments. It requires no additional water or dyes to work and instead relies on the colours already in the clothing. The machine was invented by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA). H&M stated, “To fight climate change, we need to change fashion,” which they believe this machine will help do. As the US election was underway many Americans were out at the the polling stations, which had lines that went for blocks and could last hours. Luckily, 'Pizza to the Polls' was there to help by handing out pizza, burgers, doughnuts, cookies, and other snacks to voters in line, free of charge. The non-profit organization delivered over 3,200 pizzas to polling stations across the country and had 262 food trucks out and about during the election. 'Pizza to the Polls' runs off people's donations and this year they made an astounding $1.45 million from donors. In the Mesa, Arizona Children's Hospital there is a new 'Wall of Hope' which features past NICU patients in a very contrasting photos. The wall compares the photos of the children at the time they were in the NICU, hooked up to monitors and weighing very little, to now, smiling and healthy. It was built to encourage hope within the parents and staff for their tiny patients. |
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