by Cheryl Bernard | Jul 16, 2015 | News & Events
Cheryl Bernard describes the feeling of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, as “out of this world.” The Calgarian silver medallist in curling in the 2010 Olympics recently returned from Tanzania after climbing Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness for World Vision. Since Bernard’s retirement from curling last summer, she has worked with charities in Calgary and abroad. “One was World Vision, it’s international and it speaks for children, and the second was actually with Goodwill of Alberta and I wanted to do something local, and that’s speaking out for Albertan with disabilities,” she said. The Kilimanjaro climb was to support World Vision’s projects to help girls and women forced into marriages or “dirty and degrading work, slave labour, technically,” Bernard said. Read...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jul 7, 2015 | Blog
Overview This day was all about why we were climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for projects like the Ketumbeine ADP (Area Development Project). The main goal of this project which began in 2009 and is completed in 2024 is to contribute toward the improved and sustained well being of children, their famllies and community members, especially the most vulnerable. The hope is that these households and communities are socio-economically empowered to insure the wellbeing of children in that region. So the theory of a hand up, not a hand out. The main tribe is Maasai and the main religious denominations in the ADP are Christian, Muslim and traditionalists. The economy of the Ketumbeine ADP is predominatly based on livestock rearing and subsistence agriculture along Mt Ketumbeine. In the areas, there is no cash crop grown. The peasants used to cultivate beans, maize, sweet potatoes for food grown in very small areas of approximately a half acre. The animals (Cattle, goats and sheep) are used as mainly a food and as a cash source in many of the households. The staple food is milk and meat. The major challenges of this community are lack of water, lack of health facilities, shortage of educational materials, lack of poor or existing school buildings, low level agricultural production and poor livestock keeping. The water used for domestic consumption is not clean. Poor health services results in high child and maternal mortality rates. Our first visit was to see some of the Maasai leaders and their herd of camels….yes, camels. I have to say when I came over the crest of the...
by Cheryl Bernard | Jul 7, 2015 | Blog
One of my favourite things about being the Ambassador for Goodwill Industries of Alberta is all the magical finds at their retail stores. Recently I was captivated by Nicole Kennedy’s vintage candles…and upon further discussion with Nicole, found out that she re-purposes tea cups into beautiful candles…and most of these treasures are found at her local Goodwill store! With every cup she purchases, she provides funds to help Albertan’s with disabilities…and provides a beautiful tea cup candle to be purchased for someone’s home! A win / win for all ! So I asked Nicole to do a “guest blog” now and then, describing her finds and showcasing her beautiful Vintage Candles! Nicole Kennedy for Aubrey & Brechan Pretty Little Vintage Candles I’ve always been a fan of all things pretty, vintage, and unique. I refer to my many fab finds as my treasures. Some big, some small, some cheap (some not), but all of them special. I like to think about their history, what home they lived in, what conversations were had holding them, and the joy when they were originally purchased. One of my many treasures are teacups. They bring back memories of being a child sitting around my grandmother’s kitchen table. The comfort of that nook in my mind oozes in warmth. I have many teacups, most are not passed on generation to generation, but rather found sitting lonely on a thrift store shelf. No partners in patterns, or fancy store lighting – just a lonely little dusty teacup and saucer. I give this new friend a thorough one over and run my finger along the delicate...
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