Peruvian Burst of colour

InkaNuna Peru

Spring Cleaning - and for the World

I have been spring cleaning and tidying my living space..... but with all the news and happenings in the UK & world it makes me feel the world needs spring cleaning too.

This is a verse I wrote a couple of years ago as I thought of the cobwebs of evil & propaganda puppets weave over the Jewel in the Universe - our Earth our Home.

The jewel in the universe

To this I dedicate my verse

The image in my mind for you

I will try to paint for your mind’s eye to see.

With me

This wonderful world we have

The paradise of colour and form.

With mountains rivers and oceans

And exotic glistening waterfalls

Vast deserts and savannahs

Green valleys and

all with flowers

All with birds insects to their home and region

All with creatures great and small for us all

All to see the beauty of the creator of it all.

But I see this beautiful jewel covered in cobwebs

All made of man’s intrigue and interaction

A woven complexity of ego and despotic regimes

Deluded power, illusionary power

But never to be greater than the love and light

that created this vast universe

Caught within the web are propaganda puppets

Hanging by the thread of illusion made.

As we look upon the jewel we see the pain this illusion makes

Great vast movement of fleeing souls to find their safety

Great freeing of souls suddenly released in the turmoil of the deluded power

We need a spring clean and a clearing of this intricate web

To cleanse and allow the light and love to shine

To restore the glistening beauty of this amazing jewel

Within a vast and wonderful universe…..

Time to stop war death and destruction

And ensure a future construction

For generations to come and enjoy

This wonderful jewel in the universe

Planet Earth a home of us all

Waspi card ...

Love the way Nicola always gets cards in the WASPI colours... it is as a reminder to all that it is not just the women denied the pensions hurting... but the families too.  They love their mothers and grandmothers and see this is an unfair situation. So many women are knackered - life weary and just need to get some peace and dignity from their state pension. So for the PM to keep ignoring the WASPI women is a political suicide in the next election. Women and their families are not impressed and will not be voting for this government. 

Surprise Fairies been while out

Was lovely when I got home today after the Teaching meeting ... my daughter Debbie had been and tidied up left me some flowers from her and my other daughter Nicola... chocolates and cakes and some lovely smoked salmon goodies.... Thank you...... Yummy weekend... 

Teacher Open Day Inspiring

👩‍🏫Brilliant road show on how to get into teaching as a profession. Today was in the TUC congress hall near Tottenham Court Road..... very well presented and so respected... got the "I am over 60" fact out of the way hhhhh and the fact I am "WASPI needing to get some paid work as cannot get my state pension...". But there are things I can do .... and teaching assistant part time may be just the thing for now.......Felt quite touched with one teacher when he said - "you are amazing Marjorie and I get the feeling I could just drop you in a classroom and you would get the pupils engaged and they would learn and share a lot with you..." well it is true I have conducted 5 hrs class every week in the past and always the students & me had an amazing time

But I must tell the WASPI women there is no paid training for us we have to pay for the course ourselves!!!!!!!!! yet gov saying we must retrain to get back into work before we can get our state pension!!

There was good a teacher from Sussex was well impressed with Family Link UP he accessed the blog on his ipad in front of me... and is planning to read it over the weekend and see how the children in the schools can help. We can do wonderful things like Flipgrids with classes around the world.. link up to Leen's school in Belgium...... and the children in Turkey.....Family Link Up

Well charged up with today so glad I went...
British Council given me some pointers to get some work with them too....... So come on Lady Marjorie .. keep breathing keep going....!!

Get into Teaching

International Women's Day - Family Link Up

Family Link Up message for International Women's Day

I remember the womenfolk in the camps and how they are amazing no matter the circumstances they try to hold their families together.  Make whatever living space they have home. Always busying cooking cleaning washing clothes caring for the children.   I salute them with this post too.

I pay tribute to all the Syrian refugee women I have met and the family I link up. In the night was busy submitting a grant application for one of the refugee women who is developing in journalism.... She has amazing plans for a future project - more on this when we are further down the road with the grant application... but the project will be an amazing and wonderful one for women's lives to be shared and rebuilt. I too in my rebuild have regained my self esteem and learning a lot with Family Link Up... my refugees keep me strong as I keep them strong.  We are all traumatised souls that are rebuilding our lives having lost all... but stop and think not lost all we have ourselves and our internal resilience we have strength in our hopes and dreams to be reclaimed for a future built in the richness of sharing together. 

The children inspire as they grow up and adapt to changing circumstances.  Dear Princess Leen born in Turkey, lived in the camps in Athens now in Belgium a 3 yrs old now speaking 3 languages and about to learn her fourth.... I am sure will one day have a top job in the UN at this rate.... And Princess Celine born in Athens and now in Belgium with her sister and amazingly talented mother Boshra... So determined a little big lady is Celine that she walked at 9mths.... you can learn more on the Family Link Up Blog - you will see I am a direct hand to hand link up for the families scattered between Turkey and parts of Europe.. All help goes direct to needs and to the family.  I am needing donations, fundraisers, supporters, grants and sponsors to to help me with the multiple projects to help rebuild lives again... and regain hope and dignity for all. 

Family Link Up 

Child Poverty in UK - APPG Poverty

I was busy in Parliament yesterday at the launch of the report on Child poverty in the UK - Happy Healthy Starts - Providing the tools to help families thrive. I feel I can get my voice heard in the APPG poverty meeting for women Survivors of Domestic Violence.  Many women survivors are bringing up children alone and have been financially crippled by their perpetrators... So she does need a good platform of support to help her heal and rebuild her life... and this is fundamentally important for the children too.  They need stability in a home  that is safe for both mother and child... they need stability in education at school that understands the needs of traumatised children... The whole systme of the DWP needs a full reform as we see many being let down and driven deeper and deeper into poverty.  It is not as government think enough to support at the time of impact of DV but it is necessary to support on very rocky psychological journey of healing and rebuilding lives. This is not as government seems to thinks pushing women into work and problem solved. She needs time to work through the post traumatic stress and feel ready to enter the job market. We all know there are bullies in the work place and she has been living with a bully.  So I feel an overlap of support is required to ensure she can cope and be set free from the past with financial dignity at all the stages of healing and rebuild of her life.  I pointed out to the APPG poverty meeting that when we refer to debts in the poor... it is not individual debt but a system failure debt that is failing to support those in need of help and to facilitate financial dignity for all.    I was impressed by the Orbit housing scheme... and would like to visit there communities.. There is a need for landlords to recognise the need of those that are vulnerable and are on a journey of healing and rebuilding their lives... to help and support and give dignity and help create a sacred space to heal and rebuild.  You can learn more on the APPG poverty by following this link  All Party Parliamentary Group - poverty  I personally feel that poverty in any land is a diagnostic of failed leadership.  All citizens should have the right to financial dignity and basic human needs of shelter food clothing. 

I put this photo in as the meeting was advertised in the Portcullis House the new part of parliament but when I was security checked and spoke with the receptionist there had been shift of room to the Palace of Westminster.  As always the parliamentary staff are kind to me... and I was escorted with another group that had also had a change of room... Good to chat with others meeting up for various issues to be discussed... in this time was able to talk to the NCT and was good networking as I am a retired midwife and worked across the bridge at St Thomas's and then had a good talk with a group meeting up for investments in South Africa..... I do enjoy the dynamics of parliament where people can get an opportunity for their voices to be heard, especially in APPGs

 I find it more and more shameful that the UK in 2018 is seeing more and more poverty - with a government that will not stop their crash course of failed and bad housekeeping of austerity cutbacks on people and services... the spin off problems cost more in the long run.  When will government listen to the voice of the people that their most precious asset is THE CITIZENS OF THE LAND... to invest in people and their future is paramount to keep stability in land and give dignity to all - including the country and its government.  Government losses dignity with the existence of poverty as it loudly shouts FAILED LEADERSHIP and FAILURE TO RECOGNISE THE NEEDS OF THE FRONT-LINE.  A good General always keeps in touch with the front-line to plan strategies to win!! This government will learn this in the next election - their overall majority already eroded by the pain and frustration of those on the front-line - the many not the few need to be heard.  People are indeed the X factor for any government to take heed of.

Learn more about Women's Voices to be heard one of my campaigns for all women survivors Women's Voices to be Heard

Mentoring Model

I am sorry to my readers been a bit behind with uploading posts and finding interesting topics to share. I am busy also working with my refugees in Turkey and one of the women that is developing in journalism.  We have a deadline to meet for a grant application... so been doing some explorative questioning on her ideas and goals.... there will be more on this when when we have completed our grant application.  I have also been looking at want women magazines already exist for the Arab women.... I have found this rather good article on mentoring. So sharing this Does Mentoring Matter  It is based on Big Sister/Little sister program that was mentoring young women in Gaza and Beirut. 

"As an Arab society, too often we leave mentoring relationships; which are powerful human connections, to chance. The cultural construction of the Middle East society basically believes that mentoring is limited to parents or big siblings; who every so often lack the required skills and experiences to fully inspire their youngsters. Challenge2Change decided to close this “mentoring gap”- for the good of young people and our world."

"Main positive outcomes our Big Sister/Little Sister program aims to attain:Behavioral outcomesMentoring is often discussed as a means to increase desirable behavior; e.g., academic performance, job performance or successfully engage in the community and decrease undesirable behavior as college drop-out, and academic failure.
Attitudinal outcomesIt is presumed that mentees will develop positive attitudes toward the activity that they engage in with their mentors. Having a mentor may also foster psychological attachment to the context in which the relationship is embedded, such as one’s school, university, or organization.
Health-related outcomesA mentor may listen and offer advice during times of stress or provide counseling on personal or job-related issues. They can also enhance overall well-being by challenging mentees’ negative self-views, which may enhance mentee’s self-confidence and self-esteem.
Relational outcomesThe experience of a trusting, close relationship with a mentor may lead the mentee to develop positive expectations about interpersonal relationships with which in turn may promote positive relationships. They may enhance interpersonal relationships with parents, siblings, and peers.
Motivational outcomesRole modeling can expose mentees to educational and social opportunities, which may open their eyes to different possibilities and motivate them to seek out new. Moreover, mentors may help mentees stay focused on tasks and steer them away from redundant activities
Career outcomesFinally, mentoring relationships may promote career success. Mentors can impart specific knowledge and expertise which contributes to mentee’s learning and skill development. They can also facilitate professional networking by introducing mentees to influential individuals within academic and organizational contexts."

This is really good that encourages setting goals to help empower women... 

You can also keep updated on my Family Link Up befriending on this link

Family Link Up Project