What is the previous post about?

It's about a new project I'm working on. It's called Dream Big Pittsburgh and its website with all the information can be found here). As you know, I currently work at the Summer Dreamers Public Academy. I work at Faison Elementary and the other 4 instructors and I decided to do something not stated in the curriculum, something that we believe is a really great project that can have two great results:

1. empowering our students; and

2. beautifying the Homewood neighborhood.

Your help is more than welcome!

Dream Big Pittsburgh!

Support for AIDS orphans in Ghana - policy paper

"There are between 130,000 and 230,000 AIDS orphans in Ghana and their numbers are expected to grow. It is estimated that 20 to 26 percent of all orphans and other vulnerable children in Ghana have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The HIV prevalence rate is relatively low (1.9 %), but the problems caused by the HIV epidemic in Ghana are exacerbated by other factors, such as stigmatization and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and urbanization and subsequent breakdown of the extended family system. Children are among the most vulnerable population groups affected by HIV/AIDS. Their quality of life declines dramatically as a result of parents (or other family members) contracting or dying of HIV."

This is the result of my research project from Ghana. A policy paper on support for AIDS orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Feel free to read, comment, criticize, but don't use it as your own. You can read the entire paper here. 

PS: Google Documents changed the formatting slightly so if you're interested, let me know and I can send you the original copy.

Save great teachers! The children need them! We need them!

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story | Video on TED.com

A great talk on how our perspectives are formed and how dangerous it is. This is exactly why I sometimes cannot read the news. Imagine that you want to work in the field of international development and all you read is the disastrous stories... If you were to believe it's all just bad, you'd give up on trying to help people.

(Here is the TED link: Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story | Video on TED.com)

Job interviews

I know I owe you more comments on my "favorite" interview questions, but here is a related post. Honestly, reading these things make me wonder what the point of HR is. Sometimes it seems that it's a job for the meanest people whose only goal is to make other people feel miserable.

What are your thoughts when you read about these (supposedly the craziest) interview questions?

PS: My natural reaction would be "I don't understand why you're asking this question." But being honest is usually not the best strategy... about that later, though.