Vaccines can't cure everything

I have started everything right away to prepare for my trip to Africa. So I got my vaccinations yesterday! Yellow Fever, Hep. A, Typhoid, and Tetanus. And when my doctor said a side-effect might be flu like symptoms, she wasn’t kidding!

I have been feeling lousy all day. Especially after working in the yard this morning; that didn’t help! Unfortunately I had to give my shift away tonight, but I have been trying to rest up and get well so I can make some money.

A little bit of advice for anyone needing vaccines to travel: get them all at once so you don’t have to worry about the side-effects with each dose. But a bout of flu is much better than a sickness in another country, so I’ll take it!

It seems so simple to be able to take a shot and be okay. Unfortunately, people across the globe don’t always have that luxury. Especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS. One virus that cannot be vaccinated against is HIV, and millions of people are affected by it. The only thing that can stop this virus from spreading is the knowledge of what it is, and how to prevent it.

This epidemic hits hardest at young and productive people between 15-24 years old.  Education in public schools arms the next generation with the information to end a socially crippling disease.  Curriculum taught in school is age appropriate, is interactive and lively, and focuses on empowering mindset and behavior.

I hope to be a small part of that knowledge empowerment. If I arm just one child with the knowledge of HIV prevention, countless others can be saved, too. Please visit www.oneheartsource.org for more information. We first needed to be informed and empowered before we can impact anyone else.

Thank you for your support, please stay tuned! For information on how to donate to this great program, or to talk about my plans or anything, email me at slarsonm@asu.edu.

-Selena
aka A Small part of a Great Empowerment

Playing with the Flip!

So I am debating whether or not investing in a Flip video camera to take on my trip. The super-cool video guy at Banner Desert let me use his Flip so I can see if I want one:). I took a quick video about what I am doing to see if I like it. What do you think I should do?!

PLEASE REMEMBER:
California Pizza Kitchen- Chandler Fundraiser dinner This Wednesday!! See below for flier and information.
Fundraiser Party! In Gilbert at Jill's house. April 10 at 2p.m. Email me for more information.




Love,

Selena
aka Budding Videographer

An Update

So I have been making a lot of phone calls, and sending out lots of letters to try and raise donations. Some awesome businesses are either donating money for the volunteers, or gift certificates for our raffle for our party on April 10. (Which you are all invited to!)

In the case of California Pizza Kitchen- Chandler, they donated both! They have graciously allowed us to hold a fundraiser dinner at their restaurant, where 20% of proceeds go to One Heart Source (you MUST have the flier, so print one out!) and also, donating a gift basket including a cook book, bottle of wine with two glasses, and two gift certificates. Thank you CPK, and manager Jennifer!

Islands Restaurants also donated a $25 gift certificate as a prize in our raffle. I did have inside information on how to get it though, considering I work there. But my awesome manager Tori Johnson didn't hesitate to help us out!

And of course, Massage Envy donated a complimentary one-hour massage. Kelly, the manager at Massage Envy was really excited about our project and offered a gift certificate right away!

Don't worry, there are still plenty more prizes to add to our raffle. Mary stopped by Planned Parenthood to pick up some condoms for our give away to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.

If you can't attend our party but wish to purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win these, and more, prizes, please contact me through Facebook, Twitter: @SelenalarsonPR, or email: slarsonm@asu.edu.

Thank you for your support!

-Selena
aka, Raffle Producer

Off and Running!

Well folks, it's official! I gave Kat my $400 security deposit today and will be going to Zanzibar. It is a completely surreal experience.

Tonight at the meeting we discussed travel plans, vaccinations, what to pack, and the basics of what we will be doing. And, of course, FUNDRAISING! And boy, do we have to do some fundraising. But it is okay, I have an awesome support system that will be with me every step of the way.

I also learned that I have to get like 10 shots. I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to see how I go about getting those. Yikes! I hate shots!

We watched a heart-breaking video about children orphaned in Tanzania. It is so sad to see the grandparents trying to raise 10 kids on their own after their own children died of AIDS, or infection caused by HIV. I will try to find the video and share it with all of you. It is truly a look inside what we will be doing, and how important our work is over there.

I want everyone to know though, we will not be pushing our own ideas on the people over there! We will incorporate their own ideas and beliefs, and not preach the "American Way." The only mark we will leave will be in the hearts of the people we go there to teach, we will not leave anything behind but our knowledge of this disease and the creativity and strength we give to others.

I also met mostly everyone in the group tonight. They all seem totally cool, and I am so excited to get to know them a little more. I am putting together a PR package for everyone to have so they can use it to pitch to potential donors. People seem pretty excited about that, too!

Kat says we will all become a family while we are out there, and I don't doubt it. Although it is a little nerve racking to be getting culture shock for 4 weeks, it is really encouraging that other people my age will be my new family, and we can share these experiences together.

Our Tanzanian teaching partners will be with us every second, and they will be our rock while we are out there. I am definitely looking forward to meeting them and sharing our lives.

I am a little worried about packing. I dont know what to bring, and eventhough we were given a list, I dont want to over pack, or worse, underpack! (I did make it a week in Italy carrying only a small backpack though, so I'm not too worried about underpacking.)

Mary and I are talking about flying standby so we can save a little money. She knows people in London who can harbor us for a few days, so we might stay there a night or two. And Kat says that in Tanzania, hostels are about $3 US a night, and you can live off $10 a day. So who knows if we will travel around Africa a little more when we are there. She reccommends taking a group safari which I am totally stoked for.

Tomorrow I will continue my fundraising efforts and contact my doctor to get all the medical information. My passport doesn't expire till 2017, so I don't have to worry about that!

If you or anyone you know would like to donate, please don't hesitate to contact me. Also, if you want to chat about what I am doing, I would be happy to share it with you!: slarsonm@asu.edu.

Thanks for following, and all your support!

-Selena
aka Iron Arm
(I will have to be with all those shots!)

Laying the groundwork

Hi everyone!

Over spring break I found out that I will get the awesome opportunity of volunteering with One Heart Source to travel to Zanzibar, Tanzania and educate children and their communities about HIV and AIDS. In a country where over 1 million children are orphaned by AIDS, a small education can make a big difference.

This organization is a 501(c)3 Non-profit, and was created by students for student-age volunteers. A bunch of us are going to go, and this is the pilot year in Zanzibar. So we will be setting the standard.

I have been doing a TON of fundraising for it, and since I am a public relations major, I have been putting together a media package for this organization and the trip we are going on. It has been a lot of fun working putting stuff together, but I still have a long way to go before I can afford this trip.

Mary and I created a video today! You should check it out, it has all kinds of info with it:)






Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or anything. I am so excited for my newest adventure! I will be posting leading up to my trip, and definitely when I am there as well! Thanks for following.

-Selena
aka Fundraiser Extraodinare

Follow me on Twitter: @SelenaLarsonPR