GOOD HEALTH LESSON 1; ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH - HEALTHY HOUSING

GOOD HEALTH LESSON 1

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH - HOUSING 

So; you wish to work in a disadvantaged area, and help effectively as a volunteer. 
  There will be certain things you will need to know to help the people in the area. 
  Many people often require support, assistance and education with health and school education. 

Lumiere has published a series of blog posts with health tips for use as resource. 

Adequate housing
Good and adequate housing has an effect on health. A strong, well built house gives protection against the natural elements. 
  It provides warmth in cold and wet weather, and shade in hot, sunny weather. 

A house provides physical and mental rest for both individual and family by affording adequate space for sleep and rest. 
  Good housing has clean, disease free water. The family are thus able to wash, cook and drink water in order to maintain good health.

Housing provides security and safety to individual and family - affording a safe place to live and sleep. 

Protection is offered by doors and windows against intruders and health hazards such as mosquitoes and snakes. 
  Effective sanitation and plumbing prevents many diseases.

Building a house
A house should be built so that it is strong, is not damp or subject to rising dampness, has good   ventilation (air movement) and has plenty of light.   Housing should be built in areas that are not subject to flooding, earth tremors or earthquakes.

 The floor level should be above ground level in order to prevent dampness and flooding by surface waters.
  Roof overhang should be designed so as to keep rainwater from the walls. 
  Hygienic arrangements should be made for sleeping, cooking and food storage. 

Toilet facilities
Toilet facilities should be available. 
If you live in outlying areas, every family should have an outhouse (a flyproof privy or closet). 
  This can be made quite simply by digging a deep hole with a little house over it. 
  Adults and children should not pass water or stools around the house and near places where drinking water is obtained. 
  People should not use rivers or water sources as a toilet.

Cleanliness
It is important that the house is kept clean. No spitting should be allowed on the floor. 
  Spitting can spread diseases such as tuberculosis. Animals such as fowls (birds), pigs and other animals should not be allowed in the house as they can sometimes carry disease. 

The householders should regularly check that no vermin such as rats, bedbugs, flies, fleas or other pests are present in the house. 
  If there are any signs of these vermin, the necessary steps should be taken to remove them as they too can carry disease.

Repair
Keep the house in good repair. Fill cracks and holes in the walls and floor of the house so vermin cannot hide in those areas. 
  Householders should keep both bedding and clothing clean. 
  They should be washed regularly, and hung in the sun where possible.

Avoid overcrowding
Do not overcrowd the house. Overcrowding such as many people in bunkbeds in a small room can lead to the spreading of disease, and emotional stress as people need space and privacy. 
  A family needs sufficient space for privacy. Cramped living conditions can affect children's study at home, and cause depression and anxiety. 

As volunteer
As a volunteer worker, do what you can to assist people to have access to affordable housing.

How to build an outhouse 

http://www.i4at.org/lib2/hmnwaste.htm

With thanks to hmnwaste.htm

Grandma Mentoring Program - a work of Inspiration and Grace

Grandma Tanya giving a haircut

Lumiere has heard a program in Southern Russia that pairs caring adults with needy orphans. Emotional nurturing of parentless children is essential for a child's well being, and this program helps the children to receive the personal love and attention they need. 

A 'grandma' is any adult involved with Mary Mother of God Mission Society Parish in Vladivostok, Russia. 'Grandpa's get involved too. They are typically parishioners who do not have full-time employment, and don't have enough pension to cover their basic living necessities such as food and shelter. This great program allow these caring adults to spend time doing something they love, while also sensibly providing a source of income for their personal needs. The parish in Vladivostok gives a Grandma $60 monthly. The Grandmas spend 48 hours per month in personal one-on-one time with the orphans.

The 'grandmas' take the children on excursions to the city, give haircuts, and spend time with the children. The 'grandpas' are a positive male role model for the children, many of whom are between the ages of 3 and 5. The children love to spend time out of doors exploring everything from parked cars to snowy hills. The orphans long for physical contact; one grandpa found it a common experience to have ten different children grabbing on to one of his fingers.

I have experienced this personally many times. Walking with orphans, the children all want to hold my hand, so often I have spread both my hands out to find myself shortly walking and trying not to bump into twenty little orphans, each one a different height, holding onto a different finger, and chattering away. What loneliness, what a need for love, each little one manifests.

The day I went into my room and cried was when I went into an Asian orphanage on one of my field trips. One of the carers told me that a little girl had not spoken a word since she had come in to the orphanage ten days before. She asked if there was anything I could do for the little girl. I said if there was, I certainly would do so. A short while later I went into the chapel, removing my shoes first in respect according to the custom of the area, to pray. A few minutes later, I heard the soft sound of hesitant feet coming towards me. I did not open my eyes, and eventually I heard a little person settle on the ground next to my feet. I still did not open my eyes, I guessed who it was. When I judged I would not frighten the little orphan, I opened my eyes and looked at her. Large eyes, tragic and sad, stared back at me. She spent a little time looking at me, then took my hand in hers and led me over to the statue of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. This little lady looked at me, and then said, 'mama' and mimed eyes closing, and face resting on her two little hands as if going to sleep. Then she pointed up towards the ceiling, to show her mother had gone to heaven. Then she pointed to the statue of Mary, and said, 'Mama', showing me that the only mother she now had was Mary of Nazareth in heaven to watch over her. Then she took my hand again.

I heard later she had been with her mother when her mother passed away from illness, leaving her destitute and alone at the side of the road until the Sisters had taken her in to care for her. One of the Sisters had comforted her by telling her that Mary of Nazareth would be her mother now. The sight of those sad little eyes with fathomless pain in their depths proved too much for me, and I fled to the bedroom I was using, so I could cry quietly without distressing the children. What suffering our children of the world go through. I got onto my mobile phone and rang my mom, just to hear her voice. How blessed have I been to have my parents.

Many of our Lumiere children consider me family, and have told me that my mother is their grandmother now; and my father who passed into heaven is their father too. They tell the children at school that their Didi is coming to visit them, because she loves them. From this background, I found the wonderful work of the Grandmas and Grandpas in Vladivostok inspiring. According the the pamphlet Lumiere was given, they are in urgent need of assistance.
In the spirit of Lumiere, please consider helping this worthy cause in any way you are able.
Another option is to help an orphan or street child yourself in some way. It surely will have been no accident that Divine Providence led you to read these words...

If you wish to help the work of the Grandmas and Grandpas, please find the information you will need;
Website of Grandma Mentoring Program
http://www.vladmission.org/Grandma%20Mentoring/GrandmaMentoring.htm
Donation can be made at the bottom of the above website page to;
MFP Baby Hospital #3 Vladivostok or
MFP Specialised Baby Home Ussurysk
MFP Psychneurology Baby Home Artyom
MFP Donation to any Orphanage in Need



Brian and his 'grandkids'
Photos courtesy of Grandma Mentoring Program website

Cooking Tips; How to be a great cook on a tight budget

Lumiere blog will be running a series of cooking tips, and here is one from me. Are you juggling work and home? Tend to get busy and burn food? Are you on a tight budget, and wanting to make cost effective meals  with little electricity and great taste?  I purchased a pressure cooker a good while ago and have found to be invaluable. The pressure cooker has been designed for use in a microwave.


I put rice and vegetables with some spices in the pressure cooker, and a short while later the meal is beautifully done; the rice soft, fluffy and perfectly cooked every time. There are many other recipes you can make with the cooker. When you've cooked your meal, serve it with a tasty salad such as lettuce, quartered cherry tomatoes, olives and feta cheese with a no fat vinaigrette dressing and you will be a winner every time. The cooker is called the Micromaster New Microwave Pressure Cooker. I wouldn't go anywhere without one now. It is made of a plastic type substance, with lockable handles. Just be careful with the steam vents at the top of the pressure cooker.  Also be careful when you open up the lid afterwards, as steam can escape and you don't want to scald your hands.


If you are in a shanty town area or squatter camp, if you have electricity you will be fine. Unfortunately if you have no electricity, then this is not the item for you. However, if you have a generator you'll be ok. There are loads of recipes you can use with this great cooker, using rice, pasta, vegetables. Apples stew beautifully in the cooker.


We'll be making a number of tried and tested recipes available from volunteers of Lumiere. They are busy in their kitchens now, testing the recipes before we make each one available. The criteria are; the recipes need to be cheap, tasty, and nutritious. Watch this space,...!


If you are interested in finding out more about the Micromaster, here is the info


http://www.amazon.co.uk/MICROMASTER-MICROWAVE-PRESSURE-COOKER/dp/B00193AMF0

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Sewing Tips - Be a super successful handsewer! HEMS & SEAMS

The good news is that whatever our financial status, and wherever we live, we can always dress and look wonderful! As the talented Gok Wan has shown on television shows and in books, stitching and personal creativity are the golden paths to being beautifully dressed.


My grandmother was a fashion icon, a dressmaker and master tailor of note. Sisters Ottmar and Gebhard who taught me sewing at school were amazing teachers. They gave great sewing tips to me, and here are some for you today.


Stitching and the way you press or iron a garment inbetween stitching are very important to the final look. If you press/iron a seam with a damp cloth or steam iron inbetween each line of stitching, the eventual look of the garment/clothing will be tailored, and look as if it was designer bought. If you live in a squatter camp or shanty town and don't have access to electricity or steam irons, an old fashioned iron (made of iron and with a wooden handle) placed on a wood or coal burning stove to heat it up, works fine. Please be very careful with wood or coal burning stoves, as there is always the risk of fire. In the last camp I visited, the coal burning area was outside the hut for safety. Only let adults handle the iron.


HANDSTITCHING
There are many times that 'a stitch in time saves nine'. If your children are growing out of their schoolclothes and other clothing very fast, let down the hems of their trousers - dresses - shirts, and iron them. Rehem the hems with a very small hem, and do this by hand. You can get extended use of our clothing in this way. Also, keep the clothing once your child has grown out of it, for the next child in line to use when he/she grows tall enough to fit into the clothing. Alternately, get an agreement going with a brother or sister, cousin or friend who also has growing children, so swop your clothing with each other as children grow out of their clothing.


Other times to use handsewing are when a button comes off (buy another button, and sew it back on. Sew the other buttons more tightly on by means of handsewing, because when one button comes loose, the others often start coming loose too). If the stitching in a seam comes loose and the seam gapes open, a quick line of handstitching can save the day. Another tip is to sew all existing buttons on tightly when you buy a new garment to ensure good wear.


If the top of a dress or top is too loose and gapes open, a few stitches and possibly a dart or too can make the top better fitting. If you put on weight or lose weight, and your clothing becomes too tight, or too loose, a few stitches or a let out seam can save you having to purchase a whole new wardrobe.


At maternity time, you will be able to let out clothing. After baby is born, you can take in the seams again. All this freedom to keep on looking great is by means of the humble needle and thread, and your amazing and creative sewing.


WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Thread
I personally find that cotton thread in the colour of the garment/clothing you wish to sew is the easiest for handsewing. Match the colour of the thread to the garment.
Acrylic thread is great for overlocker machine sewing.
Use a black thread for a black dress or trousers; dark blue thread for a dark blue garment. Use white thread on a white garment, and a pink thread for a pink top. Any sewing shop will be able to help you learn how to match your thread to your garment.
Take the garment along, or if you are sewing a new garment from material, take a swatch (a small piece) of the material along with you. This will be helpful when you wish to match your thread to your clothing (there can be twenty different shades of pink or green, for example).


Needles
You will need needles.
There are four different types;
Sharps - long general purpose needles
Betweens - shorter general purpose needles
Crewel - these have a large eye for embroidery
Darning needles - these are large needles with large eyes, and are great for e.g. darning woollen socks, elbows of jerseys, and blankets.
The sizes of needles range form 1 to 12. The higher the number of the needle, the finer the needles will be. Number 7 or 8 is a useful size for general handsewing. I find myself that I now know after years of handsewing exactly which size I find best to sew with. You will also find the same.


Thimble
Wear a thimble on your middle finger. My ouma and my sewing teachers always used to encourage me to use a thimble, and a tomboy at the time, I kept on losing my thimbles. Sewing without a thimble can lead to skin being pricked by a needle. Always use your thimble - it protects your skin and the material you are sewing. If you are diabetic, please be aware that it is a health risk to use sharp objects such as needles.


Scissors;
A small pair of scissors for trimming thread is important. Don't use your teeth to bite thread - it's very bad for the enamel.
A large pair of dressmaking scissors is needed for cutting material. Keep this as your best pair, and don't let the children use this to e.g. cut paper, this will blunt them. Keep the scissors clean and dry. Sharpen them occasionally if necessary. Keep the scissors locked away. Children can hurt themselves with the scissors if they find them lying about. If you live in a squatter camp or shanty town, invest in a small suitcase or box which you can lock.


Pins
Fine stainless steel pins are great. I like the ones with little coloured bobbles on the top - they are easy to see and keep track of. Make sure you remove the same number of pins from your clothing that you put in. It is easy to get a deep scratch from a forgotten pin when you try on your clothing, or to stand on a pin when you've let it drop on the floor and forgotten it - painful and dangerous to those with diabetic skin.


Tape measure
Get a good tape measure.


An ironing board
An ironing board is helpful. If you live in a squatter camp or shanty town, and have neither the funds nor the space for an ironing board, you can iron on a blanket on a hard surface such as a table.


There are other items you can use for sewing, but these are sufficient to keep you sorted. I keep my sewing items in a small plastic resealable box which I bought years ago for a few pence, and which travels with me on all my field trips. It means that if I am out and my hem comes out, I can quickly sew it back in and look neat again.


HOW TO HAND STITCH SUCCESSFULLY
- I like to use double thread - I find a double thread properly knotted never ever comes out, especially if used for a seam or hem. Some people prefer a single thread. The choice is yours.
- Use the thread, and do not make it too long as it will then twist and knot.
- Stitch from right to left if you are right handed. If you are left handed, stitch from left to right if this is easier for you.
- Before you handsew e.g. a hem or seam, pin it in place first. Put your pins facing the same way, e.g. the bobbins on the end of the pin should all face either left or right.
- Then tack your hems or seams in place before stitching. This keeps it super neat and straight.
- Make a secure stitch to start off. I do this by placing a secure knot in the end of the double thread I use, and place my first stitch through the underside of the seam/hem I am sewing, so the knot is on the inside and cannot be seen on the outside of the garment.
Then I do a double stitch after the knot, this keeps the first stitch securely in place.
- Keep stitches even and do not pull too tightly. Stitches should be small and neat.
- Finish off securely ( I do this by making three small stitches next to each other, then passing my thread through a small piece of the hem, and then cut off the end of the thread).


I'll shortly make photographs of how to sew a hem, and how to use stitching we used to call 'magic stitching' because it never came out for us, and was not visible on the outside of the garment.
Watch this space!


* Great video on handsewing, with thanks to The Crafty Gemini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2mfJweh8a0


*Photo taken by Catherine Nicolette - please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Lumiere English Academy - A Basic Grammar

Lumiere English Academy

To all those who are interested in learning or teaching English, Dr. Luky Whittle has made her Basic Grammar available in serialised form for use. The blog will make each consecutive lesson available from time to time - so watch this space!

A Basic Grammar, Comprehension Guide and Letter Writer for

 Second Language Students

Foreword to Second Language English Students
These lessons purport to be no more than a brief and basic grammar crammer, comprehension guide and letter writer. Aimed at the second language English speaker, it also contains a section on pronunciation. The student is cautioned to give slang a wide berth for the purposes of official letter writing and conversation. Nevertheless, current expressions such as "shifting the goalposts" and "hidden agenda" which have become such a part of our modern speech, have been included in the special list of set expressions in which common ordinary expressions are freely intermingled with time-honoured idioms.


To paraphrase the poet, English is a language of "infinite variety" and a lifetime of study will still leave the student marvelling at its beauty and scope. Like the woman to whom the quotation refers, she is an unreasonable and fickle lady and it is hard to keep up with her moods. Hence no attempts have been made to explain apparent inconsistencies.


Enjoy your studies,
Luky Whittle
1 May 2002
Virginia, South Africa


Copyright Dr. Luky Whittle. Please feel free to use freely for any educational purpose


*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Teaching English? Why not use a translator

Are you teaching English as a career, or offering your services voluntarily to assist others in disadvantaged situations learn the language? Why not use a translator as we in Lumiere English Academy have done with great success! I have recently returned from a field trip where Congolese children speaking French were struggling to learn English. I brought a translator to the teacher, and within minutes the children were laughing delightedly as they were able to translate French into English, assisting their studies. The teacher was laughing no less delightedly as she was able to translate words from English into French.


Lumiere English Academy has been offering free classes online and telephonically since January 2011 with great success. However, to be honest with you, so many people are in need of free lessons that our Academy is struggling to meet the demand. In the spirit of Lumiere, if you are a teacher of English, would you consider giving free English lessons to those in disadvantaged areas? There are many in need of this wonderful gift.


Why not consider becoming an online English school offering a number of free English lessons weekly? It is easy to give telephonic or online lessons to someone in another country. In squatter camps, contact can be made with a principal/ minister/ social worker/ volunteer of honest reputation and good heart, and a second hand computer can be fundraised for or donated to that person. A generator or link to electricity can be organised, and lessons be made available in that way. Another option is to tape audio classes or organise webinars and place them online. Or your can burn CD's of your English lessons and then post them to outlying areas, with a tape recorder and batteries. The wonderful challenge of teaching the great medium of English is to find a way to make classes available to outlying areas.


Interested in learning more? Why not visit our website (link below this article). Lumiere English Academy offers services in the following fields;
- Free telephonic and online classes internationally to students requiring gratis English lessons
- Sponsorship of free education in English for children and disadvantaged
- Establishing and ongoing support of village libraries
- English educational empowerment projects
- Provision of donations of English books, globes, stationery, paper, school books, educational DVD's to
  children in shanty towns, squatter camps, outlying villages and disadvantaged areas
- Online computer classes to disadvantaged areas
- Liaison with English teachers and donation of schooling provisions to disadvantaged areas


Another option for a translator if you have access to electricity and a computer is to use an online translator.


Lumiere Academy - Education Today for a Brighter Future tomorrow


Lumiere Charity website page for English Academy;
http://lumierecharity.tripod.com/lumiere-english-academy.html

Link to example of pocket translator (unfortunately deal expired at present) which has been a resounding success in Lumiere English Academy teaching. This translator has been a blessing in our in our charity work to assist in the volunteer teaching of pupils from disadvantaged areas and squatter camps. Thank you so much to the manufacturers.
There are also other great deals online or if you look through your local shops.

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/pocket-translator-6-languages-7-99-lidl-1093091


Online translator example is Google's fabulous and free Translator;
http://translate.google.com/
As always, thank you Google! This benefit has helped Lumiere English Academy teach pupils of other languages such as Hindi, Russian and Lithuanian to become proficient in English.

A candle has been lit for all suffering from floods in Britain

A candle has been lit by Lumiere Charity in remembrance of all those suffering in the floods in Britain.
Recent television footage has shown devastation resulting from the torrential waters.
In the spirit of Lumiere, for those of us blessed at present with safe streets, dry houses and the safety of our family and friends from raging water - is there any way you could help?