#EndTrafficking : Saving Our Children

Worldwide millions and millions of children are victims of child trafficking and forced labor - bought and sold, made to work in grueling, dangerous conditions with little or no pay, and, often, forced into prostitution. 

Think it doesn't impact you? Think again! The food we eat, the coffee, wine or tea we drink, the cotton we wear - are all items that are the "worst offenders" that are most commonly produced by child labor or forced labor.  There are 128 items on the list and include gold, sugarcane, coal, cotton, rice, tobacco,  cocoa, diamonds, garments, coffee, bricks, carpets.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and the US Fund for UNICEF has launched The End Trafficking project to raise awareness and mobilize communities to take meaningful action to protect children.  Human trafficking cases have been reported in EVERY state in the US and are particularly high in California, Texas, New York and Florida (Trafficking in Persons Report, 2011).

How can YOU make a difference?

Connect with UNICEF's End Trafficking Project on Twitter to stay up-to-date and informed. Use the hashtag #EndTrafficking to help spread awareness amongst your Twitter community.

Reach out and influence the life of a young girl or boy in your community by volunteering as a tutor or mentor. Get connected to an organization near you at mentoring.org.

Change the conversation by working within your social circles. A “pimp” is not a cool guy, but someone who abuses and exploits women. A “prostitute” is often a victim of sexual exploitation. Help your friends rethink their choice of language. For tips on how to talk about these issues, visit againstourwill.org/how-to-talkabout-it.

Switch to Fair Trade brands, and/or host a Fair Trade Party. Fair Trade-certified products are produced without slave or child labor. Profits from Fair Trade products support farmers and laborers involved in production and ensure that they are paid fairly and work under safe conditions. To learn more, visit fairtradeusa.org.

Advocate for state laws addressing human trafficking. Visit polarisproject.org/what-we-do/policy-advocacy/state-policy. Advocate for victims by visiting change.org’s human trafficking petition page.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline number is 1-888-373-7888. 
Callers can report potential cases, get help, or request information and training. This 24/7 toll-free hotline is 100% confidential.

Traffickers have been reported targeting their minor victims through telephone chat-lines, clubs, on the street, through friends, and at malls, as well as using girls to recruit other girls at schools and after-school programs. With the rise of social media use by our children, it is essential that parents, guardians, and concerned adults be vigilant in their lives. Ask questions, have conversations, and be active!






This post is brought to you as part of my involvement with The Global Team of 200 - a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls. Meet the team. See our press. Contact us to get involved.

Divatude Spotlight on Kita B.

Hello Divas!!! I'm excited to bring you all a follow-up from a diva first introduced to DWP earlier this summer.  When we last spoke with Kita, she was preparing to for the online debut of Kokoa Magazine.  Since it's debut, the magazine has been seen by approximately 20,000 people!!!! What an accomplishment in 4 short months! Many thanks to Kita for taking the time to chat with us again and discuss how she's embracing her Divatude in 2013 and beyond!

When you hear DIVATUDE what immediately comes to mind?

When I think of Divatude the first thing that comes to mind is strong willed. Someone who knows where they are in life and/or know where they are going. An attitude that has confidence in it.

How do you embrace the aspects of DIVATUDE in your personal and professional life (being driven, inspiring, victorious and called-to-action)?

I have it with my magazine because I like things done a certain way. People call it something else but I call it know what direction I want to go in and being driven by something that I feel is needed. It has taken me a long time to get to the point where if I have to do it alone I will because no one can represent YOUR dream but yourself.

You blog over at Saywhatuwanna.com - where you pretty much give it to us straight, no chaser and keep your readers laughing with your perspective on everything from politics to marriage and friendship. Are you that outspoken face-to-face? Have you always been that way?

Lol, yes I have always been that way. Face to face interaction with people has cost me some friends and acquaintances but I believe in telling it like it is especially if I am asked my opinion. I don’t sugarcoat it just because others may. I always tell people it’s just my opinion take it or leave it because when I give it to you straight I like to come from a different angle of thinking and I am fair. I have always been that way ever since a child I use to be a bit more outspoken when I was younger as I have gotten older I have learned to curb it ……some.  Most people who know me would say I give my honest opinion straight on and if you don’t want to know the truth don’t ask me.

Kokoa Magazine is your newest venture. Can you tell us a little about it and the inspiration behind it?

I was in the line at Wal-Mart one day and I saw some young girls probably around 12 or 13 pick up a magazine and say I want to be like Beyoncé or I want to be like Rihanna or Lady Gaga. I thought to myself why can’t our young girls pick up a magazine and read about people like themselves. I want my kids to look up to people like them whom they can relate too.  Some celebrities do come from backgrounds like us but there are many regular people who get their story told. No one asks them how they helped a man on the street, or how they donated clothes to needy children, or how they feed a family of 4 on 75 dollars a week. I want adults who struggle from paycheck to paycheck to read about themselves and relate. I want to inspire people that although we sometimes don’t know how we are going to put food on the table we can read about someone who does and become inspired to dream big. I tell people to think of this magazine like it’s essence but for regular folks no one rich and famous will be in this magazine.

What was your biggest accomplishment in 2012?

Starting Kokoa Magazine I was sitting on the idea for over a year but was afraid to start because I knew that a lot of work would be needed to done as far as PR, Social Media, Design, etc. I just put in my head one day that I needed to start it because nothing will be accomplished if I don’t at least start.

What's your focus for 2013 - both personally and professionally?

My focus is to start bringing in some money with Kokoa in some type of form via advertisement so that I can start getting more klout. I also want to hire someone to do social media for me so it will take some of the work off of me. If I can’t do both I would like to accomplish at least 1 thing.  I want to get Kokoa spread around a bit more and get the word out. 

 Thank you again, Kita, for taking the time to chat and share with the Divas With A Purpose community! Your drive and determination are truly inspiring and we wish you success in all your endeavors! 

Helping another person with the resources, time and talent that you've been blessed with is an an awesome feeling. We all know someone who fits this description, including ourselves! 

If you or someone you know is an example of a driven, inspiring, victorious and/or action-based woman, please click here for more information on how to be spotlighted as part of the

The Divatude Challenge 2013: Graduate with a Purpose

Welcome to The Divatude Challenge 2013!

Throughout the year we will be following some awesome divas as they focus on taking their divatude to the next level in the personal and/or professional lives.

They have agreed to share their goals and progress with us as a way of staying accountable and inspiring others through their journey.

Today I'd like to introduce you all to our first brave diva, Britney. A recent college grad, her 2013 focus is continuing her education, a healthier lifestyle and learning how to manage her finances.

 My name is Britney and I am 23 years old. I recently graduated from the University of South Carolina in December of 2012. GO GAMECOCKS! I majored in Biological Sciences with a focus in pre-pharmacy. With such an important milestone behind me, any goals and plans that I set for myself seem more attainable. This year I plan on taking significant steps towards my career goal of becoming a licensed pharmacist, creating a healthier lifestyle and preparing a more efficient budget and savings plan. 

My first goal is to get accepted to the South Carolina College of Pharmacy- MUSC Campus (in descending order), Presbyterian College of Pharmacy or the Florida A&M University (FAMU) pharmacy program. In order for me to become a licensed pharmacist, I have to get accepted into a professional school program. I completed my application for the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) last October and have been awarded an interview which will take place on January 18, 2013. My application for Presbyterian College (PC) will be turned in no later than January 18, 2013. And I am giving myself until January 31^st to complete all applications for FAMU. Once all of my applications are complete, I hope to be awarded interviews at those schools. After the interview process, it will just be a waiting game to see which one/ones I get accepted into. Classes will begin in August of this year and that is when my journey into the professional field of pharmacy will officially start.

Having limited funds in undergrad and being heavily involved in extracurricular activities was not conducive to a healthy lifestyle for me at all. I ate terribly and very seldom exercised. My goal for this year is to not diet but to allocate my calories appropriately for a healthier me. To do this I will prepare the majority of my meals at home and track my calories daily using the MyFitnessPal app on my smart phone. To be realistic I am making it a duty to exercise at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes a day. Whether it is walking, jogging or TaeBo, IT WILL GET DONE. As a measurement of my progress, my goal is decrease my weight by 10% by December of this year.  That's not a limit but a challenge to maintain a healthier weight by changing my dietary and exercise habits. 

Finally, l need to budget and create a savings plan. The first step in this plan is, of course, having a job...LOL. I’m applying to several places and revising my resume this month to secure a steady paycheck. A problem I have is that I only think about putting money in to my savings account when I get paid. However, once I see the money, I don’t see savings. Instead, I see financial freedom which always runs out on a rainy day. I want to work on becoming a more financially responsible adult. My goal is to secure a job by February 28^th and put away at least $40-50 each pay check. My goal is to have at least $500 saved before I begin classes late August. Similar to my fitness goals, my aim is to maintain the $500 in my saving account. I will not continue to pull from my saving account every time I need extra cash. I'm realizing I'll never have a true emergency fund if I continue to do that! In order to succeed at this I will need to create a working, reasonable budget that fits my income, bills and spending needs.

Those are three of my most important goals for the year and I am fully dedicated to accomplishing each one! Talk to you soon!

We will check in with Britney in April! By then she should know which school(s) she's been accepted to and be making progress with her health and financial goals.  $500 by August may seem daunting to many, but if she meets her employment goal by February - that will give her 6 months. If she sticks to her plan of saving $40 per paycheck she can attain that goal. My suggestion would be to get a savings account at a bank or credit union and do an automatic deduction from each paycheck directly into her account. That way she never sees the money and doesn't have to remember to do a transfer each paycheck.

I love that at such a young age, she's taking the steps to create a healthier lifestyle! Eliminating/Limiting fast foods and exercising regularly are great habits to start at an early age!

Can't wait to see what the next few months bring for Britney! We'll introduce you to our next participant later this week!

What advice do you have to offer Britney to help her with her goals?

Focus on DIVATUDE - Week 2

Heeeyyyy Divas :) 

I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend! Time for my weekly check-in and reflections...accountability can be a beast at times, but it keeps me focuses and balanced.

What was my driving force this week?
If you can't fix it, let it go and keep pressing forward.  With my focus on "focusing" this year, I'm learning to become more aware of those things that I have no control over and acknowledging what will be will be.  

What/who inspired me? Who did I inspire?
The friends who coordinated their schedules to help me with getting back and forth to work this week (yes, still just one car!). I'm not used to asking for help and having people in your life who selflessly step up to go out of there way to help my family and I is priceless.  


I would hope that inspired you all to keep the #26Acts of Kindness Movement alive and well within your lives and communities with my dedication to Grace McDonnell, a victim of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.


 Did I walk in victory?
I most certainly did. I was disappointed in myself last week when I really started to reflect on my attitude and conversation. I let my frustrations over petty items cause me to become despondent and frustrated.  This past week I was committed to keeping an upbeat attitude and to focus on the positive things around me. Yes, of course, I had my moments where frustrations kicked in and I wanted to just gripe and complain.  There were a few times when I let myself just release. We all need times like that and I'm thankful to have people in my life that will let me vent and understand I just need someone to listen.



What specifically did I do that impacted my goals for 2013? What did I do to help someone else? 
I'm still on target with the 52 Week Money Challenge (up through week 4) and have finalized my savings goals for the year. My final step will be to do a look at my outstanding debt and re-vamping my monthly budget to work in my debt payoff schedule. (Yes, I've been procrastinating on that one.)

This morning I had the chance to work alongside some fellow divas with a purpose to help the Columbia (SC) Muscular Dystrophy Association pack boxes for their annual shamrock drive.  If you're in the Columbia or Augusta, GA area and purchase one in the coming months - know that you're donation is helping to impact the lives of children right here in the state of South Carolina and one of these divas below helped to pack those shamrocks. It was a morning full of laughter, love and labor:

How was your week?

What aspects of DIVATUDE did you focus on this week?

The Divatude Challenge Logo Quandary

Lately I've begun streamlining my different roles and realigning what gets and does not get my attention. I'm learning to ***gasp*** delegate and truly let go of tasks and assignments for the major projects I have on my to-do list for this year.

There are some things that I have to have a hand in - even when I have no idea what I'm truly getting into.  Sometimes it's just me being anal, sometimes it's me wanting to try out something new, and sometimes it's me just needing someone to tell me to take a chill pill!

The Divatude Challenge 2013 kicks off soon and I wanted a snazzy logo for it. Typically I use online photo editing sites and free images to put something together, but what I had in mind was something more official and professional-looking.

Thanks to an online logo creator, I was able to easily put together exactly what I was envisioning! When I work with someone else, I feel as though I'm being nit-picky when I send something back numerous times for minor changes.  Using this free website, I'm able to get as nit-picky as I want with myself! Now, the difficult part...choosing which one I want to use....

Image 1 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

Image 2 Created Using onlinelogomaker.com

 I was able to create a free account with Online Logo Maker where I can save and download my creations.  This is a great tool for business owners of all walks and sizes. Extra perk - it's easy to maneuver - even if you're not very artistic like this diva...especially if you feel you're not very artistic like this diva :)

I would love your input on the two logos - comment with your favorite (Image 1 or Image 2) and the winning logo will be revealed this Sunday when I introduce you all to the first participant in The Divatude Challenge 2013!

 ~Disclaimer~ This is a sponsored post brought to you by my affiliation with Moms With Voices Media.  All opinions are thoughts are solely mine. Read my full disclosure here~