With all of these social networking outlets, it's hard to stay up-to-date with everything out there. That's my attempt at an apology for not writing in this blog for a good while. Sorry.
I've been relatively busy with my new job as a freelance writer for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune, a big deal by any standards. The Strib is the largest newspaper in Minnesota, and revered nationally for its wonderful and hard hitting coverage and reporters.
Actress Mia Farrow ended her hunger strike 12 days after it began in an act to bring awareness to the genocide occurring in Sudan.
The actress cited “health concerns” as her reason for halting the fast, posting on her website "I have been instructed by my doctor to stop my fast immediately due to health concerns."
Farrow said her doctors advised that if she continued her hunger strike, she could develop seizures and other seriously medical conditions.
My friends at Stop Genocide Now asked me to write a press release for actress Mia Farrow. See below for more details.
P.S. It was very exciting!
For today, I thought I would show off my photography from East Africa. These photos were taken in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania during my stints living in Africa. I hope you enjoy the show!
I was recently featured in the Minneapolis Southwest Journal for my work in Kenya. Obviously, it was a huge honor for me to be in their newspaper, even though there are many other people - even within the organization I co-founded - that deserve more credit then I. Anyway, thanks. It was quite the thrill.
Connect // A bike ride for Kenya
By Danielle Nordine
When Kathryn Nelson visited Kenya in June 2007 to volunteer for the Red Cross, she was overwhelmed by the conditions in the impoverished African villages.
Aside from my life as a freelance writer, I am also a co-founder of a charity based in Kenya. Our mission – to empower, assist, educate and foster international understanding through community based initiatives – has led us to embark on a new journey, one of 3,110 miles.
Four friends of mine and avid Nafula Foundation supporters, are leaving today for the ride of a lifetime. They’re departing from San Diego, California and cycling to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to raise money to install a clean water tank in the small Kenyan village of Chebukwa.
Networking has always been part of my job as a journalist, but I'm finding that its become a key component in being a freelance writer - sometimes weighting in more than your professional experience.
That said, I've made it my month-long mission to network with all the local bloggers, journalists and freelancers around in an attempt to break-in to this new and oh-so-foreign world.
Success is a sweet thing, even if it comes in small doses.
This last week was full of successes, many of which I was able to share with my family.
Boris and I are sitting blissfully on the couch enjoying the open door and the sweet spring air. After this winter, I'm pretty sure today's beautiful weather is all anyone is talking about in Minneapolis. Though my toes are a bit chilled (I'm sans socks right now) I couldn't be happier sitting and writing with the sun on my forearms.
While I was student reporting at The Star Tribune, a fellow co-worker and former war-correspondent asked me why I wanted to write about African conflicts. At that time, I didn't have a spot-on answer. Maybe that's because I'd always felt a need to inform the public on issues outside their personal world, or maybe because I wanted to feel as though I was making a difference, changing the world for the better. Or maybe I just wanted the glory of traveling to a country that most people regard as exotic and uncharted.
