Little Dresses for Africa

Do you remember a few months ago when I received the results of my DNA test? 

Those bittersweet results. 

Although I was overjoyed and pleased as punch to finally discover my roots, 

sadly, I was a bit disappointed when I learned about my country of origin
(Guinea Bissau) 

 Now, please don’t get the idea that I am a big control freak trying to control even the place of my ancestor’s birth, because that isn’t it. 

The reason I was disappointed is because the country is so poor and unstable. 

I was planning a trip to Africa for spring of 2011 and I really wanted to visit my ancestral homeland. 

It never occurred to me that travel there would be impossible.

Since then I have come to terms with things as they are.

Guinea Bissau pop 1.5 million - 3 times size of CT
6th poorest country in the world
8th highest in infant mortality 
Life expectancy: 48 years
Independence from Portugal: 1974

A couple of months later I decided that since I could not travel there in person 

I would investigate how I might be able to, in some way, 

help the people of Guinea Bissau - from a distance. 

(At this time there is not even a US Embassy there) 

My thoughts were to focus on helping girls and/or women. I really had no idea how to get any information on legitimate aid organizations in the country.

 To show you just how the universe works, last week a colleague at work told me about a segment she saw on the NBC Nightly News (with cutey-pie, Brian Williams). 

The story was about an organization called Little Dresses for Africa. 
Watch

Tomorrow: My conversation with Founder: Rachel O'Neill
and my plans with "Little Dresses for Africa"