Recently the Economist Intelligence Unit released the top 10 most livable cities in the world. The list was created off of the Global Liveability Index, which depends on five factors; stability, healthcare, culture, environment and education/infrastructure. In the previous list, we saw a tremendous Canadian presence, with Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto ranking 5th, 6th and 7th in 2019, respectively. However, this year it appears Canada has fallen off the list entirely, with the majority of the cities being made up from cities in Oceania. The overarching difference between the cities that were contenders before and the ones that made the list this year boiled down to the countries which had the best Covid-19 response. The leaders of New Zealand and Australia were quick to deal with the Pandemic and effectively contained the problem, whereas Canada’s delayed response ultimately led to it’s downfall. Hence the list contains the cities which made the best comeback.

The Most Livable Cities of 2021

The Most Unlivable Cities of 2021

References:

https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/global-liveability-index-2021/

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-livable-cities-in-the-world-2018-8

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/quality-of-life-rankings

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-most-war-torn-countries.html

https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/countries-no-healthcare/

https://www.aucklandforkids.co.nz/private-schools-in-auckland/

Charities such as us are working to provide aid to those who need it the most, but the struggle to continuously raise funds is a barrier. With your donations we have been able to do marvelous things that would have inhibited multiple peoples lives and abilities if not completed. Although, we must acknowledge that charities such as ours get assistance from the community and our followers in many ways, and in this blog, I will tell you how you can help. 

2. Raise Awareness!

Need a topic to discuss with your friends? Perhaps consider informing them about issues they may not even be aware of. Did you know Leprosy is still prevalent in India today? Many people think it was an illness eradicated over 100 years ago as we don’t see it in the West. 

7. Become an Ambassador/ Share online

a. Reaching the correct audience is difficult without your help. The number of viewers on our content dramatically determines the amount of money we are able to raise. You can help us by simply pressing share or adding our posts to your story.

Overall, providing aid to your local charity is not as difficult as it may seem, as small actions such as those outlined above can lead to something great. When you are unable to donate, there are many other ways you can help. Remember that there are still people all around the world who need us to work for them to survive. Please consider supporting us on this journey. 

Introduction

As an 18-year-old starting a new job, knowing my largest strength was that I simply had a strong pull to simply help people, I was shockingly superficial to problems I saw all around me. With my problem-solving experience being largely based off of high school mathematics, I understood how to identify an issue, and work towards fixing it, but never stopped to realize, that perhaps I should be considering the root cause. This was a skill I would gradually come to learn and apply in my 16 months after that first day. In this blog I will highlight how my perspective was altered by this change in mindset.

At the Clinic 

It seemed as if pain was everywhere, being a college student with horrible posture, everyone I knew had back pain, my parents dealt with neck pain from driving, the cashier I met at shoppers had lower back pain, and lastly even my bus driver had Sciatica. I began thinking constant pain was the norm, everyone dealt with it, I had to just put it in the back of your mind and try to forget about it.

At this heightened time of acceptance, I conveniently got a job with a Chiropractor, how ironic I know. Something I realized right away was these patients were improving gradually, some quickly, others took longer.  Although this rivaled against what I had thought to be true, I was fascinated.

Chiropractic works on identifying the cause of the pain, rather than treating it. For example, many patients don’t realize that the pain they get shooting down the back of their thigh might have come from their Sacro-iliac joints or even the lower lumbar vertebrae.  After treating the patient at the source, you see relief, as the pain radiating away from the back subsides. This can work for other areas of the body too, such as shoulder pain, which is extremely common, especially if you’re an avid driver or writer, can be coming from a vertebra in the neck. Lastly there are many subluxations (a slight misalignment) that the patient hasn’t even realized yet, but for sure would have built up and caused discomfort later on.

Chiropractic for the World 

Obviously, I had heard about global issues, I had seen ads on TV, or learnt through social studies class that some countries were still considered as “developing”, these nations had an array of struggles, from healthcare, to education, even starvation. As much as I wished I could change this, it felt hopeless as an individual to create a lasting impactful change, when the issues can look so overwhelmingly large. Sadly, a part of me believed, there was no way that the people living in these impoverished states could receive the assistance they deserve.

Similarly, to the Clinic story, I began working with a charitable foundation to raise money and directly assist those in need overseas. I saw how a little bit of assistance can go a long way, when treating a bigger issue.

 Helping small portion of the larger problem, such as an paying an individual’s way through school, or assisting a family with funds to buy dinner, up until purchasing an ambulance for a leprosarium, diminish the radiating consequences. 

The Plan

Radiating pain or discomfort has always been the first symptom, whether it’s a common case of Sciatica or the 78% of India who don’t have access to healthcare.  Although the situation, the presence of back pain, or poverty may appear to be gigantic and unsolvable, even small action, as simple as a chiropractic adjustment, or a donation towards a child receiving a hearing aid can drastically cut down radiating effects. After repeated efforts these small actions can add up to big solutions, getting the required amount of chiropractic adjustments can cure your back pain, in the same way small contributions can provide a mobile health care unit which can provide aid to millions.

So, what is the treatment plan for poverty?

Small actions over time, which allow for big unachievable goals to be reached.

What action are you willing to take?

We are amid worldwide changes. 2020 was a great challenge, and we hope that in 2021 we can surmount all the rigours life throws at us.

My 8-year-old grandchild, Joaquin, was interviewed today for a chance to move to a new school in Potomac, MD. He seemed to grasp the importance of the interview. 

The Principal, Mr. M, explained to Joaquin that there would be a lot of freedom at this new school. The Principle went on to ask, “What does this new freedom mean to you, Joaquin?”   

Joaquin is an avid reader and didn’t hesitate to quote from a book[1] he had just completed reading, “Well you know Mr. M, you can’t have freedom without self-discipline. Freedom comes from making good choices.” 

Mr. M., following the interview, reported to my delighted daughter what Joaquin had told him. 

Freedom truly is the freedom from slavery to bad choices and reactions to false pride and egoism. To make good choices is about seeing the need that exists around you and to open yourself to the Love of God, and respond to the impulse he gives us to be genuinely free.

Working in our clinic, a woman named Fozia told me she wanted to do something great, something extraordinary with her life. She is a Muslim woman recently married and waiting for her husband’s immigration to Canada.

“Precisely, that is what it does. It just hangs out in the sky and gives light for us in the dark. That is what you must do to be great. You must reflect God’s Love. You must be a light in the darkness.” I continued to say, “You are Muslim. You have devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. What did she do special? Was she the leader of a country? Was she a corporate leader, an engineer, doctor, great scientist?”

Fozia smiled, “No.”

Mary said 2020 years ago, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices I God my Savior for he has regarded the humility of his handmaid. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. Because he that is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name…”[2]

“So Fozia,” I continued, “to be great in your life, you must reflect God’s Love and become like to moon, a light in the darkness like the moon reflects the light of the sun.”

We all have a choice to make 2021 better than in 2020. We have a choice of freedom to choose good or to remain slaves to capricious whims and passions.

Thank you for your donations to CFTW in 2020.  Please continue to be a light in the darkness and reflect God’s Love. 

Our projects desperately require your continued generosity.

“Well you know Mr. Ross, you can’t have true freedom without self-discipline.”

Please help us help those in need.

John Bickert, B.Ed., D.C.

President,

CFTW

 [1] The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace © 2019 McManus, Erwin Raphael. The Fedd Agency, Inc. Austin TX

 [2]Luke 1:46-49Luke 1:46-49

November 23, 2018

In the fall of 2018, I travelled to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh in response to an invitation. Most of the Uttar Pradesh rural area is served by farmers work small farms to provide a living for their families.  On the visit to Lucknow, I visited St. Francis School for the Hearing Impaired.  It was a visit that has a lasting impact on me.  

Ninety students gathered excitedly and waited for more than an hour for me to complete treating patients brought to the school.

A large room contained more than 90 students gathered to present a dance and ask guest questions through a sister translating for me using sign language.

I was told by the sister who started the dance music that the music was solely for my purpose since they could not hear it at all.

Following the dance, a student raised his hand and asked, "Do they have deaf people in Canada?"

I then asked the assembled students, "Does anyone know what they want to be when they finish school."

A long silence was followed by a girl at the back of the room stood and announced, "I want to be a tailor."

"Great, I responded, do you sew now?"  

The sister, signing to the students at my side, quickly told me they are a very poor family.

The girl said, "No, I don't have a sewing machine."

I felt a little more than plain stupid. "Ok, you have one now.  We will buy you one."

It was a promise that I intended to keep; I offered money for a sewing machine to my host, who had arranged to take me to the school.  He refused to accept the money and insisted that he would buy the machine and arrange delivery to the girl.

I had no idea what was the girl's name.  I just trusted my promise would be kept.

Second Trip to Lucknow - November 2019

After travelling 23 hours from Calgary to India, I had 4 hours; to rest, shower, and be driven to the New Delhi train station.  I was once again heading to Lucknow, about a 6-hour train ride.

I asked about the girl who wanted to be a tailor, and they told me that she graduated, left the school, and the school administration had changed.  The potential tailor still had no sewing machine, and now I had no idea how to find her.  We visited a leper colony on this trip and did not return to St. Francis School for the H.I.

It bothered me that the young lady had not received her sewing machine.  In rural Uttar Pradesh, a poor family would have little chance of acquiring a sewing machine. The girl's aspirations of being a tailor would likely not be realized without sewing practice and instruction.

Who was that girl?  - November 2020

I wrote to Bishop John Mathias and asked about providing Christmas gifts to the now 130 students at the school and requested a list of the students and age levels.  I also asked if he could track down the girl to whom I promised a sewing machine.

He did!  The Bishop found the girl's name and contact details.  I now can keep the promise made to her two years ago.

Her name was Jyoti.  She lived in a rural village about a 4-hour drive north of Lucknow.

I ordered a sewing machine, and we had contacts from Jalandhar drive more than 20 hours overnight to visit her and show her how to operate the machine.

Jyoti has a 90% hearing loss.  She is one of 7 children who live in very rudimentary housing in the village.  She has two brothers and four sisters.  Two of her sisters suffer from learning challenges.  Girls in rural Uttar Pradesh have tremendous challenges without suffering any special needs.  Here is a family with three girls who have special challenges.

Jyoti and her family are happy to have a sewing machine. 

Plans are underway to find suitable training for Jyoti in the art of tailoring.

ANOTHER CFTW SUCCESS!  

Only made possible by donations from those who love. 

Christmastime is here, and with it, the world shifts toward thoughts of gift, the joy of the season, and happiness. The sharing and caring, the demonstrations of love—these are what characterize Christmas and the jolly old man in red himself. For most people, the joy of the season is giving gifts that light up the faces of their loved ones and friends. Maybe it’s time to think outside your circle and consider what a very small gift could do for others?

COVID-19, lockdowns, wars, disasters, poverty—the world is full of suffering and sorrow. Hope is dying, and more and more people are struggling to find joy and peace in their lives. This Christmas season, you can be the light of hope that many people have given up on finding.

Be Generous, Be the Light of Hope 

You don’t need to be an army general, a famous politician, or a celebrity in order to inspire people—in fact, people don’t need to know who you are at all. You don’t have to be rich to make a difference. What you can do is your best.

Go to Old Age Homes to Celebrate Christmas 

One easy and fun option to be generous this Christmas season is with your time. Visit nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to spend time with the residents. You may bring simple gifts like socks if you wish; they’re easy to afford and can make a big difference in the comfort of the people who live there.

If you don’t have a few dollars to spare, your time alone is your generosity. Listen to these folks, some of whom have no family that comes to visit. They have amazing stories to tell, and they rarely get to tell them. Sit down and have a warm conversation this holiday season.

Give Gifts to Orphans in Orphanages 

Children who live in orphanages do not get to celebrate Christmas the way that most kids do. They might have a community Christmas where everyone receives a bar of candy, but there’s something special about getting a gift that’s given just to you.

Children in orphanages might appreciate books or small toys. You don’t have to break the bank, and these young ones can experience the joy of receiving a present wrapped just for them. Consider fun options like games that you can show them how to play so that they can spend some time with folks on Christmas!

Give Gifts to Special Children 

Not all children experience Christmas the same way. For some with processing disorders and other challenges, the season full of lights, glitter, and admittedly sometimes blaring music can cause stress, fear, and discomfort. This is not how Christmas should feel!

Consider offering different gifts to these children, even if they may be a bit more challenging to buy for. Excellent options include weighted blankets, noise-cancelling earbuds, or engaging puzzle toys that they can solve with their hands. If you’re not sure what to get, a donation to a worthwhile charity can make that decision in your place based on what they know the child likes!

Visit a Slum Area and Spread Joy 

Due to economic opportunity and other factors, many people who struggle to afford the traditional trappings of Christmas live in the same area. Consider spending time visiting a slum area and spreading joy to the families there. Many of them have likely given up on Christmas entirely, or they may be feeling inadequate that they can’t provide the Christmas they’d like.

Simple tasks like handing out canned goods or clothes can go a long way toward making these families’ Christmas bright. Consider providing necessities, and if you have some resources left over, throw in a treat or two. You will bring light and hope to dozens of people this way.

Donate to CFTW for Education or Health Welfare 

Charities play a big part in the Christmas season, and CFTW is no exception. We strive to give children and families around the world access to the education and healthcare resources that they need to thrive.

Many folks have never learned to read or write, and if they fall ill, medical care is too far away or too expensive. For these families, CFTW relies on the power of donations to fund the care and treatment that they deserve. CFTW builds schools and mobile health units to improve access worldwide.

Donate to build a better world. Your small contribution could forever change the life of a child or family, and there is no greater generosity than being someone’s light of hope in a dark time.

The Christmas season is fast approaching, and for many people, it’s their favorite time of the year. There’s something irreplaceable about watching someone receive something they desperately wanted and the joy that lights up their face. Christmas is about giving and sharing—but for many around the world, Christmas is a reminder that they don’t have what they need. While millions across the globe tear into new toys, some sit at home fearing for their health, safety, and future. But with a little Christmas generosity, you can give them the best gifts they’ve ever received.

The Best Christmas Gifts You Can Give 

The real spirit of Christmas isn’t about getting things; it’s about making others happy and ensuring they have what they need. This is why many people appreciate getting money instead of physical objects—they can use that money to purchase what they desperately need. The same is true for charities, and giving even a few dollars can make a dramatic change in someone’s life.

Heading 3: Give Child A Gift Of Education 

If you’re reading this article, you have already received the gift of education. Unfortunately, a huge percentage of children across the world are desperately trying to attend school to better their lives, but instead, they must spend their time collecting garbage for money for their families. Imagine where you would be if you had never been given the gift of going to school and instead had to work hard labor when you were just a small child.

Unable to read or write, what jobs or tasks could you perform? Children who don’t get an education struggle to support themselves and break out of poverty. If you donate to charities that offer educational access to children, you’re giving them the best gift they could ask for: opportunity. A chance to be and do what they want.

And just maybe, the cure for cancer can be found in the mind of a child who just needs an opportunity.

Give A Gift Of Health 

Few things hold more value than life; after all, you wouldn’t be here without it. Many people in the slums of India and Africa fear that they may not even make it to tomorrow because of the dangerous pandemic currently ravaging the world.

Even a small donation can literally save the life of a human being—and what greater gift could you offer than someone’s life? Their life may be filled with opportunity, joy, and love, but they need to stay healthy and safe in order to enjoy these things.

Donate to save someone’s life. It’s the biggest blessing you can offer.

Give A Gift Of Winter Warmer And Socks  

Climate change continues to impact all parts of the globe, and never before seen cold weather has hit the slums of India hard. Simple gifts like hand warmers, hats, and socks can mean the difference between freezing and suffering injury or staying safe and warm.

Simple items like socks and mittens are only a few dollars. For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can save a human being from suffering, injury, or even death in the cold. A donation to help those in need is a simple and powerful Christmas gift.

Feed A Hungry Person  

As you contemplate what side dishes to prepare for your Christmas dinner, remember that hundreds of thousands around the world haven’t eaten in days. In Africa, thousands of children are unable to even walk because they don’t receive the calories and nutrients they need.

Instead of leaving cookies out for Santa, partner with a charity like UNICEF to offer therapeutic milk, which contains energy, fat, and minerals needed by starving children to make a recovery. If you can afford to leave milk and cookies for the imaginary symbol of ultimate generosity, why not put that to good use and feed a real child? 

Conclusion 

You may not bat an eye at snagging the $500 PlayStation 5 that just launched, or the $700 purse, or even the $50 toy. But just a fraction of that money combined with the efforts of a charity can make a lifetime’s difference in the lives of children and families around the world. Christmas is the season of giving and sharing—and for those who have more, what seems small to them can be monumental to those who have less. Remember the spirit of generosity this Christmas and donate to charities that offer people across the globe opportunities, education, and even life itself.

From the Pandemic to Poverty

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the majority of the world, it is typically developing countries and those with a high ratio of low-income individuals who are impacted the most. The World Bank, which often leads discussions on the anticipated changes or increases in the world’s poor population, estimated that between 40 and 60 million people would fall into poverty in 2020—and this estimation was largely correct. Overall, the world’s low-income population has increased to 690 million, up from 640 million in 2019.

Many of these households operate on no more than $1.90 per person per day, and even then, not all of that money is physically available; rather, the value may be assumed in part from the value of property, which does not put food on the table or provide other critical services such as healthcare. In the wake of global disasters like COVID-19, areas with high levels of poverty are often the hardest hit. Understand why is a different matter.

Why ALWAYS the Slums?

People who live in their country’s slums are generally the most at risk during global health crises, and the coronavirus is no exception. The lack of access to a reliable or sufficient income means that most individuals are already in ill health for a number of reasons: inadequate access to clean or healthy food or water, no financial or physical ability to see a healthcare provider, and more. 

This means that when a pandemic hits this community, there is little or no containment. People who are already less resilient due to an inadequate diet and a lack of basic necessities are almost guaranteed to fall victim to illness, and their inability to stay home—and in so doing fail to acquire necessities like food—quickly turns slums into breeding grounds for any virus or disease. 

Many people in better-off countries take for granted their access to benefits such as sick leave that do not exist in the slums. And without disposable cash, families cannot stockpile the food that they need to remain socially distant. This is not their fault, but rather a product of their uncontrolled circumstance.

How Poverty is a Multi-Fold Phenomenon

As poverty continues to rise throughout 2020, one cannot help but examine how the coronavirus had a multifaceted impact on not only the living situations of people globally but also on the manner in which their poverty affects them. This phenomenon spreads across an individual’s entire life, from finances to emotional health, and this is more visible now than ever before.

COVID-19 has highlighted poverty as opportunity deprivation more strongly than any other time in recent history. People become imprisoned by their own low income, unable to create better opportunities for themselves. As unemployment and the face of the workforce changes drastically in response to the pandemic, all opportunities are harder to come by and are being taken more quickly be more advantaged groups.

However, poverty also presents as stigma and discrimination. The us/them issue is highlighted in countries with competing factions over personal protective equipment like masks—some wear them, some don’t. Similarly, the idea that “they” (which typically refers to the poor or the elderly) have a responsibility to protect themselves when such individuals may not have the resources has been growing exponentially.

Poverty has begun to manifest as violence; as some governments elect to keep the economy running at the cost of lives, it is largely the less fortunate who are impacted. Those living on a low income must solve their own problems, and this constitutes a form of structural violence.

Eradicating the World’s Poverty

As residents of the world, we all have a responsibility to play our own roles in eradicating poverty around the globe. We can fight for sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty by donating to NGOs for the cause if we have the financial means. Volunteering for organizations like Save the Children is another option that uses time rather than money to make a difference.

Charities and NGOs around the world are stepping up to end the cycle of poverty, even after the pandemic is conquered. But COVID-19 has made clearer than ever the vast divides in social and financial health that the world’s poorest nations endure, and organizations like CFTW continue to fund schools, build healthcare facilities, and support communities to become self-sufficient. When education and access to necessities is finally provided to poor nations, the people will be able to achieve their full potential and become acting citizens in the world in which they live.

For marginalized children and youth, especially those living with miserable conditions, education is more than just attending lessons. For them, going to school is more like improving health, safety, nutrition, and lifestyle as a whole.

David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, says, "In the poorest countries, children often rely on schools for their only meal of the day. But with many schools now closed because of COVID, 370 million children are missing out on these nutritious meals, which are a lifeline for low-income families. They are also being denied the health support they normally get through school. This could do lasting damage, so when schools reopen, it is critical that these meal programs and health services are restored, which can also help draw the most vulnerable children back to school."

COVID-19 has forced the world's learners - over 90% - to stay out of school. 

The worst is that nine out of ten of the world's youth live in either developing or under-developed countries. Sadly, where (including India, South Africa, and a few others) opportunities for distance learning are quite limited due to the low caliber or unavailability of internet connections.

Fortunately, or maybe, unfortunately, schools are set to open by this week; in some regions they have resumed already.

So, as countries are grappling with when to resume school, the Global Education Coalition (UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, and World Bank) urges governments and education authorities to consider all the risk factors associated with the reopening of schools.

Considering all those factors, a list of precautionary measures will be issued to all schools - to aid in their reopening plans. Adherence to anti-COVID behaviors can reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Measures are not for schools only; children and their parents are also requested to cooperate with schools and practice the given instructions.