Seeds of Light

""Seeds of Light is the humanitarian service arm of CoreLight, an international non-profit organization. Their mission is simple: to assist with the awakening of the global heart through humanitarian service. "We perceive the global heart to be interconnectedness of all life through tolerance, equality and compassion," said Harmon. Seeds of Light's tagline, "Love in Action," permeates everything the organization does."We know that love in action is the most powerful response to what we see transpiring in our world," she said. "Our goal is to be responsive to the urgent crises that might arise in the coming times."In addition to working to improve the overall health of AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, Seeds of Light also focuses on preserving endangered species and ecosystems that surround the area, including the elusive white lion.

"Seeds of Light has three main focuses: outreach, which includes school-based programs, community empowerment and scholarship programs. Education action programs develop partnerships with schools to offer better and more advanced curricula for children. With the help of scholarships alleviating expenses and fees, promising students are able to further their education. Empowerment programs strive to uplift communities by providing various means of support for infrastructure and family involvement. Previous programs include drilling wells, creating sustainable vegetable gardens, HIV/AIDS education and skills training, opening a medical clinic,and establishing computer centers and libraries, as well as providing access to clean water.

"Eco Club, an educational program, provides children with interactive lessons incorporating poetry, art, theater and dance to provide information on topics such as biodiversity, water conservation,waste and pollution. Three local schools are part of the project, which was developed by the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT). "Eco Club uses the symbol of the white lion as a central theme [based] around creating conservation awareness and fostering a sense of purpose, self-esteem and leadership among learners," Harmon said.

"To foster continuing environmental support in communities, Seeds of Light actively participates in local cultural events. Two recent educational festivals in the Greater Timbavati Region included celebrations of Heritage Day and World Rhino Day. Heritage Day, held on September 24, is a public holiday in South Africa that honors the animals,especially lions and elephants, that play a big role in local heritage and culture. The celebration was filled with poetry readings, traditional dancing, drumming and singing. White lion puppets and children portraying zebras and giraffes collided in the street. A drama performance raised awareness about the killing of elephants and how special the white lion is to the area..."

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 * Leslie Temple-Thurston