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May 31, 2023 Read in Browser

Karuna News

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” -- Edward Everett Hale

Hello everyone! This week’s stories are filled with courage, kindness and strength. A former Gurkha soldier, who is a double amputee, climbs Mt. Everest and shifts perspectives on disabilities. Volunteers in Britain keep watch over bumblebees' nests to save their population. And a non-profit that started with one woman’s desire to help during the pandemic now feeds over a million people, offering comfort, care, and connection. It’s remarkable to see all that is being done throughout our world to support life and well-being! May we choose to brighten our individual and collective lives by remembering the contributions that uplift and inspire us all. Wishing you well!

SPORTS

Double Amputee Everest Climber Is Changing Ideas About Disability

Double Amputee Everest Climber Is Changing Ideas About Disability

Hari Budha Magar

Former Gurkha soldier Hari Budha Magar, who lost both legs in Afghanistan in 2010, has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest as part of his quest to change perceptions about what is possible for people with a disability. "My life changed in a blink of an eye," he says. "But whatever happens, you can still lead a fulfilling life." Hundreds of supporters and officials, including Nepal's tourism minister, greeted him at Kathmandu airport. Magar, who was born in a remote mountain village in Nepal and was later recruited by the British army, now lives with his family in Canterbury, England. As well as dealing with his own disabilities, Magar had to go to the Supreme Court to overturn Nepal's ban on disabled people climbing high mountains. Read Full Story.

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ENVIRONMENT

An Army Of Volunteers Fights To Save Britain's Bumblebees

An Army Of Volunteers Fights To Save Britain's Bumblebees

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Once a month, retired accountant Sarah Hudson picks a path through historic Bunhill Fields cemetery to count bumblebees, noting the number, species and whereabouts of every one she sees. She is part of an army of people at the forefront of conservation efforts to save one of Britain's best-loved creatures - bumblebees. There are 270 different species of bee in Britain, 250 of them solitary bees. Beekeepers manage honeybees who live in hives of 50,000 or more individuals. But bumblebees, who live in nests of 100 or so workers, do not roam far to forage for food and two species have gone extinct in the UK in the past century. Between March and October each year, BeeWalk volunteers walk a designated route and count how many bees they see. Sadly, due to habitat loss and the changing climate, more than half of British species are getting scarcer, and wildflower hedges and verges are disappearing from the countryside. Urban gardeners, however, can play an important role in protecting bumblebees. Read Full Story.

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ARTS

British Vogue Makes A Bold Move With Braille Edition For Blind Readers

British Vogue Makes A Bold Move With Braille Edition For Blind Readers

In a significant effort towards diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry, British Vogue released its first-ever braille edition and an audio format of the May issue, to ensure greater accessibility for the blind and partially sighted. At a time when the world is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of accessibility and inclusion in all aspects of life, Vogue's ground breaking move is a promising indication of the industry's commitment to making fashion and media accessible to all. The theme of the May issue of British Vogue, "Reframing Fashion," is dedicated to disability justice, accessibility, and pride. It showcases 19 disabled people from fashion, athletics, activism, and the arts, and emphasizes the significance of building a society in which everyone has a chance to participate and achieve. The editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, who is himself partially blind, expressed his excitement at the braille edition's release, and the warm response it received, but warned that Vogue and the fashion and publishing industries, often accused in the past of ignoring people with disabilities, still have a lot of work to do, to create tangible and lasting changes. Read Full Story.

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COMMUNITY

'We Have The Power To Shift Communities': One Lasagna At A Time

'We Have The Power To Shift Communities': One Lasagna At A Time

Lasagna Love

Food symbolizes comfort, connection and care; Humans have been using it to nurture social relationships since at least the Bronze Age. So, when Rhiannon Menn found herself yearning to make an impact as the COVID-19 pandemic caused layoffs, school closures, and illnesses, she started cooking. "I just thought, well, what do I love to do? And what do I know how to do? And for me, that's cooking; it's my happy place." In March of 2020, Menn began making extra pans of lasagna, then got on Facebook, found a few "mom groups" and offered to drop them off to anyone in need. The first week she delivered seven meals and quickly began getting messages from other people inspired to help. Just over two years later, Lasagna Love has become a registered nonprofit with over 35,000 volunteers in all 50 states, as well as Canada and Australia. Altogether, they have delivered more than 250,000 lasagnas, feeding over one million people in total. Menn believes it's all a testament to how may people are looking for an outlet to show kindness and help others. "We do feed families, and that's important, but really what we're doing is spreading kindness and strengthening communities, and it's through those one-on-one bonds that it moves the needle on connectedness," Menn said. Read Full Story.

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SCHOOLS

L.A.'s Only Indigenous School Helps Return Land To California's Native Population

L.A.'s Only Indigenous School Helps Return Land To California's Native Population

Oc Gonzalez | Unsplash

In August, with the help of nonprofit fundraising and grants, 12 acres of land was bought by the K-12 Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America, and returned to the Gabrielino Shoshone Tribal Nation, the indigenous people of Southern California. The only indigenous charter school in El Sereno plans to establish the Chief Ya'anna Learning Village and preserve the land, home to several species of birds, coyotes, rabbits, and the endangered black walnut trees. The school teaches indigenous students to embrace their heritage and focuses on teaching Indigenous voices and history, most of which has been left out from the origin stories of the Americas. The lessons are taught in English and Spanish, but there is an emphasis on Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The school also allows students to connect with the environment by taking classes outside. Today, the tribe has 150 to 200 members, with the school helping to keep indigenous legacy from fading away in L.A. County and state history. "People think that the land belongs to us," Jamie Rocha, a member of the tribe, said. "It's quite the opposite. We belong to the land, and we want to get back to the land." Read Full Story.

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