Remembering Javier

I wanted to let NEED readers know that I was recently informed of some very sad news.

In NEED magazine issue 5 I wrote a story entitled “In the Crossfire” about an organization called Youth ALIVE! working with youth in Oakland, California. Yesterday, a member of the Youth ALIVE! staff contacted me and informed me that on August 31 of this year, Javier Carreto, one of the young men who was featured in the story, was shot and killed. I know next to nothing about the circumstances surrounding his murder, but I can tell you about meeting Javier.

Javier was the first young man I talked with in East Oakland. He was very eager to tell me everything that was on his mind. For every question I had, he had a thousand things to say. When he spoke, it seemed he felt surrounded by the constant violence that was part of the gangland mindset of youth around him. He was visibly frustrated with the insecurity he felt walking in the street and the tension that he felt at home. In spite of all that he dealt with, what Javier said to me showed he was an insightful young man who genuinely cared about those around him. He was eager to tell me about his new commitment to studying hard in school and the help that he received from Youth ALIVE!. Javier was proud of his GPA and the hope that he had through his education.

The loss of Javier had a profound impact on those around him. I know the staff at Youth ALIVE! are taking this tragedy very hard, especially Javier’s former mentor, Fabian Martinez. Javier spoke very highly of Fabian. In the interview, Javier said, “For me, he’s much more than a friend; I can tell you that. He’s way more than a friend. I have his trust; I have everything. … And Fabian did change a lot of my life. He did, and even though I am still okay, he’s still here. And he told me, ‘even though I not still working with you, I’m always here for you.’ And I like that.” I met Javier for a day, but Fabian was there nearly every day of what would be the last few years of his life, helping him choose a different path and become a better person.

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Dialysis Clinics Save Lives

The dialysis clinic had just opened in Guayaquil, Ecuador, when Juan Carlos was wheeled in, clinging to life, his body bloated. Juan’s mother, learning of the possibility of saving her son’s life, “sold everything they owned, sold the chickens for bus fare” to get Juan to the clinic for help, says Ginny Mello, executive director of Bridge of Life, which is a charitable arm of Davita, a dialysis provider in the US. Until that day, Juan had felt he didn’t want to go on living, didn’t want to burden his family with expensive dialysis treatment from a private hospital. Within days of receiving the dialysis that saved his life, Juan Carlos said that he now wants to be a doctor.

The nonprofit clinic in Ecuador was the first of several Bridge of Life to open in developing countries where kidney disease means certain death for those who cannot afford the expensive, ongoing treatment. Mello, who was a full-time Davita employee, and her husband, who is the company’s chief operating officer, founded Bridge of Life to share their knowledge and passion, to “take what we know that works here and transplant it to a place where it doesn’t exist” in developing countries, says Mello. Davita donates equipment, expertise and employee hours to get the clinics up and running, which takes about a year.

Our kidneys filter excess water and waste from our blood and make urine. The two leading causes of kidney disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, can damage the blood vessels, causing kidneys to shut down. In developing countries, another risk factor for kidney disease is lack of knowledge, as a result of which poor people become very sick before seeking care. In addition, lack of understanding of the disease among medical professionals decreases the number of patients who are properly diagnosed and treated in its early stages. Instances of kidney disease are not well-tracked in developing countries, but are believed to be much higher than in the US, where millions are affected by it, according to The National Kidney Disease Education Program.

STREET MUSIC FOR STREET KIDS

photo | Bronson Enriquez

THU. August 20th 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Peavey Plaza 1111 Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis

Enjoy an evening of FREE music dedicated to helping street children.

Street Music for Street Kids is a unique and dynamic free event to raise support for the Nurani Insani School for Street Children and to raise awareness of street children around the world. A series of musical acts will perform a cappella and unplugged.



Featuring
Sounds of Blackness • Aby Wolf • Mighty Fairly • Wookiefoot's Mark Murphy • Innocent • Ada Jane • Semeron
and more.

Street Music for Street Kids is a unique and dynamic free event to raise support for the Nurani Insani School for Street Children and to raise awareness of street children around the world. A series of musical acts will perform a cappella and unplugged.



Street children in Jakarta, Indonesia beg using music to help support themselves and their families. The Nurani Insani Foundation School was started to educate the street children and break the cycle of poverty.

Donations will be accepted at the event and the afterparty, and through the microsite. Wookiefoot will be matching donations up to $2,000. 100% of all donations will go to the Nurani Insani School for Street Children.

Visit events calendar for details

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NEED CONTRIBUTERS SPEAK OUT – TAKE TWO

Kyra Gibson, Liz Werner and Timon Bondo present at The Beat Coffee House

As I looked around the Beat Coffeehouse last night and saw a room full of NEED supporters and friends I felt a rush of energy. This could have been partly due to the vanilla latte I just drank, but mostly it was wonderful to see people come together for a socially-minded event.

This is the second NEED contributors event we’ve hosted this summer and it went just as well as the first. The three speakers were Kyra Gibson, Liz Werner and Timon Bondo.

Timon started the evening by describing what it was like to grow up in Rabondo, Kenya. As Liz asked more questions about Timon’s nonprofit work, a quiet respect seemed to fill the room. Personally, I’m always inspired by the good works of the Rabondo Community Project USA.

The next speaker was just as moving. Kyra Gibson spoke about her experience in Nepal, where she spent seven weeks in a home for girls rescued from the sex trade. The personal stories she shared about Shanta, founder of the Peace Rehabilitation Center, and the girls living there touched everyone listening.

As the evening came to a close, people mingled, finished their coffee and asked how they could help. Thanks to everyone who stopped by. If you weren’t able to make it, why not join us at the Meet & Greet that NEED is hosting on July 29?

Hope to see you there.

NEED Contributors Speak Out!

We could not have asked for a better turnout at our speaking event last night. Casual conversation filled The Beat Coffeehouse, and we all enjoyed caffeinated drinks. Everyone at NEED was excited to meet new people and catch up with old friends.

After people were settled, Adam Hanson, NEED’s managing editor, started with a moving story about a young man he met while on assignment in Oakland. He explained that the young man had survived being shot nine times at point-blank range. We all sat in silent astonishment. Steve Floyd, the NEED photographer who worked with Adam on that assignment, told more stories from their time in Oakland that made the issue of youth violence shockingly personal.


NEED Managing Editor Adam Hanson

To bring the topic full-circle, we asked a local organization to speak about their efforts to stop youth violence in the Twin Cities. Lawrence Johnson of Mad Dads told stories about the outreach and prevention work that goes on in our neighborhoods. The evening ended with questions from the audience and suggestions about how to get involved.


Mad Dad Lawrence Johnson with Photographer Steve Floyd

Thanks again to The Beat, Adam, Steve, Mad Dads and of course everyone who came out to our event. Hopefully there will be more new faces at our next speaking event on Wednesday, July 22. See our events page for details.

Youth Alive
Mad Dads, Inc
The Beat Coffeehouse

Photos | Kyra Gibson