Category Archives: Hira T. Khan
Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave
I posed and answered this same question in a previous post, but Leslie Morgan Steiner does a far better job of addressing it in this TED talk. Take a look, take a listen, and find out how you can help Thaakat break the silence on domestic violence.
In Honor of MLK
Introducing…the L.O.V.E. Campaign
If you’ve been reading the news at all lately, you’ve read about violence against women. The recent stories from India, horrific stories about rape and murder, have brought the issue to international attention. An article from the New York Times reports that between 25,000 and 100,000 women are killed over dowry disputes every year in India. Because many dowry murders are often reported as accidents, the actual numbers may be much higher.
Statistics about domestic abuse in America show that in the South Asian community, two out of five women experience partner violence compared to one out of three women in the world, and three million total per year in the United States. Despite what this and the recent news reports imply, violence against women in the United States is not particular to South Asian cultures. Wafa House says the numbers are higher in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities because of any number of factors – such as the language barriers and cultural restraints that prevent victims from knowing where to turn to for help.
To narrow this gap, we at Thaakat are excited to announce our latest campaign under the Break the Silence umbrella. Today, we announce the L.O.V.E. Campaign(VIEW DONATE OPTIONS HERE)!
With L.O.V.E., we aim to bring awareness to the increasing instances of violence against women worldwide. This Valentine’s Day, donate to our campaign in honor of a loved one, perhaps someone who has overcome the trials and tribulations of domestic violence or someone who holds this issue close to his or her heart. Awareness campaigns like these not only bring sharper focus to the issue, but they bring us one step closer to gender equality worldwide.
To join our efforts you can help us spread the word or you can make a donation. We will then send you an email requesting the information of the woman you would like to honor with this donation. There are three different levels of donation:
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For a donation of under $25, we will send an e-card to your loved one.
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For a donation of $25-99 we will MAIL an actual card to the loved one.
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For anything more we will mail a card AND a Break the Silence shirt to the loved one.
The proceeds of this fundraising initiative will directly benefit Wafa House, an organization founded by Dorria Fahmy and Nawal Kahf that is dedicated to strengthening the family unit. A majority of their work is dedicated towards assisting women and children victims of domestic violence. Wafa House provides a myriad of much-needed services such as a 24-hours toll-free hotline, social services, family counseling, and interpreter/translator assistance.
January is National Blood Donor Month
You can donate 1 pint of blood every 56 days.
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Your donation of blood contains red cells, platelets, plasma and
cryoprecipitate. Two to three can be derived from your donation,
which means your one-pint donation can save up to 3 people.
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It is also possible to donate specific components of blood:
Plasma and cryoprecipitate are frozen and can be used for up to one year after collection.
Red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.
Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.
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You can donate blood once you are 17 until the age of 76.
(Sixteen-year-olds require parental permission,
and persons older than 76 must present a letter from their doctor.)
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If you donate blood between the ages of 17 and 76
and you donate every 56 days,
you can donate 48 gallons of blood.
That is 384 pints, which means
YOU CAN SAVE 1,152 LIVES.
Visit the American Red Cross website to learn more.
New Year’s Resolutions and How to Keep Them
You’ve had plenty of time to draft your New Year’s Resolutions, so what have you resolved to do?
Unsurprisingly, some resolutions are popular year after year. We all want to lose weight, eat healthier, save money, manage stress. Self-improvement is our favorite pastime.
A study from the University of Scranton took a closer look at New Year’s Resolutions and found out some pretty interesting things. Below is a neat little infographic from DegreeSearch.org that showcases the findings. The highlights? About 46% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and just 8% actually achieve them.
Depressing, I know. But don’t give up just yet! Clinical psychologist John Norcross, the lead investigator in the New Year’s Resolutions study, shares some tips in this NPR story on how to make those resolutions stick. Some of his ideas include the buddy system and creating realistic goals – nothing too grandiose there. If you haven’t been going to the gym even one day a week, there’s no way you’re about to start going every day of the week. Don’t be ridiculous.
Also, it’s important not to give up once you’ve had a lapse. Maybe you didn’t stick to your resolution this first week, but there’s always next week. That is my own personal struggle. It’s so easy to give up once you’ve messed up, but don’t. Just don’t.
In case you haven’t made any resolutions, allow me to recommend one for you – community service. We’re all busy with school and work and all that jazz, but it’s not too much to squeeze in one act of service here and there. If you don’t have the time to volunteer regularly, keep your eyes peeled for community service events hosted by family and friends and acquaintances, and get out there and help them out!
Season’s Greetings from Thaakat
Have You Seen These?
Have you seen these?
These are several videos of some pretty awesome people saying some pretty awesome things about Thaakat. So if you haven’t yet seen these, get on it! We’re famous, or didn’t you know?
The pretty awesome people featured here include Iqbal Theba (better known as Principal Figgins from Glee), singer Raghav, Pakistani TV personality Bushra Ansari, Penn Masala’s Hershal, and Alejandro from Boyce Avenue.
#BeatSandy T-Shirts
With your so very generous contributions, Thaakat has raised $1680 for our Sandy Disaster Relief Fund in support of the Plainfield Salvation Army. We surpassed our goal of $1000 by A LOT. Thank you!
We will be accepting donations for this campaign until the end of this week. Yes, we’ve extended the initial December 14th deadline because the donations are still coming in! You guys rock, it’s a fact.
We’ve put together another opportunity for you to (literally) show your support: #BeatSandy T-Shirts! These guys went on sale just a few days ago, and once again, the proceeds will be benefiting the Plainfield Salvation Army. Shirts are$23 (which includes shipping and handling), and you can purchase one through a quick two-step process.
One, make a $23 donation on our “Donate” page, then two, fill out this order form: http://www.tinyurl.com/beatsandy. You’ve got to fill out the order form so we know what size you want, so be sure to do that!
If you’ve donated $100 or more to the cause, you get a shirt for FREE.
Help Us Fill Our Cookie Jar!
Well, would you look at that.
Our Sandy Relief Jar is filling up! Thank you to those of you who have donated, you’re AWESOME. As for those of you who haven’t — come on, jump onto the bandwagon! (Or the cookie jar as it may be.)
We are just ten days away from our December 14th deadline, and we are slowly but surely creeping and crawling our way to our goal. You can help us creep and crawl a little faster by making a donation. Every dollar counts!
We began this fundraiser in honor of Vishwaja Muppa, a member of Thaakat Stony Brook who passed away in an accident after Hurricane Sandy. Sandy wreaked havoc across the eastern states, and the country is still struggling to recover.
Donations will benefit the Plainfield Salvation Army in New Jersey. Even though Sandy is long gone and power has been restored, things are far from normal. But with your help, normal is within reach.
