Friday, May 4, 2012

A Shot of Realization

 6 Shots for Uganda!




 Gearing up for my trip to Uganda and this week I got my vaccinations so I will be safe from the major infectious diseases. Even though these vaccinations are very costly..  > $500 - yikes! - it's worth it so I don't have to worry about getting Malaria, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Meningitis, Tetanus, and Polio.

Seriously. I am so thankful that these vaccines are so easily accessible and I can afford them so that I will be protected during my time in Uganda!  We are SOOO blessed to be able to have medical care and kind doctors, that make you laugh when getting shots, to relieve the pain.

I hope that someday soon vaccines will be available globally for all women, children and families that need them! My heart breaks over the thought of children losing their lives because they couldn't afford or receive the medical attention they need.

Think about how much poverty would decrease, if people all over the world didn't have to worry about contracting Malaria, Cholera, Polio, and other infectious diseases. This is why I am dedicating my life (mark my words) to seeing the end of Polio, the end of Malaria, and the END of extreme poverty.

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A Shot of Realization -- This all really hit home for me when I received my Polio shot, of how passionate I am about helping our world find ways that we can all work together to end extreme poverty. Even after spending the whole year working on a campaign for Polio, I never really took the time to imagine what it would be like if I had Polio, and I knew there was a vaccine out there that could cure me of this crippling disease.

Now having the opportunity to be safe from contracting Polio for the rest of my life, I am determined to see to it that every child has this same opportunity.


This spring I designed this info-graphic for the Global Poverty Project, an organization I am blessed to work with, that is catalyzing the movement to end extreme poverty in our generation.


Are we seeing these numbers? Polio has reduced by 99% in the last 25 years!! That is something we can celebrate!! After working on The End of Polio campaign for a year now (head of branding and design), I have seen the progress of the complete eradication of Polio and I am so excited to lend my voice to the cause.

I even wrote a book review about the History of Polio in Sept! 

"The world story of polio isn’t finished; fortunately there is just ONE percent to go to eradicate the disease. There is an opportunity for us all--celebrities, musicians, Rotarian volunteers, and the everyday man and woman--to come together and raise awareness and bring attention to the End of Polio. It all started with a dime donation and a committed group of compassionate individuals and now we have tools of technology to help this story spread."

My tool of choice is DESIGN. I love to design with graphics because I think design allows stories to be told in a way that allow us to see the possibility of what's in front of us. It acts as an encouragement to believe in - what we imagine in our minds to be "impossible".  There is always a need to simplify and concretize an idea and design takes a thought that would have been just an idea, and makes this idea tangible, visual and easier to absorb. It's been amazing to see how just a few designs I designed for The End of Polio campaign are inspiring people to donate and support the cause...

We raised 118 Million dollars = 118 million vaccines for children, with the campaign this fall! A few hours on Illustrator and Photoshop for me, means saving lives in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?! I always try to focus on the bigger purpose of the design when designing - What story am I helping tell? How can this message inspire people to serve? Am I helping motivate people to see the progress we are making to end poverty? I love my job :) 

Below are more designs and photos from the End of Polio campaign. Sign the petition if you haven't already! www.theendofpolio.com 













Design has allowed me to be a creative storyteller for Justice and I want to challenge you, YES YOU, that you have a tool, a unique gift and talent that will help the change the world if you start using it for good. Find out how to use your voice to make a difference, I promise it will be one of the most rewarding moments of your life -- it has been for me! Look for it, it's there, and it's never too late to start changing the world :D

With HOPE 
-- devon




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