In September 2007, with equity from the recent sale of my home, I sponsored myself and set off solo on my first journey to Africa, inspired to live among and begin learning first hand how to best bring Love and Light to orphaned children and this current situation on our planet.
First stop … Uganda, where, according to the UN publication titled “The State Of The World’s Children- 2007”, it was estimated that due to HIV/AIDS and other causes there are 2.3 million children without parents.
During my 8 month stay in Uganda, I was very privileged to work closely alongside ‘Child Headed Families’ as well as a few small, community based initiatives working to create and implement holistic solutions for orphaned and vulnerable children in their districts. Before returning to Canada, I also traveled for several weeks by bus and matatu through Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, eventually flying home from South Africa, with an eye on beginning to understand orphaned children concerns in each of those countries as well.
To become familiar with some of my experiences as well as projects and efforts I participated in on my first journey to Africa please visit the archived PROJECTS pages from 2007 and 2008. ( To learn more about my actual journey, you can also see my archived blogs by clicking on the drop down menu that lists all entries from Sept 2007 until now, found on the blue side bar on the home page titled “Blog Archives”. )
One thing I learned about myself in Africa is that I very much enjoyed taking photographs and writing about my experiences with the children. I have received encouraging feedback about my perspectives and what I’ve shared in this regard so far. I’m on the lookout for ways to support my Lovework with the children and am open to an introduction, perhaps to someone in the publishing field, to help me take things to the next level. May be I can be helped to connect with a mentor regarding a few personal project ideas I have in mind, perhaps someone will consider sponsorship for equipment.. if you can recommend, please do, along with any other ideas or support you can to help me with to do what I’m doing. Thanks so much!
Since leaving for Africa in Sept 2007 up to our registration as a charity, it has been an honor for me to connect with orphaned children on behalf of friends and family and it has always been my intention as a “proprietorship” that as close to 100% as possible of all donations received for the children go towards supplies, services and projects that benefit the children directly. If you’d like to see where donor funds were applied during those early years, click here where you will also be able to see, in many cases, how many children benefited from each donation. As of March 2011, the month of LITA’s registration, over 500 orphaned children in total! Further to the early years project links above, you can also click on the following years if you are interested in seeing what we were involved in during 2009, 2010 and up to March 2011.
As of Spring 2011 Love Is The Answer has been registered as a charity with Canada Revenue Agency and as such started undergoing some admin/organizational changes and refinement. We’re now run by a Board and Executive, all of whom you can meet on the About LITA page.
Thanks very much for your interest! As everything, it’s all about relationships. I feel in my heart, and I am so grateful to know – there is the perfect part for us each to play in uplifting and empowering the millions of orphaned and vulnerable children who are calling out for the world’s help right now!
I am so happy to join with you to Be The Love we wish to see in the world.
Blessings and Service in Love,
Catherine
From there I went on to sell residential real estate on the west side of Vancouver for about 10 years. Work in the field greatly appealed to my appreciation and Love of hearth and home. In 1991 I co-founded a recycling business specializing in new home construction waste recycling. As registered members of the ‘BC Recycling Hotline’ of the day, and having been awarded the “BC Hydro Fridge Buy Back Program” for the Gulf Islands, “The Recycler’s” literally recycled and re-directed tonnes of stuff from going in the land fill during the next 5 years.
Motivated by a soul connection with Native Medicine, I decided in 1996 to study natural medicine and herbalism and took a job at a health food store to compliment my studies. Before long, I was happily managing the store as I continued to expand my knowledge in the field.
Following the passings of my Beloved Mom and Dad 10 months apart in 2000, and after spending several months sorting through their home of 30 years and shared belongings of 47, I climbed into my old VW van with a friend and headed out on what may turn out to be the road trip of my life! Returning 11 months later, I had driven 26,000 miles ( my way of circumnavigating earth!) from Canada to Panama and back, flown to/from Panama to Peru where among many other special and magical places, I visited the very beautiful, mystical Machu Picchu and enjoyed the privilege of climbing and sitting at the summit of Huayna Picchu, literally 2 years to the day of my Father’s passing. And, I had traveled through every Central American country seeing very close and personal, vast numbers of children living in extreme poverty. I spent precious time at literally hundreds of Sacred Sites along the way, as well as in Mexico and the US. Beyond an amazing journey I am so grateful to have gone on, an entire book could probably be written about that incredible drive! ( … Lately, hmmm, I consider what another tremendous journey the road trip from Cairo to Cape Town might be, one day! )
In more recent years I have studied and received certification in various natural, alternative and Spiritual disciplines including Paq’o (Shaman) training in Incan/Andean Medicine, Usui Shiki Ryocho REIKI Level 1 and 2, Laying of Hands and Laying of Crystals training as well as Angel Healing Medicine. Prior to my first journey to Africa I was supporting myself by managing and supervising large (60, 120, 200 person ) remote camps in the wilderness providing catering and accommodation for bush workers in northern BC and Alberta.
While it is true for me to say, there have been times when I’ve felt quite perplexed about being here on planet earth because of the insensitivity one can encounter, throughout this life some very simple basics have remained constant and ever present for me. Before she passed in 2000, my very special Mother, June, made sure I would remember a story from my early years, to help me understand and always recognize these basics that inform my life, and help to hold clear my reason for being here.
She said I was 5. It was my first day of school. We were walking down the hallway on our way to the classroom, me and her, hand in hand. I was excited and happy! With 2 older brothers already in school it was finally my time to get on with putting all my well learned and very practiced letters and numbers to good use!
Mom and I saw a little girl crying, standing with her mother outside the classroom door. She was scared. Mom said, without hesitation I let go of her hand and walked over to the little girl. I took her hands in mine, I looked in her eyes. I comforted her. “You don’t have to cry,” I said, “we’re going to have lots of fun!” And with that, hands joined, my new friend and I turned and walked into the classroom together. Mom said the other mother, somewhat stunned, looked at her questioningly … to which Mom replied “That’s our Catherine”.
I didn’t remember the experience when Mom told me, but the feeling in it is one I have felt over and over through the years. I call it following my heart, I call it Love, and I was born knowing – it is all that life is really about!
To Love, to serve, to uplift – to embrace my career as a care-er – it’s simple, it’s my heart, and it’s why I’m here.
Enter millions of orphaned children in Africa.
I will use and develop all my gifts and do all that I can to Love and empower as many of you as possible.
One of my little Beloveds in Uganda who we call ‘Morning’ made the Angel in the photo out of bark from a banana tree ~ Love ~
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