This week, I came across a charity called Positive Women which is being championed by a British Actor named Joseph Morgan who plays “Klaus” on the hit CW series The Originals. Originally, Joseph Morgan was slated to play four episodes in the CW’s The Vampire Diaries with the possibility of earning more episodes or a recurring role. Now, he is living the American Dream with a new hit spin-off series of his own, but his charitable work started long before he became the infamous Niklaus Mikaelson the most feared vampire-werewolf hybrid on the planet.
Until this past week, I had never watched an episode of Vampire Diaries or The Originals. My mind needed to decompress from the 24 hour news cycle, so I retreated into the world of Netflix and Vampire Diaries just happened to be the series I decided to overdose on. The evil villain “Klaus” was so well-played that I wonder if the actor who played him mirrored psychopathic tendencies in his on life which led me to a video by Joseph Morgan on Positive Women.
According to the Positive Women website, Kathryn Llewellyn explains why it was important for her to help create this charity:
I’ve lived and worked in many countries across Africa and so I often get asked, why Swaziland. Swaziland is a country just next to South Africa, has a population of 1million and a country that most of the world has never heard about. It also has some of the most appalling statics that I want to share with you now:
- Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence in the world.
- One of the lowest life expectancies in the world.
- The last absolute monarch left in sub Saharan Africa.
- 80% of the population live in extreme poverty.
- 25% of Swazi children are orphaned.
These are statistics that just shouldn’t exist. When I talk about Swaziland, I often get the response, “well Kathryn its just a million people” and I always reply “yes exactly, it’s just a million people”. It’s a country that we can actually have an impact in and make a change that will inspire the world, by showing that change is possible. Read More
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Washington, DC at the Center for American Progress for the release of their 2013 Poverty Report. While there, I also attended other events which attempted to rally support to prevent cuts to the food stamp program. At times, its easy to feel war weary and powerless to make any measurable changes that will impact the suffering vulnerable populations endure on daily basis. However, inspiration can strike when you least expect it, and the power of our words can make a difference in influencing others towards civic engagement. An interview Joseph Morgan did with Huff Post Live talking about Positive Women reminded me of that.
For more on Joseph Morgan, you can see him Tuesdays on the CW at 8 PM Eastern and 7 PM Central, and you can also view his interview on Positive Women below:
