Let's first look at where water comes from. You will notice the yellow jugs used to collect water. If your village is lucky enough, there is a well, but if not, can you identify the other water sources?

If you are lucky enough to go to school and you have enough money to pay for books and a uniform, this is what your classroom could look like.

Dear Students,

Today we went to a local school to distribute books. Classes all over Calabasas, CA collected books to send on my trip. We were able to go to a school in a small village where they had no library and no books.

As we entered the school we were greeted by the children with a welcome song, you can see on the video page, and dancing. We then brought out the books and the kids went crazy with excitement. They were so excited to have books.

They jumped into our laps and we began to read and they were enthralled with the stories. Isn't it amazing the joy a book can bring? It can take you away from trials and sadness into a make believe world. They can teach you about things you have always wanted to learn about and provide hours of entertainment.

The joy these books brought the kids was something I will always remember. What small things bring you joy? Where does reading take you? What has been your favorite book? Could you host a book drive and donate books to a school that is less fortunate?

Read every day. Enjoy the moment.

Many are not as fortunate and have to stay home. Here is what home can look like.

Dear Students,

Today was very hard, we visited the slums in Uganda. The slums are composed of homes made from mud with a thatched roof. The inside is bare dirt with a small fire pit for cooking and sometime mats for sleeping. In each of these huts lives up to six people. Can you imagine six people living in a cylindrical space with a diameter less than 5 feet? As we entered one of the humble homes I was hit with an immense sense of gratitude for that we have.

I think it is important that we remember to be grateful everyday for the luxuries we have in our homes and cities. As we entered the home I learned that due to lack of space when the children become older many times they have to leave home because the parents cannot care for them anymore and there is no space in the hut. These children are then left to the streets to fend for themselves.

These children cannot go to school because they do not have money for uniforms or books. Their parents leave in the morning and go out to beg or to the dump to look for pieces of coal they can then sell, usually making only $1 a week. This leaves little to no money for anything except food, and many times the families go hungry.

Despite these horrible circumstances do you know what I found? I found children caring for younger children. I found siblings helping one another. I found kids playing and smiling as they invented games. I saw a community of children who had been left alone work together to fill their days with happiness. It was hard work. It was a struggle. But they were making it.

Each of us can choose each day to find happiness in all that we do. To help one another and to make it, in our own way.