|
| The experienced fingers of 20 women crochet strands of plastic into one-of-a-kind gifts in a shop in Porto-Novo, Benin's capital. These women, led by Grace Dotou-Aboh, began their business, Qui Dit Mieux?, in 1996. They collect plastic bags littering Benin's streets, clean them and transform them into beautiful purses, bags and dolls. The group has received international recognition for raising en | |
| As the first African country to transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, Benin has been hailed as a "beacon of democracy" by the British Broadcasting Corp. and has attracted admirers worldwide. The Beninese have former President Mathieu Kerekou to thank for that. Kerekou, who assumed power in 1972 and governed for more than 20 years, became a Muslim, a born-again Christian, changed his name | |
| Though unfamiliar to Americans and home to a painful past, the West African nation of Benin quickly is becoming the center of hope in the region. Home to a population of nearly 8 million in a geographical area a bit larger than Indiana, Benin used to be a part of the powerful Dahomey kingdom that extended into present-day Nigeria. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Benin's coast was a prominent p | |
| Benin Team members Jonathan Asher Gainer, 14 School: Home-schooled junior. In Y-Press: One year. Interests: Politics, economics, international relations. Career goal: President of the United States, CEO of a company. Why he wanted to be on the team: "To help tell a magnificent story that has yet to be told, and to gain a greater understanding of the world in which I live." Zoe Hayes, 18 School: Le | |
| In 1956, a movie titled "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" was released in the United States. Although it was a dubbed English version of a Japanese monster movie, it became a smash hit and has spurred 28 sequels, including the 1998 American-made film "Godzilla," starring Matthew Broderick. This has not been the only Japanese influence on American pop culture, however. In more recent years, "Power R | |
| Never in my life have I been so humiliated as I was on Aug. 10 at the London Gatwick Airport.
I had just finished summer classes in Cambridge and was headed back with my father to Dallas, where he lives. For most of the year, I live with my mother in Indianapolis. My parents have been divorced since I was 2, and I've been flying back and forth for 15 years.
| |
| Never in my life have I been so humiliated as I was on Aug. 10 at the London Gatwick Airport. I had just finished summer classes in Cambridge and was headed back with my father to Dallas, where he lives. For most of the year, I live with my mother in Indianapolis. My parents have been divorced since I was 2, and I've been flying back and forth for 15 years. On that awful day, airports shifted to h | |
| Being a teen in America today is not easy. There is pressure to do well in school, fights with family and friends, and more serious issues such as drug use, pregnancy and eating disorders. Now add being gay to that list. Often, homosexual teens face a whole new set of challenges. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, studies have found increased risk for suicide attempts a | |
| I instantly became fascinated last spring as I listened to a fellow missionary discuss growing up in India. It made me want to go there, too -- even though I've loved getting to know the people and culture in the African country of Mozambique. When Susan Weil mentioned that she and her husband were going to India in the summer, I jokingly said: "Sign me up!" From that start, I was on my way to Ind |
