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How Your Passion for Health Can Fuel Community Change

You care about health. Maybe it’s the way you look out for friends, share wellness tips, or follow new treatments before they hit mainstream news. Whatever sparks your interest, there’s power in turning that personal passion into public purpose. This isn’t about having credentials — it’s about showing up, speaking up, and knowing where your voice fits. Health advocacy isn’t reserved for experts; it’s for anyone who’s ever said, “This should be better.” And it can start right where you are. Start with What You See The easiest entry into advocacy? Pay attention to what frustrates or inspires you — then speak from it. Are parents in your neighborhood struggling with asthma triggers? Does your town lack safe places to walk or access to fresh food? Issues like these don’t need giant campaigns — they need grounded voices. As you raise yours, you might find your role mirrors the evolving roles and responsibilities of community health advocates who conne...
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CULTURAL BEAUTY: "The lip plates"


A lip plate is a form of body modification upon which an individual increases the size of their lip by placing a piece of jewelry  within the bottom portion of the lip. The plates are generally circular and made from clay or wood. This is usually worn by different tribes of Africa. Depending on the tribe, some of the plates are worn on the bottom lower lip, while others are worn on the upper portion. Certain Ethiopian women (the Surma and Mursa) will insert the plates 6 to 12 months before marriage. The piercing process usually happens around the age of 15 or 16 by a girls mother with a peg that is inserted. After the insertion of the peg, there is a period of waiting until the lip heals. The initial insertion is about 1 to 2 cm. Afterwards, it is replaced with a slightly bigger one. Each girl who wears the plate will often create her own lip plate. While many are not clear as to the meaning behind the lip plates, cultural researchers speculate that the larger the lip plate a woman has, the more she is valued in her community. Also, it has been rumored to have been used during slavery times to make them less attractive during slave trades. Many experts suggest that the slavery answer is not true. In certain cultures or tribes, women are alleged to be looked down upon if they do not wear a lip plate because it is a symbol of her culture and her dedication to her spouse. While many are not completely sure about "why" the tradition of  lip plates are truly worn, one thing seems to remain true; the women who are wearing the lip plates appear to take pride in it as beauty.



Cultural Beauty" Lip Plates"



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  "I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him (Ecclesiastes 3:14 NKJV)."
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