#Supporting Vulnerable Children

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

Building a Better World Through Child Sponsorship

I Invite You to Build a Legacy of Hope and Transformation Today I felt immense happiness this weekend, as one of my adult children decided to sponsor a child. He introduced us to the child’s family in Africa, and we tried to connect over WhatsApp.  Though they couldn’t speak English, we waved and communicated through body language, sharing smiles and laughter across the screen.  My…

[sortanonymous]

[kastalani123]

Trials of Ares: Post-BotL Ares's reunion with Hebe and Eileithyia (Ao3)

(Mortal Ares in SoM/TTC/BotL)

"Hera allows Her children one night together before they must part again. They spend it talking, and braiding, and crying.

Also known as, Ares loves his Sisters, they love him, and there is a lot of premature grieving involved in your divine Brother no longer being divine."

“You have the night. I doubt I can distract your Father for longer. Spend it well; only the Fates knows how long it will be before you meet again.” Mother smoothed a hand through my hair, and I loathe to admit that I preened at it, pushing my head into Her palm. It'd been a long time since Her touch had been so soft to me, and I begrudgingly cherished the lingering warmth She left behind.

And then I was alone with my Sisters.

I turned to them, saw Hebe’s toothy grin and Eileithyia's sweet smile–

And I fell to my knees, hands gripping the grass as I hung my head and tried to control the stinging in my eyes. 

I did not cry often. I had done it at the births of my Sisters and Children, at Aphrodite's wedding, after my release from the Aloadae’s jar, at Harmonia’s wedding and death. But I did not cry often, and I tried not to do it now. My Sisters didn't need to deal with that on the first night we were spending together in two years. 

“Ares!” Delicate hands gripped my shoulders, and a stronger one buried itself in my hair. Hebe shook me gently and Eileithyia tugged my head up a little, not forceful but enough to convince me to look up. Hebe cooed and slid her hands to cradle my face. My cheeks burned, but I leaned into her palm, shivering at her thumbs brushing the skin under my eyes — now that I think about it, she might’ve been wiping away whatever hint of tears had managed to squeeze out. Terrible.

“What’s wrong?” Eileithyia asked, crouched close enough to my back that her hair poked the back of my neck. Infuriating thing, that was. I never understood why she didn’t choose a form with softer hair, or at least styled it in a way that kept it from stabbing anyone who got too close. I can appreciate a good stabbing, but not from hundreds of needles while trying to hug my Sister. She continued, tone curious and teasing: “Is it your body? Mortal puberty messes with hormones a lot, drives their emotions all over the place. Is that it? You’re finally growing up, Baby Brother?”

That dragged an unexpected chuckle out of me, though it was drowned out by Hebe’s giggling. I should’ve expected this, their teasing about my physical age. Hebe appeared in her mid-teens like me, but Eileithyia looked two or so years older than us, despite having been born last. She must have appreciated the chance to gloat, and Hebe was encouraging her. I lifted a hand to bat at both of them, leaning away from Hebe, but not enough to make her let go of me. I scowled at them both, exaggerated, and my eyes stung against the air enough that I went to wipe them. Hebe giggled louder. I flipped her off.

“Shut up, brats,” I snapped lovingly, the words grating against my rough throat. “I just missed you.”

As I said it, I realized just how acutely accurate that was.

I had missed them, like injustice misses retribution, like a rebellion misses rage, like a sword misses blood.

I hadn’t thought about it much, up to that point. I had been all too aware of how much I missed Aphrodite and our Children, reminded of them by everything around me: Dite’s children, my children, doves, horses, perfumes, blood… I could hardly stop thinking about them. But I had only thought of my Sisters briefly: when one of the pegasi was giving birth, when I passed Hebe’s two kids, when Juniper forced me to make flower crowns with her… they weren’t on my mind a lot, preoccupied as I was with other things, like quests and…

A pit opened in my stomach.

I had forgotten them.

Not– not entirely, that would be– I wouldn’t allow that, I’d fight the Fates Themselves for my Sisters, but—

Which one looked more like Mother and which one more like Father, before they got comfortable making their own forms? What were their favourite flowers, foods? Which one patched me up more often? What song had Hebe been obsessed with for the past four decades, what game did Eileithyia always beat me in?

Bile rose in my throat and suddenly, their hands felt like they were burning me. 

What were their birthdays?

Birthdays aren't– they're not a big thing, among gods, especially not after the first millennium or so. I've certainly never had a big birthday after my first few. But they’re– good, as a date to set aside for someone. The Twins always spend theirs together, and Dionysus is more attached to his own than most gods — a habit most former mortals have —, enough so that he throws extra wild parties for it, and he does the same for his wife's. I don't care much for my birthday as my birthday, but it was one of the days in the year I always dedicated to my Sisters. The other two were their birthdays, and no matter how hard I searched for the dates, they kept dripping through my fingers like blood.

Shit. 

I hadn't even realized. 

We hadn't spent our birthdays apart in millennia. Certainly not since the Jar. And I'd forgotten them, hadn't even thought about missing them, like they weren't some of my favourite days in existence.

I swallowed heavily, painfully.

“I've missed you,” I repeated, quieter, then snapped forward, dragging Eileithyia with me, to wrap my arms around both my Sisters in as steel of a grip as my mortal body could manage. Hebe tucked her face into my neck and Eileithyia rested her chin on my head with a watery hum.

“We've missed you too, you fool,” she said, the hint of a waver beneath her voice. “What were you thinking, going against Father like that, huh?”

“You know I can't resist a good rebellion,” I bit back weakly, trying to ignore phantom probing of my mind. I tried not to think about that period of my existence, when Kronos had his fingers too deep in my head.

Hebe hit me on the shoulder with her palm, pushing away from me slightly and scowling at me, though her lower lip was stuck out in a slight pout and her eyes glistened with unshed years. “You and your violence! Can't stay away from harm for more than a decade, huh? And even that's asking for much! I swear, it's like you're trying to find a way to be killed!”

Pan’s drawn but peaceful face flashed in front of my eyes and I glanced away from her, swallowing back bile. I had no idea if my Family had already been informed of his passing; I had made a sacrifice to Hermes, a sure way to get his attention, but that hardly meant the message had spread immediately. Godly messenger he may be, but keeping the information to himself for a short while would not be out of character — especially information about Pan. The boy had been his pride and joy, once upon a time, before he disappeared. Some certain, final grieving was in order. 

I pulled Hebe back in, this time burying my face in her shoulder. 

“Can we please not talk about that?” I murmured. “I'm mortal enough, and this is our only night together for the foreseeable future. I would rather hear of our Family's exploits, and your own.” I paused, then chuckled dryly, pressing my face harder against my Sister. “Or are you two out of the loop, for once in your lives?”

Eileithyia– cackled, messing up my hair roughly. I pulled away from both of them; still close, still brushing against each other, but no longer huddled together like defensive soldier formations. She grinned at me, silver drops clinging to her eyelashes. “Who do you think we are? Is your memory going already, old man? ‘Course we're in the loop!”

I shifted to lean back on my arms, legs crossed, and my Sisters also moved to settle in more comfortable positions, forming a little circle with the three of us. 

If the trees were a little shorter, the foliage a little thinner, the temperature a little higher–

I could almost pretend we were back in Thrace.

--------

“Little Eros has found a lovely boy to share with his wife,” Hebe cooed, clasping her hands together. I pulled her head back a little to get a better angle to arrange the strands of hair I was working with and hummed for her to continue. My Sisters had already stumbled over each other to recount Apollo's latest concerts, Hermes’s recent tricks, and Hephaestus’s experimental creations, among other things, and have finally started on the personal lives of my Family; Dite was playing around with a pair of actresses, my Twins were wreaking havoc as always, Eileithiya had been eyeing a nurse for the first time in decades, and on and on and on. Artemis’s chariot, more than halfway through its course, painted the forest in silver, and Eileithyia had set up several small, floating lights across the clearing to drive away the darkness. “They've been romancing him for the past month or two, and he seems very smitten! He's a potter with a darling little store, he makes lovely vases. His daughter does stained glass crafts, and she seems to be taking to our little ones well. They're Vulcan’s legacies, and very sweet. I think you'd like them quite a lot.”

“They sound very… charming,” I said, reproachful, scrunching up my face. They seemed very tooth-rooting — more Dite’s tastes than mine, and very fitting for our Son and Daughter-in-Law. I could approve, but that didn't mean I would necessarily like them.

Eileithyia snorted, coaxing another bunch of flowers from the ground to add to the wreath she was weaving. “She's forgotten to mention that the boy makes a good number of pots purely to throw and destroy them when angry or threatening, and the daughter is a sword dancer. Artists they may be, but that does not remove their proclivity for violence.”

I raised a brow with a faint grin. “That sounds more like it. They Clear-Sighted?” Hebe attempted to shake her head, but I tightened my grip to steady it. She giggled as I batted her on the head with a growl. “Don’t move, brat! I’m working here! A yes or no would’ve sufficed.”

“But it’s so fun to annoy you!” she chirped. I pulled her hair harshly, careful not to mess up the strands, and received a squeak in response. Eileihtyia laughed, the flowers almost coming undone in her hands.

“Want me to stop braiding?” I asked. Hebe whined, perfectly imitating a scorned pup.

“Don’t you dare, asshole!” She straightened up into a picture-perfect position: back like a board, shoulders low and pushed back, chin high, et cetera et cetera. “I’ll stay still if you can’t deal with the challenge of a moving model.”

I sucked in a breath through my teeth, hands tightening. She was baiting me, the little shit. The audacity. The gall.

The way I couldn't resist. 

I opened my mouth–

“Please don't fight, you two,” Eileithyia said, leaning over to rest her chin on my shoulder. I could see the pout on Hebe's lips, despite her being turned away from me. Eileithyia nuzzled against my neck, and I relaxed my shoulders, which I hadn’t even realized had gone up. “You can make up for all your overdue fights when Ares is back on Olympus, alright? No point wasting time on them now. Just let him braid in peace.”

Hebe sniffed haughtily but nodded the slightest bit. Eileithyia dug a finger into my ribs, so I mumbled my own agreement before focusing on braiding again. She shifted away with a satisfied noise, returning to her own handiwork.

It was nice. 

We'd spent much of our childhood in much the same way, hiding away in Thracian clearings and meadows together, back before I'd been called back to Olympus to take my Throne and birthright. Afterwards, we'd shifted more towards parties and Olympus, away from the Earth Mother’s simpler pleasures. Even if we did choose to spend time secluded in nature, we usually brought along alcohol, or weapons, or a looking glass to spy on mortal affairs, rather than just bask in each others’ presence.

This was much simpler, and childish. We never should have stopped doing it this way.

I tied off Hebe’s braids with pink, silk ribbons she had produced for me, and stayed still, just looking at her, even as she turned her head to face me. She smiled lightly before shifting to climb into my lap and wrap her arms around my neck, losing a few years off her form to fit. I hugged her back, resting my chin atop her head with a hum and closing my eyes. I was safe and comfortable, my limbs pleasantly heavy and the rage in my veins softer than usual. This night was like a balm applied to a gaping wound, something my children had attempted to achieve but never could.

A weight was settled upon my brow and I lazily fluttered my eyes back open, just a bit, to look at Eileithyia, the flower crown she had been making gone — on my head, I knew without a doubt. She grinned at me, eyes impossibly soft, and shuffled over to lean against me. I closed my eyes again.

Father could have struck me down right then and there, and I would have been happy.

“Hey, Ares?” Hebe whispered, hesitant. She sounded like a little kid afraid of getting in trouble. I made a noise for her to continue. It was rare that either of my Sisters hesitated about anything with me, and a spike of worry fluttered in my chest. “You… are going to come back to Olympus, right?”

My eyes snapped open and I leaned back, untangling us so I could hold Hebe by the shoulders, looking at her face. It was so young, a preteen, and her eyes were wide and watery, her lower lip already bitten through to ichor. Eileithyia leaned over to place her head next to Hebe’s, also shifted to look younger than me, finally. Hers was less open, more serious, but her left cheek was ever-so sucked in, like she was chewing on it. I looked from one face to the other, then back again, and again, and again, heart beating rapidly enough that I could feel it — an unfamiliar and off-putting sensation that made me want to rip my chest open. My throat hurt, but I forced my mouth to open:

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Hebe made a strangled noise that sounded vaguely like an attempt at a “because”, but clearly, words were not cooperating with her at the moment. She looked at Eileithyia, wide-eyed and suddenly panicked, hands flying up to grip my wrists tightly; too tightly. I pursed my lips to keep from wincing, and I could swear my bones creaked — but I said nothing. She wasn’t about to break my stupidly fragile mortal body, so I could handle it. Probably.

I focused on Eileithyia’s attempt to speak; she opened and closed her mouth a few times before managing a weak: “Promise you won’t die, Ares.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, hands automatically tightening on Hebe’s shoulders. I stared at them, silent, and watched as their faces slipped and dropped and shattered; Hebe’s tears spilled over like they’d been threatening to numerous times that night, and Eileithyia raised her hands to grip my forearm, bruisingly tight. Finally, I snapped out of my stupor, and moved my arms to cradle Hebe’s face and start wiping at her tears, trying to shush her. Her tears burned my fingers, and I was careful not to touch the ichor beading on her lip.

“Hey, hey, I won’t die, I won’t die, it’s okay,” I said desperately, hardly believing the words. It was hard to, after having seen a dozen shrouds burned and my nephew fade into mist and the last of the Hecatoncheires nearly succumb to his own death. It was just… difficult to ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

Listen. I have always been familiar with death; the Keres have been familiar faces since my first battle, Thanathos as good a friend as any I’ve ever had, the mortals I trained and led to battle most often felled by blades and disease. Death had never been secret to me, never as unfamiliar as to most of my Family; I bathed in blood, I danced with corpses, I played with mortality. I entrenched myself in death by my very nature and domains, by how I mingled with mortal soldiers. Athena controlled battles from the general’s tent, the Twins sowed disease with arrows, Hermes led souls to their final destination — but I was up and personal with nearly every Death deity in the Pantheon. I have always been familiar with death.

But that never could have prepared me for the way my mortal body decayed and fell apart around me every second I spent in it.

I could feel it dying around me, constantly. At least when it was injury that plagued me, it was easy to rationalize and take care of — I’d been stabbed, so I was bleeding, so I was dying, so I needed to be patched up and heal. It was easy and predictable and temporary.

But mortal bodies are eternally, constantly on a trek into Thanatos’s arms, and I had never realized how accurate that was until I had been confined to my own. I was alive, so I was dying, and it was something I couldn’t ignore. It was always there, in the back of my mind, the way my skin was flaking, my muscles tore, my organs deteriorated.

And that was just my body while resting. Injured? It was so much worse.

Every drop of blood lost, every bone cracked, every bruise formed, I could feel, and I could feel my body attempt to stitch itself together for days, weeks, months afterwards. I couldn’t even help it along with nectar and ambrosia. I was weak, and squishy, and made of glass next to demigods, let alone gods. But my fight-addled mind never seemed to get the memo, tossing my body in the line of fire and pushing through injuries as though Hebe could draw me a bath afterwards, shake her head at me, and swipe a sponge over already-healed wounds.

But she couldn’t. Because those wounds would kill me, and I hated being afraid of facing Thanatos or the Keres, but I was.

And we were headed into war against Kronos. How could I promise my Sisters that I wouldn’t die, when that was the sole purpose of the body I was trapped in?

“I’ll– I’ll be okay.” My voice cracked, throat tight. Hebe let out a choked sob and dove forward to hug me around the waist, harshly shoving her face into my chest. Eileithyia followed, though she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I clung to them back, repeating the assurance as though saying it more would make it true, as though I wasn’t a powerless mortal child, unseen by the Fates if not for my past.

I would not put it past Them to let me die as penance for my existence, and the only reason I would begrudge them for it would be forcing my Family to grieve, the few that would.

The first rays of Apollo’s beloved chariot spilled between the leaves. We were out of time.

[ebitenpura]

Realized that Yutorin's hairstyle (low braided bun) is a bit like Senya's so now I picture Senya as being the one who taught her to wear her hair up

[carltonlassie]

Was listening to an NPR segment (against my will) where they were interviewing a religious professor about declining birth rates and her solution to it was to make the church stronger and the government to stop taking part in social services so churches can do their jobs better and then women will breed more and solve this declining birth rate problem. She literally said that everyone should return to the biblical values bc "as a scientist" she has seen that they are proven to be the best at increasing birth rates compared to other religions of the world. Never mind the fact that neocolonialism and other factors in play. And they aired this segment with the intro clip of JD Vance talking about cat ladies. I'm gonna fucking explode

[idiosyncraticrednebula]

Why the hell is Al Pacino paying child support at EIGHTY-THREE years old???? His old a$$ should be playing bingo, drinking syrup and dancing to old tunes. What his baby mama did to him is really f*cked up. She deliberately got involved with a man who is on a very delicate age and probably manipulated him in some way so the moment she would get pregnant, she could benefit from his wealth. Al Pacino won't probably live long enough to complete his child support payment because by the time his child turns 18, he will either be 6 ft underground or his ashes will be inside an urn. Let this be a lesson to the men who are fooling around with these chicks at older age and who refuse to get married young because "I still got time as a man". I'm sorry, but age still has an effect on you no matter what, and there is no way a mofo in his damn 80's should be paying CHILD SUPPORT. This whole situation is messy and shady.

[goat-boy-sounds]

tentative processing rambling about today's events

[nsemkekanews]

Shelters in crisis: Calls grow for gov't support as caregivers struggle to protect vulnerable children - Nsemkeka

Shelters in crisis: Calls grow for gov’t support as caregivers struggle to protect vulnerable children – Nsemkeka Martha has known no other home than the New Life Nungua Children’s Home. She’s lived there since infancy—safe from the harsh realities of street life, thanks to the dedication of shelter workers and the generosity of individual donors. But like many of Ghana’s privately run shelters,…

[ill-kidnap-all-the-stars]

Watching the ve day celebrations doesn't really make me feel patriotic it just makes me think how ridiculous a country we really are

[carcinized]

The #1 cause of death in children in America is gun violence. If they wanted to protect the children they would regulate the guns. Please, regulate the guns. Please.

[zahnaufzahn]

im trying to stay hopeful and inspire people to reflect and learn but the further we get into this apprenticeship the angrier and dejected I become. people refusing to learn anything thats got nothing to do with their personal lives is so frustrating to observe. you look at people and you want to shake them and shake them and scream "why arent u opening ur eyes? the world is so big LOOk u IDIOT" and they keep them shut so tight and scream back "no no i dont care haha"

[mlcaresfoundation]

On December 19, 2024, M Lhuillier, in partnership with ML SAKO and the OPEC (Organizational Productivity Enhancement Committee) team, extended its heartfelt mission of care and compassion by visiting the Home for Girls in Bislig City. 

[prisonhannibal]

Families in Gaza are starving because of Israel blocking resources from entering. The consequences of childhood starvation are severe and deadly, both immediately and long term. Malnutrition weakens your immune system and leaves you more vulnerable to infectious diseases, and makes it harder for your body to fight the illness, so the chance of severe illness from common illnesses is higher. Even completely treatable illnesses can kill you when you’re starving and don’t have access to medical care. This combined with lack of clean and safe drinking water is extremely dangerous, especially for the children. Malnutrition stunts your growth, affects your development and heightens risk of serious health problems for the rest of your life. Being underweight and suffering from malnutrition makes you cold more easily, and more vulnerable to hypothermia.

Can you imagine as a parent having to witness your child suffering like this? Fearing for your children’s lives from what would usually be a relatively minor illness? Hearing them cry from hunger because the occupation is starving them? This is every parents worst nightmare, but for Ahed this is reality.

Ahed has three beautiful young daughters under 10 years old. 9 year old Fatima “the closest to (Ahed’s) heart and my little one”, 6 year old Iman “the friendly, kind, and loving child who is loved by everyone” and little Nour, who is only one year old and has barely got to experience peace in her short life.

He campaigns every day to get attention for his campaign to feed them and keep them warm and hopefully evacuate when the border opens. We have the power to help Ahed and his little children survive this. Food prices in Gaza are extremely high and it’s difficult to even get water. Ahed and his family do not have adequate shelter from the cold. Donations can help him buy food and clothing and blankets for his children to keep them warm in the winter They’re already suffering so much from the sounds of bombs and repeated displacements, starvation and infectious diseases is another cruel consequence of the occupations genocide in Gaza.

I know he is scared and exhausted from asking for help for this, but he keeps going because his children are his whole world, and like any parent he would do anything to save them. This is his hope. I believe it’s our job, as the people who support and care about palestinians lives, to make sure the people who reach out for help know that the world hasn’t forgotten them. Please show Ahed that the compassionate people of the world will help him

they only have €7,153 raised out of the 40,000 goal. Anything you send will help a lot ❤️

DONATE HERE + VETTING (#229 on the spreadsheet)

@vampiricvenus @appsa @heritageposts @nabulsi @dirhwangdaseul @tamamita @butchniqabi @autisticmudkip @finalgirlabigailhobbs @sawasawako @khanger @neechees @loumandivorce @cuntylouis @jdon @dlxxv-vetted-donations @beserkerjewel @handweavers @socalgal @anneemay @pikslasrce @deepspaceboytoy

[farmerstrend]

How Hydroponic Farming is Transforming Lives at Al-Walidayn Rescue Center in Kwale

“Discover how Al-Walidayn Rescue Center in Kwale, Kenya, empowers vulnerable children through innovative hydroponic farming, vocational training, and a holistic approach to building brighter futures.” “Learn how Al-Walidayn Rescue Center transforms lives by teaching sustainable farming and life skills to rescued children, fostering independence and resilience in Kwale County.” “Explore the…

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

compiling some mutual aid projects and nonprofits working in sudan. though depending on where you get your news you may not see very much coverage of the unfolding crisis, millions of people are in danger every day as the situation continues to deteriorate. i've been really astounded by the scale of your response to the earlier list of gazan initiatives, and i hope you extend the same support to these organizations too!

khartoum aid kitchen - currently running 12 community kitchen sites and supporting five others that collectively provide food for over 10,000 people

fill a heart - provides financial support to sudanese hospitals and families displaced in egypt. updates are available on their instagram.

sudan solidarity collective - supporting civil society organizations and providing psychological and educational programs for displaced people. can also donate through their paypal

darfur women action - runs programs for displaced women and girls

sudanese american physicians association - provides medical treatment and supports healthcare infrastructure

amal for women - currently focused on providing water, food, hygiene products, and shelter for displaced people. general projects include education programs for children, support and professional training for single mothers, and providing trauma care. also has a gofundme

hadhreen - provides food, water, solar panels for hospitals, children's educational programming, and a variety of other support services

hometax - provides necessities for displaced people, including food, shelter, and medical assistance. updates can be found on their instagram.

barana hanabneiho - originally focused on rebuilding and equipping schools, currently providing food, water, tents, mosquito nets, and weather-appropriate necessities to displaced people. they have an instagram and also accept donations through zeffy

saving algeneina initiative - provides a variety of necessities, including food, rain covers for tents, and medical care. works with displaced people in both sudan and chad.

sudanese red crescent society - runs health programs across all 18 states as well as delivering essential supplies

sadagaat - various initiatives including water stations and community kitchens

hope relief and rehabilitation for disabilities support (hrrds) - originally focused on disability justice programs. currently providing food, water, hygiene products, mobility aids, and other necessities with a focus on supporting disabled people and other vulnerable groups

medglobal's sudan emergency appeal - provides medical supplies, equipment for doctors, and fuel for hospitals

sudanese american medical association - provides food, water, and medical equipment, as well as training clinicians and sending extra doctors to hospitals

siha network - provides menstrual products and obstetric/gynecological care

as before, this is not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to add any similar initiatives or organizations you know of. and as always please donate whatever amount you can and share! every small action makes a difference, even if it feels inconsequential to you.

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Bishop asks Trump to show mercy to LGBTQ people and migrants He was simply asked to show mercy toward our marginalized groups of people. Yet being asked to treat vulnerable groups of men, women and children with some small amount of basic human decency made these MAGA Republicans visibly uncomfortable. To be clear, he wasn't asked to support these groups, or even show them a little kindness. He was simply asked to please treat them like human beings — to not single them out and treat them like subhuman "animals," as Trump has called them. There is something deeply and truly wrong with someone who views acting with even just a bare minimum of human decency is asking too much of them — as if things like Honor, Integrity and Compassion are repugnant to their very soul.