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ForewordChildren: Difference Makers: Ryan Hreljac "Jus give me cool drink of water fore I die" Ms. Maya said. And sometimes it is just that. The need to quench a longing for something so basic in life that we can't imagine living without it. Water is a basic component of living. Everything around us, including us, is made up of large amounts of water. We cannot survive without it. The access to this life sustaining element, although essential, is often unavailable to large populations on the earth. Given man's proclivity to pollution, containment and even hoarding has created a world where we must go in search of water. Where rivers once flowed now sit houses and factories. Where waterfalls were once free to carve paths across our landscapes, we have created man-made recreational parks and such where the privilege can go to see what we have prohibited to the poor. Our featured free thinker and doer has understood what many have not. We need to ensure that water and other necessities are available for everyone. It may take one to plant a seed of refreshment. It may take many to dig a well. It may take a government to break a dam. It will take a world to turn back the environment. What we don't have is the luxury of letting someone die for a cool drink of water. Needs cannot always be a desire. Gail Weston ShazorAuthor Artist Humanitarian

Foreword>Easton LaChappelle Who is Easton LaChappelle? . . . He is the Founder and CEO of Unlimited Tomorrow, a company that creates ultra-personalized advanced prosthetic devices at a fraction of the cost of traditional prosthetics. LaChappelle founded the company along with Tony Robbins in 2014. Everything started about ten years ago. Easton LaChappelle was 14 years old and he was interested in watching YouTube videos in his home in Colorado. They were on how to build robot arms from LEGOs. Play with bricks started new chapter in prosthetics. Today he has his own company which designs low-cost, 3D-printed prosthetic limbs that can be controlled by the user's mind. His business started when an accidental meeting with a disabled girl led him to the path of entrepreneurship. He was in the eighth grade at that time. LaChappelle recalls that at a science fair he met a 7-year-old girl who had an $80,000 prosthetic arm, which he described as "archaic" and offering very little help with her physical needs. He said: "I was shocked to learn how much it costs, especially realizing that she would soon outgrow it and it would become useless at that point," LaChappelle, now 24, told CNN. "I couldn't believe this was the best thing available for her, and that's when I decided to find out how I can create something that provides physical utility." A prosthetic arm, for instance, should help someone complete daily tasks, like eating with utensils or tying shoes laces, he said. Through its appearance, it could also provide "psychological utility," he added, emphasizing the importance of his device's aesthetic [...]

This volume is about Children: Difference Makers>At 17, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Prize laureate for her humanitarian efforts. She captured the world's attention after being shot by the Taliban in Pakistan on her way to school because she was an advocate for women pursuing education. She is currently working towards her bachelor's degree at Oxford's Lady Margaret Hall while continuing her charity work through her organization, The Malala Fund.

Foreword Children: Difference Makers: Jean-Michel Basquiat Each month of 2023 a gifted, accomplished young person is featured in our monthly edition of The Year of the Poet. Our family of Poets 'The Poetry Posse 'dedicate a poem to that young person featured This month November, 2023 that young person is Jean-Michel Basquiat Born: 12/22/1960 Death: 08/22/1988 American artist born, raised in the Bronx, N.Y.C. Spoke 4 languages fluently, English, Spanish, French and Haitian Patwah. Basquiat was a native of N.Y.C. His mother was from Puerto Rico, father Haiti. Young Jean evolved from Street art graffiti doing it on the streets of New York City. On buildings, other structures, subway trains, etc. His art evolved started to develop a unique style of using abstract images to tell a story, project a message dealing with institutional racism, police brutality particularly against young black Americans and Latino's. Corruption, oppressive government policies etc. It also included historical events that impacted on quality of life. He style was categorized as 'Neo-Expressionism' a liberal approach that uses techniques of many styles of art. This included a generous use of colors, body parts, various structures, tools, shapes, forms that was consistent in conveying a message through his art. This was a departure of mainstream styles that consistently gave off a impression that it was meant to attract the elite thus to be embraced by the privileged. His departure from that was refreshing and soon started the public took notice including the well-known such as one Andy Warhol. Jean often stayed on the lower East side of Manhattan bordering the East Village. That area was known to include artists of every genre. Poets, Musicians. Painters, you name it. It also was infested with heroine. Even the local park Tompkins Sq. Park was known as 'Needle Park 'Many artists were addicted. Many artists died. Unfortunately, one such artist was Jean- Michel Basquiat. Please research more information about this gifted, special artist. Never underestimate what the youth can accomplish. Enjoy this enlightening edition of 'The year of the Poet' Love and peace to y'all.>Shareef Abdur-Rasheed Author, Poet, Activist