BAMBI News April 2020
Dearest BAMBI members,
Welcome to April! Many of us are helping our kids with homeschooling right now. I had my first self-quarantine experience a few weeks ago and it was an eye-opening experience for me.
I was excited to see what my kids are learning at school but I wasn’t expecting them to challenge me with the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs)! When I was 10 years old, I was learning how to use an abacus and memorizing Chinese characters by writing them 100 times each day without really knowing the reason why. I memorized words, multiplication tables, and history because the teacher told us to. But the 10-year-old at my house is asking me if the consumption of meat affects climate change. He knows all the UN Global Goals by heart because they become a rap song.
To be honest, I didn’t know the details of all these 17 SDGs. I am very thankful that I got an opportunity to learn about it with my kids and to debate possible solutions with my kids. More importantly, it made me research and think so much about sustainability. Since then, we have made changed our lifestyle a little. The food we eat, the products we buy, actions we take…we try to think if they are sustainable and helping everyone on the earth. All each of us can do is very small, but we all should make a first step toward the global goals because we love the earth and want to sustain the earth.
My sons might not be able to make fast calculations but they know which oil is more environment-friendly at the supermarket! This seems right to me. My wish is that my kids turn out to be friendly to people as well as the environment.
Well, this is the last letter from me as the Acting Chairwoman of BAMBI. I have enjoyed my life as a Chairwoman but it is time for me to move forward. As my kids have already graduated from BAMBI, I should do the same. Thank you so much for your help over the years, I had a blast!
Love and hugs to you all.
Akiko Cayne
Acting Chairwoman