I’ve always been intrigued by Africa and as a result, upon returning from the Peace Corps, I accepted a job at a refugee resettlement agency. I was surrounded by refugees from African countries including Burundi, DR Congo, Somalia, Liberia and Eritrea, to name a few. I also interacted with hundreds of families from Bhutan, Burma and Iraq.
Doctors Without Borders is one of Mayu’s favorite organizations and we think the work they do is incredible. I encourage you to visit a “Refugee Camp in the City”, sponsored by DWB; you will be shocked at the otherwise unknown life of refugees.
Needless to say, I was excited to see the following new book, “Writing on the Edge”.
Writing on the Edge, a collection of 14 first-hand accounts of life inside conflict zones where the international medical humanitarian organization provides emergency medical care. The book takes readers on a harrowing tour of countries in crisis, profiling people struggling to cope with war, disease, and lack of access to basic health care.
Award-winning photographer Tom Craig teamed up with MSF and an international roster of 14 highly-esteemed, widely-traveled writers, directors, and actors, and visited various MSF projects, returning with poignant accounts of their experiences. Acclaimed author Martin Amis writes of gang violence in Colombia; New York Times best-selling author Tracy Chevalier focuses on the abuse of women in Burundi; Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day Lewis describes his trip to Gaza, and Booker-prize winning author DBC Pierre addresses the unusually high incidence of mental illness in Armenia.
If you are looking for summer reading (heavy, I know), I’d recommend this one. I definitely have it on my list and it is a great way to support an amazing and very productive organization. If you’ve got the air conditioning  blasting (stick to fresh air if you can bare it!) and feeling a bit cold, cozy up while reading with a Mayu blanket!
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