How will you know when you “make it”?
By Lisa Fasulo (May 16, 2009)
For some, feeling successful might be when you have all the customers you will ever need to pay your shop bills.
For others, it may be winning tattoo competitions or being publicly recognized for your artistry.
Or just accumulating toys.
For me, “making it” is when I found myself in a position to be able to “give back” and help others besides myself and my family. You may think I am talking about being able to teach people how to tattoo.
No.
But because of my job I love so much, I am able to help and support people that are doing what I believe in.
Like The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (GorillaFund.org).
They are my favorite charity (with an A+ rating from Charitywatch.org) because they help 2 things at one time.
Gorillas AND people.
In Africa, in the Virunga montains, there is a small group of gorillas that call that area home. They cannot survive anywhere else, they cannot survive in zoos or in captivity.
They number in the hundreds, ONLY.
They face so many threats each day: poaching, loss of habitat, disease, infanticide, random violence, the list goes on and on…
There is a small group of people there trying to help deal with these threats: the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International scientists and volunteers.
They exist solely on donations and grants and have enormous and risky duties. There safety is often compromised yet they do their jobs with devotion and dedication.
For the gorillas, random violence erupts without notice and acts of brutality and senselessness threaten their very existence. Entire gorilla families have been lost to poachers so one baby can be captured and sold on the black market. When in fact, that baby won’t likely survive the ordeal. They are a species of ape that is intelligent, loving and sensitive creatures.
Without the DFGFI folks, we may see the complete extinction of this amazing animal in our lifetime, an animal that is our closest living relative.
Not only does the DFGFI help the gorillas but they also work closely with the villagers, providing jobs for them so they won’t have to kill an ape just to eat or sell.
DFGFI works with the locals in planting and harvesting crops so they can create a sustainable life for themselves. Lastly, the DFGFI helps educate the people to understand how important this animal is for biodiversity and as a draw for tourism.
“Making it” is being able to support the people in a third world country that no one seems to care about. It’s a great feeling to be able to send a few dollars to them, knowing you are helping people and animals that really need your help and are usually overlooked.
At The Tattoo Learning Center we have created an “Endangered Ink Project” where we donate a place at school, a few times a year. We fundraise for that student to come here and we then donate 100% of the tuition to the DFGFI.
If you want to help contribute to this great cause we’d love ya for it :)
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