May 1st is World Asthma Day. It is estimated that over a quarter of a billion people are affected by this inflammatory disease. The exact cause is unknown, but it is often triggered by allergies, air pollution, respiratory infections, poor diet, stress, emotions, weather conditions, and certain medications. Asthma causes narrowing of the airways that lead to our lungs, making it difficult for one to breathe. Common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

When Thrive started in the year 2008, we rented a small house. This house was primarily used as a meeting place and a cramped classroom. Over the years interest in Thrive grew and more members jumped on board. Together we began our journey of ending extreme poverty. By 2012, Thrive had grown so much that we needed a training center. Immediately we created plans and started construction. This training center was able to house up to 40 people. It was built by using interlocking bricks which cut down the building costs in half. The remaining area on the one-acre property was used to grow enough food for the staff and students.

On January 1, 2018, the first school of the new year started. 27 new students and 3 returning students moved into the Thrive teaching center eager to learn how to grow health. Each day involved morning lessons and afternoon hands-on activities. This blog post will take you through each day of the January 2018 growing health seminar. Make sure to scroll through all the photos to gain a better understanding of what we are doing.