GHNI Medical Relief Team to Libya

// May 21st, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Disaster Relief, field work, Libya, Volunteers

We are now recruiting for a
GHNI Medical Relief Team to Libya

Travel Dates:

• Arrive Cairo, Egypt, June 22
• Depart Cairo for Benghazi, Libya on 23
• Depart Benghazi for Cairo, June 29
• Depart Cairo, June 30 (or stay on longer for personal visit)

Purpose: Medical relief and relationship building with local health officials

Desired Team Members: Surgeons, specialists and nurses

General Plan: After 1 day preparation in Cairo, take in and deliver meds and work with local health leaders

Costs:

1. Air fare to/from Cairo, Egypt
2. Daily hotel and ground transportation: $100 per day max
3. Ground transportation Egypt-Libya: plan on $200 round trip

Accommodations: Secure, 3 star hotel

Visa: Visa on arrival for Egypt $15, no visa needed for Libya

Passport: required, with expiration date not less than 6 months after expected departure

Team leader and contact: Peter McLewin: inglesideinternational@gmail.com

Required Forms:

1. Download Medical Questionnaire
2. Download GHNI Liability Release Form
3. Download Field Trip Security Agreement

India’s Technologically Poor

// February 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // India

Ever wonder what the “haves” have that the “have-nots” don’t? What is it that measures the gap between rich and poor? While there have been books and dissertations written on this topic, one answer that is becoming more and more evident is technology. 

This is one of the reasons why GHNI has helped start two computer centers for the poor in India. Sushil Marandi, GHNI’s Director in India shares this exciting report:

Manish Joshua, Hope Institute for Information Technology

Considering the impact Indians are making in the area of Information and Technology, one of my American friends told me that in his imagination, kids in India must be growing up with computers in their lap. It may be true with those few percentage of people who have access to computers. But, still there are thousands of students in rural India who have not even seen a computer. Even after coming to the city, many of them have no access to computers because of their poor financial background.

Global Hope Network International has taken a little step to build India by providing computer education to students from rural Jharkhand at an affordable price. The first computer center was started in Dumka, Jharkhand in 2007. We have been able to help hundreds of students through this center.

Looking at the need, we have another computer center ready in Ranchi, which is the capital of Jharkhand, India. Manish Joshua, a well experienced young man from Ranchi, is very excited about this center. He has the experience of running the Joshua Institute of Science Studies for the last six years. Sharing about his vision he mentioned that his vision is not only to help students in academic studies but also to help them understand the true value of life. When I shared the vision of giving computer education to the least privileged students from rural Jharkhand, he gladly accepted to give leadership to the center. The name of the computer center is Hope Institute of Information Technology (HIIT).

To reach our goal we’ve designed our class schedule in such a way that a student can get more practical classes than theory classes. Every student will have the opportunity to work on a single computer, which is not happening with other centers. We’ve designed our class scheduled in a way that if any one wishes to get extra classes he/she can take it at extra hours. We’re planning to give some scholarships based upon simple aptitude tests to the meritous and tribal students, especially the girls. In the future we’re planning to provide job placements to our students who have sufficient academic qualifications and finished advanced courses at HIIT. We would like to extend our special thanks to Global Hope Network International, ICCC and Richard Dick Guffey for making this possible.

Mi Tho – A Transformed Life!

// January 21st, 2011 // No Comments » // Myanmar

Mi Tho before surgery

Many of you will remember a very brave young girl called Mi Tho from Myanmar.

Mi Tho is nine years old and from the Irrawaddy Delta (the southern part of the country that was ravaged by Cyclone Nargis in 2008).  She was born with a severe cranial deformity and cleft palate. A very delicate surgical operation was required, however, no such operation could be performed in Myanmar. They brought her to one of our GHNI staff members and from there, her life has radically changed.

Mi Tho at the hospital

THANK YOU to all of you who helped cover the cost for her transportation to Taiwan for the surgeries! And a great big thank you to the Nordhoof Craniofacial Foundation (NCF) for donating their medical expertise and services! They did an incredible job as they repaired her nose, lips and right eye. The hospital decided to wait on the surgery on her skull until she is fully grown.  However, the major health, eating, and speaking difficulties have been resolved.

Take a few minutes, grab some tissues, and watch this very moving documentary of Mi Tho’s life changing adventure.

Once again, thank you for the difference you have made in this young girl’s life. The world can be changed, one person at a time.

Algonquin to Gambella

// January 11th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Adopt a Village, Kenya, Supporters, tcd, Volunteers

My camera viewfinder usually points at scenes of abject poverty and unimaginable human suffering where GHNI is working among some of the poorest villages around the world. For this story I found myself passing by flower gardens, flowing rivers and entering lovely homes with white picket fences in the suburban Chicago neighborhood of Algonquin, Illinois.

I interviewed the Lossau family (featured in this story) and six other neighbors participating in Adopt-a-Village with GHNI. Adopt-a-Village is a program that aims to connect small groups from the developed world with a specific developing village in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Matt Lossau and his neighborhood group are partnering with Gambella, Kenya. They’ve made a 3 to 5 year commitment to help bring TCD or Transformational Community Development to Gambella in food, water, wellness, income and education projects. As you’ll see in this story they are building a true relationship with the village through regular updates, GHNI Compassion Trips and actual video conversations.

While producing this story I realized a unique aspect to this program that might not be obvious at first glance. The transformational process is two-way. As partners build a relationship with the village to help them out of poverty, they find that they are transformed as well. This may be just as valuable for neighborhoods here at home as it is for villages in need thousands of miles away.

I hope you’ll take time to look around GHNI.org and learn how to adopt a village.

Algonquin to Gambella from Global Hope Network Int’l on Vimeo.

Shirin Faridi is a producer, reporter and media consultant with a passion to tell the stories of overlooked or marginalized people in war zones, natural disaster and developing countries. She’s a regular contributor to ghni.org presenting reports that show GHNI projects around the world.

What a Difference 16 Months Makes

// January 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // Adopt a Village, Myanmar, tcd

When I first went to Burma (Myanmar) in August of ’09 the orphans GHNI had taken in (many of who had been rescued from the Irrawaddy Delta following Cyclone Nargis) were still living in a pig pen. Our staff, David and Nancy, are a couple of incredible passion and vision. When I sat down with them 16 months ago, Nancy explained the situation of these dear children as tears welled up in her eyes. It was humbling to see the sincere love of this couple for the poor and needy of their country. It was a welcome reminder that transformation and development is not about a project or program but a sincere investment of compassion in the lives of people.

Vision is a wonderful thing, however making that vision a reality is a completely different kettle of fish requiring plenty of perseverance and dedication. I don’t know anyone who works as hard as these guys. I have had the privilege of going back twice this year and I have been astonished by the transformation. The orphans now have two beautiful homes, a place of refuge and of sustainable personal growth. On the same plot of land, they now have a pig and chicken farm which provide income for these children allowing them to attend school.  

Thank you to so many of you that have made this dream a reality. 

In my last visit, along with friends, Anna, Haydi (Australia) and Jon (Singapore), it was really special to spend fun times and invest in the lives of these kids. It is exciting to see the progress that is being made and to see the joy through their beautiful smiles.

We also had the exciting opportunity to carry out a Community Health Education training during our time there. Twenty-nine students were taught the value and how to implement community-based health care projects in some of the poorest rural villages in Burma. 

As we moved out to the villages, we were able to conduct a health survey in our first TCD (Transformational Community Development) village with permission and invitation from the local authority (not easy!). This is a huge step forward as we look to make an impact amongst the poor in helping them become self-sustainable in a difficult to reach country. 

If you would like to learn more about how you can help and become a partner with a rural village in Myanmar, feel free to contact me. 

Richard Holt
GHNI European Mobilization Director 

News Behind the News

// January 6th, 2011 // No Comments » // China, Ethiopia, field work, Indonesia, Kenya, Sudan, tcd, Updates

News Behind the News is a publication released by GHNI’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Most of these news clips come directly from our staff in the field.

Eastern Ethiopia: GHNI completed a dormitory for teachers in Garmaam Elementary School. Around 600 children attend this school. During the construction of this school it was amazing to see the community develop and take ownership. Almost 1,200 people are living in this village.

Southern Ethiopia: Wako and Achalu are hard workers and were struggling with many different difficulties in order to change their lives. Wako has 4 children and Achalu has 5 children. After joining GHNI they attended TCD training and they commented how this training has changed their lives. After the training they started to plow a small acre of land. Now they have each harvested different kinds of vegetables. Wako earned 2000 birr from his harvest (about 4 months of wages) and Achalu earned 1,200 birr (about 3 months’ wages).

China: GHNI met with our network in the mountains that are working with the Yi minority group. They relayed very encouraging news of the impact of buffalos we have loaned to families there. These loaned animals are transforming the families. Now we hope to be teaching Community Health to move the villages towards transformation.   

Egypt: Field visit to Zarayeb El Nakhel area:

Farhan, Azmi and Nabil (LifeWind – Egypt) visited the area and met with Isaac and Einas who are leaders in the local church. LifeWind has already started assessment work in the area for the last six months and welcomed our full participation in the area. They welcomed us wholeheartedly. After a thorough discussion with them, we came to the following understanding:

• The local community is in desperate need of help.
• The plan is to help 200 families to become self-sustainable.
• The starting point is to have medical research and tests. Children will have the priority in the initial stage.

Indonesia: Pak Agus is a new partner with GHNI’s income generating projects. He lives in a village called Clowok in the town of Salatiga. He has lived in the village for several years. Pak Agus desires to help the surrounding community. He has seen that most of the people who live in his community have livestock. So he thought that the need for organic supplemental food for livestock might be high. He wants his community to adopt an organic farming system for their livestock by using organic materials. To help him start this business, he applied to partner with GHNI.

Kenya: GHNI’s TCD work in our pilot village, Gambella, has been so successful that many other villages have requested our program. Our staff Wubshet and Habiba have interviewed and chosen three additional villages to help beginning in 2011. Also, they had new baby, named Abraham!

Lebanon: GHNI has been working in Bedawi, a Palestinian Refugee camp for several years. A few times, during fighting, we were the only ones there via our courageous staff guy, Michel. UISP (Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti) and UNRWA inaugurated a new sports playground in an UNRWA school in Bedawi Camp. The Italian Sport Association UISP funded the EUR 16,500 project.

Sudan: There have been numerous instances of carjacking perpetrated against INGO’s, UN agencies, and UNAMID over the course of the past few months, raising concerns about the feasibility of continued operation under the given security constraints.

Despite the situation on the ground in Darfur, GHNI has been able to drill four (4) new boreholes over the course of the past month that will provide potable water for approximately 8000 residents of South Darfur. GHNI’s activities in Otash camp continue to provide valuable education in community health and hygiene as well as support for the livelihoods of many camp residents. South Darfur continues to pose challenges to the delivery of humanitarian services, but GHNI continues to reciprocate with perseverance for the sake of those who are suffering.

Turkey: Recently there has been an increase in terrorist activities that have coincided with our move to the region. More than two dozen troops have tragically lost their lives last summer due to roadside bombs or in conflict with guerilla fighters in the mountains. As usual, the oppressed people who are just trying to make a living and send their kids to school are caught in the crossfire. It is into this desperate situation that we are trying to bring hope.

First Graders Catch the Christmas Spirit

// December 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // GHNI Holiday Store, tcd, Volunteers

It’s easy to think that during the holidays first graders are only concerned about what they will be getting from ol’ Santy Clause. Not these first graders.
 
Tricia DeJulia and Laura Carafiello (pictured here) team-teach a first grade class at North Lake Park Community School in Orlando, Florida. Knowing that parents sometimes give Christmas presents to teachers, Tricia and Laura suggested that in lieu of gifts, parents could make a donation to Global Hope Network International. The class would then choose together how to “spend” the donations on GHNI Hope Gifts for poor families around the world.
 
Tricia commented, “We have so much; it’s a good time of the year to teach the kids about how much they have and how much they can give to others. It’s fun for the kids, and it shifts their focus from what they’re getting to what they can give.”
 
For the next couple of weeks, checks and cash rolled in. One family gave $10, another $50, another $100. On the last day of school before the holidays they counted a total of $400. The kids were ecstatic!
 
Before the class got to choose the Hope Gifts, Tricia and Laura started the conversation by asking the kids questions like, “How many pairs of shoes do you own?” and “How do you get water?” Then they explained how there are children, just like them, who have no shoes at all, or have to walk a long way to get water. Together these teachers taught their first-graders about how the money they raised will help families in poor villages around the world.
 
Then came the fun part. The class voted on how they would designate the $400.
 
“Who would like to give a goat? Who wants to give a well?” Hands shot up as they voted.
 
One of the girls felt like she couldn’t vote because her family didn’t contribute. But Tricia ensured her that they were all giving the gifts together as a group.  Even kids who weren’t able to donate were still a valuable part of the process. The little girl then eagerly joined in the voting, knowing her opinion mattered.
 
With their purchases, the first grade class at North Lake Community proudly provided 6 gifts: two water filters, a shallow well, a goat, a solar cooker, and school supplies.
 
One of the moms wrote an email to Laura and Tricia thanking them. Her daughter had such a great time and couldn’t stop talking about it. In fact, her daughter was so excited about this season of giving that she even donated some of her personal items to a local charity in Orlando.  
 
As Tricia shared, “Sometimes Christmas is all about the gifts, and it can be.”

Parable of the Three Committees

// December 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // field work, Indonesia, tcd

GHNI’s Phil Costello (pictured left) is working in Indonesia and gives this great post:

GHNI has been working for several years in the slum community of Camba Berua in Indonesia. While there have been great relationships, community projects and progress, the concept of Transformational Community Development (TCD) is still relatively new.

A couple of weeks ago, Jackie and I sat down with the local government official, Pak Lura (pictured right), and had a heart to heart with him. To help explain the importance of the TCD Committee, I opened our meeting by telling him the “Parable of the Three Committees”. It goes kind of like this:

The first committee was lead by an extremely dominating and controlling person. Every meeting this “leader” of the committee would tell people what to and would make all of the decisions for the committee. 

The second committee was different than the first in that they all had equal say; not one person was “the boss”. The problem was that they didn’t get along. This person didn’t like that person, and these two people didn’t like those two people. Every meeting ended up with someone walking out or getting angry. 

The third committee was different. They were elected by the community and were merely an “extension” of the community. They had a heart for helping their village solve their challenges and worked together to do so. 

After sharing this story, Pak Lura, Jackie and I had an awesome conversation about what this new committee will look like, what their role will be and how often they will meet. Jackie and I are hopeful that Camba Berua will embrace TCD and true transformation will take place.

Here is a video of Jackie “pitching” TCD:

Phil Costello
GHNI Project Manager
Indonesia

Two Trust-Building Risks in Darfur

// December 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // field work, Sudan, tcd, TCD Water

I can only think of a handful of people that would sit together with village leaders in Darfur and eat a generous portion of unpasteurized goat yogurt, without hesitation. Brian Purdy is one of them. Albeit to say, he even surprised the village leaders. Brian is one of GHNI’s incredible field staff not only risking his digestive health, but also his personal safety to serve the people of Darfur. This is his first-hand story of friendship, risk, and a village’s hope for clean water come true:

Sheikh el Deen is a village leader representing the people of Solba in South Darfur. Solba is an Internally Displaced Persons community located outside of Nyala town, the location of GHNI’s South Darfur sub-office.

When GHNI visited the area to assess the needs for water resource development in August, we took time out to accompany local community leaders in eating a hearty Sudanese breakfast complete with Fool (beans), Shai’a (meat), and A’esh (bread).

At the end of the meal, Sheikh el Deen ordered Zabadee (local, unpasteurized yogurt made from goats milk) in order to communicate his excitement that GHNI would choose to assist his village. He was even more excited that the foreigner who came along on the assessment trip (myself) ate nearly the entire pot of Zabadee.

He communicated that the white people who had visited in the past would never sit and eat with him and that he was very happy to find that GHNI staff “cared about his people enough to eat breakfast with him.” He explained further that his impressions of foreigners remained skeptical, but that he now knew that GHNI staff were “good people.”

He communicated that he was aware of the kidnappings of foreign aid workers which had taken place in his area over the course of the past several months, and was very appreciative that GHNI would still provide assistance to his people at great risk to their own personal safety.

Before GHNI installed a handpump well in Solba, residents of the community had to walk a total of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) per day to retrieve water from an open hand dug well. The roundtrip time was approximately 3.5 hours, not including water collection time.

Sheikh el Deen can be seen in picture above of him testing the well after construction of the handpump itself. The second picture is of him praising God for his community’s new handpump well.

The Fruit of TCD in Ethiopia

// December 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Ethiopia, field work, tcd, TCD Food, TCD Income

I was talking with a friend of mine who grew up in a big city. As a child, if you were to ask her where apples came from, she would have answered, “The store!” We joke about it now, but the reality is, someone has to grow the food. For those of us in the West, we barely think about it as we peruse the beautifully stacked oranges and neatly packaged strawberries down the produce isle.

And then I think, what if there were suddenly no stores or infrastructure to transport food? What would we do then? Now you’re picturing what it’s like in drought-ridden southern Ethiopia.

For our friends in southern Ethiopia, growing their own fruits and vegetables is the only way to eat more than one small meal a day. Not only that, it’s also a means of income.

In the village of Tuka, GHNI recently began teaching some agriculture lessons from our Transformational Community Development (TCD) training. Zerihun Kassa, our GHNI Director in Ethiopia, shares this story:

“Wako and Achalu are hard workers and were struggling with many different difficulties in order to change their lives. Wako has 4 children and Achalu has 5 children. After joining GHNI they attended TCD training and they now believe that this training has changed their lives.

After the training they started to plow a small acre of land. Now they have each harvested different kinds of vegetables. Wako earned 2000 birr from his harvest ($120, or about 4 months of wages) and Achalu earned 1,200 birr ($70, or about 3 months’ wages).

In general the people of Tuka are engaged in cattle rearing, but the cattle are dying from the drought. As a result of our small activity a number of people want to start farming.

Now, almost 35 families are beneficiaries of our activities. We hope that within a short time we can improve the lives of a number of families in Tuka village by providing a balanced diet and income generating activities.”

If you’d like to help families like those in Tuka start a farm, you can purchase an “Abundant Food Drip Irrigation Kit” at our GHNI Holiday Store!

Or you can buy GHNI Gift Cards for loved ones this Christmas!

Naomi Schalm
GHNI Web Journalist