Cathy Herholdt, Author at Humanitarian Aid & Relief

Reaching 153,000 AIDS orphans

While it’s sometimes hard to quantify success, one thing is certain – the ripple effect and long-term effects of good development work impact more people for generations to come than any of us will know.

How many future generations will benefit from one child in a poor Kenyan village making her way to university because her high school tuition was paid?

How many lives will be saved from better nutrition resulting from improved farming methods and tools in rural Laos?

An AIDS orphan in Zambia — An AIDS orphan gets help putting on her new shoes, socks and uniform so she can attend school.

On the other hand, because of excellent tracking and reporting by our field staff, there are many occasions when we can quantify results, and they’re often quite amazing.

This week we received a report that details six years worth of work with AIDS orphans in Kenya, Zambia and Haiti. This work was accomplished through the support of numerous partner agencies and funding from donors and USAID/PEPFAR.

The numbers are pretty astonishing:

Awareness was raised to enable support for children affected by HIV and AIDS in 6,495,030 people.
Basic needs were met and support was strengthened for 153,663 orphans.
27,943 orphans received access to formal education or vocational training.
6,759 older children (ages 15-17) were equipped to meet their own needs.

It’s exciting and motivating to be a part of something so great, yet at the forefront of our minds are the individuals among these numbers – individuals like 16-year-old Jacqueline, who lost both her parents when she was in eighth grade. She was left in the care of her elderly grandmother, and had almost quit school when help came her way.

Jacqueline and her grandmother received resources to grow a garden and to raise pigs and chickens for income. They earned enough to keep Jacqueline in school, where she passed her basic exam, earning her a spot in high school. She plans to become a doctor and return to her village, pledging to support other AIDS orphans like herself.

Even if Jacqueline had been the only one, the work would be worth it. But we’re thankful, as we reflect on 2010 and look ahead to 2011 that there are thousands more lives being changed every day.

For more information on World Concern’s work around the world, visit www.worldconcern.org.

Freedom from worms for Somali children

Imagine if every child under the age of 5 could be cured from painful intestinal parasites, which infect 40% of the world’s children, causing sickness and malnutrition. That’s about to happen in Somalia, a country with one of the highest under-five mortality rates in the world.

UNICEF has agreed to partner with World Concern in Somalia to distribute 3.5 million doses of deworming medicine (Albendazole). This will be part of UNICEF’s vaccination campaign in Somalia, scheduled for April 2011. There will be enough doses to reach every Somali child under 5.

This comes at the same time we’re launching new clean water projects in northern Somalia, which will provide wells, latrines and life-saving health and hygiene information to thousands of drought-affected people. We’ll also be completing wells in the Juba Valley, which we started before insecurity in that area forced us to halt those projects. Clean water and deworming go hand in hand – access to fresh water, sanitation and understanding hygiene help prevent reinfection.

We’re excited to partner with UNICEF in this amazing endeavor to help children in Somalia enjoy healthier lives!

To learn more about the 44-Cent Cure to rid children of intestinal parasites, click here.

Young girl knows the “right thing” to do

We get excited here at World Concern when a large donation comes in because we envision the difference that money will make in the lives of those we serve. Dollar signs translate into construction materials for homes in a disaster area, or containers filled with deworming medication for children in need.

We get just as excited when a smaller donation arrives, knowing the person’s wish is the same no matter the amount of their check – they want to help someone who is suffering.

Autumn's letter — Autumn sent this letter with her $10 donation.

Just today we received a $10,000 check, and moments later, opened an envelope with $10 inside from a young girl named Autumn. Her hand written Christmas card and drawings brought grins to the faces of our staff members. Here’s what she wrote:

Dear World Concern,

I want to give money to you because I think it is the right thing to do. My mamma gave me ten dollars and told me to pick a charity and I picked World Concern. Please help people with this money.

Happy holidays!

Your friend,

Autumn

We feel an incredible responsibility to honor Autumn’s wish to help people with her money. And we will do just that.

Thank you Autumn, and all of you who have trusted us to use your donations to reach people with help and hope in the most challenging places on Earth.

Happy holidays to you too!

P.S. If you’d like to make a donation of any size before the end of the year, please click here. Or click here to shop the Global Gift Guide.

Spreading the word about HIV and AIDS worldwide

AIDS street skit — A street skit relays messages about AIDS prevention in Bangladesh.

The staff of World Concern Bangladesh observed World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) in a variety of ways to heighten awareness of HIV and AIDS. They organized street rallies where project beneficiaries took part; presented educational skits; gave informational speeches; and disseminated AIDS prevention messages in public places among other things.

Local newspapers and TV channels covered the events. The Area Manager of Transparency International stated, “World Concern delivers the right massage to the right place where and for whom it is needed.”

A political leader said, “The awareness program of World Concern Bangladesh will act as the vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS.”

World Concern Myanmar staff also conducted a variety of activities to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, includinghanding out red ribbons to people and educating the community about the disease and how to prevent it.

World Concern staff in Myanmar handed out red ribbons on World AIDS Day.

How one family brings more meaning to gift giving

Sarah Carpenter’s nephew Stephen is 19 years old and in college, but he still enjoys receiving Christmas gifts from his aunt, knowing they will fill a vital need for someone living in poverty.

Ever since they were young, Sarah has given her niece and nephews, as well as other family members, gifts from World Concern’s Global Gift Guide. Over the years, she has discovered creative ways to match gifts to individual interests or even family holiday themes.

Sarah and her nephew. — Sarah and her nephew Stephen.

“When they were little, I loved giving the kids the privilege of picking something themselves,” said Sarah. “I told them I will provide the money and you pick the gift.”

One year, Stephen saw a picture of people fishing with a net in the Global Gift Guide. He related to that because he was learning to fish himself. So Sarah stocked a fish pond in Bangladesh in honor of her nephew for his gift that year and gave him a photo of a man fishing with a net in a pond World Concern had helped him stock. “He posted it on a bulletin board by his desk and kept it there all year,” recalled Sarah.

As an adult, Stephen has continued to help others and make a difference in the world. He worked in a South American village, serving the poor, and spent a summer at Oxford studying the conflicts in the Congo.

“He’s grown into a lovely person,” said Sarah, who hopes her Global Gift Guide Christmas presents were some of the many influences in his life that gave him his passion for helping others.

Sarah has come up with other creative ways to honor family members with gifts from the guide, like the year their family orchard in Yakima became the theme of their celebration. Can you guess what her relatives received from her? A share of an orchard in a poor village. And for the teachers in her life, she’s chosen education related gifts, such as school uniforms and classroom supplies so students in rural areas can attend school.

“I’m conscious of how much all of us have to make our way through the piles of stuff we’ve accumulated,” said Sarah. “I think others are happy to receive gifts that don’t add to their clutter and that honor something they’re interested in.”

Shop the Global Gift Guide online at globalgiftguide.worldconcern.org.

Goats and other gifts enter the blogosphere

Our Global Gift Guide has been getting shout outs from bloggers, Facebook fans and Twitter users about creative ways to give gifts that matter. It’s like having our own team of social media elves!

Here are some of our favorite posts promoting alternative gift giving. Know of any others? Contact us.

Rose Duryee, a missionary in Spain and avid blogger, used her love for the Oregon Ducks as a springboard to promote ducks as a gift for a struggling family in an impoverished country in her Nov. 26 post. “As much as I love my ducks, they can’t feed the hungry, save lives, or give a struggling family an income,” wrote Rose.
Blogger and author Marla Taviano is selling these hand-made banners on her blog to raise money to buy a goat through the Global Gift Guide. Photo courtesy of MarlaTaviano.com.

Sports blogger Phil Caldwell took the Oregon Ducks connection a little further, but successfully shared a great message on his Bleacher Report blog: money spent on new uniforms for every game could be better used to dig wells in Kenya or provide solar cookers for women in Chad. (Disclaimer: World Concern has no opinion regarding how many uniforms any football team should have.)
Jennifer Hanson declared to her readers that “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is buying a goat for a family in poverty.” She walked her talk by hosting her own elf party, inviting guest to dress up as elves and bring $5 to share some yummy treats and watch the movie Elf. Their pooled donations were enough to buy a complete goat package (goat, vaccinations and a pen) for a family in a country such as Haiti or Bangladesh.
Author and blogger Marla Taviano is selling adorable, one-of-a-kind fabric banners on her blog in order to buy a goat from the Global Gift Guide. The photos of the banners and her family are precious!

In addition to blog posts, we’re thrilled to see tweets, re-tweets, and Facebook posts about creative ways to give gifts that matter this Christmas.

If you’re online and a fan of our life-changing work, please help us spread Christmas cheer to some of the poorest countries in the world by sharing the Global Gift Guide with your friends!

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Sri Lanka commemorates World AIDS Day

Cancles being lit in Sri Lanka — World Concern Country Director Selina Prem Kumar (second from right) participated in a cancle lighting ceremony to remember those who died from AIDS this year.

In commemoration of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, World Concern Sri Lanka held several events to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and to remember those who lost their lives to the disease this year.

In collaboration with the Jaffna Regional Department of Health Services, World Concern brought attention to the global AIDS crisis through a week-long awareness campaign that included essay competitions. Sixteen contestants received awards during a program on Dec. 1, which included a candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of those who died of AIDS this past year. World Concern also provided nutrition packages with a value of $97 USD for five AIDS patients.

In Trincomalee, 250 students, ranging in age from 15 to 18, attended an HIV/AIDS awareness program organized by World Concern and the public health department.

For more information on World Concern’s AIDS programs, please visit our website.

Children receive awards in Sri Lanka. — Sri Lankan students received awards for their essays about HIV and AIDS as part of World AIDS Day.

Wake up! It's World AIDS Day

Marking World AIDS Day today feels somewhat like a glass of cold water splashed in the face, charging the world to refocus its attention on the AIDS epidemic. Does it seem like HIV and AIDS have taken a backseat to other global issues? Could we even risk saying it’s no longer chic to fight this deadly disease?

The number of people infected with HIV had stabilized in recent years, and the numbers of new cases and deaths have both decreased (due to antiretroviral therapy), but we’re still a long way from reaching the Millennium Development Goal to “Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it.”

And AIDS orphan with younger sibling. — An AIDS orphan in Kenya cares for her tiny sibling.

Nevertheless, we at World Concern are encouraged some numbers of our own, which far exceeded our goals. In supporting children orphaned or left vulnerable for AIDS in Kenya, Zambia and Haiti, 153,663 children were served – 3,000 more than targeted. Many of those children live with caregivers – relatives or foster parents – and we strengthened 39,106 caregivers, 16,000 more than intended. Teenage orphans often end up caring for younger siblings, so we help them with food, education, vocational training and psycho-social support. Nearly 28,000 AIDS orphans received educational support through our projects, which had a goal of serving just 3,600.

Among those encouraging numbers are real people, and it’s important to put faces and names on this disease. One of those helped by World Concern is 15-year-old Japheth, who lives in Kenya.

Japheth was bounced between four homes in his short life. Raised by a single mother until she died, Japheth moved in with his grandmother, but she too passed away three years later. His aunt and uncle initially took him in, but he was kicked out of their home when his uncle learned that Japheth was HIV positive.

He had inherited a small piece of land from his mother, but his uncle snatched that up and sold it.

World Concern learned about Japheth and contacted a local pastor who has been active in our AIDS orphans program and found a foster family for Japheth. With our help, Japheth was also able to redeem the land that was stolen by his uncle. And, we helped him get his school fees covered so he could be back in school.

Japheth, a Kenyan AIDS orphan. — Japheth is on his way to high school, despite being left homeless by AIDS.

Japheth is now living in a supportive environment and thriving in school, scoring high enough grades to secure admission into Nijia High School.

World AIDS Day serves its purpose of raising awareness and refocusing people on this issue. But it’s still just a day. We need to remember that people like Japheth don’t need a day to be reminded of the devastation of HIV and AIDS. They live it every day.

To learn more about World Concern’s AIDS programs, please visit www.worldconcern.org/godparent.

For more information on World AIDS Day, go to www.worldaidsday.org.

Teen forgoes birthday gifts to help others

Jordan with birthday cake. — Jordan Travis chose to forego birthday gifts and asked his friends to donate to World Concern instead.

Jordan Travis invited his friends to join him in celebrating his entrance into the teenage years with a huge game of Bunco for his 13^th birthday. But instead of gifts for himself, Jordan asked his friends to help kids and families in need through World Concern, inviting them to make a $5 or $10 donation toward two causes highlighted in the Global Gift Guide: the 44-Cent Cure (deworming medication and vitamin A) and training for pastors of rural churches in Bangladesh, Bolivia and Kenya.

What would inspire a young teen to forego video games, sports equipment and other things most kids his age wish for? According to his parents, it’s the power of God.

“Just wanted you to know that the Holy Spirit, through your ministry, is lighting a fire in the hearts of kids,” wrote Perry and Lisa Travis in a letter accompanying Jordan’s donation.

To know that World Concern is not only transforming the lives of those we serve in poor communities around the world, but also the lives of donors like Jordan is humbling, to say the least. It’s awe-inspiring to hear how God is using this amazing work to impact all ages, from all walks of life, in so many places, near and far.

Jordan and his friends sent $265, which will cure 466 kids from the suffering of intestinal parasites, plus equip a pastor at a rural church with training, Bibles and Sunday school supplies. This gift will last longer than any “stuff” would, and will spread God’s love to uncountable people who need His touch so desperately.

Thank you, Jordan, for listening to that still, small voice prompting your heart to give. And thank you to all who are making a difference in the lives of the poor this holiday season with meaningful, life-changing gifts.

“They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Acts 2:45

Inner City Kids Donate to Build House in Haiti

World Concern recently received a check for $1,313 to build a house for a family in Haiti left homeless after the earthquake. Receiving donations of this size is always a joy, but what makes this donation extraordinary is that the kids who sent it come from poverty themselves. The check came from a group of about 40 children, ranging from preschool through fifth grade, who attended East End Fellowship’s Vacation Bible School in an inner city neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia.

East End Fellowship meets in an old theater in Church Hill, a neighborhood where 82 percent of families are single parent households, and 37 percent live below the federal poverty line ($17,600 for a family of four). Half of the population is unemployed, and 50 percent of high school freshmen will not graduate.

Despite the impoverished state of the community, church members and parents decided the children would benefit from a mission project—something to allow them the chance to help others who are less fortunate than them. They decided to donate enough money to World Concern to help build a house in Haiti. Their goal was $1,200.

VBS kids baking cookies. — All of the children from the VBS class helped bake cookies.

“We knew the kids couldn’t bring the money in themselves,” said Ashley Hall, a church member and mother of three who participated in Vacation Bible School.

They decided to sell cookies and lemonade—each child having a hand in baking the cookies and manning the lemonade stand. They set up two stands—one on a busy corridor and another near an abandoned building. And the community came out in droves to support them.

Each afternoon, they brought in their collection boxes and tallied up donations. The kids were amazed to learn that by Friday, they had exceeded their goal.

“It was really, truly amazing,” said Ashley. “It was great for the kids to see that they can make a difference. The whole goal was to have them look outside themselves.”

VBS kids sell lemonade. — Kids from East End Fellowship's VBS class sold lemonade and cookies at two stands, raising enough money for a house in Haiti.

East End Fellowship partnered in this endeavor with another community group called CHAT, which stands for Church Hill Activities and Tutoring, and was started by Angie and Percy Strickland, who moved to the neighborhood in 2002 with a mission to connect with the community’s youth. CHAT and other ministries in the area are influenced by the principles of the Christian Community Development Association, which promotes a development model that encourages people like themselves to become a part of a community to help it heal, rather than lofting in resources and people from the outside.

This model matches that of World Concern, which strives to lift the world’s poorest communities in places like Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia out of poverty with holistic, long term development. World Concern engages community members in their own growth through education programs, vocational and agricultural training, water and sanitation projects, healthcare programs and employment opportunities. In Haiti, for example, the house East End Fellowship’s children paid for will be built by Haitian workers hired through World Concern’s Cash for Work program. The program not only teaches marketable skills, such as construction, but helps boost Haiti’s economy by employing local workers.

To learn more about World Concern’s model for community development, visit www.worldconcern.org/whatwedo.

To learn more about East End Fellowship, visit www.eastendfellowship.org.