Sunday, February 26, 2012

A Warm Smile




As I surveyed the villagers as we were exiting the jeep I felt an overwhelming instant connection. Many of the women that stood before me were mothers, mothers of all ages of children. Small babies, toddlers, grade schoolers and a few tweens. They were just like us. It didn't matter that we couldn't understand them nor them us. A warm smile is all it took.


Since there was an obvious communication barrier we decided to show them photos of our own family. This really helped break the ice, they could now see that we were just like them.





After leaving the village and processing my feelings for a little bit it *hit* me.

It doesn't mattter where in the world you are. People are people. We all have the same needs, wants and desires. The people of Megaladi they want to be sulf sufficient. They want to be able to support their families. They want their children to be educated. They want to have clean water to drink and be able to provide them with food. Things that seem easily attainable to many but are not so easy for them.

This is where Global Hope Network International comes in to bring help and hope to the hidden and the hurting by TRANSFORMING these villages step by step in these 5 key areas.



Water - enough clean water for drinking, cooking and hand washing
Food - sufficient nutritious food to mitigate chronic hunger and malnutrition
Wellness - demonstration and training in critical sanitation, hygiene and disease-prevention measures
Income - startup resources for dignified and sustainable family income generation
Education – access to primary level education for every girl and boy


In the Megaladi Village they have a water pump that they are able to run about once a week which provides the villagers with water for consumption, for cooking and washing. Unfortunately, most of the water is high in salt so they can only drink the water so much before it effects their kidneys. However when this is the *cleanest* water you have especially during the dry months, they willingly drink it.



And because of current lack of irrigation or training for agriculture, food is scarce.

With the lack of clean water and proper nutrition, the villagers health suffers greatly.

They have no real sustainable income generation nor do the children have access to education.
Most of the children have to help the families haul water, cut wood to sell in the city, scavenge for food to clean and sell at the market and therefore do not have the opportunity to go to school.

As you can see Megaladi needs help. And if WE, you and me along with GHNI can get even just one of these items crossed off it would have a great impact on the other 4.

If they had clean water:

They can use it for drinking (without the risk of becoming ill).
They can use it for irrigation for crops to grow their own food.
They can use some of the food as a source of ongoing income.
No longer will the children have to help their families, instead they can be children and go to school to become educated...thus helping break the cycle of poverty.


Megaladi needs help.

Here is where you can come in. We need 25 donors to sponsor the village. To sponsor all you need to do is sign up to donate $12 per month and with your help you can transform this village.  $12 a month is all it takes. (That is the cost of a Starbucks Venti Mocha and a Breakfast Sandwich 2x a month).

Interested in being part of something that will transform the lives of many? Go here to sign up.


3 comments:

  1. You saying 'we were just like them' kind of reminds me of World Moms Blog - we are all mothers with different beliefs, different religions and different nationalities but all wanting the same thing for our children.

    For our children to be safe, loved and fed. For them to grow up healthy and have families of their own. It's all any mother ever wants for her child.

    You are doing amazing things over there

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  2. Thanks for this post, Jenn, and for explaining the work of GHNI. I know you are there for their sake, but I'm curious to know if Compassion also works in this area. Have you had a chance to ask if they have heard of Compassion?

    Praying for you and your team!

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  3. Hi Jill, GHNI and the leaders I am with are very familiar with Compassion. We did talk about it. The villages that GHNI have adopted are ones that for one reason or another had not been *touched* by the other humanatarian groups. Or if they had it was one time only for whatever reason. For example the water pump that is in my picture was donated by a catholic charity a few months back. It was delivered, installed and the group has never been back nor did they provide any training on how to use it or fix it should it break. This makes it difficult for them to use it long term. GHNI has another leader that lives here full time that visits the villages at least once a week to help them with these issues and provides the training and knowledge to be self sustaining long term.

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