Hope Notes Issue 19

Wear In The World?

PAGE 10

Recipe: Syrian Borak Zaitoon PAGE 4

Tasteless Facts About Malnutrition PAGE 20

STORIES OF HOPE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

THE COMMUNITY OF MYMENSINGH GRADUATES! PAGE 15

fhcanada.org

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ISSUE 19

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Sending Aid to Syrians

Food and medical supplies enroute PAGE 3

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21

A Clean Start for Elena’s Family Safe drinking water makes all the difference PAGE 9

Recipe: Borak Zaitoon

Having a Syrian family over for dinner? PAGE 4

Wear In The World?

Guess these global fabrics! PAGE 10

Staff Spotlight on Nebaj, Guatemala

Kids from Burundi

Meet the change-makers working with families every day PAGE 5

Highlight messages we just had to share PAGE 12

Contagious Generosity

Four communities in Mymensingh, Bangladesh blossom PAGE 15

Communities in Ethiopia pass kindness along

Rising Above

PAGE 7

Is Sustainable Farming Possible In Ethiopia?

Farmers in Sasiga are proving what they can do PAGE 8

Tasteless Facts About Malnutrition

What’s eating away at Guatemala’s kids PAGE 20

Walking With Heroes

Interview with IMED Director, Lindsay Brucks

Reaping Rewards

PAGE 21

My cow becomes your cow PAGE 9

FROM THE PRESIDENT Maybe you’re new to our FH family. Perhaps you sponsored a child or recently donated for the first time. I bet you’re wondering who we are and what changes are taking place in communities far away. Well, glad you asked.

Or maybe you are a faithful friend who has been supporting or praying for this work for years, and know that together we can indeed help families go from stuck to thriving. Well, nice to see you again!

ISSUE 19 Spring/Summer 2016 Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada’s seasonal publication, celebrating stories of hope from partnered communities around the world.

Content and editorial contributions from: Catherine Affleck, Eryn Austin Bergen, Justin Barlow, Naomi Biesheuvel, Kevin Krikke, Katrina Murphy, Kari Petzoild, Mark Petzold, Michael Prins, Bernie Willock, and other valued FH staff and friends.

Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada is a Christian, non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating sustainable, community development in order to bring about longterm change for those stuck in poverty.

Through project development, Child Sponsorship, emergency relief, and medical equipment distribution, FH Canada strives to relieve all forms of poverty - physical, spiritual, social, and personal.

Our Purpose: To end poverty, one community at a time.

Our Promise: To graduate communities from poverty in 10 years.

83.2% Building Sustainable Communities 13.3% Invested to generate income 3.5% Administration & Running Costs

In these pages you will meet people like Hanan, a mother of 6 from northern Syria who recently received critical food support for her family. You will meet Jeremias, an FH staff member in Guatemala bringing friendship and practical help to Elena and her kids living in a remote village. And you’ll read about the dramatic changes taking place in communities where together we “walk with” leaders and families as they make life better - so much better! (The feature article about how Mymensingh is overcoming so many forms of poverty is especially inspiring!)

As a Certified Member of the Canadian Council for Christian Charities, FH Canada meets the stringent standards set by the CCCC for accountability and organizational integrity.

These are real people, just like you and me; I have personally met many of them.

Their stories are incredible. Enjoy!

CHARITABLE REGISTRATION NUMBER: 132152893RR0001

Most importantly, each of us has a thread of hope to weave in the tapestry of life.

Thank you for weaving yours into these stories of hope.

In faith, with hope,

Bernie Willock President & CEO, FH Canada

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FH CANADA 1 - 31741 Peardonville Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 1L2 T 604.853.4262 TF 1.800.667.0605 F 604.853.4332 info@fhcanada.org www.fhcanada.org blog.fhcanada.org

ISSUE 19

Sending Aid To Syrians

"Winter packs" with blankets and heating stoves provided comfort during the recent snowy season.

A room brightened by smiles is the best reward.

FH Canada has been teaming up with organizations, such as Entrust and the Barzani Charitable Foundation, to efficiently distribute dried soup mix and lifesaving medicines to improve the lives of many in Northern Iraq’s refugee camps.

BY: KEVIN KRIKKE Recent UN figures state that as many as 13.5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance, while some 4.6 million are living as refugees. In light of such staggering numbers, it is clear that much work remains to be done,

by Canadians and others in the world community, to help those whose lives have been severely disrupted by this crisis.

Thanks to your support, Food for the Hungry (FH) is actively involved in ongoing projects that are improving the lives of Syrian refugees.

This past October, FH Canada’s shipment of 1 million servings of nutrition-packed dried soup mix arrived in refugee camps and other needy areas in Kurdistan.

Hanan*, a Kurdish refugee and mother of six children from northern Syria, is one of thousands benefitting from the dried soup mix. While living in northern Iraq for the past 3 years, Hanan had become used to the daily worry about what and even if her family would eat.

Families like Hanan’s have been extremely grateful for the recent provision of dried soup mix, sourced from the Fraser Valley Gleaners (FVG) and provided by FH Canada to the Kurdzman

fhcanada.org

Church food distribution program. Two more 40 foot containers of the mix have just been sent.

In addition to sending food, FH Canada also successfully shipped 6 months’ worth of vital medicines in March 2015 through its IMED program. These medicines are destined for clinics servicing as many as 900,000 Syrian refugees in 21 camps located in northern Iraq.

Plans are in the works to send another shipment to this area as soon as possible, which is no small task considering the bureaucratic complications and travel limitations involved.

FH globally has also been working tirelessly to alleviate the challenges of refugees, working on the ground with organizations like the Lebanese Society for Educational & Social Development (LSESD). While the LSESD provides a wide variety of relief to refugee families through its projects, helping children through educational and trauma support is a high priority. Blankets and stoves were handed out this past January and February when snow began to fall.

Clinics for check-up and the distribution of hygiene kits have been established, and child-friendly spaces used for

SYRIAN CRISIS QUICK FACTS In March 2011, what started as protests for the Syrian President to resign escalated into civil war, pitting ethnic groups, extremists, and other world powers against one another.

In the past 5 years, more than 250,000 people have died as a result of the crisis.

As of March 2016, 4.8 million Syrians have been internationally displaced. Turkey is the largest host with over 2.7 million registered refugees.

In Lebanon, where more than 1.4 million Syrians have fled to, 89% of Syrian refugee families were food insecure in 2015 (an increase of 22% from 2014).

More than 50% of Syrian refugees are children.

Facts compiled from: www.bbc.com/news www.savetherefugees.com www.unhcr.org

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tutoring and play-time continue to be popular gathering points.

Together, FH Global and the LSESD have improved the life of Shams*, a 12-year-old girl whose family fled to Lebanon from the city of Homs, Syria, when the bombing there became too intense. The trauma of war and exile took a psychological toll on Shams, and she became increasingly fearful and anxious.

Then her mother heard about a local church-based outreach school supported by FH and the LSESD. Shams started attending the school and becoming accustomed to a new class environment and routine, she is happy to be learning again with other children. She is slowly but surely gaining freedom from the oppression of her traumatic past.

FH Canada and its global FH family remain committed to doing as much as possible to provide relief for Syrian refugees. As work continues to provide much-needed nutritious food sources and lifesaving medicines, and to partner effectively with other like-minded organizations, it’s comforting to know that each day the lives of people like Hanan and Shams are being changed for the better. *names have been changed to protect identities.

LSESD collaborates with FH globally in ongoing efforts to provide relief to Syrian refugees; they currently run over 20 relief projects in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq wherein they provide food assistance, access to clean water, health services (including hygiene kits and trauma support), shelter, winterization supplies, and education.

BORAK ZAITOON (Pepper & Olive Pot Pies)

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INGREDIENTS AJEEN DOUGH: 4 cups all­purpose flour 1 cup canola oil 2 tsp instant yeast 1 cup milk (warm) 1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS Preparing the dough 1. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt.

2. Add oil and knead, then gradually add warm milk and knead until smooth.

3. Cover dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for an hour.

Preparing the Pot Pies 1. Seed and quarter peppers, rub lightly with olive oil.

Roast for 15 minutes at 375F. 2. Saute onions in olive oil.

3. Chop roasted peppers and add to onions. Add chopped olives and spices. Saute for 5 minutes.

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FILLING: 1/2 lb green olives, pitted & chopped 2 red bell peppers (fresh, sun­dried, or marinated) 1 white onion (small) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp sumac spice (optional) Chili pepper to taste Black pepper to taste No salt (the olives are salty enough)

4. Lightly knead dough. Pull off handfuls and flatten into oval patties. Place an inch apart on a lightly sprayed cooking sheet.

5. Spoon a portion of the sauted filling onto dough.

Fold dough up at the side and pinch shut along the seam.

6. Bake for 8­10 minutes at 375F. 7. Serve warm, with whole green olives on the side.

Find a variety of olives from an import grocery store. The middle eastern varieties have a very different taste from regular jarred green olives common in Canadian grocery stores.

Enjoy! Sahtain!

CHEC KO WE M UT HOW blog.fh ADE IT! c /Bora anada.org kRecip e

Makes 20 pot pies.

Special thanks to syriancooking.com for this recipe. The site was started when its founder, Ghinwa, a native Syrian living in Iowa with a passion for middle eastern dishes, was unable to find good Syrian recipes online. Ghinwa’s site has become a strong resource for those welcoming Syrian refugee families into their communities. It compiles recipes, cooking tips, grocery lists, and even cultural tips and Arabic expressions.

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ISSUE 19

STAFF SPOTLIGHT ON NEBAJ, GUATEMALA

BY MICHAEL PRINS

Milton

Agriculture Promoter

Milton is only 23 years old but is making his mark in Nebaj.

The son of corn and bean farmers from Cotzal, farming is in his blood. He chose agriculture as a vocational path in Grade 10, and recently finished his university accreditation by taking weekend courses.

A normal day for Milton starts early and ends late. Pulling in by motorcycle, the morning is busy; there’s a list of families to visit, where he might coach on a new crop they are trying, like potatoes or cauliflower, or hoist a heavy spray backpack for a mother whose husband is gone for the day.

“Most jobs here in Guatemala relate to agriculture. It’s very practical. I chose to study it to learn something new and different. I’m interested in animals too – how to implement them into family life.”

The afternoon is for teaching. Farmers gather at the town centre. Depending on where farming families are at, topics range from promoting the benefits of a garden to the finer points of disease treatment. He always builds in time for lots of questions. Milton wouldn’t want it any other way. “I get so many questions about tomatoes! People here love tomatoes, but they are hard to grow in this region and require extra tools like small greenhouses and fertilizers.”

Milton was introduced to FH though his high school buddy, Miguel, who had started working with FH out of high school.

The vision and mission of FH, and its Christian foundation, was exactly what Milton wanted for his life.

“When I graduated secondary school, I took a resume over to FH without even knowing if they had any job postings! To my surprise, I was hired weeks later. That was in January, 2012.”

When Milton started there was only one Agricultural Promoter in the Nebaj region, who trained Milton and got him started with nine communities. He now works in 12 communities - Rio Azul, Xonca, and Villa Hortencia being three of them - where he trains and coaches primarily families with children under 5 years of age struggling as subsistence farmers.

fhcanada.org

“Agriculture is my passion. I love dreaming about what more this land and its people could produce. It’s meaningful to see so much potential and then see people actually do it!"

MILTON'S STORY Hear from Milton himself about his work in Nebaj, Guatemala: BLOG.FHCANADA.ORG/MILTON

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training during start-up. They gladly welcome it. But the deeper principles of respect, conflict management, and trust are what keep a group functioning and healthy.

Since she started working with FH in 2010, Cathy, 27, has been visiting partnered communities daily to facilitate Savings and Loans Groups. Once started, Cathy joins their weekly or twice-monthly meetings to further coach the group.

Cathy

Each meeting, each member contributes to their communal savings fund, and a business loan might also be given out to a member. They even have a “social cup” where everyone donates 1 quetzal to help with group events or a special need a member might be facing.

Everything is collected, recorded, and locked safely in their accounting kit. If there’s time, Cathy might sneak in a health lesson.

Savings & Loans Groups Native to the Nebaj area, Cathy understands its culture and the challenges faced by its women and mothers. Commanding both Spanish and Ixil (“eh-sheel”), the local dialect, she excels in communicating the core principles of Savings and Loans Groups.

Cathy smiles knowing Savings and Loans Group are a way out of poverty for her neighbours.

Concepts around ledgers, interest, and mathematics are the pen-and-paper to making the groups work. Women who grew up with limited access to education often need a lot of

Cathy explains more about Savings + Loans Groups BLOG.FHCANADA.ORG/CATHY

Jeremias facilitates Growth and Monitoring Sessions and is a parenting coach focused on ending child malnutrition in Nebaj.

Jeremias

Health Promoter

Soft-spoken, 29, and married with two children, Jeremias has been effectively coming alongside moms and dads for nine years specifically in Villa Hortencia II and five other neighbouring villages for over four years.

There he works with the local community facilitator and volunteer mothers to offer training sessions on nutrition, breastfeeding, safe water treatment, and more.

“I really like FH; it is focused on the family, “ says Jeremias. “Each training is focused on biblical principles, and getting to know families. I don’t think it would be the same in other organizations. Just offering training doesn’t always help.”

It starts with Growth and Monitoring Sessions. Mothers regularly bring their infants and young children to be measured and weighed, then advised on their child’s growth. But it’s really an entry point for Jeremias and the volunteers into homes. They become trusted, and start doing home visits. In the home is where they can have one-on-one conversations; see kitchens, bedrooms, and water sources; and where real change takes place.

Volunteer mothers will each regularly visit 10-15 families. Jeremias completes visits too and is trained to take the special cases like a complicated pregnancy that needs his advice, or a newly installed home water treatment system that needs to be checked.

“Working for FH has really helped my family too. It’s helped me move forward [professionally] and opened my eyes to personal growth. It has me focused on God’s work.”

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Jeremias tells us about working with moms in Guatemalas BLOG.FHCANADA.ORG/JEREMIAS

ISSUE 19

CONTAGIOUS GENEROSITY

COMMUNITIES IN ETHIOPIA PASS KINDNESS ALONG EL

HEUV

BIES AOMI

BY: N

Do you remember singing around the campfire? “It only takes a spark to get a fire going…” Our best experiences make us want to pass on what we’ve learned. The poet Marianne Moore wrote, “As contagion of sickness makes sickness, contagion of trust can make trust.” And contagion of generosity can make more generosity.

Sasiga is located in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. The average monthly salary in this country is about $325 CAD, but it’s lower in areas like Sasiga, where only about 11% of residents have access to drinking water.

Despite the strained financial standing of most of the people, this year church leaders encouraged their communities to focus on supporting the most vulnerable among them: widows, low-income women, and orphans.

Savings and Loans Groups were created in Belo Central and Milki Gudina with the help of 40 church volunteers. These groups, organized by FH and funded through Gift Guide Piggy Bank purchases, focused on education in money management, bookkeeping, and more. Regular members of the low-income community who wanted to benefit from financial training and support joined. They D S AN *SAVING ROUPS collected an extraordinary total of $1,965 LOANS G DED BY CAD, which they put to work investing in the lives of their neighbours. Perhaps the most ARE FUNGUIDE significant contribution the group was able T F I G KS"! to make was in the life of Luche Dechasa.

N A B Y G IG

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Luche is a mother of four sons living in Belo Central. With little income, meeting her family’s most basic needs was an ongoing struggle. The group stepped in and supplied Luche and her family with one quintal (about 100kg) of maize and sorghum, a new grass roof for their home, and blankets and beds for each member of the family.

Word that these communities had risen to their church leaders’ challenge and made a difference in their neighbours’ lives

fhcanada.org

"Such generous efforts show that the people of Sasiga will be ready to sustain the great changes begun here, even after they graduate..." spread. Soon, the nearby communities of Anger and Lalisa Bereda became excited to take on the challenge as well.

In Lalisa Bereda, government workers and individuals from the community contributed $65 CAD to support 10 vulnerable orphaned children with school materials like stationery and uniforms.

The group also planned to support twice as many orphans.

Similarly, 15 Saving and Loans groups allow committed many mothers the ability to help their families, and one another. individuals in Anger contributed $327 CAD to provide assistance to 31 people this year. Five of them required visits to the hospital, so the group sponsored their treatment.

The 26 others in financial crisis were given 50 kilograms of maize and sorghum.

With a little training and encouragement, these community members have become empowered to not only focus on how to improve their own lives, but also how to help the less fortunate around them. Such generous efforts show that the people of Sasiga will be ready to sustain the great changes begun here, even after they graduate from partnership with FH this year.

It’s exciting to imagine how contagious their momentum might become.

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IS SUSTAINABLE FARMING POSSIBLE IN ETHIOPIA? L

EUVE

ESH MI BI O A N BY:

Subsistence farming can be a thankless job, marked by years and years of hard labour with an audience of indifferent animals and worry that a change in the weather could mean months and months of hardship for your family. Farmers in the Sasiga region of Ethiopia have been dependent on the land for their livelihood for generations, but this year marked an exciting shift toward sustainability and safety, a shift toward financially stability and communal growth. ing.

Onion farm

Carrot, ca tomato g bage, and arden.

Food for the Hungry (FH) Ethiopia worked within the communities of Sasiga to identify specific challenges and to target the kebeles (neighbourhoods) best suited for various initiatives. Together with local farmers, FH worked to create efficient irrigation systems, improve soil and seed quality, implement pest control measures, and educate farmers about the benefits of composting, commercialization, diversification, and redemptive agriculture. It's had a significant impact.

Crop diversification in Sasiga has met with success; groups that trained in fruit and vegetable production atoes. successfully cultivated papayas, Growing tom bananas, avocados, tomatoes, onions, beetroot, and carrots. The sale of these crops enabled families in Milki Gudina, Tesfaye Gobu, Latera, and Dirbaba to work towards improving their living conditions by supporting their children in school and by adding corrugated sheet metal roofs to their homes.

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Coffee and banana grove.

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Coffee bean production has taken . g in agri-train root as a Women's sustainable practice as well, with individual farmers generating extra income. Bekiri Mume, a farmer from Oda Gudina, gained an additional income of 3000 birr ($180 CAD) from coffee bean sales to neighbouring farmers this year, many of whom will begin small plantations of their own.

FH worked with communities in Sasiga to implement the best irrigation and organic fertilization practices. This enables farmers to continue to grow and sell crops outside of the rainy season, providing the market with fresh food and the farmers with a steady income.

These accomplishments did not go unnoticed by the Sasiga district administration office, which organized a forum to recognize the best performing institutions and model farmers in the region. All district sector officers and partner NGOs joined the model farmers of the district for this event, with a total of 500 people participating. The Sasiga project was awarded a certificate for best practices in education, agriculture, health, and nutrition, as well as in the water subsector.

ISSUE 19

Reaping Rewards

ct Here's the impa IDE of your GIFT GU purchase!

BY: KATRINA MURPHY

WATCH MARTIN GIVE AWAY HIS COW! VIMEO.COM/ FHCANADA/ MARTINSCOW Martin Manyati (photoed, purple shirt) desires to be an example of stewardship and hard work in his community in Nashisa, Uganda, and this year Martin’s family received one of the dairy cows distributed by FH Uganda; a pregnant heifer.

Within the first month, the heifer calved and began producing milk. Martin held to his part of the agreement and happily gave the calf to a neighbour in need. Martin and his family have been enjoying the benefits of owning a dairy cow since then.

Martin has invested a portion of the proceeds from the milk he sells in his Savings and Loans Group, and he expects to be able to purchase another cow by the end of the year. His own heifer is expecting another calf, and Martin intends to give the second calf to another family in his farming group.

Here's the impact of your GIF T GUIDE purchase!

A Clean Start For Elena’s Family BY: KATRINA MURPHY The community of Villa Hortencia II, Guatemala lies approximately 24 kilometers from the regional capital city of San Juan Cotzal; it is home to a community of 135 families. For Food for the Hungry (FH), improving the nutrition of children in Villa Hortencia II was a priority. Around the middle of 2015, FH began a selection process in the community, identifying mothers with children under five years of age who were at risk, and offering these mothers care and coaching.

Elena Bernal de la Cruz is one of these mothers. Doña Elena did her best with the resources at her disposal; she used to boil water to sterilize it before using it for drinking or cooking, but despite her most careful efforts, her children often had diarrhea and nausea because of the unsanitary water.

fhcanada.org

Martin is proud to report that waste is no longer wasted on his farm. He began using cow dung to boost the fertility of the soil in his green banana garden, and he claims that he can see one acre in particular thriving because of this application of manure. He says the bananas are beautiful; he can sell them for $7 CAD a bunch.

“Change is already happening here.”

Martin and his wife are among the first in their community to embrace the use of cow dung for biogas. “We no longer struggle to find firewood,” Martin reports. “Come sunshine or rain, we are assured of a meal.” The biogas flame doubles as a light source in the home.

“Change is already happening here,” says Martin, and he intends to participate in that change and see his community thrive.

Along with personal visits from health volunteers organized

by FH, she received a water purification filter thanks to funds received through the FH Gift Guide. The filter is a simple table-top system of buckets and nozzles. For Doña Elena and her family, it changed everything. She says,

“I thank God for touching your heart and for blessing me, my family, and the other families in the community.”

Doña Elena sets up her new water purification filter.

The filter provides a steady supply of clean, safe water for Doña Elena’s family. It is an incredible relief for her to know that her children are not constantly endangered by a substance that should be an uncomplicated good. Now during follow-up visits, she is encouraged by how happy the health volunteer is to see her children flourishing. Part of her children’s increasing health is, of course, nutritional, but Doña Elena knows that part of it is also thanks to water that doesn’t cause nausea and stomach pain. “Thank you for thinking about me,” she says. It’s a small thing, this filter, and yet it has given Doña Elena so much.

9

WEAR IN THE WORLD?

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ISSUE 19

Global Fabrics–Sew What?

BY: MICHAEL PRINS

Each Stitch Carefully Placed in

A Colourful Collective in

Sewing Hope in

GUATEMALA

RWANDA

BANGLADESH

Child Sponsorship means a lot for entire families in Rwanda. Not only do sponsored children have school supplies and tuition paid, that monthly amount helps provide various training for parents - in agriculture, savings, incoming generation, bookkeeping, or otherwise.

For Ringku, sewing is more than a means of helping support her dad and brothers - it’s a passion. She lost her mother at a young age, and in desperation her dad signed her up for sponsorship through FH. Ringku was sponsored for eight years by special donors in Abbotsford, BC, leading to her graduating from school and going on to take sewing lessons. FH even supplied her a sewing machine and start-up supplies.

Woven designs are a distinguishing expression for many cultures. In Guatemala precisely stitched designs and thick coloured fabrics are unique to each village.

Like many families in Nebaj, Juana* runs a loom from her home. It occupies nearly the entire bedroom. The loom was made possible through Canadian donors, and has been intrumental in sending her nine children to school.

Weaving is a skill and pattern that is then passed down within each village, from grandparents or parents to their children, girls and boys.

It’s also customary for Guatemalans to own at least one traditional outfit - an intricately patterned blouse with a long skirt for women and an adorned square vest for men. Some special blouses can take up to 600 hours to embroider, making them a relatively expensive purchase for most families. These outfits are cherished and worn often in public.

So, shortly after their community partnered with FH in 2011, a group of mothers in Busekera, Rwanda, signed up for special adult summer classes on fabric production and dyeing.

They started meeting weekly to prepare dyes, experiment with designs and colours, soak fabrics, fold and prepare linens for market, and even track their collective expenses and profit. Of what they make, some goes back into their venture for more dyes and fabrics, but much of it is split up to support their families.

Busekera, Rwanda, plans to graduate out of partnership with FH in 2021.

Ringku now aspires to open up a tailoring shop, and dreams about teaching other vulnerable women to sew so they too can support their families.

“I got a lot of help. [You] provided support for my education, medical facilities, training on sewing, and gave me materials to start a business... I will never forget it, and am very grateful.”

Mymensingh, Bangladesh, graduated from partnership with FH at the end of 2015.

Rea d ab more o Rin u gku t p.1 on 7

fhcanada.org

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“I was so glad because FH provided the school material to us. Actually, they are helping me to study well without challenge and I am improving and I am in grade seven. I always request your prayers that I will be promoted to grade 8. Here, we have abundant rain now. It damaged some cultures [crops]. You may pray for the good climate. I still play soccer. This helps me to be in good friendship with others.

I still play soccer.

This helps me to be in good friendship with others.

So we made a soccer team composed by twelve persons. We played eight friendly soccer matches.

Among them we won four matches and drew the other four matches. We never lost.�

a ys on a l p e Desir team like r socce is one! th ISSUE 19

“God thank FH because before it came my mother hasn’t enough money to buy clothes because she had to take care of us. FH teached them how to form groups because union makes strength.

My mother understood it and met other women. They farm, harvest, share the harvest or sell it and share money. Now we eat very well and my mother dresses well.”

My mother was sick with malaria but she was cured...

Now we eat very well and my mother dresses well.

“We thank God and we are healthy in my family. My mother was sick with malaria but she was cured because FH staff gave an insurance medical card which facilitates us to go to the hospital taking medicine. Now I know to ride on a bike and my father goes on it when we go to market.

I thank you that you are a blessing. May God bless you.”

“I like to study and I did progress.

I got good marks in the last term thanks to FH which brought electricity power from solar energy. The power helps me very much and gives me opportunity to revise my lessons in the evening.

I hope I will finish my studies and develop my country and my family. May God protect you.”

I hope I will finish my studies and develop my country and my family.

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“It’s anworkshop honour towith spend withcontent and help train worship A personal Jon time covers from performing leaders, covering content from the to the spiritual.” and song-writing to technical staging andpractical more. Jon is happy -JON NEUFELD to customize a workshop and suit your team’s schedule evenings, half-days, or full days.

“I can’t say enough about this unique experience... I look and and encourage youworship to take the “It’s anforward honourtotodoing spendit again time with help train -TONY, GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH opportunity!” leaders, covering content from the practical to the spiritual.”

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“I can’t say enough about this unique experience... I look forward to doing it again and encourage you to take the “I also want challenge theCHURCH body of Christ to make a -TONY,toGRACE BAPTIST opportunity!” dent in poverty. I am priviledged to be a spokesperson for families through Food for the Hungry.

BOOKimpoverished AT BOOKING@JONNEUFELDMUSIC.COM “FH is alleviating poverty by creating sustainable communities overtothe world. They walk of alongside and “I alsoallwant challenge the body Christ tocommunities make a to thrive for togenerations to come. for This dent inempower poverty. them I am priviledged be a spokesperson couldn’t families be closer to the Food heart for of Jesus.”

-JON NEUFELD impoverished through the Hungry.

“FH isWATCH alleviating sustainable communities THEpoverty VIDEO by OFcreating JON’S VISIT TO ETHIOPIA AT all overFHCANADA.ORG/CHILD the world. They walk alongside communities and empower them to thrive for generations to come. This couldn’t be closer to the heart of Jesus.” -JON NEUFELD

WATCH THE VIDEO OF JON’S VISIT TO ETHIOPIA AT FHCANADA.ORG/CHILD fhcanada.org

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fhcanada.org

ISSUE 19

How four communities in Bangladesh put their potential to work, despite their circumstances

EL UV ed E H g

BY

IES n I B es chantity M O m e NA e na ct id om te *S pro to

You’ve probably seen photos of a lotus blossom before. You may be familiar with this water lily’s significance in several Asian religious traditions. But did you know that the lotus is also called a “mud flower”? Why? This beautiful symbol of persistence thrives in the muck.

Imagine an immaculate white lotus blossom. This water lily is a symbol of purity, faithfulness, and enlightenment in various Asian traditions. But more than anything, the lotus represents persistence.

Sometimes called a “mud flower,” this blossom takes root in the muck, a seemingly dirty, shallow, and hopeless place.

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But the lotus grows, despite these most humble of all beginnings, and bursts open above the grime: a beautiful symbol of how wonderful things can happen in the most unlikely situations.

Four special communities in Mymensingh, Bangladesh have a lot in common with the lotus. Eight years ago, the people of this area were full of promise, but mired in the sludge of poverty, lack of education, injustice, and corruption. When Food for the Hungry (FH) sponsorship came to Mymensingh, it provided support and direction for these communities. The seed of potential was already there, but FH programs drew people out of the issues that were troubling them and up toward the sunlight.

A SHALLOW POOL OF RESOURCES In these villages, many residents live on only a dollar a day. According to FH Bangladesh Program Resources staff members, there were some cultural issues around helping and being helped that made a shift difficult. “In our culture, people often think that without money they cannot serve others,” one staff member explains. “They’re the poorest part of our population so they often think

they should be served by others.”

Can you imagine living within those limitations, wanting the best for your

This kind of great role model inspires truly great things. In Mymensingh, 59 Savings and Loans Groups were formed, consisting of about 962 people, two thirds of whom were women. Combined, these groups have succeeded in saving over $35,525 CAD — an incredible feat considering Bangladesh’s average daily wage of $1.25. For some, it meant they could only contribute a few taka each week.

Nilufa and Lamia and children.

children? Even supplying basic needs like food and clothing would be nearly impossible on so little. How could you begin to think about an education and a future? A lack of good nutrition, clean water, and electricity made matters worse.

But change slowly began to happen.

When FH staff got to know a girl named Lamia and her family, they introduced Lamia’s mother, Nilufa, to the “Matir Ful” (which translates to Mud Flower!) Savings

A Dollar A Day What does living on a dollar a day really mean?

Here’s a comparison between average costs of living in Canada and Bangladesh (in CAD).

Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) $1.96 // $0.39

Cinema ticket $12.99 // $5.87

Water (0.33 liter bottle) $1.68 // $0.25

One-bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre $895.78 // $103.56

Rice (1kg) $4.00 // $0.81 Banana (1kg) $1.77 // $1.13

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and Loans Group to equip her with guidance on how to handle finances and begin to save. Nilufa was soon promoted as the Health Leader for her savings group, setting an amazing example for other women in her community.

Average Monthly Disposable Salary $2,979.93 // $436.17

But the few grew. Today these groups have supported 62 small business ventures, from chicken farms to tailoring shops. One savings group even funded the installation of several new wells for clean drinking water.

Nazma Khatun experienced how becoming a member of a savings group could change her life. Once restricted to her home because of cultural and marital obligations, she is now empowered to earn and save money to support her family.

“Now we understand why FH used to call us to the meetings and why they helped us form groups,” she says. “They’ve done good work for our development and now we have a fund we can use to meet our families’ needs.”

Mymensingh is shaking off the hold of poverty; fully half of the households in the area have experienced an increase in income since the project began.

Source: numbeo.com

ISSUE 19

Communities of learning Women’s Savings and Loans Groups are made up of 15-25 members.

These women are educated with invaluable skills like literacy, book-keeping, money management, and personal savings.

DROWNING IN CONFUSION Superstition and misinformation once plagued the communities of Mymensingh.

Some people were wary of modern medicine. Others were addicted to betel leaf (a chewable stimulant) or cigarettes, and prioritized spending on these substances over medicine, food, or clean toilets. Many even believed that eating less during pregnancy was wise, since it allowed for smaller babies and therefore easier deliveries. A lack of education and information meant poor hygiene practices, illiteracy, and social exclusion.

One young woman named Ringku experienced the worst of this lack of understanding and awareness. But with a little support, her situation went from hopeless to hopeful. Born with a cleft palate, Ringku’s condition daunted her in every aspect of her young life. It was difficult enough to eat, to talk clearly, and even to make friends, since Ringku’s peers did not understand her ailment and therefore couldn’t accept her. She hated going to school and was about to drop out when the FH Child Sponsorship program intervened.

Funds were directed to providing multiple surgeries for Ringku, as well as school fees and supplies.

She transformed into a healthy, optimistic, and confident young lady. Today, she is learning the marketable skill of sewing and dreams of one day passing her expertise on to other women like herself.

Going back to Nilufa’s story, the Savings Group she joined provided much more

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than financial accountability. Cooking, health, and hygiene lessons inspired Nilufa to transform her family’s life. “I didn’t know the importance of some simple health rules before,” she says. But after learning about disease prevention, she ensured that a proper toilet was constructed in her home. FH helped provide health check-ups and deworming medicine.

Weekly coaching sessions given to community members like Nilufa increased awareness of good health and sanitation practices. More and more participants attended training sessions on topics like health, finance, literacy, and leadership.

Lamia and her family are now models in the community. Through attending the children’s club, Lamia learned about hygiene, healthy lifestyle choices, and even art and music.

Overall, education has become accepted as an important investment, with 1,610 children having graduated from this project. Many sponsored children have gone on to get good jobs in government, the private sector, or with other organizations. Early marriage has decreased in popularity, meaning more girls are continuing their education longer. They say knowledge is power, and in Mymensingh, that power has transformed the next generation.

What is a cleft palate?

One in 700 babies are affected by cleft lip, with or without cleft palate. These are facial and oral malformations that happen before birth.

Cleft lip

Cleft palate

A cleft lip is a physical split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip. This separation often extends beyond the base of the nose and includes the bones of the upper jaw or upper gum. A cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth.

These conditions can occur on one or both sides of the mouth. Because the lip and the palate develop separately, it is possible to have a cleft lip without a cleft palate, a cleft palate without a cleft lip, or both together.

Source: Web MD

CORRUPTED ROOTS Many of us in Canada take for granted that if we visit a government office, even if it’s not always a relaxing experience, the people working there are trying their best to do a good job and help citizens apply for a health card, update their address, or file taxes. There’s some measure of good faith. But for anyone required to deal with the government in Mymensingh in the past, acting with integrity simply wasn’t an option.

Corruption was rampant, and trying to accomplish anything without a bribe was impossible. So when FH Bangladesh first decided to step in, the organization’s ideas were not entirely welcome. Many

Ringku before and after her surgeries.

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values lesson that man and woman were created equally,” says Asif. “So it’s no matter - man or woman or literate or illiterate or rich or poor - we should treat people equally. A woman has the same potential that a man has. That way it helps them break the cultural barrier; they can see the potential of their children, their wives.”

Asif shares one story of a part-time support staff worker who pulled rickshaws. When his wife would cook a meal, he would, by cultural standards, be served first. “He was very hungry,” says Asif, “so he often took two thirds of the meal. He never thought to leave food for the rest of the family.” After receiving training, however, this man changed his habits. He decided to eat together with his family, sacrificing some of the food that was rightfully his. “He started doing that and his wife was so pleased,” remembers Asif. “He said, ‘Now I don’t have as much food as I had before, but I have more peace in my life.”

Some of the most encouraging examples of progress appear in looking at the number against women who have taken on leadership roles in Mymensingh. Asif reports that, incredibly, Local community leaders share words of thanks and inspiration to gatherings across the Mymensingh community. were afraid that working honestly with the government would hurt their livelihoods, rather than help. Members of FH staff were convinced, however, that a change could take place.

Across the communities, new connections were made with government health facilities. Instead of falling into the system of corruption that existed, participating residents focused on transparency and understanding as keys to conducting good business. By working together, community members were able to use the power in numbers to have greater influence on local government leaders.

A MUDPIT OF INJUSTICE Mymensingh was also stuck in one of the murkiest pits in history: injustice. For those families labeled “untouchable” in the brutal caste system, resources and accurate information were extremely scarce. And women were simply not viewed as equal to men.

Culturally speaking, in this part of Bangladesh, men have a position of power.

Asif* is a local FH worker who spends a lot of time with community leaders. “In their culture, there are some wrong ideas about wives. The wife believes that they are under the feet of the husband,” says Asif. “It’s a maledominated culture. Women are badly treated by men.”

But these attitudes began to change as well. The existing maledominated culture shifted in many homes. “We shared in our

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ISSUE 19

about 90% of Savings and Loans Group members are female.

“We are trying to break those cultural barriers against women being leaders in the community,” he says. But it isn’t always a simple path. Asif shared a story of a female leader from a rural community: “She was struggling with her children because her husband left them. That lady got literacy training first, then got leadership training through the savings group.” Now this woman is in a position of leadership and speaks in front of a thousand people with confidence. “That’s inspired other ladies.”

focusing on together owning and solving the challenges their community’s face,” he says. “These leaders now have a dream for their community and have recognized that unlocking the potential of children is the key to the community’s continued success.”

Mymensingh’s success shows an opportunity to continue breaking through barriers and turn its incredible potential into a beautiful reality, making it a thriving example of persistence and grace.

BURSTING INTO BLOOM As the lotus grows in that puddle of mud, it still requires the right elements to keep growing. Water, sunshine, air quality: these factors contribute to the flower’s ability to grow out of the mud.

FH programs and training have done their part to help Mymensingh blossom, but it’s now in the hands of those communities to ensure the continued success of these initiatives.

In the nine years since FH began to work in this part of Bangladesh, however, progress has been remarkable. It’s not difficult to see why these communities have a high likelihood to continue flourishing in the future.

Mymensingh community leaders and local FH staff hold a passing of responsibilities ceremony.

Timothy Danz, Country Director for FH Bangladesh, recently visited Mymensingh and was excited to see the community leaders come together and review the progress towards their annual plan and overall goals. “I witnessed firsthand how these leaders have now become servant-leaders over the years and are

THE MIGHTY MUD FLOWER The lotus, also known as the “mud flower,” grows in murky, muddy, shallow ponds. In some cultures, it is a symbol of purity, faithfulness, and enlightenment.

“The lotus is an amazing creation of God, because for all of its beauty, it is the sum total of work performed in a mess. It is also a creation that has the ability to create seeds in its habitat for a very long time without help from human hands. The lotus has the ability to survive beyond the mercurial nature of weather (storms, frost).

Students participate in an art competition as part of the graudation celebrations.

Formerly sponsored children receive school supplies and other gifts for their families.

“ The lotus is one strong, powerful, and resilient flower that blossoms in a substance (mud) that none of us would want to touch.”

–Robin Caldwell; When Women Become Business Owners

fhcanada.org

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TASTELESS facts about

MALNUTRITION

THE SCOOP ON SOUP 1

3

2

Farmers and grocery stores donate produce - often veggies “unfit” for store shelves (i.e. funny shapes or markings - not rotten!)

Gleaners volunteers - some hundreds per week - clean, chop, dry, and mix nutritious veggies

5

Protein in the form of lentils and split peas are added to the veggie mix, as well as barley and salt. The mix is measured into bags, sealed, and packed for shipping.

4

Food for the Hungry works with leaders, teachers, and families in developing communities to determine the need - where it goes and who gets it.

YOU h e nutritio lp ship mix wo us soup rld that th wide so o of chil usands dren c an escap negati e the ve effe c of maln ts utritio n.

photo by: Freddy Murphy

Adults who were malnourished as children earned at least 20% less on average than those who weren’t.

1 in 4 of the worlds children are stunted; in developing countries this is as high as 1 in 3.

66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world.

Guatemala has the highest incidence of chronic malnutrition in Latin America, with 49% of children affected.

Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide - greater than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY (FH) CANADA works hard with communities stuck in poverty to help families build stronger livelihoods so they can cultivate and buy the nutritious food their children need. But creating a selfsustaining community takes time, and if children don’t receive proper nutrition in the developmental years, the damage cannot be reversed later in life.

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*Facts compiled from the UN World Food Programme wfp.org and UNICEF unicef.org

In order to address this critical issue, FH integrates programming in the areas of education, health, livelihoods, and emergency response with a strong priority on children’s health and nutrition. One way FH accomplishes this priority is through supporting school meal programs by providing nutrient-packed, dried soup mix to schools and ministries that feed children.

It’s more than just soup.

Ingredients are specifically chosen because of their malnutrition-fighting super powers! Specific deficiencies that can cause malnutrition are targeted:

NCY FICIEkened E D ZINCds to wea hildren Lea nity in c 00 child immu me 800,0 year o and seaths per d

atted Comb eas, P : with corn, , lentils sprouts l s s u br e

VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY Contributes to over IRON D 680,000 child deaths Impairs EFICIENCY worldwide each year deve the menta l lopm 60% of cent of 40developin hildren in Combatted g count li, with: Brocco ries s, celery, carrot s, leeks, pepper tomatoes

SOUP FOR KIDS!

Combat ted with: Le ek lentils, b s, arley

OUP

/S .ORG

DA

ANA FH C Stay tuned! FH Canada will be launching a special awareness and fundraising campaign this spring to rally support for programmes and soup shipment for communities in Guatemala and Burundi.

ISSUE 19

WALKING ALONGSIDE HEROES

An interview with Director of IMED Lindsay Brucks

INTERVIEW BY: NICOLE MCLELLAN WRITTEN BY: ERYN AUSTIN BERGEN child that was impacted so much. I just said, “you know, there’s something about this that I absolutely love - how it changes and how it builds communities”. And I was looking - really looking - for something like that.

N: After that initial trip to the DR, what was your first step to officially becoming a part of FH and how did that evolve into a full time position?

NICOLE: How did you first get involved with Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada?

Lindsay: Back in 1994 David Collins came to our church to speak about his new organization Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada.

He talked about Child Sponsorship and I was really moved by what he said, so I sponsored a couple of kids. I then decided, on the spur of the moment, to go visit my sponsored children. Those days that I spent in the Dominican Republic I really was powerfully impacted by the work FH was doing and I said to myself, “this is something I really feel I can do”. That was the starting point of a journey for me. I still remember the young Dominican man in his 30s who took us into the community. He was a former sponsored

fhcanada.org

L: I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue and I had a good relationship with the president, so I started taking trips with him. With my engineering background I was able to help with projects in different countries and was really motivated to find out a lot more about FH. In about 1995 when I got back from the DR I felt the Lord calling me to this, so I started transitioning out of business. In 1999/2000 I sold all my business interests and started volunteering in the FH International Medical Equipment Distribution (IMED) office in Saskatoon. It was just temporary to help them out with this new program being developed - collecting medical equipment and supplies and shipping them worldwide to help hospitals and clinics. Eventually, it developed into a full time position for me - 15 years now in the making. The incredible challenges and impact IMED makes at the field level was something I felt that I could contribute to really well.

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“It’s so profound for them that people halfway around the world would care enough to send supplies.”

N: I’m wondering if you can tell us why IMED is located in Saskatoon?

L: A lot of people that ask that. I think the plain truth is that it’s where God called us to put it right from the beginning.

Richard Quiring and his family were so gracious to donate a warehouse building to us. As far as logistics, there were a lot of people in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta that were already donating medical equipment to the program so it made sense - it lowered costs getting equipment into the warehouse.

I didn’t realize it until later, but being centrally located means the rail part of it is really not a big expense whether we ship from Vancouver or Montreal or elsewhere. Another benefit is that Saskatchewan has an incredible amount of volunteerism.

That’s a huge part of our ministry at IMED; we need hundreds of volunteers to make it operate really well. Without that, I don’t think it would exist. I continue to marvel at the way we get so many volunteers that have great passion, commitment, but also special skill sets that work incredibly for the tasks that we need to get done here. Our volunteers are family and there’s just no way we could do without them.

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N: Over your 15 years as Director of IMED, how many countries have you personally visited to investigate what projects are viable?

L: I honestly don’t know for sure, but I’ve probably visited 45 - 50 countries, so it’s a lot. But that’s part of the job that really fits with my personality and my lifestyle - I love going to the field; that’s what makes me come alive. It is absolutely inspirational to go into places in the world and see firsthand what IMED does. I wish every one of our donors and volunteers could experience that, even just once.

N: Do you have any stories or memories that stand out over the years?

L: Oh my goodness, there’s just countless different scenarios of incredible people on the field. One I think of is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where a volcano erupted north of Goma and destroyed a mission hospital. They had nothing left. When they started to rebuild we came alongside them and partnered with them. We sent containers of medical equipment for about five years as they got parts of their hospital rebuilt. Working together and seeing how our combined efforts

ISSUE 19

had a profound impact on all the people groups up there during a very hard time was just amazing.

N: What would you say is your personal motivation to continue this work?

N: What about special times when you’ve been in country when a container landed?

L: I guess the biggest personal motivation is that I feel called

by God to do this job. I believe in the program - I believe in our people, our staff, the mission hospitals we work with around the world - they are the real true heros. I’m trying - we’re trying as IMED to walk alongside those heroes, and do something that positively impacts their ministry. That’s what it’s about. I’ve met so many incredible heroes that have given of themselves totally selflessly to serve others around their communities, their hospitals, their clinics. It’s been truly inspirational to me and it is a thing that drives me every day - helping and walking alongside those people.

L: I think of ones we’ve done in Guatemala with some of the hospitals up in the highlands - the joy on people’s faces, the tremendous party atmosphere as they receive the container, open it up, and move the supplies and equipment into their hospitals.

I also think of the pride on the faces of the medical staff. It’s so profound for them that people halfway around the world would care enough to send supplies, but it also helps them to do their job. They have countless people that are relying on them every day. It makes a life-saving difference to have the equipment - the ultrasounds, the x ray systems - everything to be able to check pregnant mothers, or little ones that have got all kinds of respiratory problems - to have the tools and the medication to be able to serve them.

N: Along those lines, is there a story or hospital that brings real joy to your heart when you think of the specific impact IMED has had there?

L: We worked with a hospital in Uganda that was quite old built in the 1950s - and forgotten about by the government. I was impacted by the dedication of the staff - how gracious and thankful they were that we came alongside with equipment and supplies. We sent containers for two or three years in a row to help them build capacity. I found out afterward that there were, I think, eight doctors there - and they served a population of 1.1 million people - that’s the population of Saskatchewan! I was blown away that they did it year after year with such meagre resources. I was profoundly impacted by that whole experience.

It gave me more drive to do as much as I could for them.

N: So how does IMED go about sourcing all our medical supplies to help doctors like that?

L: Right from day one I’ve had my co-worker Judy Johnston who set up a network with health organizations right across Canada, but especially here in Western Canada. She worked with the health regions, the hospitals, the clinics, and private practices to source equipment. By keeping that network updated over the last 15 years and maintaining the relationship she has with them, we don’t even have to go looking for equipment anymore, we just field the calls from them. They understand IMED and they have a deep desire for resources not to be wasted, so they love our program.

N: What’s one thing you want Canadians to know about IMED? L: I guess one thing would be that the International Medical Equipment Distribution program is what it’s called, but IMED is really about empowering people at the field level. We do micronutrient shipments for maternal health, we do medicine shipments to emergency zones, we do food shipments for children’s lunch programs in schools where they don’t have enough to eat. IMED is so much more than medical equipment and I just love telling people that if you give to the IMED program, you’re giving to a lot and your dollar will go a long ways. As a donor, myself, that’s important to me.

N: What are your hopes for the future of IMED? L: I don’t know exactly what God’s got in store for IMED but my hope for the program and Food for the Hungry is that we line up with what God’s doing and what he wants us to do, but also that we line up with providing resources in a way that’s empowering to the people we serve. We don’t want to be self serving or give things for the sake of giving things, but rather we want to make a huge impact in a way that’s empowering, not creating dependency. We walk alongside people to help them become independent. That’s my hope and dream for everyone, with this program as well.

“I’ve met so many incredible heroes that have given of themselves totally selflessly to serve others around their communities, their hospitals, their clinics.”

“I love going to the field, that’s what makes me come alive. “ fhcanada.org

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