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by | May 2, 2013 · 11:00 am

The Masterchefs of Melghat – Get their tasty recipe

On Tuesday we heard about the wonderful Masterchef competition in Melghat that produced some ingenious thinking from a group of women who created a healthy, nutritious rice pudding without access to livestock for milk. Today, we hear about how the programme is being expanded across Melghat and get the tasty recipe for the prize-winning soy milk Kheer.

s130025-1: Master Chefs of Melghat Cooking-up A Recipe To End Malnutrition

By Annila Harris, Communications Associate, World Vision India.

In Phase II, the Melghat Area Development Programme (ADP) is rolling out these winning recipes in every household falling under the World Vision target area.

Acting as agents of change, the women of each self-help group (SHG) have embraced healthy cooking techniques with open arms. A demonstration of each recipe is conducted to show them all the processes that go in making one dish, with the plan to teach all 13 recipes to all the villages.

Sharda Raju Bachhale, a member of the Badnapur SHG, says, “We go to other villages to impart this know-how and technique that we have received.”

“Women are actively taking interest in improving the health of their children by incorporating all that they have learnt practically at home by cooking nutritious meals for their children,” says Sushila a community development coordinator of World Vision India, “Adolescent girls now eat groundnut and jaggery ladoos, which have vital nutrients essential for growing girls. There were certain myths regarding eating habits that have been plucked out.”

The local recipes are frequently cooked and are doing wonders for the children of the community. Children who were earlier categorised as malnourished are now gaining weight, a step closer to winning the battle against malnutrition.

The kheer is a big hit among the children and is frequently consumed in households of Badnapur and Solamoh. Once categorised as Grade 3 severely malnourished, Hemlata, a six-year-old sponsored child, now stands strong and healthy with her weight soaring in the normal realm. She tells us, “I love to eat kheer because it is sweet.”

Aware of all the healthy cooking techniques and the benefits of nutritious food, pregnant and lactating mothers are taking extra care of their health by eating right, leading to lower risks while giving birth and higher chances of having healthier babies.

Rajni Dinesh Bawnekar, a mother from Solamoh says, “Now I am enjoying this kheer, but I will start feeding my [3-month-old] son this dish when he grows up.”

In February 2011, the number of malnourished children in Badnapur and Solamoh were 42 and 14 respectively.
Now with World Vision India’s intervention programmes the numbers have fallen drastically. In May 2012 survey showed 10 cases in Badnapur and 1 in Solamoh.

With innovative community inclusive ideas and initiatives such as food exhibitions the World Vision India team of Melghat is working tirelessly towards making malnutrition history in the Melghat region.

Soy-milk Kheer

Because there are few milk producing animals in the region, the women used soya beans.
Soya beans contain rich protein, vitamins A, B1, B2, and other mineral elements and soya milk has a greater variety of complex carbohydrates than whole milk.

Soya bean skin has compounds in it that can cause stomach pains, so the women de-skinned the beans before crushing them.

the soybeans

The soya beans are then ground to extract the milk….

crushed soybeans

Which is strained through a traditional muslin cloth…..

straining the soybean in muslin

….before being boiled.

boiling the soymilk

Rice is the other key ingredient in the “Kheer” (rice pudding) recipe.

the rice for the kheer

The rice powder is fried…..

frying the rice

… and then mixed with the boiling soya milk.

mixing the rice with the soymilk

Sifted, broken rice is added to the mixture and cooked.

adding sifted rice

Lastly, Jaggery (unrefined whole cane sugar) along with other spices is added to enhance the flavour of the dish.

adding jaggery

And then it’s ready to eat!

reading for eating!

We loved this project and what our colleagues in World Vision India have done. A great way to introduce healthy cooking and empower women to improve the health of their children.

If you’ve been inspired and fancy making the Soy-Milk Kheer, be sure to let us know how it turned out. Head over to our Facebook page and leave your comments.

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by | April 30, 2013 · 10:46 am

The Masterchefs of Melghat

By Annila Harris, Communications Associate, World Vision India

The women and children of Badnapur and Solamoh villages

The women and children of Badnapur and Solamoh villages

Known for its high cases of malnutrition, the Melghat region of India became a focus for World Vision India in devising an innovative and engaging technique for beating the odds.

The concept, envisaged by World Vision India, sought to bring about change in the cooking habits of each and every household, hopefully leading to empowered and health-conscious cooking. Since women have had the responsibility for preparing and cooking for their households for generations, World Vision India are nurturing them to become local chefs who could cook their way out of malnutrition.

Operation Village Chef

Round one started with the declaration of a cooking contest with a twist: all those participating had to prepare a recipe that had high nutritional value, but could only be made of locally available produce.

Prashant Ingole, a Programme Officer with World Vision India, explains, “The best nutritious food recipes were to be showcased in a food exhibition. Self-help groups (SHGs) from the villages had to come up with creative and innovative recipes that were easy to make, utilised locally available ingredients and had high nutritional value.”

Keen to put their culinary skills to the test, women gathered together in their respective villages to brainstorm, with ideas pouring in. Some zeroed in on sweet dishes, others on savoury. As enticing recipes were chalked out the region of Melghat was converted into a giant kitchen, filled with the aroma of a wide array of mouth-watering, indigenous and health-conscious food.

Milky Issues

Women from Badnapur and Solamoh villages decided to attempt the unthinkable.

“The presence of livestock [in these villages] is minimal. Milk is a rare commodity. None of the families here have access to milk,” says Sushila, a community development coordinator of World Vision India.

From such milk-deprived villages the women challenged themselves to design a recipe for a milk-dependent rice pudding.

Since farming is one of the avenues to generate income, the land is used to grow crops like soybean. Despite plenty of soybean the women had no inkling that soy could be the answer to their milk crisis, until an anganwadi savika (a government sponsored child and mother-care center) empowered them with the knowledge of soymilk.

“We had heard that soymilk has a lot of protein and could be used to make milk tea but we never thought we could use it practically,” says SHG member Usha Subesh Mahalai, “No attempts were made to extract milk from soybean. It was only when World Vision India announced about the cooking contest that the women of the village got charged up. Determined to win we devised a recipe to use soymilk in the kheer (rice pudding). My kids love it.”

Learning from the first judging

At the end of round one, 15 SHGs were selected to undergo training from Anita Telang, a senior dietitian from Govt. Hospital Amravati. Anita analysed their food items and, without changing the core ingredients, she suggested certain tips/additions to increase the nutritional value of the dish. The women were also trained to understand the nutritional value (calories) of each ingredient present in the recipe.

For the first time the women were educated on the concept of nutritious food and the importance of healthy eating habits. Identifying the macronutrients and its calorific values were instilled among the new breed of highly motivated chefs. What had previously been alien concept now became an integral part of their routine, with the women including these health tips in their daily cooking.

“We used to soak the soybean and directly use it,” says Shanto Ravi Belsare, another mother involved in the project. “The madam informed us that it was not a good practice because the skin of the seed has unhealthy substances. She told us to remove the skin of the soybean and boil the soybean before milking it.”

The final reckoning

Finally 13 SHGs and their tantalising dishes were selected to be showcased in the one of a kind Nutrition Exhibition at Chikhaldara.

An example of the recipe cards produced for the exhibition. This is for the winning Soybean Kheer

An example of the recipe cards produced for the exhibition. This is for the winning Soybean Kheer

The dishes, printed in a booklet format with ingredients and calorific values, catered to the taste buds of all, ranging from Rajgira & Poshan Ladoo (amaranth grain and peanut sweet balls) in the sweet category to Kaddu Ka Parantha (pumpkin stuffed Indian bread) in savoury section. Locals flocked in from all over the Melghat region to witness this unique and inclusive initiative to battle malnutrition.

More than 300 pregnant and lactating mothers, newly-married women and adolescent girls were targeted through this initiative. Local colleges and schools also participated in the exhibition, extending their full support to the cause of eradicating malnutrition.

Sunita and Sunil excitedly show off their Kheer

Sunita and Sunil excitedly show off their Kheer

After all their hard work the women of Badnapur’s ‘soybean milk kheer’ was the most appreciated dish of the day. The exhibition was also graced with the presence of government officials, mainly from the health-care sector, who highly commended the efforts of WV India.

The nutrition exhibition not only created awareness on how to cook nutritious meals but also started a trend of healthy eating practices using only locally available food material consumed on daily basis.

We love this story of education and ingenuity on the part of not just our colleagues in World Vision India for coming up with the contest, but all of the women involved who really challenged themselves to learn, grow and explore the possibilities of the resources they had available.

Check back on the blog on Thursday to hear about Phase 2 of the project and get the full soybean milk rice pudding recipe for yourself! And don’t forget you can leave your comments and questions on our Facebook page.

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by | April 8, 2013 · 8:14 pm

Melissa meeting Alice

Today, my seven year old daughter met her sponsored child. This is her thoughts on the meeting, along with those of her brothers, and finally my own.

Melissa and Alice

Melissa, age 7

Today I went to my sponsored child Alice’s house. It was nothing like I thought and I was very nervous. At first we were both shy. Then Alice reached to hold my hand and I was happy and surprised. Alice’s mum had made a special lunch of mashed bananas and peanut sauce. It smelled nice, and I hoped I would like it, but it tasted very weird.

I loved giving her a dress which matched the one I was wearing. We looked good standing together and she smiled a lot then. But I found it hard to give her the toy dog I had bought for her as I really liked it myself. I was very sad and only gave it because Mum made me. In Alice’s house I saw no other cuddly toys or games.

You can see a video of Melissa and Alice.

Cody receiving the chickenCody, age 11
We gave them a few gifts, and in return they gave us a live chicken!  When they did that I felt like I couldn’t say no, but I wondered what we were going to do with it.  When they were chasing the chicken everywhere I felt it strange that Mum wasn’t saying that we didn’t need any presents.

You can see a video of the chicken being chased.

 I was really concerned about the chicken, as its legs were tied up and it was in the back of the car on a bumpy road.  I felt sorry for it as we were going to eat it tonight, but then we gave it to a poor family we went to meet, and that made me feel much better.

Tanner showing the houseTanner, age 13

When we arrived I thought the house was not much, but then I learnt that Alice’s father built it, and it took him a year, and so he must be very proud of it

You can see a video of Tanner in front of Alice’s house.

I think the sponsorship money is well spent.  They’re better off now.  They have more time to use their land and trees.  I thought it was clever how Alice’s father used the bananas to feed the family and sold the coffee to earn some money.

We’re rich in the UK.  If a person from the UK had to live in their house for a week, they wouldn’t manage it.  We don’t need the money as much as them.

Both familiesHelen, age (not telling)
I’m not sure what I expected from meeting our sponsored child Alice, but in retrospect, I think I must have expected a destitute, struggling family who could not survive without me.  Whether this was my Western ego, or what the media had fed me, I’m not sure.  What greeted me was a clean, tidy, and proud father and mother who laid out a picnic on plastic chairs and seemed to be doing well.

Alice’s father grew coffee, banana, maize and other vegetables.  With some of his land, he had set up a small private school, and was hoping to eventually turn a profit from it (just as a business owner in the UK would).   Somehow I felt cheated, and for the first half of our time together, tried to reconcile whether my money was really needed here.

As we talked more however, I understood a bit more about why he was now in such a good position.  Four years ago World Vision arrived in his community.  They helped him understand how to make more nutritious food, drilled a borehole close by, and provided some basic needs like blankets for the children to sleep on.  With the worry of malnutrition and the burden of water behind them, the family could dream, plan, and move towards a better future for the next generation.  Alice’s father talked of his hope to make enough profits that he could send Alice and her sisters and brother to university.

I am impressed by her father’s ambition, and feel fortunate to be a small part of seeing it happen.

Tomorrow, I will post another blog, about what I think my children have learnt during their trip to Uganda, and also, what I have learnt about them.  We are in Uganda for another few days, and would love to answer any questions you have, or read your comments.  You can comment in this blog, or head to World Vision’s Facebook page and leave us your thoughts.  We’ll do our best to respond to any questions you, or perhaps your children, have.  Also, on Facebook, you can see more photos of our meeting with Alice, whether you are a Facebook member or not.

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by | March 22, 2013 · 10:46 am

‘There’s no way to describe the horrors we’ve seen’: a Syrian refugee family’s plight in Jordan

By Mike Bailey, World Vision

“We have used up all our tears, so now we are smiling,” says Abdullah, a father of five: 7, 6, 3, and 2-years old. But his smile is brittle if you look into his eyes. He holds his new born son gently in one arm and points in turn to his other four children. Abdullah’s wife, Akida, looks tired. She had a caesarean birth a week ago but is already home. The family had to pay high hospital fees for the birth and could not afford for her and the baby to stay in the hospital even though the baby had a low birth weight of only 1.7kg.

Abdullah, his four children and his one week old baby boy. 

This is my introduction to Syrian refugees living in Jordan, in the north western city of Irbid. Abdullah’s family a share two rooms with his widowed sister, Wafa, 22, in a building constructed as shops and offices that is now home to some 65 refugee households. Across the corridor, Emad* lives in an identical and small space, no larger than 50 square meters, with his extended family of 19 adults and 6 children—25 people sharing one toilet and a hand-washing basin for all their bathroom needs. Bedtime must be a struggle. Emad arrived with his wife and three children just two weeks ago, “running for our lives,” he says. He won’t elaborate, he just says, “there is no way to describe the horrors they have seen.”

Layer after layer of problems

It isn’t only because you feel like crying that listening to the refugee’s stories is like peeling an onion. There is layer after layer of problem. For Abdullah his immediate fears include, how to pay the monthly rent and electricity, how to afford drinking water and food when it costs four to five times as much as it cost at home. Here, he has no job. In Syria he worked as a shoemaker. Wafa has had no success job hunting either. There was already high unemployment in Jordan before 100,000 Syrian refugees households arrived. One hundred thousand new job seekers.

Abdullah worries that although he and his wife have identity papers, their children have none. Their family’s papers were burned in Syria and then they fled before they were able to complete the replacement process. As with many refugee stories the details are murky. Details leak out as we chat over tea.

The family of seven have been living in a two room building designed for commercial use since they arrived in Jordan last year.

In Emad’s flat, I hear that the eldest daughter, Amira*, 6, has a special gift. She can tell the difference between soldiers of the two sides in the Syria conflict and knows the safe way to talk to each. She warned her father not to talk to one group saying, “they might shoot both of us.” It was while describing this she mentioned that soldiers had burned their house down.

Families cramped or broken

Life as a refugee can be a dull experience for children. Emad’s three children who just arrived are bored without toys. There is just a pack of cards to play with. They watch cartoons on television in an atmosphere of cigarette smoke and adult talk. The boys wriggle and wrestle, sparking with nervous energy. It’s time they went to school but there are costs many parents cannot afford even though the schooling is assisted by humanitarian agencies. Places can be difficult to get in crowded Jordanian schools. In many case, many refugees lack information about how to enroll their children.

People don’t want to be identified for fear of what may happen to their relatives back in Syria. One mother I listened to has not heard from her 20-year-old son for three and a half months. She cannot speak about him. She turns away and busies herself with washing clothes in the cramped kitchenette when asked. In this same small space food preparation and dishwashing for 25 people has to be done. Another woman says she fears for the safety of her father who is under arrest in Syria.

Abdullah’s wife, Akida, gave birth to their son a week ago. But both are already home as they were unable to pay the hospital fees – despite his low birth weight of 1.7kg.

The men seem tense, frustrated. They watch news from Syria all the time and although the situation is bad and it is easier to watch it on TV than live through it in person, they dream of going home.

Plans to return are a distant dream

For the meantime, plans to return to Syria can only be dreams for most refugees. Their future is a monthly struggle to survive, to meet the bills and other unavoidable costs; to get their children into school, and to cope with a rising sense of hopelessness. The international community, INGOs like World Vision, the UN, the Jordanian government and donor countries, are all working to respond as the situation that threatens to rocket out of control.

World Vision’s main concern is the children and that the international response is keeping pace with the needs of the growing refugee population.

World Vision is committed to responding to the needs children and families affected by the crisis in Syria, wherever they are. We are assessing the situation and planning to start work in Jordan.

Without additional help, the chances of protecting children from the additional effects of trauma as a refugee are as thin as Abdullah’s smile.

Please consider donating to the Syria Appeal, and help feed, clothe and shelter Syrian children.

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by | December 6, 2012 · 10:10 am

Middle East reflections

Justin, our CEO has just recently returned from his trip to the Middle East.

In his last blog, he reflects on his time in the Middle East and the complexities of the region’s relationships, which are all too often under intense pressure. You can read his first blog from Beirut here and his post about the generosity of the Lebanese people here.

Nicosia, Cyprus, 30th November

It’s been a fascinating week immersed in the complexity of the Middle East.  One that illustrates vividly the heartache and the joy of working with World Vision.  As the United Nations General Assembly voted to give observer status to Palestine, I was meeting with a group of extraordinary Palestinian children full of potential and a passion for peace, yet seeing traumatic pictures drawn by the children of Gaza at World Vision’s child friendly spaces there.  My mind is drawn back to the Syrian refugees I met in Lebanon, knowing that tonight, as conflict flares again in Damascus, more will be on the move.  I also think of the Palestinian refugees I met in the tangled web of wires that run through the 60 year old crowded Beirut camp they call home.

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Picture drawn by children at a World Vision Child Friendly Space in Gaza

The lives of children we work with in the Middle East are blighted more by injustice than by poverty.   Injustice that in turn is causing poverty and suffering.  The complex history, demographics, politics and religious mix of the Middle East intensifies everything from the day to day lives of millions to the regional and international geopolitics.  Like turning the heat up to full in an oven, like a pressure cooker.  Muslims – Shiites, Sunni and Druze.  Christians – Orthodox, Catholics, Maronites, Protestants.   Jews gathered from across the world in land that’s holy for Jew, Christian and Muslim alike.  Armenians scattered throughout the region by genocide a century ago.  Lebanon’s many different groups finely balanced and living with the painful memories of the 1975-90 war that they want to avoid again at all costs.  Syria’s opposition fighting the Bashir government, yet itself fragmented and troubled.  Generations of Palestinians hungry for a homeland.  Israelis striving for security ever since their nation was born with British and international support after the horrific genocide of Jews in the Second World War.

My eldest daughter Caitlin is training to be a history teacher.  I love hearing her passion for the subject and its relevance to children and our society today.  I recall her quoting to me that “the greatest lesson from history is that we don’t learn from history”.

This truth is writ large through the Middle East.

Yet in the midst of this the voices of children I met during the last week resonate so clearly and simply.  Perhaps they hold the key to a future that is different from the history:  “Why should we children bear the responsibility for the mistakes of adults?  We want peace.”  “We want schools with safe playgrounds, without violence in the classroom.” “How can we speak about peace when children are being killed?” “Please listen to us, listen to us, listen to us.”  So spoke Anood, Ghada and Ahmed.  They then told me and World Vision colleagues from across Europe and the Middle East. “We want to encourage you not to give up.  We want to be a part of this – we have ideas, energy and love.  We are smarter and quicker to learn than you.  When you want to do something for children, please do it with children.  Nothing is impossible if we work together hand in hand”.

Then we prayed together, Christian and Muslim, young and old, led by these children and united in their desire and our vision for a future where they can live life and live it to the full, just as we each want for our own children.

Ghada writes about her hopes and dreams for the future.

Ghada writes about her hopes and dreams for the future.

As I return to the UK, I’m reflecting not only on this fascinating week in the Middle East but on the last two weeks, of other people and places and of my own home and work in the UK.  Last Monday typified the highs and lows.  Hours spent meeting two wonderful World Vision supporters, thanking them and talking about the impact they’ve had on children’s lives across Africa and Asia. An evening spent with Caitlin in Nottingham.  As I drove between these a message came in from my colleague Richard on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The rebel militia were attacking the town of Goma and he was evacuating to safety with other World Vision staff.  Thousands there, amongst the planet’s poorest people, also fled in terror from their homes.  At the same time Israeli bombs and Palestinian rockets were flying into and out of Gaza – where World Vision staff were sheltering from the conflict, as were the 7,000 children we work with there.

The contrast between the situation in Gaza and Goma was a stark irony.  The eyes of the world’s media are trained on Gaza but World Vision struggling to speak out about the impact on children as our humanitarian neutrality is so easily brought into question in this polarised political environment.  Meanwhile our first hand witness accounts from Goma went unheeded by the media and the British public were largely unaware of the humanitarian crisis unfolding there, making the task of raising funds to respond so much harder.

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Children in Goma, affected by the recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Thank God for the ceasefire in Gaza, for Richard’s safe return to the UK and for efforts underway to stabilise the situation around Goma where World Vision and other agencies are now able to provide emergency relief.

I’m arriving home to a winter’s cold spell in the UK, to 18 shopping days before Christmas and to Advent.   As we prepare to remember the birth of Jesus in the midst of conflict and occupation two millennia ago, let us remember and pray for the people of Syria, Gaza and the Congo.  Let us each cherish our family, our home, our community and all that we have and so easily take for granted.  Don’t let the headlong rush of work, shopping, eating and drinking anaesthetise us to the reality of what will be a very different Christmas for children sheltering or recovering from conflict in Goma, in Syria and Lebanon, in Gaza.

A remarkable, emotional story and humbling to read of the lives being forced upon so many people. Share your views on the World Vision Facebook page and let us know what you think.

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by | November 28, 2012 · 6:22 pm

Loved By Parents tweetathon: raising money for Congolese children affected by conflict

Parenting website Loved By Parents is running a tweetathon in aid of World Vision’s DR Congo appeal, helping children affected by conflict in the region. With the challenge of tweeting 2,000 tweets within a 24 hour period, they are auctioning off items to raise as much money and awareness as possible.

Here’s more information about the children and families affected on the ground and what you can do to help.

Children suffer during conflict

In a matter of months, Solange’s life has turned upside down. Solange is from Masisi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a place wracked by conflict between government and rebel troops. The conflict has sent thousands fleeing—within the DRC, to Uganda and to Rwanda, where Solange is currently living in a refugee camp with her family.

“The fighting had come to our village,” she says. “There were bullets and fighting everywhere. We had to run from that village.”

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Solange and her 18-month-old daughter Esther (Photo by Kari Costanza, World Vision)

And in running, they lost everything—their home, their possessions, their friends.

“We were living a better life in Masisi,” she says. “We were making a living. We left everything behind – we only have the clothes we came with.”

Solange is watching her children transform before her eyes. “They used to be healthy. Now their skin is no longer soft and smooth. They have lost weight. They have changed.’

Seven-year-old Mahoro and four-year-old Rehema miss their old diets.

“Rehema comes to me and says, ‘I’m hungry. Why can’t you give me bananas and potatoes?’ She doesn’t want to eat the maize, but she eventually eats it because she’s so hungry.”

But who she worries about most is her 18-month-old daughter Esther.

“I breastfeed, but my milk is not enough.

Solange, her husband Ethienne and their children live in the refugee camp amid a growing number of refugees. On this day there are 11,555 refugees living in the tent camp. Between 400 and 500 new arrivals are coming every day.

A safe haven to play

Eria, 13, loves the Child Friendly Space in his camp because he can play and forget about the bullet sounds back in DRC.

Eria, with friends at the Child Friendly Space (Photo by Simon Richard Mugenyi, World Vision)

Living in a Ugandan refugee centre in Kamwenge district, many children like Eria are living in isolation – scared of strangers that come their way and afraid in the new land.

“They have been lonely and afraid because of the experiences they went through. They are afraid because they are not at home,” says Kavira Alphosine Maombione who works in one of the spaces in the camp.

Now World Vision have created the Child Friendly Spaces and noticed a visible changed.

“The children are enjoying themselves. They are changing and they are happy. They have started playing and even in their villages they make local soccer balls and begin to play,” Kavira says.

Solange and Eria are not alone

Sadly Solange and Eria’s stories are not unique. They are echoed across the thousands of families who have fled their homes now living in temporary camps across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda

“It’s so heart breaking to see innocent women and children face the worst violence of their lives over a conflict that they little understand and cannot control,” said Dominic Keyzer, the advocacy manager for World Vision in DRC.

When children arrive at the camps they are exposed to cold weather, disease, starvation, and trauma caused by the violence they have faced. Hundreds arrive unaccompanied by their parents – some were lost in the rush of their sudden departure, others orphaned by the conflict. Some children have fled the threat of armed groups looking to recruit children by force.

Children in a displacement camp in Goma, DRC (Photo by Aimee Manimani, World Vision)

The long term implications are devastating.

“Peace, and the protection of children, has to be today’s number one priority. For these children, this latest crisis means even more unimaginable violence and trauma,” says Dominic.

Yet peace and protection is possible. World Vision is on the ground in the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda assisting children. Their immediate needs must be met; with food, clean water, shelter and blankets. And then there are their emotional needs – setting up with Child Friendly Spaces so that children can safely play and be protected.

James Chifwelu handing out food supplies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Photo by Aimee Manimani, World Vision)

While World Vision’s work has already begun, more funds are desperately needed.

Donations to the tweetathon and to World Vision’s DRC appeal will go towards bringing a smile back to these children’s faces.

If you would like learn more about the Loved By Parents tweetathon, go to the Loved By Parents website and follow the hashtag #lbpworldvision.

To donate directly to the World Vision DR Congo appeal, please follow the link to the World Vision website.

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by | November 24, 2012 · 9:30 am

Visiting my Sponsored Child and Avoiding Fried Spiders in Cambodia

Following on from her brilliant Q & A with kids in Cambodia, Julie blogs about her experience there, reflecting on just how different our worlds can be.

If you haven’t already, take a look at her Q & A with the kids. Also, come and find us on Facebook to join the discussion and ask any of your own questions.

 

I’m here – World Vision Cambodia! After an early pick up from my guest house and an hour down a tarmac highway and then a dirt track. With great anticipation I meet my sponsored child. He’s 13 but looks about nine and is feeling a bit shy. His greeting – hands to the sky in prayer fashion – is of the traditional and respectful variety and is echoed by mum and dad too. Mum tells me that they’ve been looking forward to meeting me so much they couldn’t sleep last night. I’m incredibly humbled.

 

I still don’t feel quite prepared and I struggle to come up with decent questions. Also joining us are his baby sister and slightly-less-baby sister; my sponsored child is the eldest of five children and the only boy – heaven help him and dad in a few years time! Mum – at 34 – is three years younger than me. Eek!

The family ask me questions about England – our food, our climate, our endless supply of electricity (they have none), and I share the gifts I brought with the family. My sponsored child (and dad) are excited by the prospect of assembling the Meccano set I brought. There’s much talk about it being good practice for being a mechanic – a useful skill in the land of the 125cc motorbike.

 

Lunch is next, and it’s down another dusty road to get there. I’m reminded of a question earlier that day from a local tuk tuk driver – “is it dusty in your country?” Hmmmm, not really! Cambodians get up at ridiculously early o’clock, so an 11 or 11.30am lunch is the norm. We head to a local restaurant and dig into some tasty all-bits-of-chicken soup, a variety of veggies and more chicken; all with the ubiquitous rice, of course! (I am secretly pleased to have avoided the Cambodian speciality of fried spiders.) My sponsored child serves my rice for me, at which point I have to pull myself together to avoid blubbing! The leftovers are bagged up by mum and dad to take home for later. Their own fish supply has been poor this year, so a meal like this is a rare treat.

 

The afternoon brings more dusty travel as we look at some of the World Vision projects in the community. First up, the Primary school! By Western standards the school is basic. Forget science labs, there’s no electricity. Visual aids are scarce, but the kids all enthusiastically show their Khmer handwriting on their mini blackboards. The group I see are only about six years old, I think they’re a bit confused by the scarily tall white woman in their midst. I’m equally confused by the squiggle they’ve written on their blackboards. They’re very sweet though, but a bit young to answer all of the questions that sponsors have kindly sent me to ask the children.

 

Next stop, the mums; who are learning about nutrition. I’m encouraged to address the group. PowerPoint isn’t going to help me here! I make my introductions, taste the rice porridge recipe (very good, it has to be said!) whilst 30 pairs of eyes eagerly watch my every move. I ask the mums about the difference the nutritional food has made. They are enthused, visual aids used by the group mean they’re self-sufficient now with this programme, and newborn babies grow much faster. A real success, and the friendly lady who runs the programme is an absolute delight.

 

Last but not least, the older kids, who I find under a house. A wise move, as it feels like 90 degrees in the shade. Allegedly this is the cool season! Houses are built on stilts in rural Cambodia – for most it’s where the animals live. In this instance, it’s where the older kids are having a class; all eyes are on the flipchart. Then the eyes are on me – I’m a good six inches taller than the average Cambodian, so I need to duck to fit under there! The kids are good fun, I ask them some of the sponsor questions, adding one of my own about where kids would most like to visit. Surprising answers include Korea. England is top choice. They ask me lots of questions too, mostly of the personal variety – check them out in the Q&A.

 

And then it’s time to go. I leave the kids with some pens and balloons, say my goodbyes to my slightly shy sponsored child, and then back to the WV office to say goodbyes there.

I should sum up with impressions of the day. Apart from using clichés of it being a wonderful experience, and everyone being friendly and helpful (all true), I was really struck by just how far apart our world is from that of our sponsored children, but what a difference we can make. They talk about jumping and skipping and need to put the cow to pasture before starting school, they live with no electricity or running water, and their food supply is dependent on how good the rainy season is. Many of them have never been in a car. In fact, before WV arrived in their community some of them hadn’t even seen a car (unbelievable, but true).

We can’t begin to imagine such a life, as we drive around in our cars, fill up on the plentiful supplies in our supermarkets, and wonder if we can justify upgrading to the iPhone 5. But the kids of Cambodia still have great joy and great hopes – of being doctors, or in the police force, or teachers. They love hearing from their sponsors, and want to hear about our lives too. Who knows, maybe we can help to inspire them to achieve their dreams? I hope so!

 

If you’ve enjoyed this post let Julie know by posting here or on our Facebook page - it’s also a great place to join the discussion or ask any of your burning questions about Cambodia.

Any views or opinions contained in this blog are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent those of World Vision

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by | September 16, 2012 · 1:23 pm

Signs of a royal visit in the Solomon Islands

Driving into Honiara from the airport, it’s not immediately obvious a special occasion is imminent.

It’s only upon closer inspection and speaking with locals that you start to understand how much the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit on Sunday and Monday means to them.

My first hint that Royalty was on its way was a giant billboard of the Queen stating it is her Diamond Jubilee. Neighbouring signs are mostly public service announcements bearing slogans such as ‘Say no to domestic violence’ & ‘Immunise your children’.

The road in from the airport has been re- tarmacked to ensure the Royals have a smooth trip in. However, if you deviate from the main road you get an insight as to what it must have been like a few months ago – parts are unsealed and have crater like potholes.

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Businesses are doing their best to capitalise on the arrival of the pair. A dilapidated guesthouse on the outskirts of Honiara has changed its name to ‘Wills & Kates’ Place and the Frangipani Ice-Cream Parlour is offering free ice-cream to anyone who can prove their names are either William or Kate.

The local newspaper has taken out full-page advertisements urging people to pick up any litter and refrain from chewing and spitting betel nut (a nut which leaves your teeth and saliva bright red).

Meanwhile, in the nearby community of Burns Creek where World Vision works, three individuals are perhaps more excited than most.

Ellison Maitaifiri & married couple Louise and Cain Whitney have been selected to meet the Duke and Duchess on Monday during their tour of the Cultural Village.

Ellison is a charismatic chap, passionate about motivating his community to work themselves out of poverty. Once a year he travels to either Australia or New Zealand as a seasonal worker, bringing the money he earns home to his family and using his new-found skills to benefit everyone within Burns Creek. He’s currently building a medical clinic alongside the football club he founded.

Louise is a quietly spoken, savvy small business owner. She married Cain and became a mother at a young age. Unemployment and a lack of opportunities resulted in family violence until World Vision stepped in and offered them both free business training. Cain now works for a local NGO as well as helping Louise operate their canteen and piggery. While not as extroverted as Ellison, their story is sure to touch the Royals.

Ellison, Louise and Cain will offer the couple an authentic insight into life in the Solomon Islands.

“I sincerely hope that by telling William and Katie and other visitors about Burns Creek that they will want to help us make more changes,” says Ellison. “The people here need to help themselves, but they don’t know how to get started.”

Laura Gemmell is a journalist with World Vision, is in Honiara in the Solomon Islands ahead of a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Monday.

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by | September 5, 2012 · 3:21 pm

A Fond Farewell With a Hope to Return

In his final blog James Butler describes the elation, the heartbreak and all emotions in between as he says goodbye to South Africa. Don’t miss a word of this brilliant blog!

From the piggery project we travel through the village of Worcester to Butswana, to visit an orphan drop-in centre that is a part of the Water Project supported by Choko. Ledile explains that there was nothing in the budget for a drop-in centre here (the centre is a place for orphans to come and get one good meal a day, as well as providing care teams with access to these vulnerable children to ensure their welfare is protected). However, using the resourcefulness that we have seen time and again in this ADP, they found building materials that were left from a range of other projects within the community, and have created a building to provide the right environment for these poor young children to come.

Lunch at the drop-in centre

It is nearly lunch time, and the beans and potatoes are almost ready, but we are here to see something round the back of the centre. A range of sheds house hundreds of chickens – bought as day-old-chicks and then raised for meat. Another women’s co-operative supported financially and through training by World Vision, dozens more families provided for through sustainable jobs in the local economy.

Ledile points out another advantage of these community-based enterprises: they will sell produce in whatever quantity a customer can afford. So, even if an orphan only has the money for one egg, they will sell just one egg, not a packet of six. This means that for families where money is very tight, they can at least afford some food, if not much.

 

One of the local women involved in the chicken initiative

At the other end of the yard we see the market garden. After six months with virtually no rain, the whole of this part of the country is brown, but here is a literal oasis of green amongst the dead vegetation. A borehole, pump and dam installed by World Vision and funded by Choko is bringing water to this patch of ground – and a range of crops are growing, including tomatoes, a sort of spinach and beetroot. They are having far more success here than we have had on our allotment – where the problem is too much rain! The crops grown here are used to feed the orphans and any surplus is sold to fund other food that is not easily grown. Many of our friends in the UK have worked hard to raise funds for this project, and it is heart-warming to see it working on the ground.

 

We have already experienced more emotions than we could believe on this busy day, but the highest and lowest points are soon to come. We leave the drop-in centre and hurry to the Morabudi Disabled Centre, hoping to catch the children before they go home. I need to explain why this is a highlight of the day, even on a par with seeing Dieketseng and her family. Choko, the organisation we help run, has brought two groups of supporters from the UK to visit the ADP – once in 2007 and again in 2009.

When we came in 2007, we met Agnes Mashumu, an ordinary mother who had set up a place for children with disabilities to come and interact with other similar children (they are not allowed to attend school and are often hidden away in the villages). Five years ago they were meeting in a ruined church with no floor, no windows and only half a roof. On top of the mental and physical disabilities these children faced, their surroundings were abject. As the Choko group left, in tears, in 2007 we vowed to do something about it – and we raised £35,000 to build a purpose-built facility for Mrs Mashumu and the children she cares for.

The wonderful new building!

In 2009 we visited the building site for the project – and saw a line of bricks six inches high where the building would be. It was moving to see things started, but it was still a dream, not a reality. Now, as we pulled up outside, neither Bev or I could believe what we saw. The building was complete and the hard work of our friends in the UK was there before our eyes. It was hard not to cry with joy.

We went in and met Mrs Mashumu and her team. We were told that 49 children now attend the centre and that having the building and a more solid basis has allowed them to receive government funding and that they have the support of social workers and health professionals, none of which would have happened without Choko’s fundraising and World Vision’s management.

 

We go through to meet the children, who are very excited to have visitors, and they sing us a couple of songs, which we are later told were hymns. Never before have I witnessed such an out-of-tune, out-of-rhythm and awful sounding choir. And never again will I hear such a beautiful sound.

The fantastic (if a little out of tune) choir

The children range in levels of disability, of course, but they do not range in their excitement and welcome, and it is one of the most moving moments of my life. I wish so many people could be here to share it with us – those who have sky-dived, used Choko as the beneficiary of their wedding gift list, sold bric a brac at car boot sales or run many events, including our annual Beer Festival. These young people have a better future because of those fundraising efforts, and that makes me very proud to have been involved.

 

At the back of the centre we see the plant nursery, where the children grow plants and pot them up for sale, to help fund the centre. International laws on importing plants, and our baggage allowance, prevents us buying everything, just to help their cause!

We see the children having their lunch, after a brief prayer. Many cannot feed themselves, many cannot speak and most have trouble controlling their movements, but this is a truly happy place. We tell Mrs Mashumu how inspiring she is and thank her. She is bemused that two people from a long way away would think this, but is happy to accept our warm words.

 

Again, we don’t want to leave, because being here feeds the soul, and helps one believe that whatever despair one feels or sees, there is always hope. Especially when Ledile is on the case!

From the Disabled Centre we return to the ADP office to complete the paperwork and say our goodbyes. Ledile drops into the conversation what she will have to show us ‘next time you come’ – and we laugh together at her deliberate assumption that we will return.

 

Back on the road home we try to process all that we have seen and felt in this whirlwind day. This community has made huge strides since we first came in 2005, we have seen many instances where the drive and initiative of the community (usually the women of the community), coupled with the funding and knowledge of World Vision, has really started to make a sustainable difference to many lives.

But we have also seen abject poverty, malnutrition, illness, suffering and despair. There is still work to be done, and we leave with the resolve to carry on doing what we can to help. And we want to share our stories with whoever we can, especially those sponsors and supporters reading this, who can know their money is well spent and achieves great things.

 

We feel very lucky. Lucky to have the material wealth we enjoy in the UK, lucky to have our health, but mostly lucky to have had a short insight into the lives of this community, their struggles, their victories and their hopes. We especially feel lucky to have sponsored children for 18 years, and in particular to have helped, in our small way, the lives of Dieketseng and her family. Most of all, we feel lucky to have met the likes of Mrs Mashumu, the ladies at the piggery project and especially Ledile the ADP Manager.

And she’s right, we will be back….

 

If you’ve enjoyed reading James’ blog, or if you’ve got any questions for him about his trip please post your comments below.

 

Finally, after all of these great stories you might just be feeling inspired to become part of this wonderful work, if so please consider sponsoring a child in South Africa.

Any views or opinions contained in this blog are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent those of World Vision.

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by | August 8, 2012 · 8:19 am

Lopez Lomong: I did not know it at the time – but my childhood had just ended

Today’s post is the second one we have featured written by Lopez Lomong, who will run the 5,000 metre race for Team USA at the London 2012 Olympics, and dreams of taking home a gold medal.

While his current life sounds like a dream come true, his childhood was more like a nightmare.

Born in war-torn South Sudan, Lopez was kidnapped by rebel soldiers at the age of six with two foreseeable futures: being forced to kill as a child soldier, or being killed himself.

This blog tells the story of one of the darkest chapter of Lomong’s life – the day he was abducted.

It has been adapted from Lopez Lomong’s book Running For My Life and was originally published here.

*     *     *

My eyes were closed in prayer when the trucks pulled up. I heard them before I saw them.

When I looked up, I saw soldiers pouring out of the backs of the trucks. They appeared nervous, as though they wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

“Everybody down! Now!” they shouted as they ran into the middle of my congregation.

I knew our country was at war. About once a month, my mother and father grabbed me and my brothers and sister and ran for shelter as bombs fell in the distance from aeroplanes that flew from far overhead. But I had never seen a soldier until this bright, summer Sunday, and I had never expected to see soldiers invade a church service.

The soldiers continued running and shouting. Our priest tried to reason with them. “Please do not do this now,” he said.

The leader of the soldiers ignored him. “We’re taking the children!” he screamed.

I did not know what he meant by that. I would soon.

Lopez began running at age 6 from rebel soldiers in Sudan. Today, he runs for Team USA in the 2012 Olympics. Photo by Jon Warren, 2012 World Vision

My parents dropped to the ground, pulling me down with them. I huddled close to my mother’s side. She wrapped her arm so tightly around me that my ribs hurt. All around me people screamed and cried. I started crying too. My mother tried to calm me but she was as frightened as I was.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my back. I looked up and saw a giant man standing over me. When you are a little boy, every adult looks like a giant. His gun was slung behind his back. A chain of bullets hung across his chest. My mother pleaded with him: “No, no, no! Don’t take my boy!”

The soldier did not reply. With one hand, he yanked my mother’s arm off of me while picking me up with the other. He dragged me past the giant tree at the front of our church and toward the trucks. “Hurry up! Let’s go!” he yelled.

All around me, other soldiers herded boys and girls and teenagers toward the trucks while yelling for everyone to speed up.

I turned around. My mother and father were off of the ground, chasing after me. Tears ran down their faces. They were not alone. All across our church, parents chased their children, weeping and wailing.

“Please do not take our children,” they begged. “Please, please, we will do anything you ask — just do not do this.”

Lopez Lomong spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Kenya. Photo by Jon Warren, 2012 World Vision

One especially giant soldier swung back around toward our crying parents. He waved his gun in the air and screamed, “One more step closer and we will open fire!”

I could not see what happened next. I felt myself being picked up and thrown into the back of one of the trucks. I bounced off another boy and landed on the hot, dirty, metal truck bed.

The truck was full of children from my church. A green canopy covered the top and sides of the truck bed so I could not see out. Suddenly the tailgate slammed shut and the truck lurched forward.

I did not know it at the time, but my childhood had just ended.

*     *     *

My thoughts are never far away from those other boys and girls who, for no fault of their own, will never know the carefree celebration of life that should be the right of every child.

It’s for this reason that I’m turning up the heat on awareness and positive engagement efforts in South Sudan, creating sustainable hope for the young ones who deserve life in all of its fullness.

Alongside World Vision I have set up the 4 South Sudan initiative, creating real change in a land of endless possibility.

4 South Sudan’s mission is to meet the needs of the South Sudanese people through water, healthcare, education and nutrition.

You can find out more at www.4southsudan.org

Read more about Lopez’s story here.

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