World Relief Stories

Malawi: A Travel Log Day 6

2008-03-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Day 6

Chicken Run and Toy Story

It's been a while since I've seen someone get so excited about chickens.

Well, other than my boss, that is. She's into chickens and all things that run around on four legs.

Villagers in the remote village of Embangweni are ecstatic with their brood of egg-layers.

They're so excited we could hardly get out of our vehicle before we were rounded up and in the coop.

No sooner than World Relief had supplied the birds, the members of a local church - St. Joseph's - got together and built a chicken run out of sticks.

The villagers have only one complaint: the chickens aren't as plump as they'd like.

But this simple agricultural project goes a long way towards increasing food security among these church members and their families - people who are at the top of the totem pole when it comes to vulnerability.

Chickens are perhaps the most entertaining thing in this village.

So when Kevin produced a bag of toy cars for the kids, eyes lit up.

These children had never seen toys before. Usually, they play in the dirt... perhaps with a stick or a few pebbles or a piece of twine. The look on their faces was one of pure delight.

Back in the U.S., Kevin's sons, ages 5 and 9, had loaded their dad up with toys to give away to children in Africa who'd never seen a toy truck before, let alone a PlayStation.

The action of a child is a reminder that each of us can truly leave our mark on the world in some small yet meaningful way.

We will take many memories with us from our travels in Malawi, but perhaps the most enduring image will be the power of simple things to make a real difference - things like chickens and toy cars.

Malawi Travel Log Day 5

2008-03-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

Day 5

Deadly Serious Business

Coffin making is big business in Malawi.

Everywhere along the roads you'll see "Coffin Workshops."

One sign in particular caught my eye: "Heaven Bound Funeral Parlor."

I guess it's putting a positive spin on it.

The booming coffin-building industry is yet another grim reminder of the realities of life in Malawi... the cruel realities of rampant AIDS, hunger and child mortality.

In some areas, the coffin makers can barely keep up with demand.

People here look forward to their home in heaven. But how wonderful it would be if, first, they could live a life worth living here on earth. Pray for Malawi!

Malawi Travel Log: Day 4

2008-03-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Day 4

Fried Termites and The Road-Kill Dinner

Merrily cruising along the main road today when a fuzzy white object richocheted off the front windshield. What on earth!

"A bird!" cried our driver, excitedly.

Screeching to a halt, he proceeded to turn around in the road.

I assumed our driver's humanitarian nature had gotten the better of him. Naturally, he was checking on the welfare of that poor pigeon.

Suddenly, it dawned on me. That bird was his dinner!

Sadly, though, our driver was 30 seconds too late. If there's food lying around - even a dead pigeon in the road - you have to have lightning reflexes in Malawi!

An elderly gentleman standing by the roadside was already holding his "trophy" aloft, a crooked-toothed grin spread over his face.

As the old saying goes: "A bird in the hand..."

Termite Indigestion

Ever tried fried termites?

I did today.

My in-laws used to have termites eating away at their house.

I never realized you could eat them.

Salty, with a crunchy shell... and not very satisfying.

Now I have a whole bag of the things to dispose of... I mean, consume.

I could try smuggling them back into America - the boys at church would love that - but I'm not sure what U.S. Customs would have to say about it.

Could sprinkle them on my cornflakes.

Please do forward any termite recipes...

Malawi: A Travel Log Day 3

2008-03-17T05:57:00.001-07:00

Day 3

First Time For Everything

Incredibly, it's the first time these village children have ever seen white people.

One or two wide-eyed toddlers back away in terror and burst into tears.

The isolated tobacco growing village of Chipolwa seldom sees anybody from the outside world - let alone a couple of Americans armed with Nikons.

It's also a surreal "first " for me. A few days ago, I was gazing at the Space Needle in Seattle. Now I'm deep in the Malawian countryside, milling around a village of thatched mud huts and dried tobacco leaves - the villagers' primary income source.

I feel like the Pied Piper as I wander, trailed by a throng of 100-plus chattering children - and some parents, too.

African Inventiveness

Plucking up courage, a 10-year-old boy holds out a soccer ball.

Made out of a blown-up plastic bag, held together only by string, the ball is remarkably round and bouncy.

In Malawi, soccer is HUGE. But no one in this village owns a "proper" ball. In fact, the children have never seen one... let alone heard of David Beckham.

A teenager strums on a banjo that he's made entirely out of scrap materials - an astonishing feat of creativity.

It's a reminder that these children each have God-given artistry, God-given abilities. Yet, here, they've no life options other than tobacco harvesting. There is nothing else.

World Relief has a vision: could their incredible inventiveness be "harvested"?

In the local church, Dublex Nkhoma, a 30-year-old teacher from the village, runs World Relief's child development program for pre-schoolers - teaching a generation of little Malawians the alphabet, numbers, spiritual songs and - most importantly - how to pray.

The number of pre-schoolers in Dublex's class has soared from 42 to... wait for it... 105 in just over a year.

These little ones, I feel, are destined for a higher purpose than tobacco harvesting. Their time will come.

Malawi: A Travel Log Day 2

2008-03-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Church That AIDS Built

Four years ago, the Free Methodist Church in Salima had only 12 members.

Now the church has 382.

Ironically, the scourge of AIDS is breathing new life into many of Malawi’s churches, as people respond to the love that churches shower on people living with HIV/AIDS.

At the Free Methodist, hundreds have started coming to church since World Relief trained church members how to care for people living with AIDS in their community.

People want to know more about the faith that inspires their neighbors to visit those whom others consider outcasts.

It’s as if God has taken something terrible and brought forth good.

Says Macdonald Esau, a local church leader: “People in the community say: ‘It’s good that people from the church take time to visit people who are not members of their church’.

“This is the work of Jesus on earth.”

Glimpses of Malawi: A Travel Log

2008-03-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Warm Hearts, Steady Heads

Malawians are known for their “warm hearts” – but they also know how to use their heads.

Water, fruit, firewood – everything is expertly carried on top the head – no hands!

Of course, we had to ask for a personal demo. And this lady was only too happy to show off her balancing skills.

It was a lighthearted moment… we would need it ahead of what was about to come…

Children of AIDS

As the group of young children stood for a photo op outside their church, it struck me that none of them might live to reach adulthood.

In all likelihood, none of these children will marry. None will have families of their own.

Every one of them is HIV-positive.

They were born with the AIDS virus – and eventually AIDS will claim their lives.

Eight-year-old Tadala is the same age as my own daughter. Only Tadala is HIV positive.

Her mom and dad both died of AIDS. Now this orphan lives with her grandfather.

A year or so ago, Tadala was covered in boils and sores…. a classic sign of advancing AIDS. She used to vomit every day.

But now because of the support offered by World Relief through St. Mathew’s Anglican Church in Salima, Tadala is one of the HIV-positive children “fortunate” enough to have access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) – drugs that slow the brutal onset of AIDS.

Her grandfather says Tadala is stronger now. The boils have gone; the vomiting has stopped.
“When I pray,” her grandfather says, “I ask the Lord to give Tadala a long life, a healthy life.”

Is it possible? Is my Jesus able to give Tadala a future? Is He also the Lord over AIDS?

Survival. Hunger. Poverty

2007-04-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Survival. Hunger. Poverty.
Words that can stay theoretical and abstract until you meet the person experiencing them.
More accurately: Words that have stayed theoretical to me until I met someone experiencing them.

I met Katherine Nibaruta on March 29, 2007— the day World Relief distributed 35,000 kilos of beans in the northern Burundian province of Kayanza. The 1,500 people to receive the beans were all from the Kabarore Zone and came together eagerly and thankfully at the Kabarore Primary School to collect the promised food. Thousands of dark faces, bright smiles, and colorfully arrayed women greeted us. Katherine was one of them.

She came from a family who had lived in the Kabarore Zone of Kayanza, Burundi, for generations. It is a land of tall hills, bright green fields of tea, and stretches of wide-leafed banana trees. The land is so beautiful and so lush, one is struck by the contrast of the beauty of the land and the great poverty of the people residing in it. Katherine’s family had farmed that land for years— growing sweet potatoes, beans, corn, bananas, and avocadoes. But now, even though the land appears green and fertile, it is actually desolate. The excess rains and floods, and then lack of rains, have destroyed their crops. The soil is infertile, and they have no manure to nourish it and give the soil the nutrients it needs.

On March 29, when I met her, Katherine had no money in her small, dirt-floor home. She said money went only to the strong who can work for food. At 55, she is considered elderly by her community and can no longer work to earn money to buy the food that is so expensive in the local markets. She had no food in her home. The banana trees were too old and no longer produced fruit. The avocadoes and potatoes and corn were ruined by the rains. Only a few beans and bean leaves from her garden to sustain herself, her ailing husband, and their four remaining children

Unfortunately (and true of many Burundian families), this was not the first time Katherine and her family have been in such a dire situation. As a child, Katherine grew up in a nearby home with two sisters and two brothers. Her childhood was filled with typical Burundian home activities— fetching water, cooking, and cleaning. As a young girl, she attended Catholic school for five years, receiving only a basic elementary education.

Katherine married at the age of 20, the second wife of her husband Juvenal. His first wife had nine children. Katherine bore eight, but only three of her own survived. The war in Burundi was the beginning of hardships for Katherine and her family. The cows that they used for milk and manure (for the soil) were stolen. The military took up position right behind her house to protect their village, but they still were forced to flee several times to Rwanda.

And now, with the inconsistent weather and food shortage, Katherine’s situation seems bleak. She received a bag of beans from the food distribution which she is thankful for and brings a bit of respite. 23 kilos of beans. 10 days of food— one meager meal once a day in the evening. I asked her about her future, and she said she could not really see her future. She says, “I have no hope for food, for my future.”

And Katherine is only one story— one real person that has changed my thinking of survival and hunger and poverty from a trite theory to a sad and terrible reality.

The other 1,500 people that received food that day all have stories and situations that parallel Katherine’s. They came to the school that day from nine surrounding hills, invited by the leaders of their communities including the nine local chiefs, an array of national and local security, and nine pastors who partner with World Relief to bring aid to the people. These nine pastors came together from a range of denominations— Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal, and Assemblies of God— partnering with World Relief for the sake of their people. As the crowd gathered to collect the food, one of the pastors addressed them. He spoke about creating hope for the future and encouraged them, saying that Christians in America know of their need, have given money to help them (through World Relief), and are praying for them in their hardship. In response, the people of Kabarore were thankful. They waved and shook our hands in a gesture of gratefulness. But their struggle to fight hunger, poverty, and to survive will continue. Katherine’s struggle will continue. This is no longer theoretical.

To find out more about the work of World Relief in response to the crisis in Burundi or to donate to our work, click here.

Faces of Gaza

2007-02-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

Turning off the main street in Gaza City's Sajayieh neighborhood onto a narrow dirt road, we navigated carefully the countless twists and turns, avoiding numerous pot holes along the way and barefooted children playing in the street.

Walls covered with grafitti announced allegiance to various militant groups, mainly Hamas and Fatah in this part of town. Entering one of the worst neighborhoods in Gaza, where battles are fought regularly, sometimes between families, sometimes between political factions, and oftentimes with Israeli forces, we're on our way to vist the home of one our students at our School. A teacher and I along with two members of the relief team are visiting the Burdani home.

Home visits are a vital part of the ministry here at the school and provide an opportunity to meet the family and see the living conditions that our students go home to everyday. Needs are assessed, a box of food is brought, new children are registered for the coming school year, and families are prayed for. Though a vital part of the ministry, home visits are becoming increasingly more difficult and dangerous as factional fighting is on the rise throughout the Gaza Strip. On this particular day a member of Hamas and two members of Fatah have been killed and a large number have been kidnapped.

Our visit has obviously been announced as we pull up next to the home with a crowd of children awaiting our arrival. The building we enter is a three story concrete structure, unfinished on the outside and cold on the inside. We make our way up the stairs to the rooftop where Du'a, a fourth grader at our School, lives with her parents and five brothers and sisters. Du'a's cousin and classmate, Amal, is visiting as well with her mother and brothers.

The room we're seated in is not unlike most of the places we've visited before. Mats cover the floor with very little furniture to be found. A bed in one corner with a small table and an old TV is all there is. The ceiling is made up of asbestos sheets, open to the outside wind and rain and obviously leaking in certain parts of the room.

The opening for the window is uncovered, with no glass to prevent the cold and rain from coming in and with no bars to prevent the children from falling out. Hanging from the ceiling is a Quranic verse and a framed picture of a family member, probably a 'martyr' killed in one of the many Israeli incursions. This is the one room of the house where the family eats, sleeps and lives...all eight of them.

Our hostess graciously served us cold drinks as we got to know the family. Sha'ban, the oldest son, dropped out of school in 6th grade and is now 17 years old...without a job and without an education. Rowan, seated next to her mother, is five years old and has not been able to go to kindergarten because of the family's situation.

She is now registered in the Kindergarten scheduled to open the beginning of March. She will need a sponsor to help cover the costs of tuition, uniform, transportation and books. Abu Sha'ban, the father of the home, has been unemployed since the beginning of the intifada in 2001. Like so many others, he used to work in Israel and was able to provide very well for the family.

At one time close to 100,000 Palestinians from Gaza were employed in Israel. The border closures and travel restrictions have reduced that number to a little more than 200, causing unemployment in Gaza to soar above 40%. Somehow this family of eight is able to get by without a source of income...extended family members giving what little they can, UN relief supplies for refugee families, and a box of food items from the School and the church's relief program.

The mother shares with us how happy she is with the school and with Du'a's progress. The two girls, Du'a and Amal, are seated in their school uniforms with smiles on their faces.

As I leave the Burdani home, the built-up fatigue and frustration of life in Gaza quickly fades and I'm remined again of why we're here. A little light has been brought into this darkness...in this family, in this home, in this neighborhood, in this area of Gaza, in this part of the Middle East...the light of Christ is shining and the darkness cannot put it out. I'm reminded again that there is hope for this land and the people of this region.

As you read the headlines and see the news this weekend of more kidnappings and killings and factional fighting, remember that what you see below are the faces of Gaza. Not of militants, or enemies, or terrorists...but the faces of children, the faces of the future, the faces of HOPE!

God bless you all for your continued prayers,
John & Marcia

John is a World Relief partner working with a school in Gaza, offering hope and a future to children.

Day 5-Last day in Wamena

2006-09-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

Charles-day5
Originally uploaded by andrearatzloff.

Today is our last day. Our flight was scheduled for 9:20AM, but we changed it to 3pm to finish up our work here. We had one destination today, to the mountains in Pikhe, to photograph the youth there. Chris, our guide, knows these people. Some of them attend his church. Today, we had the taxi driver’s phone number so we didn’t have to stand along the road waiting.

Our first stop is by the roadside near one of the homes. The girls at this home are strolling down the mountain with pieces of timber to sell in the market. We had a quick chat, some photo shoots and off they went. Then we met another family of 15 in their traditional home. This village is about 10kms up in the mountains, and the people here haven’t even heard of HIV/AIDS. We take a few photos and chat. The road is very slippery and we hurried back to the hotel to check out before 12:00noon and get ready for the flight.

We start driving down the road as I took some pictures of the scenery and people who we met along the road. Two fascinating scenes grasp my attention. A young girl with her daughter on her shoulders running down the hill. Another is an old woman, with big loads of firewood on her back and head going to the market to sell it to provide for her family of five. I have enjoyed my trip, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to come back in the future.

Day 4-Visit to local Hospital/other church leaders in Wamena, Jayawijaya

2006-09-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Charles-day4
Originally uploaded by andrearatzloff.

Last night, we had to ask for extra blankets at our hotel, it was so cold. The blankets here are so thin that the only difference between them and the bed sheets is the color!

Our first destination today was the hospital. We met with Dr. Charles Rutalangi to ask him about the HIV/AIDS cases at the Wamena General Hoaspital. He told us that he has had recorded three cases of AIDS, two of them have already died. He admitted that they were only suspected AIDS cases, because the patients had long illness, tuberculoses, and lost so much weight before they died. He said he thought there were more cases, but they have no way of finding out. At this hospital, which serves over 300,000, they do not havea facility for testing HIV/AIDS!

Our next stop is the home of Abraham Ongirwalu, the pastor of Gereja Kristen Injiri. Asking him what his congregation is doing about the AIDS problem, Abraham told us that they have quarterly seminars for the congregation heads to talk to them about the subject. But because even they have little information, they are not yet confident enough to begin sharing with the entire congregation.

While we were still chatting Bapak. Rudy Souisa, the former first assistant for the district of Jayawijaya, similar to what we would call the deputy Mayor. He told us that government was doing all it can, but the morality is individual responsibility. Rudy told us that the main cause of the spread of HIV here is prostitution. In the Papuan culture, men found to pay for a local Papuan prostitute are fined a minimum of 6 pigs. Pigs are often used as a form of payment in this culture. The cheapest pig costs about five million rupiah (approximately 500 dollars). Though that is expensive, because many men come from outside the Papuan culture, even if they are caught they are not often punished! While those involved find the cost of prostitution affordable, perhaps only $10, the consequences are silent and are only reflected in the increasing rates of HIV/AIDS infections in this town.

As we return to the hotel in the evening, we saw cottages of what used to be a hotel, now abandoned and surrounded by bush. Chris, our volunteer escort, and head of a local youth church group told us that the owners ran bankrupt, and the Hotel was closed. The driver stopped, and I took a photo on the road with the Hotel in the background.

Tomorrow is our last day here. No appointments yet, but we will meet some other people before we depart.

Day Three: Wamena--Field visits to churches/church leaders

2006-09-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Charles-Day3
Originally uploaded by andrearatzloff.

The evenings here are cold, and it has been raining every night. I have had to wear my jacket which I haven’t used in the one year since I’ve been in Aceh.

Our destination today is to the different churches in Wamena. We want to talk with the different leaders to find out what they are already doing to help their congregations better understand the HIV/AIDS situation.

We stood along the road, just outside our hotel for almost an hour waiting for a taxi. Most already had passengers. One of them told us he was dropping off two passengers and would be back shortly, but he never came back. I went by the shop to buy a bottle, but it cost four times what I would pay in Aceh. Everything here is very expensive, since air transport is the only way to get goods to Wamena.

After finally catching a taxi, our first stop was Gereja Bethel Indonesia in Pisug village, 8 kilometers from Wamena. We met Pastor Henok Kossaj and four members of his church. As we talked, I asked them what they know about HIV/AIDS, and what they are doing as a church, and I got some interesting responses.

Kossaj told me that he knows AIDS is a disease affecting people in Wamena, and no one in his village has it. Ironically, he mentions that he doesn’t know symptoms of the disease and has never seen anyone with it.

Markus Kossaj, a member of Kossaj’s congregation, told us that AIDS is a disease which affects the private parts. Hanas Dabily, told me that in the Dani (the tribe in Pisugi village) tradition, they burn the dead, a sure way of getting rid of AIDS. After several discussions, we left for another village.

Our next stop is Pikhe village. We meet pastor Evangelist Jason Jikwa,of the Gereja Baptist Panorama. He tells us three members of his congregation who died recently were diagnosed with AIDS.

But he says he cannot talk to his congregation because he has little information about the disease. Jason has attended one seminar on HIV/AIDS where he learned AIDS spreads through sex, so he tells his congregation to remain faithful. He says he mentions it during the Sunday prayers but not often. “Sex is a human desire and it is very difficult for me to stop the people,” he says. “Maybe if I had more information, then I will start talking about AIDS.”

Pikhe and Pisugi villages are less than 9 kilometers from Wamena, a place considered to have one of the highest AIDS infection rates in the country, but the people are simply not educated about the disease.

The church here has a lot of authority, convenes the village meetings, and has a big congregation, but their leaders cannot talk about AIDS. Most leaders are over 40 and aren’t comfortable speaking freely talk about sex in church, yet their congregation is dying!

Before we left for Wamena, Pastor Jason took us to visit a traditional homestead next to his church. There are four traditional Papuan grass thatched huts enclosed in a fence made of short wood with a single entrance. The women and their children live in three separate huts while the men sleep in one hut, directly facing the entrance to the compound. Jason tells us the men’s hut is strategically positioned to enable them to watch over everyone who enters into the compound. We briefly talk to the elders just outside their hut. There are more than 20 people in this compound, but none of them have even heard of AIDS! After our return Wamena, we plan for tomorrow, when we will be meeting other church leaders and the head of the main government hospital in Wamena.

Day Two: Jayapura/Wamena - Papua--Insightful statistics!

2006-09-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Charles-becakPapua
Originally uploaded by andrearatzloff.

I have experienced more than my share of delayed flights. I woke up very early this morning to catch another flight from Jayapura, where I spent the night, to Wamena, a smaller town. Last night I went to sleep very early, exhausted by the almost 8 hour long journey from Jakarta! This place is two hours ahead of other parts of Indonesia – same country!

After a 30 minute drive to the airport, we hurried through the security check only to find no one was at the Trigana Air counter! It was 7:45 AM, and our flight was scheduled for 8:30 AM. Dr.Tomatala, my trip colleague/translator/guide went to the airline office to inquire about the schedule, only to be told that the flight would depart at 10:30 AM. No announcements, no apologies!

We went to the coffee shop outside the airport terminal and just by the doorway was a young man selling newspapers. An interesting headline caught my eye, so I stopped. The paper was in Bahas, the Indonesian language, so I couldn’t read the entire headline. The final word jumped out—HIV/AIDS…so I decided to buy a copy and have Dr. Tomatala translate for me.

Dr Tomatala began to translate, “Free Sex and HIV/AIDS”.

Ironically, as I travel to visit Papua to investigate the opportunity for an AIDS program, I see my first Indonesian Newspaper with extensive coverage on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Tomatala goes on to summarize the two pages devoted to the topic for me:

“Current HIV/AIDS infection in Papua ranges from 90,000 to 130,000! In September 2004, a report by the Health Department indicated that 2,226 Papuans had HIV, and 2,363 had AIDS,” he read.

The article goes on to quote recent survey results of 2,100 students between the ages of 8-12 conducted by the University of CendraWasih in Papua which indicated 15.2% of the respondents admitted to have been already involved in sexual activity. It is 10:00 AM and our plane still hasn’t arrived. I held on to the paper for future reference.

When the announcement for our flight is made, people are practically running to the plane and I wondered out loud what the problem was. Dr. Tomatala informed me it is free seating, so people rush to get the “best” positions! We board and head off to Wamena.

After landing in Wamena, I spent thirty minutes with the immigration police registering and clearing with my Travel permit for Papua. We took a becak (pedicab) the short distance to our hotel. The ones here are different from the ones in Aceh so I ask Tomatala to take my photograph.

Some places are closed because I hear they are celebrating the beginning of the fasting month, so tomorrow will be a holiday for us as well.

Charles Kakaire is the World Relief Communications Officer in Indonesia, traveling to Papua in response to the HIV/AIDS situation.

Ending the stigma associated with AIDS? A long way to go!

2006-09-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

WR charles
Originally uploaded by World Relief Pictures.

Indonesia, Sunday 24th September 2006

On my way to Papua yesterday, I had one of those annoying journeys when my flight from Jakarta was delayed by over 6hours. But well, thanks to Garuda Airways, which offered me a place in the executive transit lounge where I spent my time until 2:50am, the new departure time for my flight.

As I waited in the lounge, I met a new friend, an Indonesia man in his 60s. My friend and I started to chat about many things among which was the topic of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia. The purpose of my trip to Papua is specifically to get a deeper understanding of the context and extent of HIV/AIDS, so that I in turn inform other people, mostly the World Relief donors, since Word Relief is being invited by the local church in Papua to support them in their HIV/AIDS interventions.

Before we could go deep into the talk, my friend concluded I took a wrong decision to accept to go to Papua. Reason? I was going to catch the disease by getting near the infected people! In his view, HIV/AIDS is spread by getting close to those who have it! “They will spread it to you, unless you stay away from them” he said.

For a while, I was taken many years back as I tried to convince him that one cannot catch AIDS by simply associating with those who have it. Getting such a response from someone who lives in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, I only started to imagine what sorts of opinions I would find in the people in Papua, my final destination, one of the most remote and primitive part of Indonesia.

AIDS seems to be a new topic in Indonesia, although it is slowly eating away the population. And the ignorance, lack of awareness about the disease, and near absence of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services, creates more room for the disease to spread. Currently, Papua is considered one of the worst affected areas in Indonesia, but even here, people hardly know about the disease. With common views about AIDS resembling those of my new friend at the transit lounge in Jakarta, unless checked, the disease will continue to slowly but surely eat away the population of the world’s fourth largest country!

As for the stigma associated with the disease, the journey to find out more is just beginning! Please come back, as I update you daily about my experiences in Papua.

Charles Kakaire is the World Relief Communications Officer in Indonesia. He is currently on a trip to Papua, where World Relief is being invited by the local church to support its HIV/AIDS interventions.

Faith in Adversity

2006-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

In the last nine months, while working with World Relief, I have met more suffering people that I had ever met in the last 20 years, but one unique thing strikes me each time I am encountered with another person or family, the incredible faith in God, and resilience amidst their suffering. Probably one leads to another.

On a recent trip to Sudan’s Darfur province, I met 35 year old Jeddah Idris, a single mother of nine children ages 2 to 19. Two years ago, her husband was killed when a group of local militia attacked their home. She and her children survived, but were left with nothing, after their home was set on fire and all property looted. Now living in a small makeshift house with all her children in Azirni main village, Jeddah says one word repeatedly, Alhamdulilah, Alhamdulilah, meaning thanks be to God, adding that it’s because of Allah (God) that the children and herself are still alive. As though nothing is missing in her life, Jeddah smiled heartily saying life continues, as she mounted on her donkey, to begin her daily four kilometer journey to fetch water for the family. World Relief bought her the donkey, which is the main source of labor for families in Darfur.

IMG_0038
Originally uploaded by World Relief Pictures.

When the earthquake hit Indonesia’s town of Jogjakarta, 30 year old Umi Teresia’s mother died in the rubble of a collapsed neighbor’s house where she had gone to pay for labor to plough her rice fields. Meeting Umi, just days after her mother’s burial, she told me one thing had kept her strong, the belief that God had a plan for her and her family beyond the earthquake. Their house was also flattened by the earthquake but Umi, her father and her 8-year old son managed to escape unhurt. Sitting on top of the rubble on their collapsed house, in what she said would have been the living room; Umi said everything is God’s plan including those people, as she pointed to a group of World Relief volunteers helping to clear the debris to create space for the emergency shelters. A few meters away from the Umi’s house, an elderly couple, Suyadi and his wife Sukirni, who like many Indonesians, have only one name, were sitting on their partly damaged sofa, one of the few things they managed to salvage from the rubble. Talking with the couple, they said they lost everything but God saved one precious commodity for them, their life, adding that God will also provide for alternatives.

But it was 29-year old Imran from Beurandeh village in Banda Aceh who moved me the most. Like many other families in Indonesia’s Aceh, this man lost his wife and his three children, and he even never got to see their bodies! His house and all the possessions were also washed away by the tsunami. With teary eyes, Imran told me how he was driving a taxi, a job he had had for two years, that morning when it was swept off the road by the first wave. He and other passengers survived by running to the high ground before the second wave struck, which was so strong that it washed away houses, cars and even the road. He couldn’t even return home for an entire week! Describing how life has been since the tragedy, Imran said, “Hanya Tuhan yang membuat saya kuat,” meaning, only God has kept me strong. Now living in a new house constructed by World Relief, Imran recently remarried and says the rest will be God’s plan. From three different locations, miles apart, Jeddah, Umi and Imran have experienced different disasters, but they all have something in common, a high level of resilience and an incredible faith in God.

Charles Kakaire is the World Relief Communications Officer in Indonesia.

Hope in Cambodia

2006-06-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is my first trip back to Cambodia in over three years. What has been my family's home since I was 12, coming to Phnom Penh allows the opportunity to spend time with my parents, see the development that has happened, and to experience first hand many of the World Relief programs I write about at work.

Spending a day visiting a variety of programs, a picture of the way we started our day stands out....

A modern day Pied Piper, a World Relief Hope staff member wanders through the thin corridors of the squatter settlement by the railroad tracks with his megaphone playing a short little tune recognized by all the children in the community. As he walks, children fall in step behind him or run ahead to the shade tree where other Hope staff set up.

Excited and laughing, the children flock…a few completely naked, one carrying a dog, others with a younger brother or sister on their hip. It’s the highlight of their day, it seems. Curious mothers, some under the pretense of watching their younger children, stand around the back. A man selling brooms stops his cart to listen.

Soon, all eyes are fixed on the leader who begins playing a game to pull the group together.

“I am going to the market,” he yells.

“What will you buy?” 75 children yell in unison.

“A dog,” he says, pulling the young girl carrying the dog behind him, provoking the laughter of the children.

A series of games, singing, and interactive lessons promoting healthy behavior and a caring community kept most children completely enraptured for an hour. The puppet show, featuring Bert (or Sophan as he was renamed for this particular show) from Sesame Street, called attention to the dangers of the tiger mosquito which carries dengue fever. When the villain mosquito appeared on the scene, the children booed and called for it to go away. As the show continued, it outlined ways to eliminate the habitat for the mosquitoes and to protect yourself from getting bitten. Vital lessons for children (and the curious mothers) to ensure they are protected during the upcoming rainy season.

A skit put on by incredibly animated staff and a volunteer from the audience kept the kids laughing hysterically at moments and moaning in pain at others. Emphasizing the importance of helping others, the skit showed one character lose his brother and another his cow, and followed how the others in the community responded. The moral of the story is that you should help people, that God commands us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. In Cambodia, a country dramatically impacted by genocide in the 1970s, this is an essential lesson. Trust and help without strings attached is a rare commodity, one the Hope team is seeking to build into these children’s lives early.

In the Hope program, I saw something you rarely see in the classrooms in Cambodia. A large group of children engaged, responding independently and thoughtfully to their teacher. Children knew every word to the a song about washing your hands and being clean before everything….about the importance of serving as a role model for your friends in your cleanliness and hygiene. They left the group humming the tunes or singing the lyrics…many teach the songs and lessons to their neighbors, parents and friends.

As I talked to the staff, I found a group of committed, animated, fun-loving adults who poured their lives into children each and every day. Going out into the communities they work in, they reinforce the health lessons…ensuring that children are putting into practice what they learn. In the midst of poverty, hopelessness and despair, Hope lives up to its name…investing in the lives of children to provide hope, life and a future for them and their nation.

Andrea Kaufmann is a Staff Writer/Copy Editor for World Relief in Baltimore.

2006-05-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Steve and Rachel Good of Zion Chapel in Goshen, Indiana, are serving in Mozambique for World Relief. Steve is working in the field of microenterprise.
Trip to the U.S.
We were in the U.S. for one month over Christmas and into January. It was great to connect with our families and friends again and see that they are doing well. In January, there were World Relief meetings in Baltimore and Minneapolis. It was amazing to be in one place with WR Mozambique staff, people who have visited Mozambique this year and U.S.-based WR staff. We realized how many people we have met and grown to love in the past year.

Our Work
The microenterprise project of raising chickens is expanding. We have completed seven new chicken houses in Xai-Xai, a city on the coast and our trainers have trained 30 more volunteers in Manhiça in the microenterprise course. We will begin building there soon.

We were very pleased to know that the projects in Chokwe and Macia continued doing well while we were stateside. Our bookkeepers are Edgar and Acidia. They are doing a great job of keeping track of the books, paying the volunteers and doing the banking.

Alcides and Anabela help us as our technicians and supply runners. Anabela and her husband are leaders in an Anglican church. They also work with World Relief in the HIV/AIDS program by coordinating home health care volunteers. Their church has projects to raise money for food for the orphans and widows in their church family. They are busy making a difference in their community, not only in word but also in deed.

To Be or To Do
In our meetings with World Relief staff and church partners, one of the issues that came up was that Americans love to come to the field and "do'' something significant such as build, teach, paint, or provide health services. We are so overwhelmed with the needs that we want to help fix them in a concrete way.

On the other hand, Africans value relationships. Yes, they appreciate the same things we do, but they also appreciate that we sing and dance with them, talk with them, spend time with them, find out what their lives are like, Just to "be" together is good.

These are some of the perspectives we need to keep in mind as we live here and plan for teams coming to Mozambique. We want to make the best use of their time and still honor the African values of being and relationship.

Thank you for your part in giving to God and to us and for praying for us. We feel we are part of a team, not doing this alone, and that is so valuable.

Lament: My Country Is Dying

2006-04-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Written by Rebecca Oehrig, our volunteer in Mozambique

It is my country not by birth, nor by nationality, nor by choice, but it is a country that has chosen me and despite my best efforts to remain somewhat aloof, has entwined itself in my heart. Today I weep for my Mozambique.

I weep for the sorrow that salts the air in the throes of a deadly acronym. I weep for the daily funerals. I weep for the broken homes, destitute widows, orphaned children. I weep for the still-breathing skeletons with hollow eyes that sit in a lonely wait for death. I weep for the hunger pangs, the bloated tummies, the oozing sores that eat at flesh which hangs like oversized clothing. I weep for the helplessness, the despair, the loneliness. I weep for myself because to me AIDS has names and faces. To me, these are my friends.

I have become quite adept at identifying those who have “the virus.” I am literate in the tell-tale signs; I know the pattern well--“I have sores that won’t heal, legs that won’t walk, a cough that won’t subside. My husband has abandoned me, my children are hungry; I have nowhere to turn.” I touch and comfort and give and pray…and leave.

But today it was Gloria who showed me that I am inextricably bound to the sorrows of this land, and whether by choice or by chance, I am here now with the opportunity to either live and love with abandon or shrug a helpless shoulder.

Gloria is a waif of a woman with the heart of a lion who came into my life by chance, as it were. The woman, Isabel, who was employed to clean the World Relief office (and subsequently my house) fell sick and Gloria was brought in as a temporary replacement. Her spirit, integrity and work ethic won my admiration and her kindness and faith won my heart. So when Isabel came back to work, leaving Gloria unemployed, we hired her full-time to clean our apartment. She is becoming a dear friend as we sit over tea and bread and chat about life and family and correctly-spoken Portuguese. She cares for me as carefully as she cares for my house—staying late into the evening to look after me when I get sick and calling me when I travel to make sure I have arrived safely. She, like countless other African women, is single-handedly raising four children and two grandchildren on $75 a month and has known more sorrows than one woman need bear.

This morning I got a call from Gloria, which was strange for a Sunday. Her cousin, who has been sick for quite some time, is dead. She died this morning.
--I have no money for transport. I knew I needed to visit her last night, but I had no money for transport.
Her cousin lives outside of the city, but despite the distance and expense, Gloria visited her to care for her at least twice a week.

--Mana Rebecca, she died because there was no one there to care for her well enough. She died because I couldn’t come. She died alone. She has a daughter with no father…and now no mother.
What does one say, in a language not her own, to the grief of a friend?

--Are you at home? Can I come see you? I don’t know what to do.
The doorbell rang some twenty minutes later and I held my friend as her head hung in defeat.

--I had hoped. I had hoped and prayed that God would heal her. But now the hope is finished.
But the tears did not come…We talked briefly, prayed, and sat in silence as so many thoughts swirled. Then she went on her way with her Bible and an envelope of money I gave her for transport and funeral costs. A small offering in the face of such need.

I don’t know if Gloria cried, or will cry, or if her tears have been spent on her mother and father and brother and husband and daughters. But I cried. I shut the door and leaned my head against the frame and wept. Not because this story is anything out of the ordinary--her cousin is just one of the hundreds who die each day--but because this story is ordinary. Because when we prayed for Gloria’s cousin two weeks ago, I knew it wouldn’t be long. Because the “sick” and the “orphaned” and the “widowed” cannot be confined to a program at a church—their story is told by every family. I wept because the need of this land has shifted in my life from facts and statistics to names, to faces, to people, to friends. I wept because one’s heart cannot hold and one’s mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of suffering that is a daily reality. I wept because sometimes one must just weep.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…to comfort all who mourn and to provide for those who grieve in Zion.” –Isaiah 61:1-3

Bauman Blip - 3 April 2006

2006-04-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we have sent out a little "blip." It's amazing what can happen in a couple of weeks! Let's see... we have been doing lots of work and school, had wonderful visits from old friends and some new ones, too, a "mystery illness" that landed me (Belinda) in the hospital hooked up to an IV for a day, and four days flat on my back (I am fine now!!). All to say, we are still here in Rwanda...growing and learning and giving no matter what the day brings.

While Stephan was out on a recent field visit, one of our HIV/AIDS associations bestowed upon our family a huge gift... a live chicken! This is a gift of great sacrifice by those from the village. We were honored. The chicken quickly made itself at home by letting Caleb feed him huge African slugs and by taking walks through our kitchen (Caleb LOVED chasing him out of the house). Joshua and Caleb asked, " Do African chickens sound the same as American chickens?" My knowledgeable answer is YES... and just as loud!

Joshua and Caleb asked if we could give "Lee Lee," our chicken, to a family or village so they could eat the eggs and "get healthy." One of our staff members, Jean Baptist was going to be making the long journey home to visit his family village near the Burundi border. Now a young man, Jean Baptist was only 12 when the genocide happened but he remembers his father taking his family by cover of night to the forest where they hid for 3 months. He grows very quiet as he tells me, " You know, I do not remember ever sleeping at that time..." When they came out of the forest, his father was attacked and they slit the tendons at his ankles. From that day on, Jean Baptist became the one to work for the family. He has put himself and two siblings through school and supported both his father and mother. Today, Jean Baptist, took "Lee Lee" to his village to feed his family eggs.

Joshua summed it up well when he said, "My heart feels so happy right now it's gonna pop..."

With hope and love,

Belinda, for the Bauman Tribe

Sybil and the children of Chokwe Primary School

2006-03-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

Moz3_06 031

Sybil Baloyi, founder of World Relief's Child Development program in Mozambique and Director of Mozambique's Mobilizing Youth for Life, surrounded by students from Chokwe's primary school. She is an amazing person to see in action and her passion is evident, "My goal is that one day these children will be part of the leadership of Mozambique, standing up for the Lord."

Sergio from Chokwe

2006-03-15T04:03:00.000-08:00

Sergio from Chokwe

Sergio is a confident, bright young man with strong convictions - a drastic difference from the insecure, low-esteemed kid that joined World Relief's Mobilizing Youth For Life club three years ago in Chokwe, Mozambique. "God has helped me accept who I am" he shares, explaining how he sees himself as a child of God, not as one who is insignificant.

Bauman Blip - 27 Jan 2006

2006-01-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

Updates from the Bauman family in Rwanda. Stephan Bauman, World Relief's country director, his wife, Belinda, and two sons - Joshua and Caleb, have lived in Kigali, Rwanda since July of 2005.

Dear Family and Friends,

I want to introduce you to Natalia, a precious part of our days here in Rwanda. Natalia plays with Joshua and Caleb on Tuesdays after school. Drawing is their favorite thing to do together. Natalia teaches them to draw poisson (fish) and her favorite bird is the “umosambi”. The boys teach her to draw “Thomas the Tank Engine” and 747 jumbo airplanes. Call it a cross cultural experience of the highest level (smile).

Natalia is a Rwandese orphan. Her father was killed in the genocide, her mother from AIDS. She and her sister live as an “orphan-headed household” on less than a dollar a day. To be honest, I have to remind myself all she has been through. Her little spirit is so resilient, her face so bright. She loves what every 12 year old girl loves—her girlfriends, sweet smelling soap, nice clothes and shoes. But above all Natalia loves to be hugged. When we were first getting to know each other, she was a bit shy, but now when she comes through our gate she practically crashes into my chest and throws her face into my neck saying “Mommy!!” We will stand there hugging for about a minute and then I will get the full report of the week in her language with bits of English and LOTS of hand signs!

All our love to each of you…

Belinda (for us all)

Jeff's Journal - Sudan 1/10/06

2006-01-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. I went to bed about 11ish and fell asleep pretty fast. Then I woke up at almost 2 am and proceed to think. All I could think about was how hot it was and that there never seemed to be a break in the heat. Then I thought about all the new things that I was experiencing and that kept me awake. Finally I fell asleep.

After a shower this morning I felt much better. Ate breakfast and then went to the Internet café. We all needed to send some emails. We weren’t there long. Hopefully someone will go tonight so that I can send so more out.

I found out an interesting thing this morning at breakfast. Today is Eid. This is a different Eid from the one that was celebrated in December. Today is the celebration of Moses not sacrificing his son Ishmael, but sacrificing a lamb instead. The music started around 4ish and then there were a lot of goat slaughtering. The other house was able to experience this firsthand as a goat was slaughtered real close to there home. Then when we were driving back from the Internet café, we passed a field where everyone was gathering for prayer. It was really cool to see. All the men up front in there white gowns, and the women in the back. It was quite an experience.

Today, I have spent the day working on finances here. I met with Myron and Marion, the finance manager, and found out what the plan was and we have been working on it all day. It is just about 6:30 so I thought I would stop and write some.

Meals are an interesting thing here. The food is great. Thankfully, Myron and his wife Janice have lived overseas a lot so they now what needs to be done to make the food edible. We even have salad that the ladies soak in bleach and clean for us. It is much nicer than Indonesia where we didn’t have anyone to cook for us.
Well, it is 9:45pm and everyone is kind of gone there own way, so I thought I would take some time and write a little more about things. The houses here are a lot different than in Indonesia. We have no running water except showers. They fill up drums that have spickets on them for hand washing and other things.

World Relief has two houses. One is a little nicer and it is where the women and Myron and his wife stay. They have ceiling fans that occasionally work. Actually, I think the power here was just turned on today. So when we went over there, they had a TV going and the ceiling fans. This house is also where the kitchen is. It is just down the street from the other house.

I am staying in the other house. This is where the men stay and where the office is located. There are extra beds here so that guests that come through can stay, or field staff that is passing through. It is a bit lonely in all honesty. I am trying to make the best of it. Thankfully, I brought a bunch of books and I have this laptop.

I want to go back and talk a little more about Lokichoggio (Loki). Apparently before the UN came in, there really wasn’t anything there. Since the UN has arrived, all of the little places have sprung up. The road coming from the airport and the road perpendicular to it are cover with little shops. Anything from stores to hairdressers to bars. I saw one sign that said “Texas Bar.” From what I understand, after the harvesting season, any left over grain are taken and make into a beverage which they can get at the bars.

It was quite interesting to see the different cultures that coexisted. There were the very traditional dressed people. Women with the necklaces all the way up their necks and the men with headdresses. Then there were the people dressed in very Western clothes. I was sort of surprised.

In Juba, there are more buildings like I said before. Juba was a British settlement and when they were here, they built a lot of the building that are seen today. The only thing is that they haven’t been kept up. They are really run down.

In both places, the roads are terrible. They are full of ruts and potholes. Most of them are just dirt roads with the occasional paved road coming away from the airport.

Jeff's Journal - Sudan 1/9/06

2006-01-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 09, 2006

I slept okay last night. Unfortunately, my I woke up at 3:30ish and had a hard time going back to sleep. I dozed on and off I guess and then fell asleep sometime after 5:30 and had to be up by 7. We had breakfast at the UN compound, and then had to run around a bit and coordinate some supplies from other NGOs.

Our flight took off around 12:30ish and was just a 50 minute flight. Myron was met us at the airport, and gave me my visa entry form that I needed. Unfortunately, because of the changes that are going on in the government, my passport was stamped that I need to register with the local authority in 3 days. Myron said that this has been a bit of a problem and he would help work that out.

I thought that Loki was like living in the bush, and living in Juba isn’t far from it. Juba has more buildings than Loki does. A lot of the buildings are very run down. The homes that we have are much smaller than the house in Medan was, although this isn’t a very big surprise.

In Juda, I ran across an interesting discovery. Squat boxes and nothing else. Enough said about that.

There are mango trees everywhere here. The ones by the internet café, where I am now, are loaded with fruit. Some of it looks to be over ripe. They are fairly tall and fruit on every branch. Myron said that the British planted them here along the Nile when they settled the area.

Jeff's Journal - Sudan 1/8/06

2006-01-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 08, 2006

I woke up this morning about 8ish, but didn’t get up till a little after 9. Boy, it sure felt good to get a full night sleep. It is beautiful here today. The sun is shining and I hear some of the same noises that I heard in Indonesia, bird and maybe monkeys. Ria said that I could sleep with my windows open last night if I wanted, but to please make sure I closed them before I left. There are monkeys that try to get in if the windows are left open. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep with the windows open. If they tried to come in during the day, what would keep them from coming in during the night!

Nairobi sits just below the equator, and Juba sits just above. So now I can say that I have been below the equator also. All of the greenery is very tropical. There are lots of palm trees everywhere, and beautiful tropical flowers.

Today, we go on a flight to Loki on a commercial plane. There we spend the night and tomorrow we take a UN plane to Juba. I am excited to meet Paul, the manager of the Loki camp. He manages all of the going and coming of everything and everyone in and out of Juba. Apparently, my suitcase it over the weight limit for the UN flight so Paul is trying to see if he can book extra weight. Otherwise, I will have to pack so of it into another bag to send later on in the week.

We landed in Loki this afternoon about 4pm. First let me tell you about the flight. We were in a small 20-24 passenger plane. Not so bad except is bounced around a lot. When I stepped off the plane, I realized that the temperature was going to be very different than it was in Nairobi. It is very hot here. No humidity, just heat.

Coming into Loki you realized that it was exactly what you mind pictured when you think of Africa. It is small and mostly all of the buildings are lean-to style right next to each other. There are very few cars. Almost everyone is on foot. The World Relief compound is small. There are buildings here. One building consists of three bedrooms, each having two beds in them and a front porch. The bath house is a small building of to the side of the rooms. It has 2 showers and 2 toilet stalls. When we got here there were 2 calves roaming the compound. Apparently, they belong to one of the staff.

Loki sits at the base of some mountains. Right now is the dry season here and you can’t help but notice. There is dust everywhere. Nothing grows very tall. From what I was told, this has been the driest season since possibly the 30s here. They do not have a kitchen here so all of the meals are at the UN compound. It will be interesting to see what their compound is like.

It is the end of the day Sunday and I am getting ready to turn in for the night. Supper at the UN Compound was nice. There was a football (soccer) game on so a lot of people were there watching it. Almost everyone eats outside which was nice. Often there seems to be a nice breeze that blows through. This helps out a little.

We went for a walk just before supper. Everyone was watching us. All the kids wanted to say hi to you. At one point there was a small group of kids following us. It was also cool to watch the shepherds walking their goats.

Jeff's Journal - Sudan 1/7/06

2006-01-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Jeff Demers is working with the South Sudan team assisting in bookkeeping. These are excerpts from his journal.

Saturday, January 7, 2006

I am now in Nairobi. It is about 20 minutes past 11pm. The flight was Amsterdam to Nairobi was much better than the one from DC to Amsterdam. I did sleep a bunch on this flight. I would put on a movie and try to watch it, and before long I was asleep. Oh well. The flight took about 8 ½ hours. We landed and then I made my way through getting the visa for Kenya and got my luggage.

Peter, the taxi driver, was waiting for me, and he brought me to the apartment where I am staying tonight. Peter and I had a nice talk. He is also married with 2 children. He told me that the road we were taking from the airport to the apartment was called the “Great North Road.” It runs from the Indian Ocean all the way to South Africa. It pointed out the left window and said about 1 kilometer behind the Industrial building that we were driving past was the National Reserve. WOW!!

I couldn’t really see much because it was already dark. What I did notice is how similar it feels to Indonesia. This time I also thought about the smell. So many people have asked me about that. Well, the smell here reminds me of Indonesia. It smells warm, dirty/dusty. I have to think about it more to come up with better words to describe it. All the buildings are short, except when we went passed the center of town. Then the buildings were taller.

Ria Boot, the lady whose house I am staying at tonight, is very nice. She is middle aged I would guess, maybe in her forties. She and another lady share this apartment, but the friend is already in Sudan somewhere. We talked a long time about Sudan and what the situation is like there now. She said that since she has been there, she hasn’t heard of any carjackings or muggings. She said that everything seemed very secure. Apparently, the Southern Sudanese people have a constant worry about the North, Darfur and such. It is really sad.

Well, I think I am going to try and turn in. I will write more tomorrow once I get to see more of the surroundings.