See It: The Community being helped

•Current FACTS•

An updated Oxfam report also notes the following facts

(some numbers may be out of date and have gotten worse, but the sheer
scale of these numbers alone are shocking):

! More than two million people are internally displaced; of these, over 50
per cent are in eastern DRC. More than one million of the displaced have
received absolutely no outside assistance.

! It is estimated that up to 2.5 million people in DRC have died since the
outbreak of the war, many from preventable diseases.

! At least 37 per cent of the population, approximately 18.5 million people,
have no access to any kind of formal health care.

! 16 million people have critical food needs.

! There are 2,056 doctors for a population of 50 million; of these, 930 are
in Kinshasa.

! Infant mortality rates in the east of the country have in places reached 41
per cent per year.

! Severe malnutrition rates among children under five have reached 30
per cent in some areas.

! National maternal mortality is 1837 per 100,000 live births, one of the
worst in the world. Rates as high as 3,000/100,000 live births have been
recorded in eastern DRC.

! DRC is ranked 152nd on the UNDP Human Development index of 174
countries: a fall of 12 places since 1992.

! 2.5 million people in Kinshasa live on less than US$1 per day. In some
parts of eastern DRC, people are living on US$0.18 per day.
! 80 per cent of families in rural areas of the two Kivu Provinces have been
displaced at least once in the past five years.

! There are more than 10,000 child soldiers. Over 15 per cent of newly
recruited combatants are children under the age of 18. A substantial
number are under the age of 12.

! Officially, between 800,000 and 900,000 children have been orphaned by
AIDS.

! Only 45 per cent of people have access to safe drinking water. In some
rural areas, this is as low as three per cent.

! Four out of ten children are not in school. 400,000 displaced children
have no access to education.
! Of 145,000 km of roads, no more than 2,500km are asphalt.

•Country Background•
“In 1996, a civil and regional war began in DR
Congo, and then a second internal and regional
conflict started in 1998. A peace agreement was
signed in South Africa in April 2003, and a
transitional government was put in place by 30
June 2003. The first two rounds of general
elections took place in 2006, leading to a new
parliament and to the choice of the first
democratically elected president since
independence more than 40 years ago.
The situation in the east will take many years to
normalize, with many armed active militias and uncontrolled armed groups still
roaming there. MONUC (United Nations) is still a major player in helping with
the disarmament process. For example, it helped to ensure some security in
Ituri, which is now increasingly reinforced by the Congolese National Army.
However, security remains a constant concern.
The foreword of the U.N.'s 2006 C.A.P. (Consolidated Appeals Process) for
D.R.C. states:
"This year is like no other for the DRC. On the one hand, the extent of the
suffering of the population is beginning to be recognized. Over four million
people have perished as a result of years of continuing conflict, a number,
which increases by some 1,200, every day and which is equivalent to an Asian
tsunami each and every six months. DRC has been called the most deadly
humanitarian catastrophe in 60 years. The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator
has called it the greatest challenge currently facing the international
community." The number of female victims of rape in eastern DRC is so
significant that United Nations’ representatives do not hesitate to talk about it
as the worst example of sexual violence
in the world (IRIN). Despite successful
elections and the surrender of several
armed groups, an alarming number of
people in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) still require life-saving
assistance and support to become self-
sufficient. No one knows how quickly the
country can enter a stable and peaceful
phase, or how long it will take for the local
population to have the real economic
capacity to improve their situation.”
(www.medair.org/.../ programme_congo/index.php)

Copyright © by Awaken Worldwide, Inc. 2008

Aba Children's Village

WHERE IS ABA?

Located on the sudanese, DRC border. Three hours from Sudan in NOrthern DRC.

WHAT IS A CHILDREN'S VILLAGE?
God has given us a comprehensive vision for not simply a children's center, but
a whole children's village. We categorically do NOT have orphanages. If you live
in an orphanage you grow up living, thinking and feeling like an orphan. Our
children are part of our family and the family of God.
There are NO orphans in God's Kingdom. Only dearly loved sons and
daughters worth giving everything for. We want our kids to grow up within their
own cultural context, not separated from it.
We see a land dotted with small homes filled with family units of 10-15 children
and a mama, dorms for our older teens, agricultural fields and gardens and

livestock so our kids learn all they need to know to be fully integrated into
normal community life when they grow up. We also see dorms for our visitors
and pastors in training, a primary school and voc tech training center, dining
and cooking facilities, staff housing and even a big red and white striped tent to
worship under. We want our kids to grow up with all the benefits we can offer
them and the revival fire of Jesus but still within their own culture. It is a place
that will be a picture of the peace and unity only Jesus can bring as well as the
Father's heart of love.
WHAT IS A HOUSE OF REFUGE?
•Children•
Houses of refuge are transitional homes for rescued children. These serve as
the first step in the healing process for our children who have been rescued
from situations of war or other extreme environments as mental, physical, and
sexual abuse. Our houses of refuge prepare our children for life once
reintegrated to extended family (if such family exists), society, or our children’s
village.
We see a place where children can come and begin capturing the innocence
they innately possessed. A place where children are loved into understanding
their identity as the children of God, no longer orphans. It is in this place where
we long to see the beginning of a redeemed identity in Jesus. A place where
we place children before Jesus and in that place where they see their reflection
in His gaze. This is an understanding that in order for children to be restored to
knowing they are a part of the family, they must first meet the Father Himself.
This is the beginning of holistic redemption and it begins with simple love.
•Women•
Rape is one of the leading methods of warfare in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. Our vision is to also establish houses of refuge for women who have
been raped or sexually assaulted. These serve as homes of healing and
restoration for women who have been abused, widowed, or raped. In many
cases, effects for victims of rape are sexually transmitted diseases (HIV/Aids,
etc), pregnancies, emotional trauma, etc. These effects are both internally and
socially incapacitating for women and young girls who are raped. Socially,
many internal societies within the culture shun such women as ‘unclean’ and
‘outcasts’ even within their own family units.
We are committed to seeing complete freedom and healing for each victim of war. Houses of refuge and those serving in them work hand in hand with
survivors for healing, restoration, and reintroduction into society at large.

WHERE DO YOUR CHILDREN COME FROM?
We are seeking out children from all over the country who have been orphaned
or abandoned because of the conflict here or the harsh realities of life and high
death rate. Specifically, we are seeking children in need of rescue or that have
been forced into child armies or rebel groups within the tri-nation radius. We
are also looking to find those children who are at present living within an
extended family context that are not being properly provided for because of lack
of resources. Not all are full orphans; some simply have circumstances within
their families that cause the relatives to be unable to offer adequate care. We
also take children from high-risk crisis situations temporarily on a case-by-

See It: The Community being helped

Within this movement I want to create examples of positive in the minds of upcoming generations. Positive in the minds of youth between the ages of 13-18 years of age. I want examples of prosperity and realistic testimonies to be made from personal experiences, as well as examples from peers.

The problem that I am trying to solve is the miscommunications, the misunderstandings within this world, deceptions to surface into reality, being exposed, showing the actual worth of the materialisitic things in life. Exposing the reasons why poverty, crime rates, negative exists in this world.

One specific purpose of this particular establishment is to serve the interest of youth and upcoming generations. The problem within today’s society is that no one has taken the initiative to reflect positive upon today’s youth. With today’s youth being the upcoming generation and our future leaders, they must be given examples and role models to understand the importance of presentation within society. They must be rooted and grounded and taught the essentials and attributes that success demands.

See It: The Community being helped

Tau Beta Alpha is a multi-cultural diversity fraternity located in Hastings, Nebraska at Hastings College. We started this fraternity about a year ago with a vision to make a change in our community. The goal is to teach people about all the different diverse groups which sometimes get overlooked in this city. Since our group mostly consists of students from the big city, it was slightly uncomfortable for us to come to rural Nebraska and adjust to the ways. We feel it's important to spread our word and hopefully make Hastings College and the community open to new ideas. Our fraternity is focused on making this community a more diverse and friendly environment for newcomers. From preparing and coordinating our own Diversity Assembly for local elementary schools, to being one of the most active groups on campus, Tau Beta Alpha has made a huge impact on the Hastings community in our short existence. We pride ourselves in covering all spectrums of diversity and allowing everyone to get involved. We have held many dances including a hip-hop Black and White Dance, to a country Outlaw Dance. We feel the more diverse this campus and community gets, the more we can grow as a city and break away from the secluded ways that have seemed to scare students like us away. Tau Beta Alpha has also found a passion for helping the youth of our community. We believe that the kids are where the future starts, and the more we educate them about diversity and change, the bigger impact we can make. Along with our school assemblies, we have participated in helping out with the local Youth Olympics, have gone to recess at the elementary schools and taught teamwork, and also volunteered at a bike safety clinic for kids. Another aspect we pride ourselves in is unselfishness. So far, every fundraising event we have done, we’ve taken 10 percent of the proceeds and donated it to the local Red Cross. Giving back to the community that has given us the opportunity to succeed is very important to us. As we grow, we want Hastings to grow with us. Our fraternity will continue to remain the most active group on campus, and hopefully one day, the most active group in the community. We have received much help and support from professors, our school president, other students, and even the mayor. As we continue to work with them and create an even bigger team environment, our goal of diversity becomes more real every day. It’s a long way down the road until Hastings accepts the changes we are willing to work for, but we will continue to take it one step at a time and strive towards our goal of community diversity.

We have a website if you would like to check it out and get further information on Tau Beta Alpha's progress:
http://taubetalpha.com/

See It: The Community being helped

See It: The Community being helped

There is a common misconception about homelessness and how it can be overcome. The homeless need homes...not jobs, or cloths, or food, or education .... those are problems in and of themselves... these people need homes (and who is to judge what type of home it is. ie. birdhouse). Once they have a home, they are ready to tackle other obstacles in their lives. As you will find out, it is quite simple to become part of the solution. All it takes is a little time and effort!!

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Rise Up: Simple Ways to Make Big Change is an event in planning hosted by NJ Students for Change in Somerset, NJ. The event will focus on various topics, primarily serving to evoke a sense of global connection and social responsibility in youth. This rally is mainly for middle school and high school students.
The topics of focus are HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Hunger, Child Soldiers, and Human Trafficking.

Speakers are from the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Refugees International, the Young General Assembly (NGO), and a local faith based initiative focused on the homeless.

Admission is free. The event goes from 10am-3pm on Jun. 28, 2008. See below for address.

Projected date:June 28 2008.
Contact us:

See It: The Community being helped

My group builds backpacks filled with life essentials and then delivered to homeless individuals.

See It: The Community being helped

www.AfricaDreamProject.org

Please visit the site for the full-story, video, photos, and contacts.

Africa Dream Project (ADP) exists to eliminate poverty and empower lives.

We are a not-for-profit group founded and run by students. As students, we understand the immense value of education. We also see the extreme poverty in our world. And so, ADP members utilize passion and education to empower otherwise highly vulnerable individuals who live amidst extreme poverty. In doing so, we give them a chance to overcome desperate conditions and positively impact our world!

Our Current Projects exist in Kibera Slum, Kenya. Kibera is known as Africa's most-densely populated slum. It is, by definition, extreme poverty.

ADP takes American students into the slum for hands-on interventions. In doing so, our members gain new depths of compassion and dedication as they experience life with the people they seek to help.

Our two long-term projects in Kibera:
1. Construction of the FIRST world-class high school for Kibera's orphans.
- The high school will allow orphans to accomplish their dreams as connect from middle school to University. There are an estimated 50,000 orphans in Kibera alone! Currently, most have no access to any high school. We’re changing this!
2. Micro-Enterprise business for widows in Kibera.
- Widows are marginalized and vulnerable. There are thousands in Kibera, a place where 1 in 5 people is HIV-infected! As a result, many widows must resort to commercial sex just to provide food for their children. ADP is helping to take women out of prostitution and supply them with noble small-scale business.

ADP also intensely engages the American community by actively creating awareness about poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa and the world. We paticpate in national events and local events year-round.

We currently have one official chapter at the University of Southern California.

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Project SAFE is a multidisciplinary effort to test whether brief motivational interviewing in an emergency department setting may encourage change in sex behaviors and thus prevent gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV among male and female patients aged 18-44 years who use heroin and/or crack/cocaine and are not in treatment. The brief motivation interview is designed to facilitate a conversation to illicit a self-determined commitment to changes in behavior by intravenous drug users to reduce the individual's risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Along with health education, the individuals who come to Project SAFE are provided with a follow-up interview at 6 months and one year after the initial brief motivational interview.

I started working with Project Safe while completing my Masters in Public Health at Boston University. I found value in the work done at Project SAFE because it reaches a vulnerable population that is vilify and marginalized. As a woman of color, I appreciate the struggles the come with belonging to a disenfranchised population, and find it particularly fulfilling to work for an organization to tries to improve the quality of life for a such an exceptionally high risk population.

See It: The Community being helped

My name is Lauren Slive and I am currently a junior at the University of North Carolina and I am majoring in Public Policy. I am a co-founder of Project HEAL, a public health initiative based in Ghana, West Africa. Project HEAL aims to provide the fundamental knowledge and supplies needed to prevent basic infections and related health problems. Our approach is based upon two main facets: providing individual kits containing basic medical supplies that are safe and effective for family use, and holding school and community-based educational workshops to provide information about the use of items in the kits and available medical resources in the area.

Project Heal traveled to Ghana for four weeks in the summer of 2007. We worked in two locations: Lawra, in
the rural impoverished upper-west region of Ghana, and Kumasi, a city of a million people in central Ghana.
Despite facing many challenges, we achieved our goals of opening dialogue with community health leaders, developing local contacts, and building a partnership with Lawra District Hospital.

In Lawra, Ghana, we held three educational workshops for community members and the families of school aged
children. All information was presented in both English and local languages, and was supplemented by
the distribution of pictorial pamphlets and individual medical kits containing basic first aid supplies. In
Kumasi, Ghana, we held a workshop for the teachers at Queen Elizabeth II Kindergarten and the director of
the Kumasi Children's Home, explaining the use of the basic first aid items included in the large kits we donated.

With project sustainability in mind, we placed great importance on providing community leaders with
necessary information and supplies to implement future workshops. At each workshop site, we worked with a
community leader or local health official, who provided translation from English to the local
language. We provided this individual with additional supplies and pamphlets, as well as contact instructions to utilize when they run out of these materials.

Before leaving Ghana, we gave 450 individual kits and pamphlets to Lawra District Hospital. Since our return
to the United States, the primary doctor and director led an education workshop at the Lawra Secondary
School, after which they distributed kits and pamphlets. One of the most rewarding aspects of this
experience is knowing that the health officials from Lawra Hospital are using our project as a springboard for future workshops and health education programs.

Currently, we are developing plans to return to Ghana next summer to bring down more medical supplies, hold
another round of informational workshops, and build upon community contacts. We will be leading two, month-long trips in which we bring six additional students from the University of North Carolina to Ghana to pursue our goals.