Helping the poor

"There’s something that grinds hope out of people when they’ve tightened their belts as much as they can, but there’s still not enough income to put food on the table, or to buy new clothes or textbooks for the children, or eat fresh fruit in winter, or heat their homes. This is life for so many people around the world, and the needs are overwhelming. My income-generation project doesn’t just give people a job and a reliable, steady income, it gives them hope. And what better reason is there to go to work every morning? " - Gabriel, 35

Camps for kids

It’s like being greeted by 65 eager puppies when we arrive for summer camps. Despite the fact that camps run every summer, the kids seem no less excited with each passing year.

A mother's smile

Life has never been easy for Pari growing up in a poor family in a small village. It became much more difficult when her father left his wife for another woman and stopped all financial help.

The poor on my doorstep

The doorbell rang. I answered it to find a young woman, eyes downcast, stringy blond hair tucked behind her ears, holding a child in her arms. “Will you please help me,” she whispered.

“What kind of help do you need?” I asked. She replied, “Any kind of help you can give me.”

Teaching the basics makes a huge difference

The infant mortality rate in Afghanistan is very high. One in four Afghan children dies before their fifth birthday and one in six babies dies at birth. Through simple teaching we are trying to change these statistics.

Forgotten kids learn to read

There are few lovelier sounds than the dull din of children reading aloud to themselves. Some read quickly whilst others painfully sound aloud every syllable. I knew we were successful when I called a close to the lesson and was met with a chorus of “but I just want to finish the sentence/paragraph/chapter”. Then I knew that the love of books had been firmly implanted in the hearts of these kids.

Bringing Relief Aid to Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan

The violence in southern Kyrgyzstan has affected more than a million people. More than 400,000 Uzbeks are now internally displaced within Kyrgyzstan as a result of the violence that began 10 June 2010.

Let them eat cake! For me, the best part about our orphanage reading project is seeing kids fall in love with reading and stories. For the kids though, the highlight each week is the cake.
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Seija's smile

Seija, the oldest daughter of a poor family, has severe curvature of the spine. For 3 years she has also suffered with sores on both knees that won't heal. Her parents took her to spiritual healers - women who read 'holy' books and carry out rituals. Seija found relief for a month, but then her condition became worse than ever. Johan, an occupational therapist, has started to visit this family as part of his community development project.

Water for the thirsty

Sitting under a walnut tree in the afternoon sun doing research with a local farmer, I was shocked to hear he keeps a cow not for meat or milk but for the dung it will produce for next winter's heating.

Grace in an earthquake

Mr Grace was the director of a school for handicapped children in Central Asia. A few years ago, an earthquake struck his town. His house collapsed, injuring his back. In an instant, Mr Grace became handicapped, just like his students.

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