Global Hope Network International (GHNI) is a non-profit, private humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida and Geneva, Switzerland. Through a committed team of both staff and volunteers, Global Hope Network International is dedicated to serving the “hidden and hurting” in more than 38 countries around the world. They focus on the overlooked or hidden persons in war zones, natural disasters and under-developed countries by providing aid and sustainable development through food and water supply, medical care, agriculture, education and micro-enterprise.
In today’s society, human cruelty is rampant and those without an advocate have little or no means in which to find aid or refuge. Global Hope Network International is committed to bringing help and hope to the hidden and hurting around the world. Our goal is to assist and provide humanitarian aid to the overlooked, discriminated and marginalized men, women and children who might not otherwise see any aid in their unreached region or province. We also facilitate and encourage people through programs rich in community development, agriculture, education, medical care and micro-enterprise. This allows families and individuals to become strong and independent, moving them away from poverty and despair. This is made possible through local agencies and partnerships in country, which allow us to design specific programs for people groups that are in greatest need.
The village of Gambella is located in Kenya, near the town of Isiolo. It is just north of the equator.
Some facts about Gambella:
Population of approximately 2,000
One of 1,000 Borana villages
About 3 million people in these villages
The forgotten people
Adults speak Borana (sometimes also called Oromo, as they are a sub-group of the Oromo people), and some Swahili (but no English)
Most families live on about $.50/day
Their soil is incredibly rich, but completely arid
They’ve historically been pastoral (no, not church, think “animals”-primarily goats), but climate change toward drought has made that far less productive. As a result, they’re needing to learn agriculture
The village itself is as dirt poor as you can imagine. Most people live in small huts they’ve made. The girls start having babies at around age 14. They each have one set of clothes… plenty of holes and rips… and wash them in the river every so often.
“Honestly, what the adults want more than anything is a better life for their kids… healthier, more than one bowl of food to eat a day… and they want their kids to be educated.”-Jeff Power, from his travel blog
Video of our signing ceremony—each of our families signed the partnership agreement that we entered into with GHNI and Gambella Village in Kenya. Jeff Power put this together for us (as he participated via a Skype video call). You can find his blog entry at his site (http://pangeo.typepad.com/pangeo/2009/10/neighborhood-to-neighborhood.html).
Great video by Habiba. She tells the story of how Gambella began their TCD (Transformational Community Development) partnership with GHNI (Global Hope Network International). It’s hard to believe we get to be a part of partnering with Gambella—what a privilege!
We have received word that the Kenyan government has arrested a number of regional government leaders, who were behind the attack on Gambella (as well as other, similar attacks in the region). These leaders were arming men to steal and kill, in order to get livestock and food, for the purpose of furthering their political standing.
After the arrests, the Gambellans are once again feeling safe, and are hard at work on their development projects.
I spoke with Jeff this weekend, and it seems that the unrest that has been plaguing the area around Gambella village, following the attack there in mid-July, is finally easing.
The attack in July came shortly after the volunteers left the village, and was devastating to the village, as several men were killed, one child lost a finger to a bullet, and many of the meager possessions and animals belonging to the villagers were stolen. You can read more about the attack at Jeff Power’s blog (http://bit.ly/14FHMu).
Since that attack, there has continued to be unrest in the area, and it has not been uncommon to hear gunshots.
However, it seems that police have begun to get a handle on the situation, and tensions may be easing.
Want to learn more about how we’re partnering with a village in Kenya, to help them escape from extreme poverty? Watch this video by Jeff Power, from Global Hope Network International (or watch the original video on his site, at http://pangeo.typepad.com/pangeo/2009/10/adoptavillage.html).
Well, it seems there were technical difficulties with the live broadcast last night. I’m not sure exactly what happened, since Jeff doesn’t have access to the Internet right now, and hasn’t been able to send an email or update his blog.
I guess this is part of the adventure of working with the poorest of the poor!
