Future In Our Hands
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FIOH news update from Sierra Leone Autumn 2024

The Mike Thomas School at Mile 91, due East of the capital Freetown, near Yonibana. The school suffered a sudden and prolonged extreme wind event which caused severe damage to two classroom roofs.

Alpha Kargbo our link person in Sierra Leone, immediately informed us of the emergency issue. The severe and detrimental impact on the education of the children was obvious.

FIOH agreed that immediate intervention was necessary and sent a grant so work could be expedited to rectify this situation. The following images show the reconstruction with more appropriate building materials to ensure that any further damage would be less likely.

With the new roofing intact the normal daily procedures of schooling could continue, as the photos below illustrate

Students hard at work in the organic school gardens and impressive in their smart, well turned out uniform

HEARTS COVID 19 RELIEF SEPTEMBER 2020

HEARTS FOUNDATION

BAPATLA, GUNTUR DIST, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

COVID-19 (CORONA VIRUS) RELIEF ASSISTANCE

SUPPORTED BY FUTURE IN OUR HANDS, U.K.

 

BACKGROUND:

The Covid 19 crisis began in January 2020 in Wuhan, China and within days spread across the world and till today has become a major challenging factor and created a global health emergency. India is alerted starting from Kerala by identifying passengers coming to Indian Airports from overseas. The first lockdown in India was started on 20th March, 2020 and till today (15-09-2020) normalcy has not been established. The current Indian population is 1.3 billion people. Everyone feared the impact of Covid-19 if not brought under control. Thanks to the Indian Government and State Governments for tackling this outbreak collectively. An impressive role was played by the Doctors, Nurses, Sanitary Workers and Police in combating spreading of this virus. The Indian Council of Medical Research suggests that it is not over and can be repeated if health related precautions are not taken care of i.e. Mask, Sanitizer, Cleanliness, Social Distance etc. The current statistics in India related to Covid-19 is declining but the virus is still prevailing in a few locations across the country. Our Prime Minister warned the country to not fear the virus and respect the people who are positive and the reality is for everyone to live with it. It can be cured and vaccines are coming shortly to tackle the problem. Current Indian statistics show the total number of positive cases is 5.02 million and deaths are 82,066. In Andhra Pradesh the state total number of positive cases is 514,000 and deaths are 5,041.

Hearts covered relief assistance in four Tribal colonies in and around Bapatla town and rural areas two times till date. The word Tribe is based on Caste reservation system called Scheduled Tribe (ST) and some others are Scheduled Caste (SC), Backward Classes (BC), Minorities (Muslim) and rest are general who are upper caste i.e. Brahmins, Pundits, Merchants etc. India is a huge populated country and illiteracy plays a major role for academic and employment opportunities. Therefore without reservations for underprivileged population, there is no chance at all for their children getting into Universities, Government jobs etc. Under the Caste system, Scheduled Tribes are downtrodden, looked down upon and particularly on those who are illiterate. Usually they live out of the towns especially on river or canal banks. The Government talks about equality for ST population in line with others but in practice it’s not happening.

We have identified four colonies where the population are living in thatched roof palm leaf houses and it is shocking to know the many hurdles they are facing under the lockdown due to Covid-19. In one of the colony, Hearts runs a Day Care Centre for children to come to school.

Colonies helped:        Tribal population in four colonies namely:

1) Krupanagar Colony – 85 families

2) Ramnagar Colony – 90 families

3) Venkata Reddy Colony – 60 families

4) Matsyapuri Colony – 30 families

Total – 265 families

A family includes husband, wife, children and grand parents, if any. Approximately on an average we have reached 1,000 people who are children and adults.

Activities:                    We have carried out following activities:

Details:                       

Apart from Tribal colonies, Hearts also helped children’s parents from Hearts Children Home. Since lockdown the parents or guardians of children are out of work. They have struggled a lot financially. The Government supplied Rice and Dal but they had to buy other ingredients to cook a meal.

Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

People helped by the work of Global Rehabilitation Services

Global Rehabilitation Services has since its foundation carried out successful prosthetics treatment, including the arrangement of corrective surgery when required, for over 1,500 severely disabled children and youths.

Testimonials of six of these children are given below:

Jackson Kuetche
This child at the age of five had a severe cogenetal deformation (Bilateral valgus knees).  The picture on the right shows the boy after corrective surgery and physiotherapy.

Jackson Kuetche Jackson Kuetche

My Name is Jackson Kuetche and I am 7 years of age.  My mother told me that when I was born, my legs were normal but later started deforming as I developed.
I went to school like other children until my legs got so serious that I found it difficult to walk to school.  There came a time that I could not walk any more.  I could only drag my buttucks on the ground to displace myself from one place to the other.  Other children were laughing at me at school and I felt so bad and could not stop crying. The problem became so serious that my parents asked me to stop schooling and stay at home.  I was sad because my brothers and sisters were going to school and I could not.
My parents were informed in the village meeting that there was a Handicap Treatment Centre called GLORES.  The village group helped my parents through contributions to pay transportation to the GLORES Centre in Bafoussam.
In GLORES they told me that my deformations were so serious that surgery was needed.  They also told my parents that I had ricketitis, a disease that causes severe deformations of the bones and retards growth and develoment.  My parents did not have money for the operation.  I started crying with my mother.  GLORES worked out a financial assistance for the operation of my legs and put me on medical treatment.  My parents only paid a small portion of the operation charges.
My legs are corrected and are straight. I can now go to school.  I am happy with my family because I have returned to school.  My family and I do not know how to thank GLORES programme.

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2. Mapta Yomgue
 This two days old baby had a severe cogenetal deformity. The picture on the right shows her after one month of physiotherapy.

Mapta Yomgue Mapta Yomgue

This testimony was given by the mother of a three year old child who was refered to GLORES for treatment for a severe congenital deformation of the right leg by the Bafoussam Regional Reference Hospital.

Mother’s observation
God still continue to perform miracles today through individual and charitable organizations like GLORES.  I believe in what I am saying because of my experience with my little girl whom I brought to GLORES at the age of two days with serious deformation of the right leg after birth.  The hospital where the child was born told me that something can only be done through surgery when the child reaches the age of 25 years.  They, however, refered the child to the Handicap Treatment Centre called GLORES.  If the hospital of that calibre could not do anything, I was left with no choice than to cry.
I brought the child to GLORES in tears. I was comforted and told not to worry.  I could not believe what they were saying.  They consulted the child and put her on treatment for one month.  To my utter amazement the child’s leg returned to normal. I could not believe myself.  I thought I was dreaming.
Now my little girl is growing up normally like other children and shows no sign of any problem at birth.  This was a miracle to me. I started thanking the therapists in GLORES but they told me that they only treat and God heals.
Thank God for giving us a treatment Centre like GLORES.  God through GLORES prevents disabilities in Children! Let God give more inspiration to the Therapists in GLORES so that they can help more handicap children in Cameroon.
Knefack Evelyn Yomgue
« Mother of Mapta Yomgue »

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3. Efone Jacque
This boy was without a left femur. The picture on the right shows him after physiotherapy

Efone Jacques Efone Jacques

My name is Efone Jacques from Bafoussam. My parents did not want to send me to school because I found it difficult to walk due to my left leg that was deformed and shorter than the right leg from birth.  They said that going to school was not necessary since I would not be able to walk making it difficult to find a job.
When I went to GLORES they made it possible for me to walk with the help of splints and now I am in school and doing very well with my school work.  My parents, villagers and I am happy.

Efone Jacques

Note: The splints this child is using are temporal and he will continue to wear them until the age of 25 when the deformed leg will be amputated and replaced with a permanent prosthesis.

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4. Freddy Pokam
This boy had a severe limb deformation (bilateral valgus knees). The picture on the right shows him after corrective surgery, physiotherapy and splinting.

Freddy Pokam Freddy Pokam

I am speechless.  I returned to the village after treatment and people could not recognize me again, even my relatives.  One of them even asked if I went to the native Doctor for the magic done on my legs.  This is really like magic.
It was already getting difficult for me to go to school. My legs were crossing over each other making it hard to walk.  The worst thing is that other children in my school were often laughing at me.  Some of them called me distorted legs.  Things like these made my school grades to go down because I was not at ease at all.
To the utter amazement and to the surprise of the villagers, I can walk normally with no sign of disability any more. I am like other children.
Thanks be to GLORES and to God above all.

Freddy Pokam

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5. Patrick Kenfack
This young man had a cogenetal deformation. The picture on the right shows him after prosthetics treatment.

Patrick Kenfack Patrick Kenfack

I am an 18 year old boy from Bafoussam, Cameroon.  I was born with my legs deformed.  To displace myself from one place to the other I had to creep and roll.  I was brought to see the Orthopaedic surgeons from Holland for corrective surgery.  They consulted me and said that nothing could be done to my legs.  My mother and I started crying in the hospital.  The Physiotherapist from GLORES told us not to cry and that we should come to GLORES so they can see what could be done.
We did not have the confidence because the surgeons said that nothing could be done.  We, however, went to GLORES treatment Centre in Bafoussam.  I was evaluated and internalized there for three months.  They were able to straighten my deformed legs, put on prosthesis and trained me to walk.
Now I can walk and go to school and I am the secretary of the handicapped people organization (Arc -En- Ciel) in Bafoussam.  I am looking forward to finding a job after my education.

Patrick Kenfack

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6. Brunhilda Tsakong
This girl had varus knees when she was five years old. The picture on the right shows her with legs straightened by physiotherapy.

Brunhilda Tsakong Brunhilda Tsakong

My name is Brunhilda Tsakong.  I am now 10 years of age.  My legs were deformed when I was 5 years of age.  I am from a family of 10 children and my father is a village chief with 3 wives.  My father is a farmer and his income is so small that he is unable to send all the children to school.  The 5 children that go to school are boys.  Girls are encouraged to go to the farm with their mothers.
My father could not afford to send me to the hospital for the treatment of my legs.  He once attended a village meeting which was organised by GLORES.  In the meeting, they talked about disability, treatment of handicaps and showed pictures of treated children.  My father was thrilled and took me to the GLORES Treatment Centre in Bafoussam, Cameroon.  There I was consulted and referred for corrective surgery followed be physiotherapy.
They invited my parents and encouraged them to send the girls to school with the help of GLORES.  Now I am preparing to go to the secondary school.  And my legs are straight and normal.  As a girl I feel beautiful.
Thanks to GLORES Treatment Centre.  Because of GLORES programme I can walk straight, go to school and feel beautiful.

Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

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New treatment centre for disabled children

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Global Rehabilitation Services (GLORES) is a non-government organisation based in Bafoussam, Cameroon treating severely disabled children.  GLORES  is badly in need of a new centre to expand its services to meet a growing need.
The sum of £29,770 is needed for this of which £25,721 has already been provided by the FIOH Fund.

 

 

glores-improved-planBackground
GLORES rehabilitation approach is global, as its name implies. That is, we are not only concerned about treating disability, but ensure that our beneficiaries lead self-reliant and socio-economically independent lives.

GLORES major mission, therefore, is to prevent disability in children; identify and treat those already affected; support education, provide vocational training, placement and follow-up in their communities to achieve effective socio-economic integration.

Global Rehabilitation Services was authorized by administrative order No 238/RDA/F35/BAPP of November 2004 and registered as a non-profit association at the service of disabled children.  GLORES is made up of a group of Cameroonians of all walks of life, men and women, concerned about the plight of an increasing number of underprivileged disabled children in the West Region, who decided to make their contribution in the fight against poverty, specifically among disabled children.   GLORES is the first comprehensive rehabilitation centre in the region.

GLORES opened its doors to physically disabled children in July 2005.  Despite the micro resources available, 1,500 physically disable children have received direct services while 4,500 persons have had indirect services from GLORES.

These beneficiaries came not only from this region but also from the northwest, littoral and central provinces of Cameroon. GLORES organises the following activities from a basic rented building in Bafoussam:

PHYSIOTHERAPY DEPARTMENT
fioh.fund.cameroon.glores. Child undergoing re-educationThis is the first objective in our rehabilitation process where functional re-education is provided through intensive physical therapy, functional re-education, and mobility training. The aim is to ensure mobility and use of limbs because we believe that without mobility a disabled person cannot lead a productive and independent life.  During therapy, parents and the disabled persons are themselves educated to become their own therapists upon discharge from the centre.

ORTHOPAEDIC WORKSHOP
childh-with-independent-mobilityThis is where splints and mobility aids are produced including orthopaedic shoes, splints and other assistive devices.  This serves as a training place for those disabled who would like to become either shoemakers or orthopaedic technicians.

 

VOCATIONAL TRAINING
After treatment, beneficiaries choose from such income-generating professions as shoe making, tailoring, hairdressing and cane work.  Upon successful completion of the training, beneficiaries are placed in either individual or group business ventures in their communities with follow-up to ensure success.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION
This is a follow-up programme in which maintenance treatment is also assured.  This involves the family and the community at large. In this programme, the families and the disabled become their own therapists.  Preventive measures are taken and disabled children are identified and referred for appropriate treatment.  Disability prevention services, human rights education, information about discrimination against the disabled are provided and self help, social, and group activities including community development participation are introduced and supported.

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
GLORES also runs assistance programmes to sponsor treatment and corrective orthopaedic surgery for those children with severe disabilities who are unable to afford the symbolic treatment fees.  GLORES pays particular attention to orphaned disabled children.  GLORES hopes to extend the project to include other disabilities other than physical disabilities as the project expands and develops.

The need for the new centre
Despite the successes of the activities of GLORES, the most important difficulty has been the lack of space in the present Centre to accommodate the many children being referred for treatment.  The present rented building only has four small bedrooms, a small physiotherapy treatment room, an adapted internal kitchen that is being used as the administrative office and treatment room at the same time and an external kitchen which is being used as the orthopaedic workshop.  Besides these, there is a small external traditional toilet, and two internal toilets which often fail to function due to mechanical malfunctioning and shortage of water which is common in the Bafoussam town.  In fact the house was conceived as a residential house not for other activities.

GLORES, therefore needs a larger space in order to effectively carry out the many activities as specified above. To summarise, a larger building is needed for the following reasons:

  1. A larger building will help cut down the high rents we have to pay for the existing house.  The heavy rents could be use in purchasing other items for the centre.
  2. We will be able to serve the many children who are asking for our help from neighbouring regions in Cameroon, GLORES being the only comprehensive rehabilitation centre for physically disabled children.
  3. A more spacious workshop will help us in the production of more orthopaedic equipments without leaving children to wait for long to get ambulation and other equipments.  It will also provide space for the training of disabled children in the production of orthopaedic equipments.
  4. A larger treatment room will help us better position treatment equipments and consequently we will be able able to treat many children simultaneously.  With the present structure children have to be put on the waiting list to have treatment.
  5. There will be enough dormitories to accommodate children, most of whom come from distant villages and have no place to stay for follow-up treatment.
  6. The hygiene situation will be solved with available toilets and the water system.
  7. The New building will be situated by a major surfaced road and is more reachable by public transport unlike the present centre.
  8. The new building will be more adapted for handicapped persons.
  9. There will be space to train disabled children to engage in income-generating professions.
  10. A new centre will provide a conference room which will be rented by the public for meetings thus generating income for the centre.

The land for the centre was purchased in 2014.

glores-delivery-of-materials glores-water-carried-from-stream wall-construction

Delivering sand
The completed foundations.
Making blocks.
Wall construction

 

Water is collected by hand from a local stream.

window-protectors

Roof construction.
Completed roof.
Window protection – September 2016.

43.surgery

 

 

 

Alfred Wingo assists visiting Dutch surgeons with an operation.

glores10a-200

Moving testimonials of six of the children treated by GLORES

Mike Thomas with some of the children

Mike Thomas with some of the children in 2009

Fo

Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund
48 Churchward Avenue
Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1NH
United Kingdom
Registered Charity No. 1047953

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Global Rehabilitation Services

Mike Thomas with some of the children

Mike Thomas with some of the children

Global rehabilitation Services (GLORES)
GLORES was started in 2004 by Cameroonian, Alfred Wingo, after receiving prosthetics training in the USA.
The work of GLORES in a poor rented building in Bafoussam, capital of the West Region of Cameroon, was observed by FIOH Fund trustee, Mike Thomas in 2009. He was impressed by what  GLORES was achieving with very basic equipment.

fioh.fund.cameroon.glores. Child undergoing re-education 12. Nji Recardo-s Cameroon1 237

A video showing Mike Thomas interviewing Alfred Wingo.
Disabled people in the West Region of Cameroon, especially children, suffer from neglect and discrimination due to ignorance and cultural beliefs about disability.  There is a general lack of care and rehabilitation planning in the country and disabled children, who are mostly from poor families, rarely obtain an education and employment.  They are often viewed as being possessed of evil spirits and a curse upon their parents.  Hence they may be locked up at home and fed like animals and hidden from society.  It is estimated that about 70% of disabled children suffer from neglect and discrimination.

GLORES organises its work in three major sections:

  1. Prevention of disabilities through health education and encouragement of parents to vaccinate their children against diseases causing disabilities. Part of the education focuses on prenatal/postnatal care, nutrition, hygiene, genetic information and environmental pollution.
  2. Physical therapy that includes therapeutic exercises, mobility training, functional re-education, occupational therapy and activity training for coping with everyday life.
  3. Vocational training in 3 trades.  The disabled person makes the choice of trade and is then able to undergo training in that trade for one year in a sheltered workshop environment. Younger children who cannot work are sent to local schools for their education.  While the child is in school parents will take an active part in its education and prepare to take over responsibility for the child’s welfare later on.  After successful completion of the training disabled persons are settled in their individual group ventures or employment and there will be follow-up by GLORES for a few months after treatment and training has finished.

Once a disabled person goes through the GLORES project he or she becomes a member of the GLORES family.  GLORES monitors all the outcomes of its work in order to evaluate its effectiveness and introduce improvements where necessary.

The pictures below show some of the disabled youths and children before, during and after treatment:

glores10a-200

Moving testimonials of six of the children treated by GLORES

If you would like to support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund please make a donation:

 

Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

Centre for Community Regeneration and Development

ACTIVITY UPDATE AUG 2016

Education for sustainable development through sports in schools

ccread1aCCREAD-Cameroon in continuation of its Education for Sustainable Development Programme, has mobilized more than 300 children and youths through environmental and conservation leadership camps, with sports as a uniting factor, to educate the children on climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable development goals, biodiversity conservation, sexuality and family planning, human rights, leadership and good governance. We need more volunteers for this ongoing programme.

ICT for development programme for youths within poor communities

ccread2a ccread3a

CCREAD has set up a free ICT daily training unit which serves  children, women and youths from extremely poor countries to gain generational skills on computer and ICT skills for development. The facility also trains students daily who are enrolled in schools without computer laboratories so they can be able to take official examinations in computer sciences. This project needs more trainers and those who can support to buy more computers, a projector and more desks for trainees.

Sexual and reproductive health rights education for abandoned teenage and single mothers

ccread4aCCREAD volunteers are currently organizing weekly workshops for 25 single and teenage mothers on sexual and reproductive health rights. The aim is to educate teenage mothers to stay away from sexual and different forms of gender base violence, organizing them into action groups and linking them up with mentors for social and economic empowerment.

Supporting women and widows living with disabilities

ccread5aCCREAD is currently supporting unmarried women with children living with disabilities and who are not employed  through granting of micro financial support to start small micro enterprises which will enable them take care of themselves, send their children to school and meet their health needs. We have identified a total of 320 of such women with pressing needs and have been able to assist 15 of them already. We need more people to help this initiative.

To support any of these ongoing projects, kindly drop an email to: projects@ccreadcameroon.org

fiohnet.address

ccread.address

 

Children helped by the work of HEARTS – case studies

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CASE STUDIES

jagadeeshChild Name:                           Jagadeesh Babu Jonnalagadda

Class studying: Polytechnic final year (pre-engineering – 3 years course)

Age:  17 years

 Family background:  His parents died from HIV/AIDS when he was six years old.  He has two elder sisters and an elder brother.  Three of them are married and working.  His brother used to come to see Jagadeesh but stopped coming since he got married.  Jagadeesh doesn’t like the family because they don’t care for him.  They don’t even invite him for vacations.  Hence he likes to stay in the children’s home even for holidays.  Considering his family background, we had to keep him in the home and send to college.

Education progress 2016:  Jagadeesh is about to complete year 3 in Polytechnic after successfully securing ‘A’ grade in 10th class final exams.  He has joined in Bapatla Polytechnic College in Mechanical branch which is a three years course.  In these three years of Diploma, he obtained 95% marks.  After completion of three years, he is eligible to upgrade to Engineering 2nd year or to get a job.

Hobbies / other activities:    

In the home, as a senior boy, Jagadeesh helps other boys in getting ready to school and related activities.

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sampathChild Name:  Sampath Kumar Guntur

Class studying:  10th class

Age:  15 years

 

Family background:  Sampath’s parents died of Jaundice seven years ago.  He has an elder sister and an elder brother. His sister is married and working in a cloth shop.  His brother also recently married and is working as a Barber since they belong to this particular community.  His grandfather died of a heart attack last year.  He used to be visited by a distant uncle who is working in a bank but he got transferred to a neighbouring district hence he could not come to visit Sampath anymore.  His sister never comes to see him.  His brother and an aunt come to see him occasionally.

Education progress 2016:  Sampath passed 9th class in ‘B’ grade in final exams.  He is an average student but trying hard to improve for the next class.  He goes to Municipal High School in the town by a bicycle provided by Hearts. This year he will come to 10th class which is a public examination.

Hobbies / other activities:    

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bhagyaChild Name: Bhagya Laxmi Manchala

Class studying:  9th class

Age: 14 years

 

Family background: Bhagya Laxmi’s father left the house and mother died of Cancer when she was a small girl.  In the family they are four girls and one boy.  She and her brother Bala Krishna are staying in the children’s home.  Considering their family circumstances,  Hearts agreed to look after them both.  One of the elder sisters is married and died last year. Bhagya Laxmi is visited by her two sisters whenever they can. They go to work for their living.  In the recent floods, their house collapsed.  At present her sisters are living in a small hut which was built with donations from the community.

Education progress 2016:  She has passed 8th class in ‘A+’ grade in the final exams.  In the units and half yearly exams she scored from 95% to 98% marks.  Bhagya Laxmi is a brilliant student in the entire class.  This year she will be studying English.                                                            

Hobbies / other activities:

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balaChild Name: Bala Krishna Manchala

Class studying: 9th class

Age: 15 years

 

Family background: Bala Krishna’s father left the house and mother died of cancer when he was a small boy.  In the family they are four girls and one boy.  He and his sister Bhagya Laxmi are staying in the children’s home.  Considering their family circumstances Hearts agreed to look after them both.  One of the elder sisters is married and died last year. Bala Krishna is visited by their two sisters whenever they can. They go to work for their living.  In the recent floods, their house is collapsed. At present their sisters are living in a small hut which was built with donations from the community.

Education progress 2016:  He has passed 8th class in ‘A’ grade in the final exams.  He studies well but due to his interest in sports he got less marks in the units and half yearly exams.  This year for class 9th he will be going to high school in the town.  He will also be studying English.

Hobbies / other activities:    

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dinesh

 

Child Name: Dinesh Kandiyar

Class studying: Degree 1st year

Age: 16 years

 

Family background: Dinesh’s father left the house nearly 10 years ago. His mother runs a small Tiffin centre left by the father.  The family came to know that the father died of tuberculosis last year. Dinesh has an elder brother who is working and a twin sister who has at present discontinued studies.  She used to stay in the children’s home but left because her mother wanted her to work.

Dinesh is visited by the mother and brother occasionally.

Education progress 2016: He has passed Intermediate and scored 7.5 points out of 10.  He is an average student but trying to improve in college studies.  In 2013 he attended 10th class and passed in all subjects.  He took the group MPC (Maths, Physics and Chemistry).

This year he is studying Degree (graduation) 1st year with the same subjects.  After completion of degree studies, he will be eligible to study university or to get a job.

Hobbies / other activities:

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chennaChild Name: Chenna Kesavulu Maruprolu

Class studying: 10th class

Age: 14 years

 

Family background: His father died from jaundice 10 years ago.  His mother works as a daily labourer.  He has an elder brother who has discontinued studies and working due to mother being unwell.  The mother and brother live in a small hut beside the canal.

Chenna Kesavulu is visited by the mother occasionally.

Education progress 2016: He is a brilliant student in studies and studying English.  He has scored 95% marks in the final exams of class 9th.  This year he is studying 10th class and will be writing public exams.  He has good handwriting and is a role model for students in the school and children’s home.

Hobbies / other activities:

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jhansi

 Child Name:  Jhansi Varadala

Class studying: 9th class

Age:  14 years

 

Family background: Jhansi’s parents are daily labourers. Her father goes to building mason work and mother goes to agriculture works.  She has an elder brother studying at home. They live in a small hut in Bapatla town.  Jhansi’s parents are very poor and often migrate to neighboring districts to work. Jhansi likes to study and continue education.  Her parents also like Jhansi to study unlike them.  Her mother comes to see Jhansi whenever she can.

Education progress 2016: Jhansi passed 8th class in ‘B’ grade in the final exams.  She is an average student in studies but showing interest to improve.  She finds English medium difficult this year because until last year she studied Telugu (mother tongue) medium.  She will be studying 9th class this year in English.

Hobbies / other activities:

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esther

Child Name: Esther Jangam

Class studying: 8th class

Age:  14 years

 

Family background: Esther’s mother died when she was a small girl.  She has a younger brother who was given for adoption at the age of six months.  Then the father left the house and married someone else.  Esther was left with her great grandmother who is very aged and could not go to work. Esther is happily staying in the children’s home.  She is loved by everyone.  Her grandma comes to visit her whenever she can.  Recently a distant uncle is also coming to visit her.

Education progress 2016: Esther passed 7th class in ‘A’ grade in the final exams.  She is a brilliant student.  Since she joined the children’s home in the year June 2009, she is always coming first in her classes.  Even though she studied Telugu medium until 2012, she picked up greatly to study English in 2013.  This year she will be studying 8th class in English.

Hobbies / other activities:                

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rafi
Child Name: Rafi Shaik Mohammed

Class studying: 10th class

Age: 14 years

 

 Family background: Rafi’s father is an invalid who is suffering from haemophilia.  His mother is a daily labourer who works at a limestone factory.  He has a younger brother studying at home.  His mother has lot of burden to look after the family since the father needs medication very often.  Rafi’s parents cannot come to see him but speak to him over telephone.  His grandmother visits him whenever she can.

Education progress 2016: Rafi passed 9th class in ‘B’ grade in the final exams.  He studies well but at the time of exams he gets nervous.  He is studying English and goes to Municipal High School in the town.  This year he will be studying 10th class.

Hobbies / other activities:                

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prasanthi
Child Name: Prasanthi Lingala

Class studying: Intermediate 1st year (class XI)

Age: 15 years

 

Family background: Prasanthis’s father is a drinker and never cares for the family.  A few years ago he left the house and came back recently.  Still now he is torturing his wife and children.  Her mother is a daily labourer who works at the local market.  The mother is suffering a lot by physical abuse of the father.  Prasanthi has two younger sisters who are staying with the mother.  Her father never comes to see her at the children’s home.  Her mother visits her whenever she can.

Education progress 2016: Prasanthi passed 10th class in ‘A’ grade in the final exams.  She is a brilliant student in studies.  She always secures more than 95% marks.  This year she will be studying Intermediate 1st year and writing public examinations in English.

Hobbies / other activities:                

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sujit
Child Name: Sujit Talatoti

Class studying: 7th class

Age: 12 years


Family background: Sujit’s mother died from tuberculosis when he was a small boy.  His father then left the house and married someone else.  Sujit has an elder brother who is also staying with him in the children’s home.  For several years his father did not care for the family.  Very recently he has started communicating with the boys.  His grandmother comes to visit Sujit whenever she can.

Education progress 2016: Sujit passed 6th class in ‘A’ grade in the final exams.  He has much improved in education because of children’s home regular tuitions.  This year he will be studying 7th class in local Government elementary school.

Hobbies / other activities:                

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sandeep
Child Name: Sandeep Talatoti

Class studying: 8th class

Age: 14 years


Family background: Sandeep’s mother died from tuberculosis when he was a small boy.  His father then left the house and married someone else.  Sandeep has a younger brother who is also staying with him in the children’s home. For several years his father did not care for the family.  Very recently he has started communicating with the boys.  His grandmother comes to visit Sandeep whenever she can.

Education progress 2016: Sandeep passed 7th class in ‘A’ grade in the final exams.  He has much improved in education because of children’s home regular tuitions.  This year he will be studying 8th class in local Government elementary school.

Hobbies / other activities:                

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Beneficiaries of the Poverty Alleviation in the Thar Desert project

Typical case histories of three people who benefited from the Poverty Alleviation Project in the Thar Desert, Pakistan managed by the Participatory Village Development Programme:

Radha
radhaMy name is Radha. I was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the FIOH PROJECT and I was given project management and handicraft skills trainings by PVDP and 25 fodder trees, 25 bair trees, one water tank, fuel efficient smokeless stove and a loan for handicraft making.  I had never in my dream thought this kind of packaged support for reducing our poverty and vulnerability.  Not only that my one son and one daughter were admitted in PVDP supported primary school but I also got the chance to learn to read, write and count up to 100 in adult literacy centre that was established by PVDP in our village.

I was one of the members of the Village Development Organisation  and took an active part in the meetings and trainings to improve my knowledge and skills which gave me a lot of confidence to make decisions about my life and my children.  I felt that I am terribly saved from falling into the trap of my in-laws who would never have given my children the opportunity to go to school.  Also they would never had allowed me to join the adult literacy centre, attend community meetings and workshops which opened up my eyes and mind and gave me so much confidence to spend my life peacefully as a free human being.
I really feel that I have come to new life.  The loss of my husband has been made good through PVDP support.  Today, I am happy that despite serious droughts over last year, I am looking forward to getting some income from the sale of bair fruits in one or two years from the 50% of the trees which I have saved during the drought.  I also managed to save 50% of the fodder trees on which my livestock will survive in the future years.  I am already getting some income from the sale of embroidery work.  I store my water in the tank which saves my time of fetching water from a distant well.  The time I save is spent in doing embroidery work, attending community meetings and training workshops.  I am also happy with my fuel efficient smokeless stove.  When I used the traditional stove, I often used to have sore eyes due to smoke emission.  With this smokeless stove I feel very comfortable, my eyes are protected, the stove uses less wood and cooks faster due to two burners.  With so much of support from PVDP our family’s life has really changed.
I went to PVDP established vocational center in my village and learned to make purses and sewing clothes on sewing machines provided by PVDP.  After the training I am happy that I can sew cloth and can earn money from this skill.  I can also make purses which PVDP is trying to find market for. I am hopeful that when purses will sell and I can tailor make clothes for other people and earn handsome money which will help to reduce our poverty.  I have become alive again!  Thanks to PVDP and the FIOH Project.

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Indra
indraI am Indra.  I have entered in the fourth year of this project which is helping to improve my family’s socio economic position.  Now I am the active member of my village organization and active member of PVDP.  I attended all trainings conducted by PVDP and also attended all programmes organized in our village by our Village Development Committee.  Now I have the skills and confidence to give presentation of our community development work to our village people and outside visitors.  I was also made aware of the important role of mother in looking after the children and their schooling.  Now I take good care of all my children.
I also send my children to school and at home I make them study.  I also help them where I can in their studies.  I am supporting my community to becoming literate.  Adult literacy classes are conducted in which I teach women to read, write and acquire numerical skills.  The trainings and seminars I have attended have helped me in becoming aware of community issues which need our action to address them.  I also realized that 8th class is not enough for me so I got admission for further studies.  I now study at home and go to city to appear in exam. I am hoping to complete my matric over the next two years.  I have a government job in which I am working as community health worker.  I am helping women in their pregnancies and safe deliveries.  PVDP health team regularly update my knowledge and skills about health care.  I am very thankful to PVDP and the FIOH Fund that through their support my own and family’s life has changed.

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Welayt
welaytI am Welayt.  I have entered in the fourth year of this project which is helping to improve my family’s socio economic position. Despite my disability I feel more at ease and involved in various opportunities created by this project.  After becoming a member of VDO for four years of this project, I have attended different training programmes and sessions such as handicraft training, livestock management training, and wild food preservation.  I can now take care of my livestock and this year we preserved different vegetables which helped to somewhat secure our foods.
My mother and me make embroidery work which get sold in the local market and we earn some income from this activity.  It is particularly helpful during drought times when most of our resources deplete.  It is my wish that our daughters go to school to get education at least up to primary level to learn some basics of education that could help them in their future life.
We are strictly bound to comply with the set of rules of this culture. The changing of culture is not as easy as changing habits; it needs self persuasion and discipline.  Earlier, women in my village were not allowed to attend meetings and trainings.  My husband, after attending various trainings of PVDP on civil & political rights, project management, and livestock management etc. inspiringly, motivated to his community to provide same opportunity to their females for becoming active member of VDOs.  But no one was agreeing for this change.  PVDP in that situation organized more meetings and trainings to convince our community for female participation.  Then, PVDP selected 16 households as beneficiary of FIOH Fund UK Project.  We were provided with water tanks, bair trees, fodder trees, fuel stoves, and embroidery support loan with informative trainings.  We hope to have more income in future through sale of bair fruits and handicraft work.
I am thankful to PVDP for providing embroidery skills to me and my daughters who cannot be educated due to our rigid culture, but they learned skills to earn at home.  Another good thing happened is that my daughters can write their name and know counting of numbers by attending classes in Adult Literacy Centre of PVDP.

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Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy

Who was Rudolf Steiner

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was a self proclaimed Austrian clairvoyant, who founded a movement/religion which he named anthroposophy in 1913 after he split from the occult Theosophical Society founded by Helena Blavatsky. At the time of his departure the Theosophical Society was led by Anne Besant.
According to Steiner, anthroposophy adds to the scientific knowledge a knowledge of another spiritual world which is in the first instance invisible and lies above the senses.  He maintained that through meditative training of ones organ of cognition, each individual can acquire the ability to progress to a higher universal plane.  The concepts of incarnation/reincarnation and karma are fundamental to Steiner’s ideas.
The Theosophical Society has its headquarters in Goetheanum (which Steiner designed) in Dornach, Switzerland.  Steiner has written many books and articles and may have given as many as 6,000 lectures on issues such as education, medicine, agriculture, the pictorial arts and social care.
Steiner incorporated his ideas into education, science, agriculture, art, medicine, economics and social care.  A brief description of some of his ideas are shown below and a more detailed analysis c an be seen here:
WHO WAS RUDOLF STEINER
ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MEDICINE
BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE
CAMPHILL COMMUNITIES
WALDORF STEINER SCHOOLS

Anthroposophic medicines
Steiner believed that mistletoe had a role to play in the treatment of cancer.  His reasoning was based on his belief that because mistletoe was a parasite, it would help to cure cancer which he regarded as a parasite on human tissues and organs.  Anthroposophic mistletoe medicines include those marketed under the names Abnova viscum, Helixor, Iscador, Iscusin, Visorel, Eurixor and Plenosol.  Iscador is often touted as having the ability to boost the immune system but there is no evidence that it does so.  Mistletoe is listed by the American Cancer Society as an unproven cancer remedy.  Controlled clinical studies have indicated that mistletoe does not have any significant effect on the survival of people with cancer.  Some people can be allergic to mistletoe medicines.

Biodynamic agriculture
Steiner proposed what he called biodynamic preparations that would stimulate vitalizing and harmonizing processes in the soil through cosmic and terrestrial forces.  Initially Steiner proposed eight preparations, two of which involved packing cow manure (preparation 500) or silica (preparation 501) into cow horns, then buried for a number of months before the contents are swirled in warm water and then applied to the field.  Cow horns are utilised as antennae for receiving and focussing cosmic forces, which are transferred to the materials inside.  The other six compounds(preparations 502-507) are extracts of various plants either packed into the skulls or organs of animals (i.e. deer bladders, cow peritonea and intestines) or into peat and manure, where they are aged before being diluted and applied to compost.  The chemical elements contained in these preparations were said to be carriers of terrestrial and cosmic forces and would impart these forces to crops and thus to the humans who consumed them.

Camphill communities
Despite the undoubted dedication and care for the disadvantaged that must be reflected by most of the people running these communities and the external volunteers who help, it should be borne in mind that the foundation for the activities that take place is based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy, the religion/movement he founded.  Camphill communities could also be regarded as ideal projects for gathering together all of Steiner’s irrational ideas into the same locations.  Activities are most likely to include biodynamic gardening, eurythmics, Steiner/Waldorf pedagogy and art and craft activities with Steiner spiritual connotations and even what has been called anthroposophical medicine.  The basis of these activities is neither rational nor capable of scientific verification.  Biodynamic gardening incorporates organic farming methods and hence Steiner’s occult biodynamic preparations which I have outlined in the section on biodynamic agriculture, are unlikely to result in negative outcomes.  The same could be said for eurythmy.  They can perhaps be regarded as just a waste of time or better substituted with more rewarding activities.
However, with regard to medical matters, there are clear dangers involved in substituting proven and scientifically verified medical treatments and procedures with those such as homeopathy and anthroposophical medicine which have no such foundation.  Robert Smith Hald’s bitter account of the misdiagnosis of his wheat intolerance (which he did not discover until he was 36) and erroneous treatment by anthroposophical practitioners in several Camphill communities in the USA, caused him considerable suffering over many years.  He opens the account of his experience with the comment “Anthroposophy is a religion, and Camphill is a sect, a cult of fanatics pursuing spiritual development and ultimately perfection. They believe that sickness is the soul incarnating, and also that it has to do with karma.  They don’t believe in inoculations, so I had all the child diseases going around, some twice.  My being sick all the time was obviously not just the mumps and the measles and whooping cough, so they had the anthroposophical doctors in all the time, in between punishing me for being sick (thats why I stayed out of the house for as long as I could).  There were three doctors, one in Beaver Run, one in The Village, Copake and one that practiced in both places.”

Waldorf/Steiner schools
The degree to which Steiner’s ideas are incorporated into school pedagogy and activities may vary from school to school but many of the teachers will have undergone training in anthroposophy using Steiners publications.  School activities may incorporate eurythymy, biodynamic gardening and Steiners spiritual ideas about art.  Some schools may also have an anthroposophical doctor and embrace homeopathy.

Eurythmy is a form of dance which Steiner describes as follows: “We pass over to movements representing the possibilities of inner activity, movements which have their origin in the planets.  In their sevenfold nature we have synthesized the animal element in man. The nineteen possibilities of sound: the consonants have their source in the Zodiac; the vowels in the dance of the planets.  A cosmic activity may be brought to expression by means of human gesture and movement.  The word of the heavens is really the being of man. By means of an imitation of the dance of the stars, discovered through spiritual knowledge, we have the possibility of renewing in eurythmy the temple dancing of ancient Mysteries.” (Eurythmy as Visible Speech – Rudolf Steiner Press 1984 from Waldorf Watch.) In the same article Marie Steiner is quoted as referring to Negro dances as ‘decadent’.
One interpretation of Steiner pedagogy is described in ‘An introduction to Steiner Education’ by Francis Edmonds (Sophia Books 2004). Edmonds confirms the idea that humans are composed of ‘body, soul and spirit’.  He also states that “Darwin spent much of his time studying the grimaces in animal physiognomies in search of human origins, being so convinced that man is derived from animal origins – a fascinating study, but it led to nothing more conclusive than that animals also have emotions, likes and dislikes, advancing with desires or retreating through fear and antipathy.  It belongs to the blindness of our time that we still perpetuate the idea that man is an animal derived from an animal”.  This statement reflects not only Edmond’s patronising attitude to a great man’s enlightened scientific discovery, but is perhaps a reflection of the supreme arrogance that has often evolved with the development of the human mind and the human disregard of nature and other living creatures.  Other aspects of Steiner pedagogy presented in the book are seriously open to question and perhaps Steiner’s and Edmond’s disregard of science is well reflected in Edmond’s comment that “Modern science has little place in it for man – it leaves him a homeless and lonely figure in the universe”.
Edmond’s repeats many of Steiner’s occult ideas that I have already mentioned and different practical aspects of the pedagogy are explained in occult spiritual terms.  Colours are seen as a ‘direct language of the soul’ which is represented in particular colours and shades.  For some inexplicable reason black is associated with evil. He repeats Steiner’s classification of groups of children according to their temperaments – (i) blood – sanguine – flighty (ii) black bile – choloric – irrational (iii) yellow bile – melancholic – peevish, jaundiced (iv) phlegm – sluggish.  He suggests that children, and the stories they are told, should be grouped according to these temperaments.  I find this very idea highly objectionable and open to abuse.  There is a suggestion in the book that a girl’s hollow chest had been cured by eurythmy (another of Steiner’s ideas that places spiritual connotations on special dance movements).  Steiner even developed ideas for what he called bothmer gymnastics which according to Edmonds “sees the body as a temple from which all other temples have originated, bear witness to the divine”.
                                                                                                            Michael Thomas

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Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch

Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW)
cameroon.camgew. Environmental education2CAMGEW works to see social and environmental justice put at the centre of development.  It works with all age groups.  It works to see that the social welfare of children in Cameroon is improved, especially the girls who in many communities are deprived of opportunities to grow up to be future leaders.
It sees it necessary also to work to improve the lives of children in many rural and urban areas who lack the means to go to school and to meet their needs.  It does this by trying to meet their basic needs, instilling in them the spirit of positive thinking and encouraging them to strive for excellence.
cameroon.camgew.school.environmental.education.programme. School children weedingIt seeks also to build the capacity of women especially those in the rural areas where most women are poor farmers.  These women lack the agricultural skills and inputs to increase farm yields.  They also lack crop storage techniques and facilities.  This means they are unable to gain an income sufficient to meet their basic needs and pay for the education of their children.  They need to be empowered to be economic and social leaders.  Many of them are bread winners of their families.  CAMGEW also works to provide women and children with basic needs like water, food, education, energy and shelter.
It works with children, youths and the old to create environmental awareness. and works with children through environmental education to instil in them the spirit to grow up to live in harmony with nature.  It educates children about ecology e.g. rivers and lakes; marine ecosystems like the Atlantic ocean; land ecosystems like natural forests, botanical gardens, Zoos; pollution and waste management; gardening and tree nurseries.
It fights poaching, the bushmeat trade, illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, bushfires and climate change by trying to bring about a positive behavioural change in people involved in activities that are environmentally unfriendly.  To bring this change CAMGEW carries out sensitisation, lobbying and advocacy at various levels of the society (policy makers, private sector, civil society and grass root populations).
cameroon.camgew. Reforestation in Oku, NW region 2015CAMGEW encourages organic farming by improving on soil fertility with organic matter and encourages household organic waste sorting for use in farms to increase crop yields and also as a means of managing household waste.  Agroforestry is another way CAMGEW promotes ecofarming.  This was a traditional method used to improve the soil.  It promotes integrated organic farming, horticulture (flower, vegetable and fruit farming) and apiculture (bee farming).

Beehive complete DSC01762 cameroon.camgew. Honey harvesting in the forest,Oku
To discourage the use of plastic papers which are known to be non-biodegradable and to reduce the aesthetics of our environment, CAMGEW promotes the use of bags and baskets made from locally available materials like bamboo, jute, rattan etc that are biodegradable.  These bags and baskets have been used in the past when plastics were not yet common.  CAMGEW is building a campaign to see how biodegradable materials could be used for packaging instead of plastics.
The availability and affordability of modern energy is paramount to every development.  Many rural areas lack this energy because they are far away from the national grid and also because they cannot afford it.  Another, problem faced by Cameroon is the shortage of power due to dependency on one energy source – hydropower that is always affected by droughts brought by the changing climatic.
It promotes decentralised and diverse energy systems like small hyro, solar, wind and biogas systems exploited from the available natural energy sources like river fall, sun, wind and animal waste or plant matter respectively.  It also engages in a campaign to reduce dependency on environmentally unfriendly energy sources like fossil fuels.
It takes part in fighting climate change from four key perspectives – mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology as identified in the global Climate Change Conference that took place in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007.  During the Bali conference, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki moon said “no one-rich or poor-can remain immune from the dangers of climate change”.
To achieve all of above, CAMGEW uses media, gatherings, posters, newsletters and organised events like workshops.  It therefore, sees creativity and innovations as a way forward to solve the global problems that plague humanity.
These innovations and creative ideas therefore need to be replicated and/or scaled-up to tackle global challenges.  It believes that through partnership, networking, research and volunteerism this shared vision for long-term cooperative action among the people of the world to improve on lives and promote sustainable development, can be achieved.
A video showing activities at its vocational training centre in Oku can be seen here:

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