Archive for September, 2008
Budding journalists record benefits distribution in Tanzania
With no prior video experience, two office assistants at CFCA’s project in Tanzania have captured a recent benefits distribution day at the project office in Tegeta.
Emma, 19 and formerly sponsored, operated the video camera, while 21-year-old Freddie played host. Minor edits and subtitles have been added to the short clip.
It’s hard to tell from his confident presentation that a few years ago, Freddie was “pathologically shy,” Project Coordinator Mary Dawn Reavey said. His confidence gradually improved after becoming sponsored several years ago. Besides attending high school, Freddie helps translate letters for the project.
Emma helps with project photos and discovered the camera’s video button by accident. Reavey said he has a gift for training and teaching.
Sponsored members visit the project office monthly to collect nutritional benefits, including maize flour, rice, sugar and supermix uji—a high-protein porridge. Once every quarter, sponsored members receive hygiene benefits—such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and bar soap—in addition to the nutritional items. Members also receive help with education, health care and home repairs.
The young men promised to send more video clips of day-to-day life in Tanzania.
2 comments September 30, 2008
How you experience the food crisis depends on where you live
People with the means to cope with rising prices experience the food crisis through the news.
But people living in poverty experience the food crisis directly—through their stomachs.
Take the story of Sandra, a 38-year-old mother of four who lives in El Salvador. She no longer can afford to buy certain food items. If it wasn’t for CFCA benefits, her children wouldn’t have milk to drink. Sandra makes about $6 a day selling lemons in the public market. When things get bad, the family eats tortillas and margarine for dinner.
In Kenya, 20-year-old Peter said his family can’t afford to buy bread. Meat? Only for Christmas, Kenyan Independence Day and weddings. Breakfast? Tea with milk and sugar.
In Antipolo, Philippines, 45-year-old Myrna is a mother of seven. She does laundry for $5 a day when her carpenter husband doesn’t have work. On days with lower income, the family eats porridge or skips meals. On paydays, they are able to enjoy rice with fish and vegetables. One of Myrna’s children is sponsored through CFCA.
Two mothers in Hyderabad, India—Bhulakshmi and Mani—said their cost of food has doubled in a year. They must be satisfied with rice and pickles because they no longer can afford fruits and vegetables.
These are the hidden faces behind statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. The ERS compared expenditures on food in countries around the world (as a percentage of total expenditures using 2006 data—not including restaurant purchases):
United States 5.7%
United Kingdom 8.8%
Germany 11.5%
Chile 23.5%
Mexico 24.3%
Philippines 37.6%
Ecuador 21.8%
Bolivia 29.0%
Peru 29.3%
India 33.4%
Wondering if there’s more you can do to help? Read about CFCA’s Food Crisis Assistance Fund.
To view the full U.S. Department of Agriculture report, click here.
Time.com published a photographic comparison of what families in different nations eat in a week’s time. Click here to see this photo essay.
By Monte Mace, writer and editor in the CFCA-Kansas City office. With reporting and photography from Henry Flores, El Salvador; Sister Joanne Gangloff, Kenya; and Maria Lourdes Navio in the Philippines.
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1 comment September 26, 2008
Notes from the Field #3 – Madagascar
Cephas Miningou, financial auditor for the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging’s Africa region, talks about a family who lost their home in a fire and the meaning of the CFCA “Community of Compassion.”
Add comment September 24, 2008
“I’ve been waiting a very long time for you”
Sponsors Jack and Deanne Anderson visited their sponsored child, Jose, in Guatemala this year. Here Deanne describes the experience of meeting Jose.
When you listen to the words of Bob Hentzen’s song “Love the Children” not much else needs to be said. Our trip to Guatemala proved to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful events we have experienced in a long time.
Jack and I have been blessed with three children and seven grandchildren. We are a close family and we have many dear friends. We have traveled all over the world, but nothing prepared us for what we experienced going to Guatemala to meet our sponsored child, Jose.
Immediately upon our arrival Bob and his staff made us feel like we were special. We had no idea what was in store for us. That night we met the people we would be spending the week with and got to know a little more about CFCA. Next morning we loaded into the vans and off we went on a three-hour journey to the CFCA project. The welcome we received was that of royalty or movie stars. The children were all cheering and their band was playing. It was unbelievable. That evening after dinner the sponsored children gave a performance. The first of a nightly event we all looked forward to.
Sponsor Deanne meets her sponsored child, Jose, in Guatemala.
Monday was the day Jack and I had been waiting for; we were going to meet Jose, our sponsored child. The emotions we felt the moment we saw him cannot be put into words, or if I did try it would take many pages of typing. His mom, dad, and little niece came with him so there was lots of hugging and tears. Then came the joy and excitement of getting to know each other through a great interpreter. Again, I wish I could share each moment of the time we spent together. All the sponsored children gave a little performance and Jose’s was a beautiful poem he wrote for Jack and me. Well more tears and hugs followed. We took lots and lots of pictures and loved each minute we had with him.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Again, more hugs and tears of joy when we knew we would be back again to visit this very special child the Lord brought into our lives. One thing I must share are the words of Jose when he looked at Jack and I with tears in his eyes and said, “I’ve been waiting a very long time for you.” (more…)
13 comments September 19, 2008
Bob’s report: Visit to Honduras
Mission Awareness Trip
Aug. 23 – 30, 2008
What kind of a country can we offer them?
Alongside a tremendous wealth gap, endemic corruption, organized crime and neighborhood gangs, you see the beauty of family relationships, the inspiring example of a struggling mother, the youthful spirit with close to half the population under age 19, a fertile land and a strong work ethic.
We can add a tremendous resilience after tragedies like Hurricane Mitch (1998) which killed some 5,000 and destroyed 70 percent of the crops. Unfortunately, thousands of promising Hondurans, most of them young, leave the country every year, most of them for the U.S. Basically, they are seduced by human traffickers who rake in $5,000-$6,000 per head per trip north. Farm families abandon their land and go into life-threatening debt for this one chance. When the sojourners are caught and deported, the families remain in debt for many years.
Family testimony at morning prayer
Our group arrived for Sunday morning Mass at Las Mercedes Parish in El Progresso after the church was full, so we rounded out the doorway, greeting Father Raymond Pease, a veteran of 40 years in El Progreso.
Lourdes, her son, Cristian, 11, and daughter, Katia, 13, gave a beautiful testimony as part of our morning prayer on the second day of the trip. Lourdes and Wilfredo (working today) have seven children. They have hopes for better housing for their family, but for now, they are living in one room on property owned by Lourdes’ mother. Lourdes is very grateful for the sponsorship of Cristian and Katia, so grateful that she serves as a liaison with the 169 sponsored families in Barrio Sandoval in San Pedro Sula.
We had a pleasant drive from San Pedro Sula, and then enjoyed several nice receptions by children and families, complete with hand-made banners and lots of hymns. One of the dads, Don Lorenzo, shared a song which he had composed about CFCA. Moms and dads talked of their participation (by the hundreds) in the various aspects of the project. (more…)
1 comment September 17, 2008
Bob’s report: August visit to Guatemala
Mission Awareness Trip
Aug. 9-16, 2008
Since the early days of CFCA, the children, elderly and families of Guatemala have been close to our hearts. Currently we are blessed to have over 90,000 sponsored, including children, aging, scholars and vocations. In turn, these families have been blessed with a loving and devoted CFCA staff. Cristina and I are most grateful to call this CFCA community home.
Featuring Manuel Santizo
Manuel (Meme) Santizo is one of those strong and faithful servants who seem to enjoy working hard, but usually very much in the background. Meme is our site manager and handles everything related to maintenance and improvement of the CFCA facilities. Our place in San Lucas Toliman hums with activity, either staff workshops or mission awareness trips or welcoming our neighborhood children in their Ecological Club. In every instance, you’ll find Meme quietly getting things done, and always with a smile. Meme is married to Claudia, a Mayan woman of the Kakchiquel ethnic group and a career elementary teacher in the nearby village of El Naranjo.
Welcome to my world…potential
All over the CFCA world, we endeavor to present the most positive side of God’s humble people. CFCA Presenter Fr. Jim O’Toole radiates excitement when he says, “We see potential.” Focusing on dignity and potential, we try to avoid shock treatment on our sponsors. The daily reality of our sponsored families is shocking enough. (more…)
Add comment September 17, 2008
Notes from the Field #2 – The Philippines
CFCA Philippines project director Trisha Pitts shares stories about how high fuel costs are impacting the fishing industry and CFCA fathers who have small fishing businesses in the Philippines.
6 comments September 10, 2008
Time for school
Did you know that children in El Salvador walk 45 minutes and cross a hanging bridge to get to school? Or that students in Kenya literally run to school?
Watch this audio slideshow to see how CFCA children around the world get to school. We hope you’ll be inspired by their courage and dedication.
To learn more, read the news story here.
Support a child’s education through the CFCA Scholarship program or by sponsoring a child.
3 comments September 8, 2008
Couple sees reward in sponsoring older youth
It was Enrique’s interest in electrical work—he likes to fix electrical fans as a hobby—that spurred Annette and Roger Mackenroth of Maplewood, Minn., to sponsor him in 2003. Roger is a retired electrician for the railroad.
“I have three sons and intended to sponsor a younger girl,” said Roger. “But Enrique just jumped out at me.”
Enrique, 16, lives with his mother and brother in eastern Venezuela. His father is gone for long periods of time working on a boat.
Roger and Annette learned through Enrique’s letters that he was having trouble in school and had to repeat classes.
Annette (far left) and Roger (far right) Mackenroth met with their sponsored friend, Enrique, and his mother in Venezuela.
The couple met Enrique on a mission awareness trip to Venezuela in 2007. Enrique and his mother rode a bus for 15 hours to reach Barquisimeto in order to see the Mackenroths.
“We told Enrique he had to learn English for business and computers,” said Roger. “After the trip, we didn’t hear from him for months. Eventually, we learned he was busy studying and ended up third in his class. Now, he’s at the top.”
The couple is convinced their encouragement helped motivate Enrique to improve in school.
“His mother said she would pray for us every day of her life,” Annette said. “I have no doubt that she does.”
The Mackenroths recently began sponsoring 18-year-old Germarys, also from Venezuela. She graduated from high school in 2007 and then lost her sponsorship. Annette hopes by sponsoring her, Germarys will be able to attain her dream of becoming a lawyer.
Add comment September 4, 2008
“CFCA came in with HOPE…”
The following letter was written by a sponsored youth in Liberia. He writes about the challenges he has overcome after 14 years of civil unrest in his country and about how CFCA has been a constant source of hope in his life. We hope you’ll read his letter to you.
My name is Nyankoi. I was born on Sept. 9, 1986. I am a Liberian. As most Liberians, I have had my share of trauma, challenges and difficulties in life.
After 14 years of civil unrest, I am happy to be among the living. During the years of civil war, my mother and I went to the hinterland along with my brothers. We went to our village from Monrovia where we lived prior to the war. We returned to Monrovia in 1991 and I started pre-school, which was at first free. I attended for a year and could not continue because of financial reasons. My late father was not working then and hence things were very difficult.
It was there and then that CFCA came in with HOPE. It is often said that a man can live without food for seven days, without water for three days, but no man can live without HOPE for a second. It is in this light that I can never forget the pit of sorrow CFCA took me from.
I became a part of the CFCA program in 1994 when I was 8 years old and in the second grade. I was accepted into the program when my father asked the priest at our parish for assistance in getting me to school. It was then that Father Jackson decided that I should get on the program because of my financial status. Since then there has never been a turning back because I took it as a challenge and never repeated a single class throughout my entire school year.
Today, I am proud to say that because of CFCA, I am who I am. My entire high school and even to some extent my college fees have been paid through the service-scholarship by CFCA. Throughout my high school years, I had many tough times but I believe that tough times don’t last but tough people do. This has moved me to persevere in all I do. … (more…)
1 comment September 2, 2008
