Many of you know from our previous blog that j.rich recently began a partnership with a non-profit organization called Food for the Hungry (fh.org). For those of you who don’t know, FH is committed to ending hunger in developing communities. Unlike many organizations who just drop resources into a community to solve an immediate need, FH comes alongside the community and develops a plan that will help the residents create a stable, lasting means of self-sustaining. In our mind this is a perfect partnership, because our desire is to help people find (or in this case, create) communities in which they can truly feel safe and at home.
We previously announced that we would be working with communities in the Dominican Republic. We are very excited to announce that we’ve been paired with two wonderful communities: La Mina and Camarón. Your support through this process has been paramount and we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to the two communities, discuss what is already underway, and update you on how FH plans to continue to equip these people with the skills and knowledge to operate independently.
La Mina is a rural community located near Yamasa in the Monte Plata province. Although we are just joining in on supporting this community, FH has been walking alongside this community since 2012. There are 262 families with a total population of 1,310 people including 150 children. Of these 150 children, 136 are ages 3 to 17 years old and are registered in the FH sponsorship program with 116 (93%) of them already sponsored.
Camarón is another rural community located near Yamasa in the same province. Having arrived in 2010, FH has also been here for quite some time. They have already been walking alongside this community of nearly 430 families totaling a population of 2,000 people including 300 children. Of these 300 children, 270 are ages 3 to 17 years old and are registered in the FH sponsorship program with 252 (93%) of them already sponsored.
Both communities we have come along side are in stage II of a process FH has titled Child Focused Community Transformation (CFCT). The intention of this method is to engage with various leaders in the community and work with them to discover how to develop the best possible environment for the youth in the area.
We are elated with the prospects of stage II because so much good has already been done in stage I. Here are a few incredible transformations that have already taken place in both communities:
· 100% of school aged children have been supplied with anti-parasite medication and vitamin A with the help of our partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH).
· 100% of children registered with FHDR were supplied with school kits and school uniforms. This was to aid, to support, and to encourage parents in the education of their children.
· A formation of a neighborhood council and mother’s club
· FHDR has initiated height and weight monitoring for children in the community, aiming to monitor and aid healthy growth for children.
These are just a few of many exciting changes that have already happened. We hope that along with these changes, we continue to see changes in the hearts and minds of the people living here. A hope that any mindset of despair and fear would shift to that of hope and security.
With this vision of a hopeful shift in the people, FH has set numerous goals for both communities to accomplish in the CFCT model. FH plans to continue walking along side these communities for a long time. In La mina, they plan to be there until 2021; in Camarón, they plan on staying until 2023. When it is time to walk away, it is our hope and FH’s hope that the communities will have:
· 100% of the families with access to clean drinking water
· 100% of the families with bathrooms or latrines
· The vast majority of children impacted by the AMO program. This program teaches children good decision-making and biblical principles of self-governance, stewardship and service.
· 100% of families with either a better income or vocational training that could lead to a better income
First and foremost we want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and financial support of our two communities in the Dominican Republic. Secondly, if you want to continue to give or give for the first time, there are multiple ways to do so. FH provides a diverse range of options for giving. You can give a straight donation, sponsor a child, give to a specific cause, choose from a gift catalog, and, in some cases, give through your employer who will match your donation. Regardless of the method, you can trust that FH will be using the money to improve the lives of many families who desperately need our love and support.
If you want to know more about FH, more about us, or just want to chat about what community means to you, feel free to contact us with whatever is on your mind. Stay tuned for more updates on our friends in La Mina and Camarón.