eyes open wide

every group or sector has them, buzz words. synergy, think tank, group think, empowerment, second generation, etc. the developmental non profit sector is no different. words like trafficking, sustainable, child labor, women's equality are thrown around so much that they almost become like white noise and loose their meaning. i am guilty of talking about things so much that i forget the rawness or weight of it. that these are not just terms, but there are real live people who identify with these terms who define these buzz words, whether good or bad. i had not realized it, but i had become some what desensitized to the buzz word child labor. i had head knowledge of it and had even seen it somewhat in action on our trips, i had even read articles and such on it. we are even fighting against it through our orphan program, but it was not until this trip that it became more to me. this buzz word, this term, this thing we were fighting against took on a new life when we were in benin last week. my eyes were opened wide.

this was the first time i had ever been to benin while school was in session. we usually travel during the summer while the kids are on summer holiday. there would be kids playing outside and you would see kids also working. they would sell small items along the road or at the markets, you may see them helping their mothers cooking for people along the road, or shelling shea butter seeds, but in my mind they were just working for the summer. since they were not in school they were expected to help out their parents with cooking, selling, whatever. oh how my american mindset was wrong, not just wrong, but off the map wrong.

in benin the kids have to wear uniforms to school, yes all my american students you are not alone in your plight of school uniforms. most of the uniforms are kaki or they may have a white top and blue bottom, but majority are kaki from head to toe. because neither of these materials are common to wear everyday it is very easy to spot those that attend school. as they walk down the road or run through the village they stick out like a sore thumb. because there are no school buses or because their parents can not drop them off at school, they have to walk. some, if they are lucky, only have a short distance, but others may have to walk 4-8 miles each way. so in the mornings and the evenings, you see all of these kids walking along the roads and paths on their way to school.

through out the day, eventhough the kids had school, we were in the villages doing work or in the city going to lunch or at the office. every where we went there were kids dressed in their regular dirty clothes working. it broke my heart. i began to think about this. they got up that morning, threw on their clothes, and walked to work. as they walked along, they had to watch and pass by those who were going to school. it would be evident by their clothes alone that they belonged to the working population. how that must crush ones dreams. no way out, this is what you do, get up, go to work, work all day until late at night, come home and do it all again. this lifestyle can begin at the age of 5. so from 5 until they are old and gray they work. not experiencing the joy of learning something new, bettering yourself, contributing to a group, or having pride in your accomplishments. i know and believe that there are kids who daily sit and watch others walk to school and long to be walking with them and that is more than heart breaking, it is tragic.

let me tell you about a few that we encountered on our trip, these are more observations than conversations that were had....

across the restaurant we ate at, there were three boys, probably 8-12 years old, and they were doing metal working. through out the city young boys are walking around with platters that have kleenex, shoes, cd's, wallets, sunglasses, etc on them trying to sell them and they will work until 10 or 11 o'clock that night. in the bush, we played with these four girls, 7-12 yrs old, they were out collecting firewood to take home for cooking. that is what they spent their day doing, one carried the ax and the others carried the wood. another day we went to the village of sanson to visit one of our youth programs at the local school. when we drove up we saw that another school building was being built, which is awesome. but i felt like a bomb was dropped on me when i saw that there were kids helping build the school while kids where in there learning. i was thinking, "you have got to be kidding me am i really seeing this?" it was like 110 degrees out there, they are helping adults clear land, cut wood, stir mortar, i was in shock. how horrible to be out there working on a school and not be able to attend it. what does that do to the self worth and value of a child? the final one i will share made me sad. we were out in the bush on our property for the cashew factory and this young girl comes walking by us. we tried to speak french to her, but she did not understand. so she is just kinda standing next to us not knowing what to do or think. she is carrying a large platter on her head on which is a knife/machete type tool and a few cashews. it was obvious she was out looking for cashews to take home and then sell at the market. we gave her some stickers, which brought a smile to her face, and i grabbed the platter and put it on my head to be silly, the kids think this is funny to see a foreigner doing this. so for some laughs i grabbed her platter and as i took it off of her head their was a round bald callous from where she carried this platter on her head. she was maybe 8 or 9 years old, to have a callous like this she must have been working since being very young. at that moment, when my eyes saw that, my heart became so heavy and almost mournful for this young girl, her future, and her present.

i felt like over the trip that the working children were glaring in the midst of everything, i felt like their situations and the lack of control they have over their future was screaming at me whenever i looked at them. this just isn't a buzz word, this just isn't some term to throw around, but this is the value, future, and confidence of children. children who do not have the luxury to dream, children whose right to education has been taken from them, children who have traded their childhood memories and laughter for labor and servitude. my eyes became open, but my heart became burdened.

reflecting

the past two weeks we have been in the final stages of preparing our website to go live. what that means is we have been pouring through pictures and writing content for the site. when i say pouring through pictures, i don't mean looking through a few online albums. we have thousands and thousands of pictures and over the course of the last three years i have forgotten about some of them. what is awesome to see is some of the kids we met on our first visit and that we played games with are now a part of project dado and being taken care of. Also, through the photos you can see the progression of relationships and the projects being accomplished, it is wonderful. but it was not the pictures that caused the reflection, but it was the writing that did. as i sat at the computer, looked at the pictures, and began writing about each of the projects, emotions just came over me. i know i love these people and i want to serve them with everything i have, but i did not realize how emotionally attached and invested i am to them. i think sometimes when we do these projects that we rejoice in the project in that moment and then move on to the next project, so we never take time to reflect on it. as i reflected on the sights, sounds, people, emotions, and accomplishments of these various outreaches and projects, i began to cry as i sat and wrote. this was not a wow, look at what we have done, but a wow, look at the opportunities god has given us and the wow, look at the power of christ's love and wow, i am so not worthy for god to use, but he is so awesome that he is using me anyways. if this has been the first 3 years, i can not wait to sit and reflect on the next 3 years.

amazing 3rd graders

On Friday, Jace and I visited Murray Elementary School where 3rd graders have been busy saving lives. Going into the school, we thought that one third grade class had been raising money for mosquito nets and that they had raised about 40 dollars. We were excited to get to meet this class that was joining PfP in the fight against malaria, but things were not as we thought and when we arrived we were so blown away we were speechless.

We walked in to see a big banner welcoming PfP. We quickly found out that the entire 3rd grade was participating and was waiting for us in the cafeteria. As we walked in, the excitement shifted from the pizza and corn, which looked delicious, to the anticipation of what was going to happen next. One of the teachers began to talk about how she has known Jace since he was in middle school, then on to a little info on PfP, and then she began to explain how hard the classes have been working to raise money to fight malaria, and then presented us with a check for 750 dollars! Yes, $750, 100 3rd graders who do not attend a wealthy school, but with an obvious heart to help others. I was shocked, these 8 and 9 year olds were so excited to give us that check that they had been working so hard. As I looked around the cafeteria, you could see the pride they had in giving that check, they knew that it was a symbol of their work to save kids just like them. They took this project seriously, they were on a mission to change and save lives. They raised money in various ways, some even gave their allowances to give to kids they had never met. They just knew kids were dying or sick and needed their help so they did something about it. They did not complain about the sacrifices they were making for others or that it meant they didn't get to keep their money, but after reading the letters they wrote to us, many wanted to give more, but had given all they had. If only adults would grasp the same concept, but we over think and cause a simple solution to become so difficult. We come up with excuses, committees, plans, and arguments which delay the solution and eventually pushing it back under the rug, to the back of our mind, and back out of our hearts, and nothing is accomplished but talk. Unlike this, these 3rd graders ran with excitement towards the solution, holding onto the feelings they experienced when first hearing about the needy and dying children in Benin. It didn't matter to them that they had never met the kids in Benin, that they didn't have much money, or that malaria is a huge problem, but what they saw was that they could save some, that they would give whatever they could, and that everyone deserves to live a healthy life.

Not only did they raise money, but they wrote letters, painted pictures, and made a banner for the kids in Benin. Phrases like "Best Buds", "Friends" and pictures of kids holding hands littered the pictures they created. This was a personal project for these 3rd graders. Every one of them will remember the malaria project they did in the 3rd grade, but for some this was a turning point in their life. For the first time they were given the opportunity to reach beyond Murray, Kentucky and touch lives some where else. This will be a point in their life that they reference years later as the first time of many that they reached out and helped someone else in need. That is exciting to me.

This had to be one of my favorite moments with PfP, I was so humbled and in awe of the passion, drive, and excitement in these 3rd graders. They have challenged me and I hope that they challenge you to do something because something can help someone. Thanks to the teachers at MES, you guys are awesome and are shaping these young children into change agents.

Why Orphan Sponsorship Programs work

We all get the letters and packets from various organizations pleading for money to help starving kids in a far away third world country. It’s the same story. So and so can’t go to school or doesn’t have access to food or clean water or is unable to_____ (fill in the blank). We get inundated with commercials and videos designed to stomp on heart strings. Now add the holiday season and this thing gets out of control. It gets to the point where we simply become numb to these campaigns that try to “get my money for some kid in a poor country”. We see the scandals and wrongdoing of large non-profits who do massive campaigns to stamp out HIV or hunger only to read articles published by whistleblowers informing the public that only something like 5% of the total donations were actually used to end or fight the very thing the campaign was designed to raise money for. The bulk of the money was used for salaries, expenses and “awareness”. It can easily make us sick to our stomachs and make us hold on even tighter to our money. The words waste, scams and inefficiencies among others flood our minds so much that even though we really want to help we often don’t because of our doubts. “Are the kids really getting help?”, “If I were to sponsor, how do I know my money is being used for my kid?”, “Can I trust this organization?”, “Can I swing the $35-50 bucks a month?”

We launched our version of a “sponsor an orphan” program this year. We started in Jan and are coming to the end of the first full year. Right now PfP has about 30 kids in our orphan program. Almost all of our sponsors have signed up again for 2011 and more are being added daily. Our goal for 2011 is to have 100 kids sponsored. This is one of those bitter sweet things. I would love not to have this program but I want it to grow as we have many kids on waiting lists that need help.

Here is why I am blogging today. I got an email from one of our team members in Benin who heads up the orphan program in Benin. A little girl named Dado (her picture is below) was on our orphan program waiting list to get a sponsor. She died 2 weeks ago from malaria. Her guardian could not come up with the 67 cents needed for the medicine that would have saved her life.

67 stinking cents. I am so mad and sad. I can’t save the world but this shouldn’t have happened. Hundreds of kids in Benin are going to die this week due to malaria or malnutrition. Right now, I can’t stop that. A rather disgusting pill I have to swallow at least for now. But the thing is, Dado signed MY list. Not Compassion’s list or Feed the Children’s list. She signed my list. I am mad at my PFP team, I am mad at you, I am mad at me. I am mad at the reality of it all. 67 cents. How do I wrap my head around that? Going forward, we will be having informational meetings with all guardians of those children who are on the list. We will inform them that a fund has been set aside for cases like Dado. While schooling, food and monthly medical care cannot be provided without assistance of a sponsor, we have money for things like malaria meds. It is up to the guardians to keep us informed of the health of the child so we can work together to ensure things like this don’t happen again. I just can't grasp it. How does this happen? It is 2010. How does a child die from not having 67 cents?

I get every counter point and doubt you have about helping a kid in a far off country. I know there have been accounts were people and organizations have taken advantage of your generosity but please don’t resign to the fact that nothing can be done or you have been “burned” and therefore are finished with helping. I can’t speak for Compassion Intl and Feed the Children etc personally but I know they have great reputations and have similar 67 cent stories.

I am not sugar coating this. Kids just like Dado are really dying. Sure, we don’t want to hear it. It makes us uncomfortable because after all we have grown accustomed to the “Us 4 and no more” mentality where it makes more sense to drown our own kids and families with more things they don’t need than to help someone you don’t know. Spend less money on Christmas this year. Adopt a kid through PFP. If not PFP, adopt one with Compassion, ICA, Feed the Children or one of the many out there both big and small. I am serious. If you don’t want to do it through PFP that is fine, just help out somewhere else. If you can’t spring the $35 a month on your own, then group up. Get 5 or 10 of your friends and adopt a kid together. If you are worried about where your money is going, call me or let’s grab a cup of coffee and talk. I will show you where every penny is going.

“Oh come on Jace, aren’t you doing the exact same thing as above? Aren’t you tugging on our heart strings and didn’t you write this blog with the purpose to get our money”.

Yes. But I don’t care about your money. I care about what your money can do. $35 a month x 12 months is $420. I see your $420 commitment as a life saved. I don’t have a great video and don’t consider myself to be a good writer but I need your help. Please be moved by this. Sit with me and talk. Ask me questions. Come to Benin with me. You tell me what assurances you need or what questions you need answered in order to help a kid. Again if $420 makes your budget too tight then let’s group up. Pull 10 friends together. I will come and we can all talk. Dado died on my watch. I can’t do anything about that but I can do everything to try to prevent that from happening again.

If you are upset with my plea for money and help and offended by asking for your money, I am sorry you feel that way. If my plea is only white noise to you then I cannot change your opinion but I hope you find something you can passionately stand behind and partner with. However, if this switched on a light for you, I need partners who will stand with us in this program. I need people who will live beyond themselves. Something has to be done.

If anything I said above made sense to you and you are interested in sponsoring a kid, have ideas on how to make this program better or how you can get involved email our orphan program director at mary@projectsforprogress.com


Thanks for reading. Have a Merry Christmas!

Jace

pics from the days in the village

village days

one of my favorite things to do when we go to benin is to visit in the village of tourou. this is our first village that we "adopted" and it has a huge piece of my heart. for the past two years it is the only village that we have worked in, until now. this trip we added sanson and badekporou, so we had the opportunity to spend time in these villages as well. a foundational belief of PfP is that there is power in relationship and visiting these villages is a key in the development of that. when you walk through the village you are stepping directly into their lives and experiencing their culture, it is awesome. it is taking time to share life. although we don't speak the same language there is a connection that takes place that can not be described. for example, when we drove into tourou for the first time on this trip a group of kids ran out to greet us. a few of the boys ran up to us motioning the hang loose and i love you hand gestures that andrew taught them last summer, andrew had shared life with them and they had hung on to it. through out the week we painted faces, which they could not get enough of. some of them were getting their faces painted, wiping it off, and then waiting in line for 15 minutes to get it painted again, and to think i hate waiting in line for 5 minutes at target, no way would i sit in a cramped line while others pushed me in the hot african sun to have my face painted, but they did and would have done it all day. it is the small things that they love and appreciate and more importantly find satisfaction in. so it is the small things that we love to do that has a big impact. sorry, rabbit trail. so we did face painting, passed out stickers, and played games. there is a sense of freedom and joy that you feel in the air as if they don't always get play time, as if for that time the burden of poverty is gone and they get to be 100% kids.

we sat together cheering tourou on to victory in the soccer tournament, kids fighting to sit as close to us as possible, they were like little african heaters. as we walked back to homes we were visiting, we would have four or five kids holding each of our hands, they would each get a finger, they just wanted to be noticed, to be loved. one of the most difficult times of the trip is telling them good bye and this time was no different. one little boy stands out in my mind, mary and i were telling them all good bye and there was this little boy about four or so years old, cute as can be. he ran between mary and i, giving us these huge hugs one right after another. it was like he was trying to get as many as he could before we left, soaking them all in as if it were his last, he could not get enough love.

a cultural difference that is glaring is the lack of affection that is given to these kids. you do not see them getting hugs and little love pats from their mothers and especially not their fathers. i can not imagine having such a distant relationship with my parents, i have always loved spending time with them and their approval, love, and affection was and continues to mean the world to me, so knowing that those kids are missing out on such an experience is difficult to realize. it is heart breaking to see them watch their mom or dad walk all around them and never acknowledge them or show them affection. but that all changes while we are there, it is hugs and high fives all around. they soak up the affection like sponges and so you give them all you can in hope that it will last until the next time you see them.

Small Enterprise Development- Micro Finance

We have all heard the old proverb, “If you give a man a fish he eats for a day and if you teach him to fish he eats forever.” This guy must have dabbled in the arena of micro-finance. Micro-finance at its core is true community development. It’s true. If you want to really change a person, a village, a community and eventually a nation, I really believe business development is going to be the key. So, we started a new program aimed at investing seed money into individuals with the dream of starting their own businesses. This new program is called SED (Small Enterprise Development). Micro-finance has the power to truly change a community. However, we have taken our program one step farther. The typical micro-finance structure gives small loans to individuals to create or expand their small businesses. As a loan in the third world, these micro-finance institutions typically charge a high interest rate on the money that is borrowed. While the typical micro-finance model does work as small business is being developed with injections of small amounts of cash, it is our vision to provide interest free loans. Our interest free loan program works the same way as a typical micro-finance structure but our recipients keep more of the money for their families and business since they do not have to pay interest on the loans. In lieu of interest, we do require a percentage back from each participant through our SED program. This percentage goes towards a program that teaches skills to young girls. It is our vision to work with young girls to teach them to dream and aspire to great things. In our young girls program we teach them life skills, business skills and that they have a value, a plan and a purpose. It is a time to take the lid of the typical expectations of a woman in the Beninese culture and become the catalyst for them to begin to dream.
As of right now, we have 31 SED projects in our program. These 31 businesses are solely comprised of women-owned ventures. These ventures include selling yams and corn at the market to a processed cheese product called Wagasi. They range from a finished food product called Toubani which is like a bean cake to Kerosene as well as several other small ventures centered in agricultural items.
We plan to continue to grow this program and add new projects monthly. Loans are given on a 1-2 month term basis. With your help, we will continue to expand this program and change Benin through the power of business development.


Here are a few photos of one of our ladies. Her name is Zakari. She is married with 2 children. She sells yams at the market.


Zakari at her yam stand



Closing the sale!!!

snapshots from villages that we love