Ethiopia- Yirgalem's Success Story!!!

Yirgalem’s Story

Yirgalem Chirilo is one of the beneficiaries of the loan system from

Engage Now Africa.

 

 

 Before Yirgalem was granted the loan, she used to sell vegetables on a piece of land out on the field inside the market. She supported her family from a meager income she got every single day.

Then the government built so many mini-shops and distributed them among the sellers who didn’t have a shop to sell their own goods. As a result, Yirgalem was given a shop in her name with a monthly fee of 333 Birr ($17.00 USD).

However, the real problem was that she didn’t have any money whatsoever to advance her business with in her newly given shop. She thought selling vegetables in her new and big shop compared to the previous small piece of land, was not worth the monthly fee. On one hand, she didn’t have any money to advance her business. On the other, she didn’t want to lose such a great opportunity of having a shop in the market by itself. Therefore, she simply kept paying 333 Birr monthly fee for three solid years, even though the shop had been empty and locked for that much year.  

Then, months ago great blessings knocked at her door; an important turning point in her life and in the lives of her own family members, if you will. She got loan from Engage Now Africa to start her business in a new, more organized and advanced way. Obviously, the loan helped her buy different kinds of goods in bulk and sells them in her shop. She became free from her worries and her big problem had been taken care of because of this loan. Her business started growing and flowing freely by itself.  

 

The loan has changed her life and the lives of her family member in such a way that, she sends all of her five children to good schools and she provides for everything that they need in order to improve the quality of their education to the next level. Her income has increased and became more stable since the opening of the shop. Her life has changed a great deal and she’s now a different person than what she used to be previously.

If it wasn’t for the loan and if the shop hadn’t been opened, she said: “My life and the lives of my family members wouldn’t have changed in such a way. The opening of the shop has changed our lives from nothing into something. I am so much grateful for Engage Now Africa for being the main and only reason for my big and important transition in my life.”

 She is now a very happy and successful woman. She is enjoying life along with her family!!!

 

To learn more about Engage Now Africa's micro-credit programs, please visit our website HERE!!!

Ghana- Monica's Story

 

Monica's Story

By Francis Ansah

We would like to introduce you to Monica Adjorator!

Monica is a 25 years old lady who hails from a village known as Asesewa in the Eastern Region of Ghana. She is from a family of five, she being the eldest of the siblings.  She never knew her father and is still in doubt whether he is alive or dead based on the stories the mother told her about him. Her mother was a peasant farmer and did not know the value of Education, therefore, all of the children automatically became farmers. They did not have any opportunity to go to school and have never even stepped in a class room. The worst part was that they were extremely poor because they lived on subsistent farming.

Monica, whilst in the village realized that if she did not leave the village to go in search of a job in the city in order to help support her siblings and mother, they would die from hunger. She took the bold step of moving down to Accra in the hopes that she would find a job. Unfortunately, nobody would employ her because she was just fourteen years as at time. She was also unable to find housing so she was forced to live on the streets, sleep in deserted places and beg for food. She managed to save some money she had begged from passers-by and decided to become a street hawker by selling all kind of stuffs in other to eat. She did this for about eight years before she got a job as a house help. During this time she was sending money home to her mother and siblings for their upkeep.

Monica would not stop there, she realized that to make it in this world one must have a skill, and not just be limited to being a house help. She became determined to acquire a skill and found a school where should would be taught how to design and make clothes (Seamstress). Her school matched perfectly to her taste because of proximity to work and the times she could attend lectures and training. She was enthusiastic to start, but her only challenge was school fees. Monica began praying fervently to God to show her how to get support and soon after was introduced to Engage Now Africa through a friend. We were excited to be introduced to Monica because she was a perfect candidate for our Technical and Vocational Education assistance program.

 

Today, Monica is a happy lady and we are proud to be sponsoring her!

 In her words she said “Engage Now Africa is the Answer to My Prayer”.

 

 

To learn more about Engage Now Africa's Educational

 Programs, please visit our website HERE!!!

Sierra Leone- Amputee Camp Receives Water Well and Latrines!!

 

 

Engage Now Africa completed construction on two  new water wells and latrines in an amputee camp in rural Sierra Leone!!

 

These new water wells allow the 10 households in the camp to have direct access to clean drinking water for the first time. Prior to the wells,  the amputees living in the camp were walking far distances to drink and bathe in dirty river water.

 

 

 

Engage Now Africa was also able to provide two new latrines for those living in the camps to help support a healthy, sanitary living environment. 

 

 

 

 

 

Although these wells and latrines are life changing to those in the camp, we need to construct more in order to ensure a long term, healthy living environment.

 

To Provide support for future well or latrine projects or to learn more about our clean water initiatives, visit our website HERE!!!

Ghana- Construction on New School Begins & School Supply Drive Announced!!!

ENA began construction on the first school to be built for ENA!! Although ENA has built schools in Ghana on behalf of Forever Young Foundation http://www.foreveryoung.org/ , this school will be the first school entirely constructed for ENA. The school is located outside of Bolgatanga, Ghana and will be a Primary School to educate those in grades 1 - 6.

 

The community is very excited about their new school. The only school that was previously available to the 250 children, for ages 6 and up in the area, was an outdoor classroom constructed out of stones with a primitive chalkboard. Therefore, school would have to be cancelled if it was raining or too hot. But, not anymore!

 

 

 ENA has run into a few challenges due to the location of the village which is very far off the main paved road. We are determined to try and finish construction by the end of June when the school year begins in Ghana. Fortunately, after the school's construction is complete, the government of Ghana will supply teachers. Students, however,  are required to pay a school fee for school books and school uniforms in public schools in Ghana.

 

 The pictures below show the beginning of the construction process and the progress so far.

 

 

 

 

In order to offset the cost of the children's school expenses, we are currently running a school supply drive!

 

We are accepting donations of pencils, art supplies, crayons, craft paper, maps, composition books, and new or gently used backpacks for the students.   To donate school supplies or provide funding for this project please contact Bree Erickson at bree@engagenowafrica.org or visit us at http://engagenowafrica.org/donate/ !!

 

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to updating you on the progress of construction!

 

 

Ethiopia- Akako Well Drilled!!!

Did you know???

 85% of the world's population lives in the driest half of the planet?

783 million people do not have access to clean water?

2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation?

(Source: www.unwater.org)

 

Ethiopia lies in the heart of the world's water crisis.

Those living in and around the village of Akako were suffering the devastating effects of an unsanitary and inadequate water supply until Engage Now Africa installed the first phase of a well! 

 

 

This crowded, dirty, standing water hole was the only water resource for over 5000 people. Every day men, women and children would walk to the water hole to retrieve the muddy water for drinking, cooking, bathing and to provide drinking water for their livestock.

However, everything changed when ENA drilled the first phase of a deep water well for them!!

The photos below showcase the beginning of the drilling of the Akako well.  After drilling to 200 meters, clean and pure water was reached !!!  The well now provides water to 5000 people in several rural villages.

 

   

 

 

Hand pumps for the water pipe will be installed this week which will allow the villagers to fill water containers more easily and only access the water when needed to conserve this precious, life saving resource.

 

ENA hopes to raise enough funds to being the next phase of drilling in early 2015.  Once complete, the well will provide several water stations that can be used to provide water for livestock and irrigating crops.

 

With your continued to support, we hope to provide drinking water and an overall healthier lifestyle for these 5,000 villagers for many years to come.

 

If you would like to donate to the Akako Well project, please visit our website at www.engagenowafrica.org or click here!!!

 

Namibia- Pediatric Clinic Update

One of the newest projects for Engage Now Africa is the support of a Pediatric Clinic in Nyangana, Namibia.  The Pediatric Clinic focuses not only fighting the HIV/AIDS virus in children, but, it will also focus on giving them hope, a high quality of life and an education about the virus.

 

The Pediatric Clinic is desperately needed Nyangana, Namibia.  According to UNICEF, the Eastern African region is the at the center of the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic with 48 per cent of the world’s new HIV infections among adults, 55 per cent among children, and 48 per cent of AIDS-related deaths .

 

The Pediatric Clinic believes in the power of education. Each patient and their parent(s) are taught about the causes and prevention methods for the HIV/AIDS virus, as well as the proper usage of medication to regulate the virus. Patients at the clinic range in age from 6-21, so parental consent and education is required for treatment.

 

Each month patients come in for check-ups and monitoring. We want these pediatric patients to know that HIV/AIDS is not the end of life and they can still live a happy, healthy life if they take their Anti- Retroviral Therapy(ART) medications daily and maintain a safe, healthy lifestyle.

Continued support of the Pediatric Clinic will ensure that thousands of children who are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus will live a long, happy life that would otherwise be unattainable. ART medications and running this public service clinic are very expensive. To assist in this life-saving effort, please visit us at http://engagenowafrica.org/donate/
 

or click here!!

 

Namibia- Medical Equipement Donation!!

 

Engage Now Africa was recently contacted by Elder and Sister Eggett, Humanitarian Country Directors for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elder and Sister Eggett participated in the Helping Babies Breathe Training in Rundu, Namibia where they were introduced to Dr. Rufine from Nyangan, Namibia. Dr. Rufine asked them to visit her hospital and they glady accepted the invitation.  During their visit to the clean, yet under stocked facility they learned of their need for medical equipment. Specifically, an ultra sound (US$15000) and three heart monitors (US$8000). The total cost including shipping would be $23000!!

 

(Pictured above is Elder and Sister Egget presenting the new medical equipment to Dr. Rufine & two members of her staff)

 

Elder and Sister Eggett indicated that they would submit a request for an Area Initiative. However, they needed a partner/non-profit organization to pay 20-30% of the cost. Dr. Rufine contacted Engage Now Africa and we were gladly willing to donate 20-30% of the cost.

 

The medical equipment just arrived at the hospital and we enjoyed partnering with LDS Charities http://ldscharities.org/?lang=eng improve the health and well-being of infants and children in Nyangana, Namibia!!!