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!!!

 

 

ENA Continues the Fight to Stop Sex Trafficking

Anti-Slavery Human Trafficking Update!

In 2014 Engage Now Africa created a new anti-slavery initiative to address trafficking issues in our own back yard. Our domestic program is called Engage Now America and was created to help eradicate sex trafficking or slavery, specifically among child victims here in the USA.

Phoenix April 6, 2014

Pictured above is Chris Gay, ENA's West Africa Director, along with Shared Hope International founder Linda Smith after a meeting at Swift Transportation about stopping sex trafficking in the trucking industry here in US. ENA was able to bring Swift and Shared Hope International, who is a leader in this field, together.

Victims

Many of America's children are being used in the commercial sex industry. Children who are exploited through prostitution, pornography and sexual entertainment are victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. Traffickers recruit at locations that commonly attract youth; like schools, malls, parks, online and even protective shelters and group homes. Traffickers pray on vulnerable youth with histories of abuse, runaways, homelessness, and throwaways, lonely or disconnected. Warning signs are having a significantly older boyfriend, traveling with an older male who is not their guardian, special marked tattoos, substance abuse, signs of trauma, and multiple delinquent charges. Victims can be anybody's daughter, niece, cousin, friend, or neighbor. Boys can be victims as well. 

So in an effort to further help these victims and eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) in our own back yard, ENA Director, Chris Gay kept the momentum that was leftover from his last meeting with Swift transportation going. This time he helped organize a second follow up meeting with Linda Smith, President/Director/Founder, SHI (Shared Hope International), Nick Lembo, Board of Directors SHI, Co-Chair Defenders theMen of SHI and Taryn Offenbacher, Communications Director, SHI.

Also in attendance was Jerry Moyes, CEO of Swift Transportation, Nate Rowland, Training & Development Specialist for Swift and Jim Stone, Executive Director of Swift charities. We gathered together in an effort to discuss how to best eradicate sex trafficking here in America, specifically within the trucking industry where it is a big problem.

Vision & Leaders

ENA recognizes the courage it takes to look at difficult issues and values Swift Transportation's ability and desire to do this. Especially Jerry Moyes who gave his blessing to allow a collaborating with SHI so new training materials can be developed for Swift truckers. They are now a leader in the fight against sex trafficking of minors within the trucking industry and paving the way to better help victims on a greater scale. We also recognize that not all truckers are a part of the sex trafficking problem in this country. In fact we know that there are many brave and decent truckers out there that have helped and continue to help victims of sex trafficking.

However ENA & SHI want to empower many more truck drivers not just in Swift but hopefully in the other large trucking companies that exist. We plan on shining a spotlight upon this serious problem by raising awareness and providing avenues for those currently involved in creating the demand to change their ways.

It is the beginning of a beautiful collaboration to help victims in our backyard and we thank Swift and SHI for their time and dedication! More news to come.

Watch "Chosen", and how an honor-roll, cheerleader student was recruited bytraffickers.

Ghana- 2014 Goal Accomplished

Engage Now Africa is thrilled to announce that we have already met our 2014 goal of having ten wells drilled in Northern Ghana!!

 Pictured above is Chris Gay, ENA West Africa Director, with Moro, Joe and Dagando from our staff in Ghana just before entering the field to check up on a well that was just completed.

 Our staff in Ghana is currently constructing cement foundations like the one pictured below, attaching the pumps and making signboards for each of the ten wells!