Global Link - Spring 2017

GLOBALLINK

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE IN HAITI

OnJanuary12,2010,Haitiwas rockedbya7 0earthquake

Approximately3.5millionpeople wereaffectedbythedisaster,230,000died, morethan165,000buildingsweredamaged and105,000werecompletelydestroyed ankfully,tragedyalwaysseemstobring outthebestinhumankindandthiswasthe caseinHaitiascountriesandNGOsoffered immediateaidandlong-termrecovery support

Withalmosta70-yearhistoryofservice acrossHaiti,eSalvationArmywasuniquelypositionedtoimmediatelyassistand providemeaningfulsupportduringthe recoveryphase.isyearmarksthe completionoftheIntegratedFamilySupport Project,a$3.6millionmulti-pronged program,fundedbydonorsintheSalvation ArmyCanadaandBermudaTerritoryand administeredbytheWorldMissionsoffice

eprojecthasprovideddirectsupport to3,400beneciariesalthoughthereachwas muchbroaderwhenimmediateand extendedfamilyrelationshipsareconsidered.eSalvationArmyCommunity ActionTeamsidentied213ofthemost vulnerablefamiliesandbuiltpermanent housingforthem–housesthatareearthquakeproofandhurricaneresistant.

Another900beneciaries,mostly women,participatedinthelivelihood micro-creditbusinessprogram,which providedaUS$100loantostartorexpand community-basedbusinesses.Afurther 1,100individualsparticipatedinthe agribusinessprogram,whichprovided trainingforHaitianswantingtostartasmall agriculturebusiness.efourthprogram enabled1,200youngpeopletobenetfrom vocationaltraininginpartnershipwithstate schools

“AsktheLordforraininthespringtime;itistheLordwhosendsthethunderstorms.Hegivesshowersofraintoall people,andplantsoftheeldtoeveryone.” (Zechariah10:1)

Springisawonderfulseason;trees sproutnewgrowthandowersbloomas naturecomesaliveaerthedeepsleepof winter.echangingseasonsarealsoa reminderofGod’sgoodnessandprovision.JustaswethankHim,wethankyou foryourongoinginterestandsupportin everyseason.

eWorldMissionsteamunderstandsthat“allgoodthingscomefrom God”anditiswiththisinmindthatI inviteyoutoconsidertheexcitingstories inthiseditionofGlobalLink.Besureto readTresArroyos(Part2),thecontinuing storyoftheArmy’sworkinArgentinaas wellastheBrighterFuturesChildren’s SponsorshipprogramintheIndiaCentral Territory.Ourfeaturecelebratesthe successfulcompletionoftheIntegrated FamilySupportProjectinHaitiand highlightsthemomentousclosing ceremonyattendedbyTerritorial Commander,CommissionerSusan McMillan,andtheWorldMissionofficein January2017.

Today,theWorldMissionsteam managesmorethan200projectsin38 countriesaroundtheworld—butit’sonly becauseofGod’sprovisionandgracethat weareabletoaccomplishallthatwedo.As wecelebratethisnewseason,wepauseto thankyouforyourgood,practicaland prayerfulsupport!

Inclosing,Iinviteyoutovisit saworldmissions catolearnmoreabout ourworkandthatoftheArmy’s. Happyspring!

MajorBrendaMurray

CommissionerSusanMcMillan, TerritorialCommanderofeSalvation Army’sCanadaandBermudaTerritory, travelledtoPort-au-PrinceinlateJanuary 2017withmembersoftheWorldMissions officetoparticipateintheCelebrationand ProjectConclusionceremony “Itwasa privilegetopartnerwithourHaitian colleaguesandtoprovidevitalsupport, encouragementandhopetothosemost deeplyaffectedbytheearth-quake,”said MajorBrendaMurray,WorldMissions Director

CommissionerMarkTillsley, TerritorialCommanderoftheCaribbean Territory,wasgenerousinhispraisewhen hesaid,“esemulti-yearprojectsarevery

complexanddifficulttocomplete anks tothepeopleofCanadaandBermudafor makingthishappen”

Inherconcludingremarks,CommissionerMcMillanthankedthepeopleof Haitifortheirgraceandstrengthintimes ofgreatpersonalsacriceanddifficultyand shealsoexpressedappreciationtoCanadiansandBermudiansfortheirongoingfaith andsupportintheworkofeSalvation Army

Haitiansareastrongandresilient people.WhiletherearestillNGOsandUN peacekeepersworkinginmanycommunitiesacrossthecountry,thedaysaheadlook brighterformany,thankstothesupportof ourdonors.Forthis,wethankyou.

Finding Hope Among the Rubble

A Haitian Beneficiary’s Story

FewcommunitiesinHaitiwere unaffectedbythe2010earthquake Homesandbuildingswere destroyed,bridgesandroadscollapsedand thousandsdied;it’stakenyearstorebuild. However,ineverysituationthereishope, andtheWorldMissionsteamrecentlymet withsomelivelihooddevelopment beneciariesinArcahaie,a90-minutedrive northwestofPort-au-Prince At33,Beverlyisaseasonedbusiness woman Priortothe2010earthquake, Beverlyoperatedaconsumergoods businessoutofherhomefor10years Whilesmall,itwassuccessful.

However,outofeverydaycrisisand disasterthereareraysofhope Following theearthquake,Beverlyrelocatedto ArcahaiefromPort-au-Princeand,thanks toaUS$100livelihoodmicro-creditloan, shere-establishedherbusiness,andithas blossomed.Istartedsmall,sellingsandals andhouseholdgoods,”saysBeverly

Today,herstore,whichislocatedon themainthoroughfareofthecommunity,is busyfrom6a.m.to9p.m.daily.Shestocks everythingfromgroceriestohousehold goodsandreportsthathernumberone sellingitemissolarlamps “Mybusiness wouldhavefoldedifIhadn’treceivedthe loan,”saysBeverly Somedaysshecan’t keepupwiththeowofpeople,she’sso busy,andhasrepaidtheUS$100loanin full.

“Livelihooddevelopmentprojectsarea lifebloodincommunitiesallaroundthe world,”saysMajorBrendaMurray,World MissionsDirector.“eseprogramsare excitingandpositiveandtheyhelpchange familiesandstrengthencommunitiesina meaningful,practicalway ankstothe supportofourdonors,theyarehelpingto rebuildcommunitiesacrossHaiti.” FormoreinformationabouteSalvation ArmyWorldMissions,pleasevisit saworldmissions.ca.

Tres Arroyos Part 2 – Children of Change

Inourlasteditionof Global Link,we exploredthewaysinwhiche SalvationArmyisprovidingahavenfor womenwhohaveexperiencedgender-based violenceinTresArroyos,Argentina.We lookedathowthelivesofwomenhavebeen positivelyimpactedthroughgrouptherapy sessionswhereparticipantscanopenlyshare theirstoriesandlearnfromeachother. However,itisclearthatchildrenarealso deeplyaffectedbytheviolencethattheysee athomeandoenreectitatschool–ifthey choosetogo–withfriendsandevenwith family

Aspartoftheinitiativetohelpthe victimsofgender-basedviolenceinthearea, eSalvationArmyhasimplementeda programcalled“LearningroughPlaying” (LTP) LTPisdesignedasarecreational programforchildren,agedsevento14, whereallactivitiesaimtoteachchildrento understandandrecognizeviolentbehaviours,whilealsohelpingthemndnonviolentresponsestosituationsthatchallenge theirlives eprogramteacheschildren thattherearebetterwaystorelatetoother peopleandexpresstheirfeelings

LTPhasthreemainareas:afootball schoolwithtwophysicaleducationteachers (onemaleandonefemalethatpromotethe developmentofgoodgenderrelationships),a TeenHomeLeague(forartsandcras)anda Bibleschool(whichincludessnacksand spiritualreection)

Sincethebeginningoftheprogram,just overayearago,morethan70%ofchildren havebeenabletodiscusstheissuestheyface athomewiththeyouthpsychologistand

Strength After the Storm

Whenmysonwas10,lifewas

lledwithexcitingadventures.Heenjoyedsports, games,school,musicandfriends.Hehad experiencesthatallyoungchildrenhope tohave,butwhendisasterstrikes,lives changeandchildrenaredeeplyaffected. iscouldn’tbemoreapparentthanone dayinDecember2016,whenIwas workingaspartofaresponseteam distributingemergencyfoodassistanceto HaitiansinthewakeofHurricane Matthew.

atdayImetaladynamedYavara Estache.HersonLorvens,10,clungtoher side.Hewasvisiblydistraughtaer experiencingthecarnageofthehurricane.

isCategory5stormsmashedinto thesouth-westerntipofHaitiwithbrutal destruction,levellingtreesandbuildings, whilerippingroofsoffothers.Schools werebadlydamagedorrepurposedas emergencysheltersforthosewhohadlost theirhomes.Lorvens,alongwithmanyof hisfriendsandteachers,hadlostalltheir possessions:schoolsupplies,uniforms, textbooks.erewasnoplacetocookany food.Itwasafrighteninganddesperate

By Major Bill Barthau

time.Eventhebravestofchildrengot caughtupinthedespair,fearand uncertaintyaroundthem.

Lorvensaskedwhattodosinceallthe toiletshadbeendestroyed,roadswere clutteredwithtreesanddebrisandthe electricitylinesweredown.Hefelt helpless;therewasnoschoolfortwo

socialworker.Additionally,thefootball schoolnowhasvegirlsattendingregularly erehavebeenmajorimprovementsin thechildren’slivesasaresultofLearning roughPlaying.Schoolattendancehas risen,childrenareactivelyparticipatinginall activitiesandmanyarenowdemonstrating new,positivewaysofexpressingthemselves. iscouldnothavebeenaccomplished withouttheloveandsupportoffriendsacross CanadaandBermuda ankyou!

months,nowaytohelpreplantthefamily gardensincetheirtoolswerelostand nowheretogetseed.Hehadnowaytoget hismindoffwhatheexperienced.His familyjustkeptlookingatwaysto survive,onedayatatime.

Gettingfoodsuppliesatour SalvationArmydistributioncentrein Decemberwasahighlightoftheadvent season.Lorvens’schoolthatreopened, evenwithoutsupplies,closedforadayso thechildrencouldhelpparentscarry theirfoodhome.Itwasadaytocelebrate thehelpandcaringfrompeoplehewill nevermeet.But,Lorvenswasgratefulfor thecompassionate‘friends’fromoverseas whogavedonationstohelphisfamilyand thecommunity.

The Future is Bright in Bapatla

Manysinglemomshaveatoughtimesupportingtheir families.IntheslumsofIndia,livinginthatchedhutswith poorsanitationandadailypittancewageasfarmlabourers, momsstruggleeveryday.ereisneverenough,andcertainlynotfor theluxuryofsendingchildrentoschool

InBapatla,400kmsnorthofChennaiontheeastcoastofIndia, orphansandchildrenofsinglemothersndhopeateSalvation Army.roughoursponsorshipprogram,wesupportover100 childrenattheBapatlaSalvationArmyBoys’andGirls’Homes Dueto theholisticnurturethatweprovide,allprimaryandsecondaryschool childrenpasstheirgovernmentexamsaerGrades7and10 rough education,medicalcheck-ups,abalanceddiet,gamesandlife-skills lessons,thechildreninourhomesareourishing–happy,havinghope forabrighterfuture.

iswascertainlytrueforokolaSwathi,whorecentlypassed herhigh-schoolexams Herhopesforanythinghaddiedwhenher fatherpassedaway,leavinghermothertotrytoprovideforthewhole family.Whensomeonetoldokola’smomabouteSalvationArmy BapatlaGirls’Home,shemadeenquiriesandokolawasacceptedto livethere,receiveholisticcareandagoodeducation.

Likewise,MamidiSudheerisfromaverypoorfamilyandcameto liveandstudyattheBoys’Home.Helovestostudy,getsgoodmarks andpasseshisgovernmenthigh-schoolexams Mamidiisactively involvedineveryprogramthatisofferedforteens.Herecentlyshared, “ByparticipatingintheprogramsIamdevelopingmyselfandgrowing intheknowledgeoftheLordJesusChrist.Ithankyoufromthebottom ofmyheartforhelpingme”

emanychildrenandtheirleaders,whostrivetoofferthebest carepossible,thankyouforyourfaithfulsupportthroughourBrighter FuturesChildren’sSponsorshipProgram.