Restoration

We believe that restoration is possible! Since 2006, we have already seen the long-term effects that our programs have set in motion. The following seven steps are simply a strategy for general community development that we have witnessed and learned via experience. We know there is no formula for ‘helping’ people, yet we can clearly prioritize the basic needs and use this priority list when creating sustainable solutions. And it goes in this order:

1-Food

2-Health

3-Housing/Security

4-Education

5-Sustainability/Financial Wisdom

6-Family Empowerment

7-Restoration!

FOOD – Realization number one: People need to eat! It’s an uphill battle, and we fight it daily. Hunger has the most brutal effects. The problem is not a lack of food; it’s a problem that goes much deeper. The first step is to make food constantly accessible either by establishing sustainable businesses making food affordable, or creating a sustainable resource to eliminate food costs.

HEALTH – It’s an overwhelming obstacle, but we have discovered that one of the biggest problems isn’t always getting people healthy, but it’s keeping them that way. Relationships and funding needs to be established and provided with local clinics, and hospitals to make sure people aren’t denied treatment. The first step to health is education. Simple changes such as drinking boiled water, eating a balanced diet, and sleeping with a mosquito net can significantly decrease trips to the hospital.

HOUSING/SECURITY – Once there is food in your stomach and you're not fighting sickness, then comes the issue of housing. Living in a slum, on the street, or being constantly nomadic leaves little room for further development. Providing a stable shelter and a place to call home meets both a physical and emotional need.

EDUCATION – Once basic needs are met, the next step is to end the cycle of ignorance. If the first three needs are not met, they become more than just distractions, preventing a future leader from truly focusing on rising to the next level. Whether discussing primary or secondary school, university, or vocational training, education is key to solving starvation, disease, and poor living.

SELF-SUSTAINABILITY/FINANCIAL WISDOM – What if every NGO in Africa strived to work themselves out of a job? What if a poor community in Africa had enough knowledge to multiply their resources to solve all the first four problems? Now we're getting somewhere. Instead of putting a band-aid on the problem (handing out money, food, etc), let's invest in the solutions -- businesses that are working. Number 5 is moving from from 'relief work' to 'sustainable work'.

FAMILY EMPOWERMENT – Multiple and mass orphanages don’t work, they only create and further dependency. Imagine you're a mom, living in a slum with sewage on the floor. Would you rather keep your family together and have another mouth to feed... OR abandon your child to an NGO orphanage where they will get a bunk-bed, a school uniform, 3 meals a day, and an education. Foreign Aid is one of the major reasons for the breakdown of the family unit. We desire to get to the root of this problem by empowering families to NOT abandon their children. Imagine an Africa where growing up in a family was the rule, and growing up in an orphanage was the exception.

RESTORATION – There is light at the end of this seemingly dark road! Healthy families are the foundation for healthy communities. Restoring one family at a time breaks down the issues of abandonment, corruption and poverty. After building relationships, and instilling the importance of education, and self-sustainability, the community will have the tools and resources they need to move forward into a hope-filled future. It’s worth the effort no matter how long the journey.