TPRF Real Stories

Alex Wiredu has undertaken the fascinating task of learning about the history and daily lives of the people served by the Food for People program that opened in Otinibi, Ghana on May 15, 2012, almost one year ago. Alex’s co-worker, Francis, is a photographer who has documented the development of FFP in Otinibi since the acquisition of the land it is built on. Soon a film crew will go to work to interview participants in FFP, or the Canteen as it is known locally. What follows is only the beginning of an ongoing story.

Francis and I went to the village again on May 7, to further look into which people to interview and to build their confidence to face the cameras. When we arrived at the facility, around 11:00 am, the cooks were preparing “banku,” a local food made from cooked fermented corn and cassava dough, served with the main meal.

We proceeded to the house of a 94-year-old man, Dorfur Tetteh, to find out how he was doing. As we came to his house, we saw him sitting under a huge baobab tree enjoying the mid-morning breeze. He offered us chairs, and soon we were deep in conversation. We didn’t know that he was the chief priest of the village until he told his story and, along with it, the story of how Otinibi came into existence.

Francis asked where the first people to live in Otinibi came from, and Dorfur began his story. “We have six clans forming the Ga tribe: Osu, La, Ga, Teshie, Nungua, and Tema. All these clans lived along the coast of the present day Accra, and their main occupation was fishing.

Being fed up and tired of always having fish as their main meal, compounded with petty squabbles that were going on, a group of three men and a woman decided to move inland. These were their names: Adjei Kweigyanmansa, Sowah Okumose, Nii Ayi Ampah, and their sister, Atwe. They were fishermen who needed a change.

They kept moving inland for months, roaming through the thickets. In time they discovered a natural pond, if not a small lake. Knowing water was key to their survival, they pitched their camp close to the lake on land that is called Otinibi today.

Because the lake never dried up even in the harmattan (dry wind) season, it was perceived to be a god. They worshiped it, as it became the source of their livelihood. Sowah and Kweigyanmansa shared the chieftaincy position. Nii Ayi Ampah became the first chief priest, and I am third of that lineage. That is why I had the authority to advise our immediate past chief, who has recently passed on, to offer the land for the facility.

And so we asked how they came by the name “Otinibi.” Dorfur explained, “When the four first arrived at the lake, there was an adjacent hill that was so bare that they called it eti a eni nwin, which means “a head without hair.” Over time the name has been corrupted to become Otinibi.”

When asked what kind of work the people did after settling, he replied, “Farming, of course. We cultivated maize, yam, cocoyam, plantain, and other vegetable crops. On market day we would exchange our crops for fish and other commodities.”

When asked how people work today, there was a certain sadness expressed. “It is a pity what modernity has done to us. In the old times you could eat at your neighbor’s hut without any problem, but today people are so greedy they do not even share with their neighbors. If they do, with the least provocation, they will use it to insult you. That is why I am very happy that this canteen is situated in my village. There you can eat in peace without thinking of any consequences.

“We are very happy to have this canteen in this village. The beauty it has brought to this village words cannot express.”

Photos by Francis Ahore

Path to the Lake

In 2011, TPRF agreed to match funds for an ambitious initiative organized by The Adventure Project to raise funds during the week of World Water Day (March 22) to repair broken water wells in northern India.  137 bloggers participating around the world helped make the fundraising initiative an overwhelming success.  Here is a report by The Adventure Project describing the significant results of the program to date. The original article appeared in the TPRF blog under the Title “Mission Accomplished on World Water Day” (March 28, 2011).

Overview:

With the support of The Prem Rawat Foundation, The Adventure Project funded the training of 186 well mechanics in India last year. Specifically, TPRF’s matching grant of $28,000 enabled fifty people to become Jalabandhu (well mechanics). We also feel that TPRF’s efforts enabled the hiring of fifty more mechanics, because your challenge-matching grant spurred giving on World Water Day last year.

This gift will truly transform water services for communities, schools, and health clinics, so people will no longer have to use unsafe water sources or rely on external organizations for assistance in repairing or replacing their water systems. In addition, these fifty people will now have good jobs, increasing their livelihoods and dignity for themselves and their families.

Current Progress:

So far, 148 people are currently hired and receiving training in how to become a well mechanic. Program participants receive a bag of tools, education, and a one-year stipend to help get their enterprises off the ground. Here is a breakdown by district.

South 24 Parganas:

Fifty Jalabandhu were slotted to be trained in three blocks in the district of South 24 Parganas (Kakdwip,Budgebudge I and Budgebudge II), in the state of West Bengal, India. However, after meetings with the local government leaders and completing an analysis of the water points the Jalabandhu will serve, it was decided to start with 42 well mechanics for now.

The three blocks have a total population of about 567,000 with approximately 1600 water points, which works out to approximately 38 to 40 water points per Jalabandhu. Of the 42 well mechanics, only five are female. This is a very conservative area, so it is unusual for women to work outside their homes. We are hoping that the five women become positive examples, prompting other women to join in the future.

This February, we captured one of these women’s stories. You can read Rani’s story here.

Sheohar:

To support the Jalabandhu program in the district, Water For People has hired and trained a program officer who will be responsible for training and coaching the 106 well mechanics in the district. Trainings are currently wrapping up, and it’s anticipated that the Jalabandhu will be repairing water points by the end of this month.

Purulia:

Sadly, Maoist rebel activities have led to security issues in Kashipur block of the district of Purulia. Plans were to train 30 well mechanics in this area, but staff report feeling unsafe walking in public and riding the buses. Water for People India decided to pause the program in Purulia as a safety measure. Therefore, the funds to train 30 well mechanics have been reallocated for a refresher course in South 24 Parganas. Thirty-eight well mechanics hired in 2010 and 2011 have signed up for the refresher course.

These refresher trainings are critical in understanding the challenges the Jalabandhu are facing in the field and building their technical and troubleshooting skills to address these problems. The refresher course brings together the well mechanics to share and discuss the issues they are facing as a group, to identify solutions, and provide additional technical guidance on repair and maintenance of pumps.

In addition, these refresher courses will expand the skills of the Jalabandhu trained in 2010 and 2011 by including training on water quality testing, using simple test kits and water sampling for government testing laboratories.

While we are sad that Purulia will not receive 30 new well mechanics that are needed, we are proud to support the reallocation of funds, as it is a safe and wise decision. Our goal is always to do what is best for the local partner.

Thanks to The Prem Rawat Foundation, the program in India has enough funding to continue working through the end of this summer, 2013. Thank you for the work you are doing and the lives you are inspiring with your words of peace and acts of compassion.

Photos by Esther Havens

With heartfelt appreciation,

Becky Straw

Co-Founder And Chief Adventurer

The Adventure Project

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Linda Pascotto reports on Prem Rawat’s recent visit to Food for People, Otinibi.

Some Background:

“You’re going where for Thanksgiving?” “Ghana?” “You mean Africa?” “Can’t you leave after Thanksgiving?” “Can’t you go just a few days later?”

The American tradition of gathering family and friends together during the 4th Thursday in November, i.e., the Thanksgiving holiday, is so strongly embedded in the American culture that I feared it would be awkward to intentionally miss the occasion—but that is exactly what I did this year.

It was early in September when I had confirmation of the event. I immediately started planning (scheming really) how I could gracefully remove myself from the Thanksgiving family dinner table. Luckily, my husband was the easiest to convince, as he is my strongest advocate, gracefully accepting my extended travel schedules and weekend work habits.

For several days, I thought about all the excuses I could offer my mother, my siblings, and loved ones for missing this most significant holiday, for the first time in my life. None of the excuses seemed nearly as compelling as the real reason I longed to attend, and so in the end, whenever someone brought up the subject of Thanksgiving, I enthusiastically blurted that I had already made my plans for Thanksgiving. I was going to Ghana!

After a few expected protests, sweet resignation followed, and then curiosity and interest in my latest adventure involving TPRF. I offered some poignant reminders about the other Food for People facilities that are well established in India and Nepal, the profound impact these programs have had on the children and local communities, and my unbridled enthusiasm to see this newest FFP first hand. Calm was restored, and I sensed that everyone appreciated and respected my viewpoint to attend this important event.

The flight to Accra from Los Angeles was very long, somewhat delayed, but mostly uneventful. Finally, settled in my hotel room in Accra, I felt excited about my morning’s visit to the Otinibi FFP facility, and began thinking about the important event scheduled to take place with Prem Rawat in two days.

We left after the morning rush hour and although much of the hour-long drive was along paved roads, construction interrupted many segments, and potholes were an ongoing safety concern.

When we finally came into Otinibi Village, it was really a thrill to see the Food for People sign hung on the crisp white wall of the facility. When we arrived, the children were just heading into the dining hall. They were dressed neatly in their school uniforms, walking and chatting and seemed very happy. They even thought it was fun that I wanted to take their photographs and posed a little before running off, giggling.

Ms Grace Ninsaw

It was the first time I met the headmistress, Ms. Grace Ninsaw, an absolutely delightful person, thrilled with the prospect of tomorrow’s event. With her eyes shining and a smile so broad and beautiful, I couldn’t help offering a wide smile in return. We had hardly said two words to each other, but somehow I felt very connected to the woman who has been so helpful in managing as liaison between the school and TPRF.

Ms. Ninsaw was on cloud nine as she showed me around the school. I visited the very modest classrooms and noticed there did not seem to be enough of anything for the 400 plus students. They managed remarkably well with the assortment of desks, tables, chairs, and benches. What they really longed for, she said in a shy response to my question of what they needed most, were computers. If the children were going to compete for jobs, they needed to have computer skills. Even she, the headmistress, did not have anything more than an old typewriter. I thought surely that we could manage to purchase a couple dozen computers locally to help the students begin learning these important skills.

Accra Street Vendors–Photo by David Andeweg

I left that afternoon for a much longer and interesting ride back to Accra. I was happy that I had a chance to see the facility grounds, to discuss the plans for the next day’s event, and to go through the proposed rundown of what we expected to happen during the ceremony. The traffic was much more congested than in the morning because it was now rush hour. There was a continuous bumper crop of street vendors walking and sometimes running after a customer when the traffic moved ahead. They zigzagged deftly between the rows of cars looking for customers. The items they sold were as varied as any you’d find in grocery stores, fast food shops, clothing shops, automotive shops, or toys and school supply stores. It seemed like a very convenient way to shop while waiting in traffic. The vendors even offered men’s suits and shoes!

This, combined with women carrying massive quantities of foodstuffs on their heads, was stunning to watch. Several woman had piles of peanuts stacked on a tray, which they carried on their heads—I was amazed to watch as they walked, never dropping their load. It seemed a convenient way to manage, leaving both hands free for other activities.

(Continued next week in Part II)

Students Gather Before the Daily Meal

Bruce Keenan, founder of the Himalayan Children’s Charities (HCC) in Nepal, forwarded these letters from college students who recently visited Food for People in the village of Tasarpu, Dhading District, forty kilometers from Kathmandu. The students live in an HCC group home called Kushi Ghar (happy home) while they are attending school. Bruce is a supporter of the Food for People program and a TPRF adviser. He is profiled in a previous blog article posted on July 12, 2012.

Laxmi:

I was really delighted to go to the FFP mainly because it is far from the crowded city. The other reason is that when I come here, my mind is at peace. I came here two years ago in 2010, and  I was really amazed to see everything in the same condition.  Nothing had changed.  For example, the environment was orderly and clean, the maintenance of the kitchen was spotless, and everything looked perfect.  Seeing the kids and the elders enjoying their meal, I really wanted to express my gratitude to all the people who collectively generated ideas for opening this kind of organization.  In the future, if I am able to save enough money, I want to open an organization to help poor people and eradicate poverty.

I want Food for People to extend its services in areas of Nepal like Humla, Jumla, Solukhumbu, and other remote locations.

Manmaya—My Visit to Dhading:

My happiness knew no bounds when Bruce decided to take us on a trip to the Dhading Food for People a week ago. I was eagerly waiting for that day to come, and on the 6th of October we went.

We started our trip at around 6:30 a.m. with fifteen people. We reached our destination at 9:15 a.m. My heart leapt with joy when I got the chance to see the FFP for a second time. The environment was so peaceful and pleasant. I wanted to stay for a week, so that I could help there and learn something new from them. The FFP had its own beautiful and well-managed kitchen garden where there were various vegetables.

The kitchen was well managed, neat and clean. Now I have made a promise to myself that I will plant various vegetables in my kitchen garden and keep my kitchen and store room as I saw it at the FFP.

Nari:

I had visited the FFP three years ago. I was excited to know about our next trip to Dhading. Waking up early at five AM and taking a two hour drive on a bumpy and winding road was a little boring. However, getting out of an overcrowded city with pollution and traffic made me relaxed and happy.  We arrived on time, and I started talking to the kids who were there for lunch.

We then went inside the kitchen. There were nine staff members doing their duties sincerely. The kids sat on the floor with a TV in front of them. We were taken to see the store and kitchen. I had never seen the system of covering your hair before entering these places. It prevents your hair from falling out into the food. After that we were served tea and biscuits. Then they took us to see a home provided to some staff from the village.  Since everyone was hungry, we went for lunch. I must say the food was quite tasty in spite of being cooked in such a large quantity.

Khil:

When Dinesh told me we were going to the FFP in Dhading, I thought it would be a general kitchen like a restaurant, serving a different variety of food to many people. We often see kitchens like these in the capital. When I reached the FFP, I was so amazed to see a different food kitchen serving many children the same food.

Food for People, often called the “Food Kitchen,” is a social organization started by Prem Rawat through Premsagar Foundation Nepal. The general objective of Food for People is to serve a healthy meal to poor and underprivileged school children before going to school. Everyday around three to four hundred people are served by nine staff members. I was really surprised to see how well-managed and clean the food kitchen was as it serves poor and needy people. It made me motivated, and I hope I can do such great work someday for poor and needy people.

Food for People is the first step in Nepal. Now the time has come to unite the people of Nepal to help our own brothers and sisters. Such a food kitchen or alternative should be opened to rural areas where people are dying of hunger. If we unite and work together nothing is impossible.

Lastly, I feel great and lucky visiting such a place.  I am very motivated to work for people. I would like to thank everyone for providing me with such an opportunity.

Photos Courtesy of Bruce Keenan and Himalayan Children’s Charities

Ariane Kirtley is the Founder and Director of Amman Imman: Water is Life, a nonprofit organization that brings sustainable water sources and other development assistance to West Africa’s Azawak region. As a Fulbright Scholar, Ariane lived with families in the Azawak region and discovered the human face of climate change: people literally dying of thirst because of their inability to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.  Ariane found these people to be the most generous and dignified as well as the most vulnerable of the populations she encountered in her travels throughout West Africa. She had never before witnessed an area with so few resources and infrastructure, where individuals live on the brink of disaster on a daily basis due to circumstances beyond their control. Most importantly, she had never seen half a million people in such distress receiving so little assistance from the rest of the world. Ariane has devoted her life to improving the conditions of those who she calls her ‘brothers and sisters.’  She founded Amman Imman in 2006. Ariane, her husband Denis Gontero, and their two young sons live in Niger for several months a year to conduct Amman Imman activities.  Earlier this year, TPRF helped to fund one of several borehole wells Amman Imman has drilled.

Ebagueye Village: 8 months After the Construction of their Borehole

Through our work in Niger’s Azawak Valley, we have learned that local communities are the heart and soul of Amman Imman’s work. They are not only the people for which we work, but those with which we work. They are some of our most important partners. They represent the key to sustaining life-giving water sources over the long-term and to ensuring that each water source enables further development.

The story of Ebagueye Village, home to Amman Imman’s newest borehole well, demonstrates the power of our local partners. As you may know, Amman Imman means ‘water is life’.  Within just six months, I have seen this prophecy come to fruition for those in Ebagueye Village.

Families Fetch Water at Ebagueye Fountain

Lives are Changing in Ebagueye since the Borehole

Once a desolate stretch of sand and silt, Ebagueye Village is now brimming with life. Since January, those living in Ebagueye have been enjoying the benefits of their new borehole – in part funded by TPRF and drilled by Amman Imman.  With water, villagers report having more time and energy for other integral tasks, such as caring for their livestock, raising their children, doing household chores, making crafts and gathering fallen branches to sell as firewood at the market. Some in the community helped to build a protective wall around the borehole’s water tower and engine, giving them a sense of ownership over their water source.  They plan to grow a garden within the perimeters of the wall.

Sustainability and Economic Empowerment

A management committee of villagers, trained by Amman Imman, sells the water, and the money raised is used for the long term operation and maintenance of the borehole. The money is also used to pay a small stipend to the workers who manage the distribution of water at the fountains and animal troughs. The villagers—our partners—feel proud to be working for their community and to be providing an essential service.  For the first time, they earn money for their work in the village.

Education, Health and Hygiene

More than 5,000 people benefit from the borehole daily, the very first time they have a constant supply of potable water in the vicinity. In the past, children left school at the height of the dry season to travel marathon distances to find clean water for their families. Now, they stay in school.

Not only are children better educated, they are also in better health. Already, parents report less diarrhea and sickness related to fatigue and dehydration among their children and themselves. Many families have since built a rudimentary shower in their homesteads, and people are bathing more frequently.

Ebagueye Named an Official Village

Thanks to the borehole, the Abalak commune (home to the largest and closest city) has named Ebagueye and its surrounding communities as an official village. Achieving village status means that the community will benefit from additional help and oversight from the commune and others.

Living in area afflicted by a burgeoning food crisis, the World Food Program just recently chose Ebagueye and Amman Imman’s other borehole community, Kijigari, for limited food assistance. The World Food Program distributed food tickets to eleven families in Ebagueye, which has earned them one or two free bags of rice, and one or five liters of oil, for three months.

New families Settle in Ebagueye

Representing hope and development to those living nearby, Ebagueye has attracted new resident families who have abandoned their nomadic existence and have built permanent adobe homes in the village. For several months, Ebagueye also attracted residents from Abalak whose own water sources ran dry, and refugees from neighboring Mali who searched for water during their exodus from political turmoil.

Addressing the Food Crisis

In addition to water, Amman Imman distributed books to the Ebagueye school and mango trees for growth around the village.  The trees grew well and inspired the villagers to purchase and plant 41 shade trees. We plan to provide additional food assistance, including seeds for planting and hay and grain for livestock, during the coming months. Although a new life has begun, those in Ebagueye still face a crippling environment. Food supplies are drastically short and with a lack of health care and other development assistance, the people often suffer and die at a young age from preventable conditions.

Future Plans in Ebagueye

Development is not something that happens overnight. With better chances for health and education, we believe that with time, communities will flourish and be empowered to take ownership of their own development. Those in Ebagueye have already asked for a health center, and through partnerships with local families, and other development organizations and funders like TPRF, we hope their demand can be met.

Yours, for the children of the Azawak,

Ariane Kirtley

Photos Courtesy of Amman Imman Organization

Bobby Hendry is the man responsible for planning menus and setting up hygiene and staff service procedures for the Food for People facilities currently operating in India, Nepal, and Ghana.

In a supervisory role, Bobby recently made a surprise inspection at the FFP in Otinibi, Ghana, to ensure that the operational guidelines were being followed and a high level of service was being maintained.

The reason for the trip to Accra:

I arranged to fly to Ghana unannounced on July 26, 2012, to make an inspection at the FFP facility in Otinibi. The reason for making the journey without telling anyone in Ghana beforehand was to enable me to see if the facility was being run properly on a daily basis. I needed to see the facility “as is,” and I have to admit that I had some trepidation.

I had a number of concerns. Was the team possibly slack in their daily running of the facility? Would hygiene and service be a big issue (which it cannot be allowed to be)? Would the food be prepared and cooked properly? Do the menus consist of a balanced diet? Do the children enjoy the meals?

I wondered if the facility, as an operational unit, was being run smoothly. Were the teams gelling and working well together? Were they following the procedures we agreed on and trained for before the facility officially opened?

A series of surprises:

The long drive from Accra to Otinibi is still hot and dusty. The unfinished, jammed highways still require knowledge of local shortcuts. Arriving at Otinibi, the neat, clean, blue and cream facility building is a very welcome sight. The driver and I wait until the main gate is unlocked and we drive into the courtyard.

First surprise: When I departed on my last trip just before the opening, the courtyard had been unfinished with a team of workmen raking dirt. Today, it is very neat with a gravel bed and a well-tended, walled border with mature flowers.

Another surprise: I had planned my arrival to coincide with the dining room tables laid up and ready for the children to arrive for lunch. Great, I thought. It looks good. All the tables are neatly laid and the floor is gleaming and clean.

Another really nice surprise: The team suddenly realized I had appeared in the dining room and starting shouting and doing something akin to what looked to me to be an uncoordinated Scottish wedding jig. The staff wanted to know why, when, where, and how long I would be at the facility.

I joked that I had come to check up on them. After we calmed down I told them it was not a joke.

Next surprise: They took the explanation of the visit seriously and then we did a tour of the whole place. To say my previous worries disappeared is an understatement. That they were replaced with relief mixed with pride and gratefulness was something I won’t forget. The facility looks really good—very clean and well-ordered. The team has even started growing vegetables in a plot at the end of the building within the compound.

Another surprise: The older children arrive for lunch.

The younger children had gone home for the holidays the day before. Despite their absence, the dining room was packed. I saw that the staff really did not have to organize the kids. They already knew the routine well. The big surprise is that after finishing the meal, the children took their stainless steel plates to the sinks, rinsed them quickly, washed them in the soapy water provided, and then stacked them neatly.

Why was I so surprised?

During the first days before the opening, we tried to organize the kids to do this same routine exactly, but because they were so unused to the whole facility setup, the routine was a bit of a shambles. So we decided to abandon it on the second day. Now, the kids are so accustomed to the routine that they do it themselves unbidden and efficiently. They ate their lunch and cleared up well and departed back to school—all within their allotted break time. Yeessss!

Also, seeing some of the village elders coming for lunch made me realize that the facility is now known and accepted by the community at large.

A final note:

As I was leaving, I knew that the FFP facility and the staff had matured very well in a surprisingly short time. With such a dedicated and organized team working in such a lovely place, I wondered why I had been so apprehensive.

Photos by Bobby Hendry

This story updates a June 15 post about the positive effect the Food for People (FFP) facility has had on students of the Adarsha Secondary School in Nepal. The Adarsha students scored high on the School Leaving Certificate (SLC), a national exam designed to measure how well secondary school pupils in grades 7 through 10 have mastered their studies.

61% of the Adarsha students passed the exam compared to the national average of 47%. Prem Dugal, administrator of the Nepal Food for People program, wrote this supplemental report.

To honor the Adarsha graduating students, the school organized a celebration. Members of the FFP team from Premsagar Foundation, the local TPRF affiliate, were invited to attend. Speakers at the function, including local government officials as well as social workers, guardians, teachers, and students unanimously praised the Foundation for its contributions.

The program included folk songs, dances, and gymnastics. On behalf of Premsagar Foundation, the graduates and their teachers were given gifts of books and stationery. The chief guest at the ceremony was Arjun Parajuli, poet, educator, and founder of Pathshala Nepal, a renowned school in Kathmandu. He recited poems and shared his own experience of struggling hard to get an education.

“Someone supported me so that I could complete my education,” Mr. Parajuli said. “I continued my studies while working. That’s why I’m able to be what I am now. So, if you study hard and never give up, you will also be able to stand on your own feet.”

Mr. Parajuli promised to provide a scholarship for one of the female graduates to continue her studies at the nearest college or higher secondary school.

After the ceremonies, all the students and the invited guests had a meal together at the FFP facility.

Mahakali Secondary School

In contrast to the positive developments at the Adarsha Secondary School since the opening of the FFP facility, attendance at nearby Mahakali Secondary School in Bahunthan, Tasarpu is low. New enrollment is also down. Only 24% of students passed the SLC exam. Premsagar Foundation Nepal noted that very few students at this school were eating meals at FFP.

A team led by General Secretary Dornath Neupane visited the school at the beginning of this academic session to talk with teachers about how this situation could be improved.

School starts at 10 a.m. Normally, in Nepalese villages, children have an early lunch before going to school, but most people in the villages of Tasarpu are very poor. Instead of preparing food before their children go to school, parents have to go to work in the fields, and most of the children are compelled to work alongside them. Some children don’t attend school at all. Those who stay do so only for the first half of the school day. Then they run home for the meal their parents make at midday and do not return.

A few of the children attending Mahakali live within a 15-minute walk from the FFP facility. They come regularly to enjoy a meal before going to school. However, most of these children live farther away. They would have to climb uphill for an hour and then downhill for another 45 minutes to reach the facility. The distance and difficult terrain discourages the majority of the Mahakali children from taking advantage of the FFP.

In an attempt to solve this problem, the school used funds set aside for scholarships to buy beaten rice and the teachers distributed a handful to each student at break time to reduce their hunger and keep them in class. However, this has not been very effective.

The Premsagar team suggested that the school arrange transportation to take the children to FFP in the morning. In the meantime, they set up a schedule for the teachers to take turns leading the students from the school to FFP and back.

This program has already started, and each day about 100 students from the Mahakali School are enjoying hot meals at the facility.

 Photos Courtesy of Premsagar Nepal Foundation

Kathryn Bright is a volunteer grant reviewer for TPRF. Kathryn’s interest in one of TPRF’s clean water grants inspired a recent visit to a small village in the Andean mountains of Ecuador, where she discovered an amazing story of cooperation, ingenuity, and initiative that has powerfully enhanced the lives of the people of Paragachi. Kathryn brings her eyewitness story to us with the help of her close friend, Paul Murtha, President of a local organization that played a vital role in the success of the “Water for Paragachi” project.

The Pan American Highway runs north and south through the Andean mountains of Ecuador. Forty miles from the Colombian border, we traverse high valleys with patch-work fields of a hundred hues of green interspersed with ethnic communities known for farming and artisan crafts. Turning off the Pan Am, we begin a two-mile climb towards the village of Paragachi. We pass groups of women washing mounds of clothes in an irrigation canal and shift lanes to maneuver around long swaths of bean plants spread drying on the road. Farm trucks will later drive back and forth over the plants, freeing the beans from their dried husks. A sharp left and we ascend the dusty road that is the back entrance to Paragachi, a community of 470 people–135 families–founded in 1976 by locals who initially poached on undeveloped land for ten years until they were granted ownership rights by default.

Following dirt lanes over the knoll where Paragachi residents have built their simple houses, we reach the concrete block home of Hernan, a community coordinator for Paragachi. His entire family and two excited dogs brightly greet us at their front gate. Each, including the youngest child, politely kisses us on the cheek. I am struck by the openness in their faces, their kindness and humility. I utter my recently learned Spanish greetings and quickly feel lifted by their surprising warmth. They invite us into their narrow kitchen. Hernan stirs corn fritters into a hot frying pan, filling the room with an appealing aroma.  A bunch of vividly colored greens bought from the local market provides a startling contrast to the barren, dry land around us.

As a volunteer grant reviewer for The Prem Rawat Foundation and a first-time visitor to South America, I was intrigued by a recent TPRF grant that supported a water irrigation project for Paragachi families. To learn more, I spoke with Paul Murtha, President of Fundación Montañas de Esperanza (MdE)–which in English means “Mountains of Hope.” MdE is the non-profit organization that manages this project and has promoted model social service projects in northern Ecuador since 2007. MdE has also received two prior grants from TPRF, one that facilitated translation of Prem Rawat’s message of peace into the Kichwa language, and the other that brought emergency food to flood victims along the Ecuador coast in 2008.

Paragachi has its own uniquely dry microclimate. Rain that blesses towns only a kilometer away usually stops short of Paragachi. Cacti as big as Volkswagens, some pines and a few tropical fruit trees are among the only native flora surviving here. For lack of irrigation water, the families have had little hope of growing food on their small plots of land, despite their longing to be self-sufficient.

40% of the town’s working residents, including many youth, labor as farm hands–planting, weeding and harvesting produce throughout this agricultural region. At sunrise they crowd into open cattle trucks for the ride to the fields. Most women who work in the fields return home to cooking, laundry and taking care of the smaller children. Many children wait alone or with siblings for hours after school until their parents come home.

Paragachi has long been left out of the loop of social assistance. In 2010, MdE attempted to improve family nutrition through its Tierra Viva Project funded by a generous grant from The Vibrant Village Foundation.

That agricultural project supported 22 Paragachi families in creating Grow Biointensive® organic gardens, applying composting and moisture saving methods to enhance growing conditions in this challenging environment. But a subsequent intense dry season shattered hopes for improving nutrition. Some families were even fined for using precious drinking water to water their gardens.

Weeks later, in an emotionally charged town meeting, a potential solution was unexpectedly unearthed. Paragachi President Luis Angamarca spoke about the broken-down irrigation system that years before had served 20 families. Water had once arrived through canals and underground tubing from a river two miles up in the mountains. But the system had long since deteriorated. No one had considered the possibility of restoring it because they were so accustomed to being denied social assistance.

Paul Murtha offered the gathering of townspeople a viable plan that included potential funding resources. MdE and the Paragachi town council could solicit an engineering study from the Pimampiro County Municipality. If renovation of the system was feasible, a proposal would be presented to TPRF requesting funds to replace and enlarge the irrigation system to bring life-sustaining water to ALL Paragachi families. The plan was eagerly and unanimously accepted and a remarkable vision to “Green Paragachi” sprang to life.

The plan included families working together in “mingas,” a community volunteer effort deeply embedded in the culture of Andean peoples. When TPRF accepted the “Water for Paragachi” project, 50 to 80 Paragachi residents of all ages began traveling every Saturday for two months into the highlands to dig out the dilapidated tubing and replace it with advanced, new pipes. The residents’ enthusiasm inspired the Pimampiro Municipality to donate backhoes and equipment operators to install a comprehensive distribution system under the streets of Paragachi. Two old water storage tanks were also renovated and connected. The result: Precious water would now be delivered directly to 135 family gardens.

A renewed sense of hope and dignity pulsed through the people of Paragachi. Their community spirit soon attracted additional funding from regional NGO’s that helped renovate the elementary school and the day care center. With further funding from The Vibrant Village Foundation, 74 families signed up (in eager anticipation of irrigation water) to begin creating their Tierra Viva Biointensive gardens. Families began to envision an abundant harvest with enough extra produce to sell at the market–maybe even enough to enable mothers to stay at home with their children rather than leave to work in the fields.

Clearly, this multi-collaborative effort uplifted the entire community. It created sustainable transformation and improved quality of life.

Family Gardens Flourish After Water System Restoration

The overall program, now titled “Pueblo Vibrante,” originated with the $15,860 grant from TPRF and successively blossomed into $61,464 in funding value for Paragachi. Under the auspices of the Vibrant Village Foundation, this comprehensive “Pueblo Vibrante” model is now being adopted by other communities in northern Ecuador.

On February 12, 2012, the community of Paragachi honored the arrival of their irrigation water with a festive inaugural celebration. As an expression of gratitude, TPRF’s video “Peace, Dignity, Prosperity” was shown. Afterwards, a symbolic “opening of the valve” shot clean mountain water high into the air, misting the large gathering of residents and invited guests with its refreshing hope.

As if the Andean nature spirits wanted to join in the celebration, a rare rain began to fall. The youth of Paragachi danced in the resulting mud until the new dawn.

Two months later, a few Paragachi residents joined 36 Andean invitees traveling 10 hours by special tour bus to the coastal city of Guayaquil to hear Prem Rawat deliver his message of peace in person, a celebration of the heart as refreshing as the newly flowing waters for Paragachi.

My visit to Paragachi enhanced my appreciation of TPRF’s grant-giving process. The “Water for Paragachi” project succeeded because of the renewed hope and community collaboration generated among the kind people of this simple village. Their joy in finally receiving long-awaited assistance left an indelible impression on me. I look forward to someday returning to a greener Paragachi, perhaps celebrating with freshly harvested greens from a family’s thriving garden.

Photos by Paul Murtha and L. Michael Adams

A Unified Effort to Restore a Life-Giving Water System

Recently published results of Nepal’s School Leaving Certificate Exam revealed the dramatic impact the Food for People program has had on the students attending Adarsha Secondary School at Damechaur, Tasarpu, near the FFP facility. The national exam tests students in the tenth grade.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of the Adarsha students passed the exam compared to the national average of forty-three percent (43%).

“In addition to the effort of teachers and students, all the credit for this exciting result goes to Food for People and Premsagar Foundation,” said Bishnu Gautam, Headmaster of the Adarsha School.

This is the first time students eating at Food for People Nepal took the national SLC Exam. Almost all the children from the Adarsha School have been eating regular meals at the local FFP for the past three years.

After the FFP in Nepal opened and began serving free daily meals, school enrollment climbed to new high levels. Another educational improvement has been the addition of grades seven through ten to the Adarsha School.

At the School’s request, FFP Nepal provided evening meals in addition to the morning meals to Tenth Grade students taking extra classes to prepare for the SLC exam for four months prior to the test. In addition, Premsagar Nepal Foundation provided $1,300 to the school as a partial contribution to pay for additional teachers required for Grades Seven through Ten.

Half of the students who passed the SLC exam from the Adarsha School are girls. One of them is 22-year-old Kumari Tamang. Normally, students taking the SLC exam are 15-16 years old. In the past, difficult conditions in the area forced girls like Kumari to drop out of school. Now, she can continue her education thanks to the regular meals served at Food for People.

Photos Courtesy of Premsagar Nepal Foundation

I can honestly say that writing and editing the TPRF blog for the past 18 months has been an exciting, enjoyable, and unpredictable journey.We began with a mandate to cover the developing story of the third Food for People facility planned for construction in the small village of Otinibi, outside of the metropolitan city of Accra in Ghana, West Africa.  I had very little experience with social media, a slight familiarity with TPRF’s proprietary Food for People program, and no background information on the country or people of Ghana.

Somehow, these obvious drawbacks did not inhibit the expansion of the TPRF blog from a single story into an international forum reflecting stories of enormous hope through efficient and inspired humanitarian initiatives undertaken by TPRF and its partner organizations around the world.

Otinibi FFP Before Grand Opening

Our first posts covered the Ghana Food for People projectin detail beginning when the facility was an undeveloped piece of land awaiting governmental approval of the documents transferring title of ownership to the local charity set up to manage and run the FFP.  We have literally watched the facility rise up out of the ground, culminating in a triumphant opening one year later.  The FFP in Otinibi has materialized thanks to the dedication of mostly local volunteers, an expert construction team, funding from TPRF, and donations from individuals following the story on the Internet.

Five hundred children and adults will be fed nutritious meals every day in Otinibi. The same thing happens at two other Food for People centers which opened in 2006 and 2009.

The logistics and effort required to establish and keep the FFP facilities operating boggles the mind. Yet it is happening.  It is a privilege and a joy to make these stories about people who benefit from the Food for People program and the individuals who volunteer to make these daily miracles occur available to our readers.

Six months after our first post, we decided to open up the scope of the blog to other feature stories while still reporting on the progress of the project in Ghana. We covered the other two Food for People facilities located in the villages of Bantoli, India and Tasarpu, Nepal. I began to see the profound effect the program has on the people it touches.

Now, children go to school instead of doing manual labor (like crushing rocks to support their families.)  The nutritious daily meals allow the children to grow and develop normally. Plus, they learn proper sanitation habits and enjoy watching educational television programs while eating.

With healthy bodies and the opportunity to learn in school, these children have a vastly improved chance to realize their dreams later in life.  And something more.  I have seen through these stories that Food for People is an oasis for these children, a place where they can flourish and enjoy their precious childhood.

The Food for People program is only one example of TPRF’s life-changing work.  We regularly cover stories about  TPRF’s Peace Education Program in prisons, independent fundraising efforts, disaster relief, clean drinking water initiatives, and other humanitarian efforts undertaken by TPRF’s carefully-selected partner organizations.

Relieving Drought in Ethiopia With Partner IRD

The voice of the TPRF blog that we searched for in the beginning has become the many voices of hope and positive change as stories continue to stream in from around the world.

As Prem Rawat’s message of peace continues to reach more people, we hope to keep pace by allowing more voices to tell their stories spontaneously in an even greater diversity.

The new blog will present stories from regular contributors, expressions from blog subscribers, people involved in the work of TPRF, and others involved in independent humanitarian efforts. In time, regular contributors and TPRF partners will be able to post directly to the new blog template as stories break.

Photos Courtesy of IRD and Premsagar Nepal

Supporting Education in Nepal