Congolese Farmer Earns 27 Times More Income

Farmers shipping bags of corn to market.

It is extremely difficult for rural farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo to get a fair price for their crops.

John Degbalese, a farmer from the Equateur Province, used to make less than $10 per month selling corn – not enough to keep his family from a life of poverty. Sadly, if he could afford to take his crops to sell at the market in Kinshasa, the capital city, he could earn considerably more income.

For John, the trip to Kinshasa is more than a 10-day journey that requires a boat to move down the Congo River; it is much too expensive for a farmer who is struggling to survive.

He doesn’t worry about survival anymore though.

Last year he became a participant in HOPE International Development Agency’s program that brings together other farmers just like him. As a cooperative, they work together to ensure that their hard work earns them a fair price – something they’ve never received before.
John used to earn $100 per year, this year he earned $2,700!

These incredible results happened because John received proper agricultural training, access to the right tools, and the support he needed to bring his corn to Kinshasa. His life is now drastically changed. He is able to provide for his family, send his children to school, and repay the money loaned to him at the beginning of the program.

Now, John is self-reliant. He doesn’t need our help anymore; he can provide for himself and can pass this knowledge down to others.

For farmers like John, the opportunity to earn more income is freedom. It means they can finally begin to dream about the future, rather than worry about it. 

A Long Road To Recovery

After a natural disaster, like the typhoon that struck the Philippines, the initial aid that pours in is only the first step in a very long and arduous journey towards recovery. It can take years for a country to get back to where it once was.

Some areas of the Philippines are expected to be without electricity for more than a year. Homes and local infrastructure could take up to 4 years to rebuild. Reestablishing agriculture could take up to 7 years. It is estimated to take close to $12 billion to enable communities to recover to where they were before the typhoon.

Initially, the most important thing is getting food, water, medicine, and shelter to those in need – HOPE International Development Agency is working hard to help as many people as we can.

For the people of the Philippines, receiving emergency supplies is just the beginning of the journey.

Right now we’re focused on the initial relief efforts.

Once families have shelter, for example, communities need to be rebuilt; this includes schools, water systems, and agriculture.

Clean water, currently non-existent, will mean families don’t have to worry about disease and illness in these difficult times. Education, the very thing that will help children grow up free from poverty, needs to be re-established quickly. And agriculture, completely destroyed by the disaster, will feed the families and provide much needed income.

We will help the families rebuild their lives today, and into the future. We will do whatever it takes to support them in this time of need; we will not stop until they are back on their feet and living free from the restraints they now find themselves under.

The storm is gone but the suffering remains

 

Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, a massive storm that tore through nine regions of the Philippines last Friday, continue to struggle.

The death toll has risen to more than 3,600 people and fears remain that thousands more, in areas where the devastation has not yet been fully documented, could have perished.

The number of injured has climbed above 12,000. In all, more than 9 million people are affected, and nearly 1.9 million have been displaced.

First-hand reports, from a HOPE International Development Agency colleague who was on the ground in the Cebu and Bohol this week, speak of the terrible destruction and personal devastation, especially in some of the more isolated communities throughout Cebu.

In parts of northern Cebu, the destruction defies imagination - in some of the areas visited, nearly 95% of the homes have been obliterated.

In Bohol, an area where we are helping thousands of families recover from a massive earthquake just 3 weeks ago, Typhoon Haiyan struck with high winds and torrential rains that caused additional damage and suffering - thousands of families remain in a state of shock and disbelief.

Along one 50km section of battered road, survivors stood by the roadside, holding up makeshift signs, pleading for help.

One Philippine official stated that “this is not devastation, it is obliteration,” when speaking with our colleague.

HOPE International Development Agency is continuing with its efforts to provide food, water, shelter and other urgently needed items to survivors as they struggle in the aftermath of the super storm.

You can help us increase the amount of help we can provide by giving today.

Donate Today.

The aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan

HOPE International Development Agency is on the ground in the storm-affected areas of the Philippines, continuing to assess the need and providing much needed support.

Travelling through northern Cebu is heartbreaking. The devastation is hard to fathom. In some areas visited, nearly 95% of the homes in the area have been destroyed by the typhoon.

In Bohol, an area hit by a large earthquake 3 weeks prior to the arrival of the killer typhoon, the loss of life and devastation is significant. The vast majority of buildings, roads, communications infrastructure, and homes have been obliterated by the storm.

People need food, water, and shelter - we are doing our best to help!

The Government of Canada will match donations from Canadians up until December 8, 2013.

Donate Today.

Families need help in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

Photograph: Dennis Sabangan/EPA

Update: 
The Government of Canada will match every dollar you give!
Millions of people are affected and as many as 10,000 people are feared dead in one area alone and the death toll is expected to rise as more communities are reached.

Typhoon Haiyan, a massive storm, slammed into the Philippines on Friday, leaving trail of devastation and destruction.

The storm forced more than 750,000 people to flee their homes, including thousands of families that we have been helping recover after a massive earthquake rocked the area three weeks ago.

Already working in the area, assisting earthquake survivors, HOPE International Development Agency is responding immediately to this new crisis by providing urgently needed emergency items such as food, water, medicine, shelter, and other non-food items.

You can help the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan receive the emergency assistance they so urgently need right now.

It costs just $60 to provide emergency assistance to 3 families and $120 will help 6 families in the aftermath of this devastating event.

Donate Today.

Even after an earthquake, there is always hope

The Philippines:

No matter where in the world, when an earthquake strikes, the aftermath is heartbreaking. We must never give up hope though.

Two weeks ago, an earthquake in the Bohol province of the Philippines displaced more than 380,000 people – it was among the deadliest in the country’s history. Numerous aftershocks caused even more destruction, leaving over 45,000 homes damaged and destroyed, and countless families without food, water, or shelter.

To add to the urgency of the situation, extensive damage to roads and bridges made it even more challenging to reach the people affected by this tragedy.

HOPE International Development Agency is working hard with our partners in the Philippines to help these families. Emergency food, water, shelter, and medical care have been sent to help over 30,000 people – we are reaching out to as many people as we can in these difficult times.

The people of the Philippines continue to need support.

It is hard to imagine being uprooted from your life in a split second, everything you hold dear destroyed.

These families have lost everything – there are no savings accounts to dip into. Afraid that there might be more aftershocks, they huddle together in open spaces, uncertain of what will come next.

Amidst the daily uncertainty, we, however, are certain of one thing – we will continue to help survivors rebuild their lives.

It will be a long road ahead, but HOPE International Development Agency is committed to helping the people of the Bohol province to overcome this tragedy and feel hope that their lives can continue and even become better.