fatou

Fatou has been a fish seller in the Gambia for more than fifteen years, but until recently, she struggled to support her family. Fatou’s husband died several years ago, leaving her a single mother of six, and providing for their needs was very difficult. At the end of each day,  Fatou needed to travel ten kilometres from her base in the village to preserve her stock of fish in refrigerators overnight, keeping them in good enough condition to sell. The money and time spent on these trips, and the fee paid to the facility owners each night made it feel impossible for Fatou to get ahead financially.

When Crossroads’ partners, an NGO in Fatou’s area, set up a Fish Preservation Centre, it changed Fatou’s life. A refrigerator from Crossroads’ shipment is one of those installed in the centre, and it now means Fatou and women like her no longer have to make expensive, long trips to preserve their precious fish supplies! Fatou has been able to save money and time and can provide for her family better than before. Her children are able to continue their education, thanks to the increased income.

Fatou’s life is just one of hundreds touched by this shipment to the Gambia. Fatou’s neighbour, Samba, is a farmer who had been unable to work for months, due to an injury on his foot. With a donation of sturdy, strong boots from Crossroads’ shipment, though, Samba was able to protect his feet safely, and was delighted to start farming again immediately, protecting his source of income.

More photos of the goods distribution are below:

baby-clothes

Baby clothes from the shipment are being used in the maternity ward of a community health facility.

desks-and-chairs

School desks and chairs on their way to enrich and expand classrooms.

Girls, who often find it difficult to remain in school, were encouraged by the injection of text books and stationery to their school.

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light-be“Light Home is possibly the turning point of my life,” says Mrs Lee, a client of Crossroads’ partner Light Be. The social enterprise organisation arranges affordable housing, or ‘Light Homes’, by connecting Hong Kong landlords with underprivileged families. But it can take more than four walls and a roof to feel like home. Many families can’t afford the upfront costs to furnish their apartments with all the furniture and household goods they need. Crossroads has been privileged to partner with Light Be by supplying some of these items for their clients.

“Every month we go to Crossroads and look for furniture that will fit the needs of the families we serve,” says Ricky of Light Be. “If it’s an empty apartment, you won’t feel at home. This helps make the overall experience of housing complete. It might be the first time in two years that someone has had a table of their own.”

Crossroads loves working with Light Be, and the feeling seems to be mutual! “I think Crossroads provides the biggest selection of second-hand furniture in Hong Kong,” says Ricky. “We have a common mission, in terms of optimising resources in this city. It’s like other NGOs we work with. We fill each other’s gaps.”

Donate goods to help people in need

Crossroads relies on donations of goods to be able to help families in Hong Kong, and internationally. If you’ve got good quality items to give, we want to hear from you! Visit our Donate Goods page.

Hope after incarceration: Zambia

“I was doing Grade 7 when my father was sentenced to life imprisonment,” recounts Bodiao. “Life came to a standstill as...

read more ...

Liberia: Youth empowerment

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Liberia as a nation is still suffering deep social and economic wounds from a civil war that ended...

read more ...

Syria: Aid and empowerment for refugees

Shipment Feedback: The conflict in Syria continues to devastate lives and communities, with thousands of people still displaced and living in flimsy...

read more ...

Cameroon: Educating and rebuilding

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? When we first started working with our Cameroonian partners in 2010, they were planning and working on...

read more ...