WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?

Malawi, a landlocked nation in south-eastern Africa, is one of the world’s least developed countries. A largely agricultural country, Malawi is still recovering from the effects of drought in 2015 and 2016 and is making efforts to overcome decades of underdevelopment, and the impact of HIV/Aids, which still claims the lives of tens of thousands every year.

Crossroads’ partners on this shipment are, through education and vocational training, empowering marginalized women and youth from rural communities. Through programmes aimed at agricultural training, education support and helping survivors of child marriage, among other projects, our partners have directly helped over 9,300 women and youth so far.

Items that we hope to include in this shipment include computers, school desks, chairs, and books. The goods will help our partners to better equip the schools and training centres where they run their programmes.  In addition to these goods, we hope to include items to meet the most basic needs of the people in these communities including clothing, bedding, mattresses and household goods.


S’s story

S lives in one of the rural communities that our partner serves. She became pregnant at 15 and couldn’t continue her secondary education. When the father of her child left, she had no income and found it hard to find even the necessities to provide for her and her child.  She was introduced to our partners and began a tailoring and designing training programme. S has now completed the course and through the sale of clothing she makes, she is able to provide for her family. S has gone on to train other women in the community, providing them with the opportunity to become self reliant and empower other women in the community to do the same.

Goods from this shipment will help our partners to expand their programmes and enable more women like S to create an income for themselves and aid in their community’s development.


T’s Story

T is 15 years old and, despite laws preventing child marriage, T was married at a young age. In an effort to eradicate child marriage our partner NGO and their affiliates arrange meetings in the community to educated community leaders and parents on the dangers of child marriage.

T attended one of these meetings and was empowered to lead a demonstration to enforce the laws that protect children like her. T has now left the marriage and is back in secondary school preparing for her exams.

 

 

 

 


(Above) Orphans in the area are cared for by elderly people at local community childcare centers. Goods from this shipment will help our partners to continue to run theses centers and serve their communities’ children in need.

(Above) Orphaned children sleep on floors without mattresses at their school. Our partner NGO said, “One of our main goals is to contribute to the improvement of education standards for children and youth and to enable them to gain skills that will maximize their potential”. To achieve this goal our partners need goods from this shipment, like mattresses, bedding and school furniture so that the children can live and learn in a suitable environment.


S5562

Malawi snapshot

Population: 18 million

Capital: Lilongwe

Language: English, Chichewa

Landlocked Malawi is sometimes called the ‘warm heart of Africa’, for its culture of hospitality, however, the nation ranks among the world’s least developed countries.

Malawi’s economic performance has historically been constrained complex factors including poor infrastructure, high population growth, and poor health and education outcomes that limit labor productivity.

The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas.

Source: BBC Country Profile/CIA World Factbook

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 ...

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?

Since Madagascar gained independence from France in 1960 it has battled decades of political instability. Despite being rich in natural resources, Madagascar remains one of the worlds poorest nations with 75% living in poverty (World Bank). The nation’s reliance on its natural resources has also seen it face environmental issues such as deforestation and overhunting.

Almost 70% of the population is under the age of 25, compared with the worldwide average of 25%. For Madagascar, having such a young population means that for the country to grow, services which benefit youth are vital.

With that in mind, our partner NGO runs programs focussed on education, women’s empowerment, and healthcare to build up community youth to be stronger in skills and employment opportunities. Along with these, our partners also provide programmes like food and clothing distribution, vocational training, and English language training to those who need them most.

This shipment will help our partners to continue and expand their projects. Goods that we hope to send include computer equipment, school and office furniture, household goods, clothing, educational books, and school supplies.


Steve’s story

Steve is currently studying law in the hopes of becoming a judge. He says that his vision is for everyone in Madagascar to have access to a fair and non-corrupt judicial system. He entered an English speech contest that our partner NGO runs and was eventually chosen as the winner. Steve says, “I wanted to take part to develop my skills as a leader and to share my vision of the world with my peers. After winning, I am now able to inspire hundreds of young people with my vision of integrity.

This shipment will help our partners administer programmes that empower and envision young people like Steve to become the next generation of community leaders.


Maxetine’s Story

Maxetine lives on her family’s small plot of land with her parents. Despite their low income, Maxetine was able to complete her primary and secondary education by helping her mother sell crops in the nearby town.

After secondary school though, Maxetine’s family could no longer afford her education and she had to find work as a maid; forced to abandon her dream of training as a midwife.

Maxetine came to hear about our partners’ ‘Girls Skills Development’ project, and they agreed to sponsor her so that she could continue her midwifery training.

Goods from this shipment will help our partners to expand these programmes and help more at-risk youth to reach their goals.


Young women attend a session run by our partners called ‘Dignity of Women’, a sewing training project to make washable sanitary napkins and educate young women on menstruation and hygiene.

Our partners run a construction project which aims to renovate schools in the area, such as this one. Goods from this shipment will help equip projects like these.


S5582

Capital: Antananarivo

Population: 26.97 million

Situated off the southeast coast of Africa, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. Having developed in isolation, the island nation is renowned for its unique wildlife.

Traditionally, the Malagasy economy has been based on the cultivation of rice, coffee, vanilla and cloves.

Despite a wealth of natural resources and a tourism industry driven by its unique environment, the country remains one of the world’s poorest, and is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

Source: BBC, World Bank

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 ...

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?

South Sudan is Africa’s youngest country. The nation gained independence from Sudan in 2011 as the outcome of a peace deal that ended Africa’s longest-running civil war. Sadly, internal conflict and violence continued, and many people have been displaced and live in anguished suffering and poverty. In a country of 12 million people, around 2 million have been internally displaced, and a further 1 million have fled to neighbouring countries, especially Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda.

Crossroads is working with a local NGO that has made significant investments in improving the lives of local communities in the region through various development projects such as educational opportunities and promoting health and rural development with special attention to the young men and women.

We’re sending a shipment filled with goods to support their work, like clothing, office equipment, computers, furniture, toys, and recreational equipment for their children’s playgrounds.


Training to help women thrive

Our partners’ women’s centre offers a support system for women through various sustainability projects and job opportunities such as sewing, communications and leadership training courses.  For women like Jennifer (see story at right), this center has been life changing. This shipment will include goods to support projects like this centre.


Our partners’ programmes have continued through Covid-19, with increased health and safety measures. Goods from Crossroads will support education and health projects.


Jennifer’s story

During the war, Jennifer’s family was forced to move around and at one point entered a refugee camp in Uganda where she studied for a year in primary school. Her family then moved back to South Sudan where she got married in the village and kept moving around with her husband and children due to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. In 2012 she came to our partners’ women’s centre for help. Although her husband was injured in 2014 and died in 2017, she was able to settle quite well there with the help of the staff. She received training from the centre in making beaded handicrafts, then tailoring and dress making, and has now turned into a skilful tailor. She also attended their literacy course and passed the Primary National Exam in 2019. She then took a communications course and leadership training course to improve her business skills and in 2019, she joined the Cooperative, and was elected the Vice Chairperson in 2019 and Chairperson in 2021. Jennifer’s life has transformed since she joined the centre. She can provide food, schooling, and medical support for her children and her family, and has her own house with 2 rooms. Goods from this shipment will support training and education to help more women like Jennifer escape poverty and support their families.


S5805

Population: 8-12 million

Capital: Juba

 Major languages English (official), Arabic, Juba Arabic, Dinka and many more local languages
Made up of the 10 southern-most states of Sudan, South Sudan is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. It is home to over 60 different major ethnic groups. It is Africa’s newest country. Independence in 2011 did not bring conflict to an end. About 3 million people have been displaced in a country of 12 million, with about 2 million internally displaced and about 1 million having fled to neighbouring countries. Maternal mortality is the highest in the world, infant mortality is high, malaria and HIV/AIDS are prevalent, and famine, flood and drought affect the country.

Source: Wikipedia & BBC country profile

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 ...

Feedback:

Covid-19 has created even more challenges for those already in living in poverty in Israel, increasing unemployment and decimating small business and day labour jobs that rely on tourism. This has led to basic items such as clothing being relatively unattainable for thousands of people. According to our partners in Israel, an estimated 850,000 households lack essential housing, education, healthcare, and food. In the cities, 25-30% of families are experiencing poverty.

Crossroads shipped to an NGO whose supports vulnerable families, especially new immigrants, single-parent families, those with disabilities, elderly Holocaust survivors, and those suffering unemployment.

We were grateful to be able to ship an entire container of brand new clothing, which our partners distributed to their network of centres throughout Israel, as part of their ongoing support for these communities. They estimate that the new clothing impacted between 25,000-32,000 people.

When you dress a child in new clothes, it helps their self-esteem and confidence when everything else in their life may be going wrong.

NGO director

The new clothing from the shipment was distributed throughout the country to our partners’ network of aid centres which support struggling families.

Staff expressed their deep gratitude for this gift, the scale of which allowed them to reach so many thousands of people and to reinforce trusted partnerships across Israel.


The shipment, which contained brand new clothing, was received in Israel and quickly distributed to a network of centres throughout the country.


“Impoverished children haven’t done anything to deserve poverty,” write our partners, “And usually their parents haven’t either…they’ve simply fallen on unforeseen circumstances.” They saw a noticeable change in the self-esteem and confidence of children as they received brand new outfits to wear.


S5679

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 ...

Feedback:

In recent years, violent conflict in Cameroon’s South West has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Many have fled to safer communities, but this puts huge pressure on areas which were already struggling with poverty. This shipment was sent to a region that has seen an influx of displaced people. “The escalation of violence and its devastating effects on the population has made life a nightmare,” wrote our partners. “It’s a living hell for the marginalised population.”

Crossroads’ shipment gave a substantial boost to our partners’ work, facilitating the opening of a trauma healing centre, and a training centre, as well as giving relief to people in desperate need (see list below). They said that sharing the goods brought the community together. “It created social cohesion amongst all groups, working towards the common good: responding to the needs of those who have lost everything in the war.”

  • School equipment helped several schools open their doors again after three years of no school because all the furniture and school equipment were burnt.
  • Household goods improved livelihoods for families in about 500 homes whose homes were destroyed because of the war.
  • The computers and accessories are supporting training for vulnerable youth who, with no job prospects, were turning to crime, prostitution and violence.
  • Other goods enabled a new centre to open where youth are learning tailoring, catering and hairdressing.
  • Furniture and other goods helped open a trauma healing centre to give counselling and support to people traumatised by war.
  • 1,000 families identified as most in need received clothing and school goods for children, which has encouraged many to enrol in our partners’ training courses to learn employable skills.

Goods from the shipment were distributed to hospitals, schools and grassroots NGOs working directly with community members suffering through the civil war.

 

 

 

 


We are extremely grateful to all who made this shipment possible. That support has made a direct impact on the futures of hundreds of people suffering through the devastating affects of civil war.


S5217

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 ...