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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
  

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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.

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Feedback:

Zambia has faced an unsteady economy in recent years, and nowhere is that more visible than in the nation’s rural areas. There, the poverty rate is almost triple that of people living in urban areas. Managing the Covid-19 pandemic has put an additional strain on already-stretched resources.

We were delighted to ship to an organisation in rural Zambia who is working hard to develop their communities by establishing sustainable foundations of education and vocational training. Crossroads sent a huge range of goods for their projects, from school furniture to computers, to Covid-19 protective equipment, to wheelchairs, to office furniture, stationery and more.

Our partners spoke enthusiastically about the impact the shipment made on their credibility as an organisation. It boosted their reputation and trust among the community, as well as with the government.

“When the container arrived, loaded on a big truck and trailer, it sent a serious message that international organisations are partnering with us. Even the government has now placed much more faith in our work.”

Distributing the goods also gave them new opportunities to interact with their beneficiaries, meeting more of them face-to-face and giving a platform to better assess their needs and help more effectively.

Some of the goods in the shipment – Covid-19 prevention supplies and other medical goods – were particularly timely.

“The shipment arrived when Covid-19 was at its highest peak. The medical equipment could not have come at a better time.”

Other goods have been transformational in different ways, including office equipment and furniture, computers for the library of a health sciences college, school furniture and supplies, and goods to help run training programmes such as fish farming.

Receiving these goods saved thousands of dollars from their budget in equipping their new building complex. “We now have furniture for our office, computers, printer and chairs to use in our hall. Our kitchen has equipment and many training sessions have now been conducted using the projectors, white boards, chairs and so on.” We’re so grateful to all who helped make this shipment possible. See photos and captions for more stories of impact!

“When the container arrived, the community was elated,” wrote staff. “They were on hand to help unload the items!”

This rural school received stationery, school supplies and 60 desks from the shipment, increasing enrolment by an estimated 30 percent. Staff said that being easily portable, the separate desks have also made it easier for the school to facilitate social distancing during Covid-19.

Computers from the shipment are now installed in a local college of health sciences, allowing tertiary students to go online for research and coursework.

Vocational training for fish farmers
Our partners’ new centre (above, left) was recently completed, and our shipment filled it with the furniture, equipment and supplies they needed to run skills training workshops. “As a result of this shipment, we were able to hold training for provincial fish farmers, which included participants from the Ministry of Education.” So far, they’ve trained 45 start-up fish farmers, which will create job opportunities and improve food security for their communities.

What’s more, the shipment raised our partners’ profile to such a degree that they’re now eligible to monitor all fish farmers in the province. “The cooperative will reach more than 200 fish farmers in its first year. This has all come about because of the shipment!” they wrote.

Rebuilding after fire: distribution for vulnerable families
After a house fire destroyed everything for one local family, our partners were able to help with goods from Crossroads’ shipment (pictures above show before and after the donation). The range of goods we shipped meant they could give them enough to completely start anew, with furniture, bedding, clothing, curtains, kitchen appliances and more. Basic goods like these reached hundreds of families in our partners’ region. They reflected that the distribution gave them a special opportunity to go out and assess the needs of their local community, listening to their concerns and responding with what they most needed. “This was of great help,” they said.

Supporting schools through Covid-19

“Funding for schools has been difficult lately,” wrote our partners. “There is pressure on government coffers due to the pandemic. Efforts have shifted to spending on health equipment and medicines.”

They appreciated being able to support schools with the donated educational goods from the shipment, like stationery and books, as well as face masks for students.

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Feedback:

As a nation, Liberia is still suffering deep social and economic wounds from a civil war that ended in the early 2000s. Violence and assaults are sadly common. A government study found that over 60% of women aged 15-49 in Liberia have experienced physical violence. Often, with high unemployment rates, youth are turning to crime because they feel hopeless.

This shipment was Crossroads’ third to an NGO in Liberia who reaches out to children and youth at risk. When they were first established, they ran programmes to solve youth crime problems, but they soon realized they had to get to the root of why youth were turning to crime. They decided that education and mentorship were the answers, helping open more doors to youth so that they wouldn’t feel like crime was the only way to survive.

We shipped computers, furniture, clothing and shoes, electrical and household goods, school supplies, toys and other goods that they are now using strategically in their projects.

Impact of the shipment included:

• Equipping a newly built vocational training centre with furniture and computers, saving them many thousands of dollars.
• Goods to expand their street library, reaching community children and youth with educational workshops and literacy skills
• Furniture for student accommodation to house more than 300 students at a time.
• Clothing for vulnerable community members struggling to afford basic necessities.

The goods from Crossroads were so strategic in improving their projects to a high standard that the organisation secured funding from the United Nations for new projects with youth.

We are pleased to have been able to give an investment of goods once again to support these trusted partners in their work with children and youth at risk in Liberia. We’re grateful to all who contributed to make it possible!

Crossroads’ volunteers load the shipment at Crossroads village in Hong Kong.

In Liberia, community comes together to help unload the shipment at our partners’ headquarters.

Furniture other goods from the shipment have helped bring to life a new centre where our partners offer job skills training, life skills and anti-violence workshops, and educational activities for children.

“At first, the centre was so empty. So when these things came in, we felt so good!”

Bill, NGO centre supervisor

“I didn’t have a desk, to do my work in birth registrations. I didn’t even have a chair. This has made my burden far less.”

Mouna, social worker

“Before, we were doing our work on mobile phones, or working from our home. My first day at work after the donations was so happy!” Joseph, NGO centre supervisor

“The impact on my work has been massive. We’ve been able to launch new projects.”
William, IT/Comms manager

Hundreds of impoverished families were reached with shoes and clothing from the shipment, relieving some of their burdens.

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?

This shipment feedback has arrived! Click here to read more.

The war in Syria has been devastating lives for more than 10 years now. According to the UN refugee agency, there are 13.5 million displaced Syrians – more than half the population. Some of these people have sought refuge in other nations, but many have been internally displaced, living in temporary homes or in war zones, trying to survive with their families.

Crossroads has shipped twice to partners who are helping internally displaced people in Syria. Goods from our shipments have helped with immediate needs, such as warm clothing and sleeping bags and toys for children who have grown up in a war zone. They’ve also helped with longer-term needs, like school furniture to set up classrooms for displaced children and goods for job creation, in areas where employment is at rock bottom.

We are pleased to be able to ship once again to support their vital work with such vulnerable communities. Our shipment will include clothing, footwear, toys, school supplies and household goods.

“This is a war zone,” write Crossroads’ partners. “Everyone does whatever they can to survive.” The photo to the left shows the kind of damage to buildings in the area where they serve. Both displaced people and those who were already living there are battling the poverty that comes with years of living through war.

Our partners help with training and job creation programmes to support those who are struggling, often finding it hard just to feed their families.

Sleeping bags from Crossroads have been a truly valuable donation in this area where many are living in tents without sufficient bedding. Temperatures can be bitterly cold through the winter months.

Thousands of brand-new toys from our shipments brought joy to children in this rural, war-torn area who have never held a new toy in their lives. They have spent their entire childhoods displaced or living in a war zone.

Abdul’s story

Abdul is a 42-year-old father of five and he lives with his family in the war zone where Crossroads’ last shipment to Syria was distributed. Abdul earns a small income from farming, but it’s barely enough to keep them alive. The family lives in tents made of old sheets and fabric. They get wet when it rains, they feel freezing in winter and boiling hot in summer.

After Crossroads’ shipment arrived, staff visited Abdul’s town with goods from the shipment. “The area in which they live has never been reached by aid from any organisation or association,” said staff. Abdul’s family were among those that received help, including new clothes and new, warm sleeping bags. His children were given new toys, along with more than 6,000 other children in the rural areas they visited.

This shipment will include goods to support the urgent needs of more families like Abdul’s.

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?

Malaysia has recently benefited from an economic boost due to a growth in manufacturing. However, the disparity in wealth between urban and rural areas mean that rural areas experience a poverty rate nearly 4 times that of the towns and cities.

Malaysia, along with neighbouring countries has also taken in many Rohingya Muslim refugees who, due to violence and persecution, have fled Myanmar/Burma. In fact, 86% of all Myanmar/Burma’s refugees are Rohingya and around 2,500 of these live in the area in which our partner NGO operates.

To help care for these people in need our partners have been helping refugees and underprivileged locals with clothing, food, school uniforms and healthcare. They also operate the only food bank in the area and their resources are stretched thin.

With this shipment we aim to be able to provide them with the equipment they need to continue to grow their operation and reach many more people. Goods we hope to ship include medical equipment, clothing/shoes, school equipment, study materials and household items.

Supplying essential food to the community

Our partners understand that to properly serve and grow their community they must start by meeting their most urgent needs.

One of the ways they do this is by operating a soup kitchen and food bank (the only one in the area, serving 10 villages). Here people with low incomes can provide for their families with fresh, organic food donated by local businesses.

Mr. Chen’s Story

Our partners shared the story of a man called Mr. Chen with us. They said, “Mr Chen’s wife suffered a stroke and was left in a wheelchair. Shortly after, their only son moved out”. With their son’s income gone, Mr Chen couldn’t afford to provide food for himself and his wife”.

“In 2018 Mr. Chen heard about the soup kitchen and began to collect hot meals from us; they now have food every day”.

Goods from this shipment will help expand the reach of services like this and help more people like Mr. Chen and his wife.

The people that our partners help are spread out over a large area, so through field visits, they connect with and help as many in the community as possible.

Our partners hope to provide school equipment and study materials to the students in the community so that they are fully equipped for their education.

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