Lush, the handmade soap company, always furnishes its shops in ways that are a feast for the eyes. So imagine our delight when, just when we needed to furnish our new Hong Kong Distribution Centre, they happened to be refurbishing and offered us their exquisite, superseded items.

It was amazing. Our goal had been to create a space which Hong Kong people would find not only helpful but even beautiful: a place that felt rather like a nice boutique, although, of course, they would pay us no money when ‘shopping’ in it. This shelving was perfect, except for one factor. Our space was quite large and there wasn’t quite enough shelving to fill it. It seemed a pity. We had stored this furniture for three months, knowing how helpful it would be in this project, but we definitely didn’t have enough. Our team met on it and suggested other shelving to supplement, but it was not a great match. The following day, to our astonishment, an email came in. “Lush is renovating another store and is offering more shelving. Might Crossroads be interested?”  We jumped onto email with an astonished yes. The timing, the quality, the need met: everything about this was a perfect match. Now this space is open, serving Hong Kong people in need with, we hope, the sense that they are being cared for with dignity and respect (see image below).

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Most kids in Moldova’s orphanages are not orphans, technically. Their parents, struggling with some of the lowest incomes in Europe, simply leave Moldova behind and work in other countries. It is largely their children who populate the orphanages. Global Hand NGO partner, Help the Children, finds foster families for children who have been in institutions and, to support their work, runs a thrift shop, where they also train ‘orphanage graduates’ to become self-sustaining.

They received a magnificent corporate donation of 6,975 items of clothing, based in China, for distribution throughout their areas, and adjoining ones, where clothing can be sparse. As well, they received coffee shop furniture from a UK donor which renovated the canteen for their trainee staff (see main photo below).

From places far and wide, we love to see Global Hand facilitate movement of strategic goods.

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

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

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South Africa: Investing in slum communities

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When 55 year old Mr Chen visited Crossroads, he was in a desperate state. Diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, he had undergone intensive chemotherapy which left him very weak. Rather than enjoying extra care and comfort in his illness, moreover, he had been dealing with poverty and the breakdown of his marriage. He’d been sleeping on just a bedframe with no mattress, in a lonely, empty, small flat. When our staff met him at our site, he said, “I’m just waiting to die.”

It was our privilege to help him choose things that he needed for his home: furnishings to make his life easier. He also chose a radio, which he said will help with the long days alone and he added a washing machine, which will now save him a slow and painful 20 minute walk to/from the laundry each time he has to wash.

Mr Chen is a typical example of many of the local Hong Kong people we help, who are living close to the poverty line, often because of illness that prevents them earning an income. We are only too pleased to be able to walk with them in their vulnerability.

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

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

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South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

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Even in a city like Hong Kong, it can be easy for vulnerable women to fall into exploitative sex work. It can, equally, be very, very difficult to get out. NGO Eden exists to walk alongside women who want to exit the sex industry but lack the information, skills or job opportunities to do so. When they were planning their new community centre in Yau Ma Tei, Eden contacted Crossroads for help. They had the space, but needed furniture to fill it. We were only too happy to help with some of the furnishings and accessories on their wish list to support their goal of making their new centre a beautiful place for counselling, comfort, referral to services, job training and non-judgemental friendship (pictured below).

 

Eden jewellery is the best seller in our Global Handicrafts shop

We work with Eden in another part of our lives as well. One of the activities they undertake is training of women in exquisite jewellery making, produced on a fair trade basis. Their beautiful items are best sellers in our Global Handicrafts shop.

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

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

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South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

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Where others might look at disadvantaged young people and see poverty, despair or a lack of opportunity, NGO Akin Alliance looks with a different lens. They see potential, an opportunity, and work with these young people to develop leadership skills and community spirit.

“Everyone in our organisation is unsalaried,” says Andy, from Akin Alliance. “We are just volunteers who come together for a common goal. So we love getting donated goods to run different events and save on our budget.”

We gave them a range of furniture to that end: outdoor chairs, lockers, desks and office furniture.

That really is our goal in serving NGOs. Nearly all have limited spending power and the gift of goods can slash a demanding budget, empowering them to use their financial resources on other needs. It’s one of the things we love about this work.

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

read more ...

Tanzania: Training, education, and HIV care

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

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WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

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South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

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The Silver Lining Foundation lives up to its name. Their work is with orphans and abandoned children so they see great heartbreak and suffering. Yet there’s also joy, the proverbial silver lining surrounding the cloud, which can be found. Their name celebrates that joy with the children. Based in Hong Kong, they support vulnerable children in nearby Asian nations.

“We help 10 schools with more than 2,000 children each year,” they said. “Some orphans have been discriminated against in their home towns, or are from broken families. We treat them like our own kids.”

When Silver Lining moved offices in April 2017, they were starting from scratch. Much of their old furniture was broken or not suitable, so they approached Crossroads with a wishlist, and we were only too happy to fill it! They took away a truck’s worth of goods including 25 chairs, tables, sofas, cabinets, computers, a conference table and more.

 

That’s one thing we  love about this work. Gifts of this kind can mean dedicated NGOs, working on a minimal budget, can save money for other purposes. As we often say at Crossroads: We can’t make a capital injection of money, but we can make a capital injection of product. And, yes, we love to help others help others!

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

read more ...

Tanzania: Training, education, and HIV care

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

read more ...

Malawi: Bridging the urban-rural divide

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

read more ...

South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

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Meet Josiah. He’s a Hong Kong citizen, but not one of those who works in a smart suit beneath the glittering lights of our designer malls and high streets. Josiah has lived at the other end of the spectrum. He moved out of home when he was young, and fell in with a bad crowd, soon becoming a drug addict. Without a decent job, and having to feed his addiction, he could only afford to live in the most basic accommodation possible. Poverty, coupled with one of the highest population densities in the world has led to tiny spaces being made available: beds for rent with sliding, lockable doors, in cramped, shared rooms. They are known, sadly, as cage homes or even ‘coffin’ homes as they are not much bigger than the bed itself. Josiah paid just HK$2,000 a month.

For years, he lived in this ‘coffin’ home, desperate to break out of this lifestyle, but not knowing how. “When you’re in a coffin house, you can’t change,” he told our staff. “We always quarrel there. People just shout, there is no order. No relationship with neighbours.”

It was a turning point in Josiah’s life when Hong Kong NGO Impact HK reached out to him. The group has a focus on helping Hong Kong’s homeless, giving them counselling, goods to meet their basic needs, and helping them find a place to live. They helped Josiah find an apartment that he can call home. It’s just 70 square feet in size, but already Josiah feels a weight off his shoulders, and a new optimism for the future. He can talk freely and peacefully with his new neighbours, he has more privacy and a cleaner (bug-free!) environment.

Crossroads became part of Josiah’s new journey when we helped Impact HK work with Josiah to find furniture for his small flat (he’s pictured below at our site with our staff and his social worker). When some of our staff paid him a visit at his new home, he said, “I like my new bed and chairs! I am thankful to Crossroads.”

What’s most remarkable to us is seeing how these acts of kindness have profoundly affected him. They’ve moved him to ‘pay it forward’. The experience has given him a heart to give back, grateful for how he’s been helped by others. “If you need me to come and volunteer, just call me!” he said.


Want to help change lives like Josiah’s? We’re raising $4 million to help us continue serving grassroots families in Hong Kong and overseas. Your donation, however small, can help us reach our goal. Click here to give.

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 ...

Tanzania: Training, education, and HIV care

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

read more ...

Malawi: Bridging the urban-rural divide

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

read more ...

South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

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A better Start to Life

With just under 50% secondary school enrolment, Ghana’s children need help to stay in school.

S3940 Ghana project profile-11Children from poor families in rural Ghana are starting life so far behind their peers that it can seem impossible to break out of the poverty cycle. Lacking some of the most basic necessities like shoes and good clothes, it can be hard for some young children to attend school at all, and those that do, have frequent absences because of illnesses like malaria, diarrhoea, or having to stay home when other family members are sick. Add to this a lack of resources in their area, and the odds are stacked against these little ones. “The communities that work with lack social amenities like early childhood centres, libraries, computer laboratories, good roads, and good drinking water,” writes Crossroads’ partner, an NGO working in rural Ghana.

Crossroads is shipping to this group, to help them give Ghanaian children a better start to life. They already run highly successful literacy programmes and other child-centred activities, but they want to open an early childhood centre and a computer school to train teenagers in employable skills. Our shipment will help them establish these two new ventures.

Literacy unlocking futures

Our partners are trying to boost those numbers by encouraging and empowering children in their education.

S3940 Ghana project profile-4More than 80% of children in Ghana finish primary school, but that number plummets to less than 50% enrolment in secondary school. Our partners are trying to boost those numbers by encouraging and empowering children in their education. They run exciting programmes like interschool quiz competitions in rural communities, after-school literacy camps and even a “street library” that takes books to places without community libraries.

Little Oliver is one of their success stories. He was a below average student, but thanks to the street library and the literary club, he has improved so much that he participated in the regional Spelling Bee and is now the president of his school literary club! He was also selected as an assistant school prefect through his hard work.

Shipment will include:

  • Computers for office use, and to set up a computer lab for youth training
  • Office and household furniture, and household goods to set up a childcare centre
  • Clothes and shoes for impoverished families who don’t have enough of the basics to send their children to school

Crossroads’ shipment will support these literacy programmes that reach 5,000 children like Oliver.

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Ghana Snapshot

Capital: Accra

Population: 27 million. 45% of the population is under 18.

Ghana is in West Africa, located along the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, and has a tropical climate. It is the fifth most stable state in Africa.
There are about 1 million children orphaned for a variety of reasons in the country.
34% of children are involved in some kind of child labour, and education is often inaccessible in rural areas.

Ghana_S3350_6

At 60, Mr Mak is nearing life’s end. He battles lupus but, as well, recently learned he is dying of cancer. The doctors have told him they could no longer do anything but help him manage the pain.

Before he became sick, Mr Mak worked as a welder on construction sites but now, too ill to continue, he depends on social welfare. He was granted a government flat but struggled to furnish it. He owned just a bunk bed and a fridge. Without any cupboards, he could only store his belongings in bags on the bunk. With no couch, he could only use the lower bunk as a place to sit.

His social worker helped him visit Crossroads, where he chose all his other furniture needs: a small couch, side table, two large cabinets for storage, drawers, chairs, a washing machine and other items. Later, one of our team visited and he said, that, now, his happiness comes from “having this lovely apartment and sitting by the window on my couch.” The gratitude that radiate from Mr Mak is remarkable.

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 ...

Tanzania: Training, education, and HIV care

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? In rural Tanzania, poverty is widespread and affects every area of life. Sadly, the nation is still...

read more ...

Malawi: Bridging the urban-rural divide

WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING? Despite making great strides economically over the past decade, Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in...

read more ...

South Africa: Investing in slum communities

FEEDBACK: On the outskirts of a notoriously violent South African city, a community group has been working tirelessly to create pathways out...

read more ...