HARDA's HORN OF AFRICA FAMINE AID APPEAL |

FAMINE IN HORN OF AFRICA

What is HARDA doing??

HARDA is working with our on the ground partners whom, as you can see from the photo on the left, are distributing food aid right now. Dr Mohamud Sheikh, an executive member of HARDA, has been using his holiday to help with our initial aid effort in Northern Kenya, thanks to a very generous donation from Muslim Aid Australia. He reports "we fed up to 5,927, buying only essential food stuff to increase the number of people that we can reach. We provided Corn meal (maize flour), Oil and Beans – the common diet of the people. The community elders were so pleased that we dd not leave without feedng anyone who turned up for food".

Help urgently needed

The United Nations declared a famine in parts of Somalia. Famine is declared when a number of preconditions are met. These include when hunger rates among children rise above thirty precent and many people are unable to get food and other basic needs. The UN believes that it is likely that tens of thousands have already died, the majority of these being children.

And the famine is spreading with the Horn of Africa experiencing its worst drought in sixty years. UN officials have said more than eleven million people are in need of food aid.

What can you do??

Please HELP those in such desperate need. Each life is precious and each donation helps preserve a life!

100% of what you donate is going directly to those in need, providing much needed food to those heading to the camps and to those outside the camps who are dying so close to help.

PLEASE DONATE NOW

The pictures and stories coming out of these regions would break your heart; and we have so much in comparison to their need!

Donate to HARDA's HORN OF AFRICA FAMINE AID APPEAL | www.harda.info

Twitter: @AussieActivist

Volunteer Journal December 13th 2010

So today is my second last day at the HARDA office for this years African Men’s English Program. Tomorrow we will be having our graduation for 2010 and my students are excited yet aprehensive.

“What will we do for the next 8 weeks?” is a common question that is arising. With both our classes and TAFE classes finished for the year the men seem to be at a loss at what they will do with their time. Alot of them are asking about employment over the holidays, what can they do to gain some casual employment.
I feel troubled by the prospects of them going back to the parks they were sitting in before we were able to gain their attendance.  With all the weeks of nothing ahead (f0r our single students) they are at a loss. It pains me that i can not do more. I feel like i’m sometimes caught between a rock and a hard place. But yet again, i am only one person. I do what i can to make the lifes of those around me better and i guess that is all i can do.

I am looking forward to our graduation ceremony tomorrow morning and i know my students are as well. They have invited their families and i am hoping to see a great turnout in support of them. I have started to receive the tutor reports and am amazed at how well some of them have come in the last 12 months due to our program.  It makes me feel like we are doing something worthwhile and giving back to those who need our help.

I have made some wonderful friends with the Sudanese males that i have been involved with and the stories they can tell, wow they will blow you away.

Just this morning one of my students was telling me that he finally got to speak to his sister last month after 24 yrs of absence. She had no idea he was living in Australia and had not seen him since he was a small boy. I think of my own family and not seeing my sister for 24 yrs and how hard that would be on my family so i can only imagine how hard it has been for him. Living here in Australia with NO family. A Lost Boy, still searching for the life he wants. It pains me to hear his stories, so we made a pact, we will go to Sudan together one day and meet with his family. I myself am not rich, i struggle on financially with my own family and life but somehow, someday, god will help us take this journey together, so i can retrace his steps, meet his family and learn more about how my fellow friends from southern sudan have been forced to live for far too long in unresolved war like conditions. Ipray for nothing more than peace for southern sudan and for my friends to be able to return home to a democractic society that they so enjoy here in Australia.
I have also been trying to get on here and blog about my experience at the Horn of African Youth Conference a fortnight ago but am having issues with my internet cable (kids have tripped over it one too many times and its not working) and then my camera decided it did not want me to print the pics on the SD card when i took it to officeworks. So once i have fixed the “Technical” issues facing me ill have the blog up and the pics of the weekend up as well. (I am blogging from the HARDA office this morn).

Also Please Please Please if you want to do something  for someone this Christmas purchase one of our Shirts or Products from ALL FOR CHARITY STORE and 100% of the profits made are used to support a Child Headed Household in Uganda of 5 Children. Betty the eldest girl is a budding scientist and we would love nothing more than to see her acheive her goals. For more information on Betty and her family, please VISIT HERE

Journal Entry 23rd November, 2010

Tuesday 23rd November 2010

I was at the HARDA (Horn of Africa Relief & Development Agency) office today as usual for my Tuesday Morning Volunteering to co-ordinate the African Men's English Program. We had a great conversation at our Morning Tea session and i thought it was worthwhile to discuss.

John, (our dear leader) had raised the subject of how hard it was for African Refugee's to gain employment in Australia and what services are available out there for further training. It was a great topic. A few of our students were really encouraged and opened up to us. "I worked for 20 months after coming to Australia as a printer" Santino from our level 3 english classed divulged. "In Sudan i worked as a printer in Khartoum". He also added. "In Australia i learnt great lessons in my 20 months working, that quality of product is very important, the machinery is different and up to date in technology, that arriving on time to work is very important." Santino advised. "I've applied for over 30 jobs in the Construction Industry" Spoke Ateem, "yet i've not gotten a job yet". Ateem previously worked in construction for 12-18 months but was unable to continue his employment due to his english skills. This is why they attend our Mens English and Computer Classes, so he can gain a better understanding of the english language and how to adjust to life here in Australia in a casual and stress free setting.  Even though they have completed 500 hours of English training through TAFE, they found that coming from a non english speaking country (in particular Dinka, tribal or Arabic languages) it is much harder to understand and learn english. They found that TAFE did not make them feel confident in learning the english language and they could not have too much extra help due to the high amount of students per teacher. Our courses offer low student to teacher ratio to ensure effective learning and absorbing of information.

This journey i have begun with the Southern Sudanese Community in NSW has been an amazing journey full of interesting, heart breaking and couraging stories of life. I really cannot fathome how there is so much racism and misinformation surrounding these lovely people living in our beautiful and free country. My dear Aussies, i ask of you to just take the time to get to know these wonderful and resilient people and the friendships you will make are ones that will last the tests of time. My friends have such wonderful faith and kindness to share with the world, their amazing culture and traditions are to be retained for their future generations and their expressions of love and life through dance and song is to be adored. They make the most amazing music and dances i have seen.

So its now time for me to sign off for tonight but i leave you with a refreshed and revamped website that i have been working on tonight to update my information as my paths entangle and my life takes on new challenges and projects, i hope to continue on this journey with you.

Journal Entry, August 6h 2010

So its been a while since i have put a journal entry in as i have been quite busy recently.
A few family issues arose that i needed to take care of as well as continuing to run my Sudanese Mens English Courses through HARDA and also spending time with my children, who are ages 9, 4 & 3 so as you can imagine, they are quiet time consuming! lol My children are awesome kids and i hope they grow up with a moral respect for others and continue the fight for injustice.

In recent weeks i found out that one of the Invisible Children USA Team was taken away by an act of Terrorism. Nate from IC USA was in Kampala with 3 of our Northern Ugandan Students when a suicide bomber let of his bomb. Unfortunately, Nate did not survive the blast and our 3 students managed to escape with their lives, just to add more terror and scars to their already scarred lives. Such a sad thing to happen to those so innocently watching a soccer match. It just makes no sense. I send my condolences to all of those affected by the World Cup Bombings in Kampala, our prayers and thoughts are with you and your families.
It seems the world is falling apart right before my eyes, i feel helpless that i cannot do more to help others who are suffering, but as i know, i am only one person and i can only do so much, so i will continue to do as much as i can for others.

I must end this journal for now as i have some hungry little children asking me for morning tea so i must end this post early.

I thank all of you who read my posts and support my efforts to help those less fortunate. Thank you for coming on my journey with me.
Freeuganda