Uncategorized – Page 4 – World Neighbours Canada

June 10, 2016July 3, 2017

WNC directors mourn the loss of Victorino Rivera

posted by Judy Gray with information from Graem Nelson, WNC Director

Screen Shot 2016-06-10 at 8.42.54 AM World Neighbours Canada directors learned yesterday of the death of Victorino Rivera Flores, the first local trainer hired by WNC in the 1980s in Honduras. Victorino was instrumental in motivating and developing program activities in the El Socorro region of that country. Graem Nelson met Victorino several times and has written a moving tribute about this man and has included some vivid personal memories. Graem’s tribute follows … “I was very sad to hear of the death of Victorino Rivera Flores. He will be mourned by his wife Senia and quite a few children, I can recall five at least. And probably by now, some grandchildren.

In 1989, I led a trip of Rotarians to Honduras to meet with the Siguatepeque Rotary Club and World Neighbors Oklahoma staff. The Rotarians included Michael Newman, who was my friend in Oliver, new to Rotary and on his first trip to a “less developed country”. It also included Bob Ellis, who went on to found The Gleaners in Oliver, influenced by his first glimpse of real poverty in the countryside and cities of Honduras.

After getting settled in at Siguatepeque and meeting our Rotary counterparts, we all went to lunch at a fish restaurant at Lake Yojoa. Dr. Miriam Dagen was the temporary area representative for World Neighbors and she welcomed our group to the lunch. We met a young volunteer World Neighbors trainer named Victorino Rivera. He had been working as a farmer trainer at the WN program at El Rosario, a mining village not very distant from Siguatepeque. Victorino was proposed as the leader of the program at El Socorro, which would become the first program funded by WNCanada. With some amazing help from Rotary that continues to this day.

Victorino was already a big young man. He had an infectious grin that spread from ear to ear. He had intelligence, charisma and humour. Our Rotary group was very happy to give him a chance to be a WN program coordinator.

Victorino quickly recruited a fine staff of farmer volunteers to get going on the development program. It included a progressive local farmer whose farm included a neglected hillside visible from the highway. This is where Victorino decided to establish the demonstration plot, where it could be seen by everyone who passed. The transformation of this rocky hillside into a beautiful terraced garden took a year of work; it was remarkable and was noted by everyone who passed. Continue reading “WNC directors mourn the loss of Victorino Rivera”

May 7, 2016May 14, 2017

Celebrating Mothers

If you are wondering how to honour your mother this Mother’s Day, why not consider making a donation in her name to World Neighbours Canada and have your money go directly to support mothers not as fortunate as yours.

All our projects support some of the poorest women in areas of Nepal, Honduras and Burkina Faso and provide opportunities for women, and often mothers, to acquire skills that will allow them to earn a little money of their own, improve their health and better care for their children. Honduran Mother 05-30-2006

Should you wish to have a card sent to your mother as a memento of your gift, please send an email to the following address (bruce@worldneighbours.ca), along with your name, and the name and address of the recipient and a card will be mailed shortly. Information about making a donation is available on the website. www.worldneighbours.ca

The Edmonton Eskimos' , against the BC Lions' , during first half CFL Football action in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday, August 19, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ian Jackson

April 26, 2016May 14, 2017

Change in work for WNC director

posted by Judy Gray, with information from Laurena Rehbein

Laurena Rehbein, one of World Neighbours Canada’s directors, has recently announced some big news regarding her work.

“With great excitement, I am pleased to announce that I am embarking on a new adventure,” Laurena recently said in a news release. “As of April 11, I have stepped into a new role as a remote employee of a company named Automattic.”

For the last number of years, Laurena has been self-employed running her graphic design and web development business, Write this Down Freelancing. Her new position will be a very natural extension of that work, as it revolves around the open-source web-building software called WordPress, which is used to power approximately 25% of the world’s websites (including the World Neighbours Canada’s website, and most of the others built by Laurena over past years).

“My job title will be ‘Happiness Engineer’ and I will be part of an amazing team that provides user support to eCommerce clients with the WooCommerce plugin,” she said. “I’ve also had to dust off my passport, as there is a fair bit of travelling involved.”

Her new position is a remote position, meaning she will still be working from Oliver, and will still be occupying her office on Oliver’s Main Street.

Since last fall, Laurena has also been part of the South Okanagan WordPress Meetup group, which will still continue and is and looking for new members. This group is an informal get-together for anyone who uses WordPress – for personal use, as a business-person, or as a developer. The meetings are free, and happen once per month at the Oliver Bakery. (http://www.meetup.com/South-Okanagan-WordPress-Meetup/)

As always, her commitment to World Neighbours Canada (WNC) remains strong. As is the case for all of the board members, her position is completely volunteer – WNC has no paid staff and minimal overhead, meaning all of your donations can be used directly for the ongoing projects. Laurena’s primary role with WNC is to design and layout the twice-annual newsletters, as well as website maintenance.

March 23, 2016May 14, 2017

Praise for Burkina Faso’s new government

posted by Judy Gray article by Neven Mimica from theGuardian

A recent article by Neven Mimica, published in theGuardian praised the Burkinabé government for the peaceful way that transitions occurred after last November’s elections. Mimica adds that “the EU is confident in the future of Burkina Faso, even though we are aware of the high expectations in the country and of the regional challenges. Indeed, work needs to continue to consolidate stability, reconciliation and democratisation, in the context of the terrorist and extremist threat to the region.” As a result of the nature of the transition and the efforts of the new government, Mimica states that the “EU has committed around €623m (£481m) for the coming years: we will support governance, access to healthcare, water and sanitation, resilience and food security.”

To read the entire article, follow the link …

March 11, 2016May 14, 2017

International Women’s Day in Honduras

posted by Judy Gray; with information from Vera Radyo

Vera Radyo, Executive Director of the Kenoli Foundation, a Vancouver-based organization with which World Neighbours Canada works closely in Central America is currently in Honduras to visit project areas in that country. Vera is also a friend and supporter of World Neighbours Canada, and she is the co-chair of the BC Council for International Cooperation. Here are her comments about the situation in that country; especially important on International Women’s Day (March 8th), in light of the recent murder of Berta Caceres, a long-time indigenous human rights activist.

Vera writes: “I salute my sisters all around the world on this special day! I am honoured to be in Honduras to share in the struggles of women here.

It is not an easy time here. As we arrived in the capital city, Tegucigalpa, it was raining heavily, so rare during this time of year that is known for its never ending sun. As we drove south into the dry corridor, we saw so many rivers dried out. Both are examples of extreme climate change.
However, what has shocked people in Honduras and worldwide, is the recent murder of Berta Caceres – an Indigenous Lenca woman, human rights and environmental activist. She was opposing the lack of consultation with Indigenous people about a proposed dam on their lands. We met Berta a few years ago and she was friends with a couple of people on the Kenoli team. Many think her death was politically motivated, to silence her and others like her.
We joined a women’s march and forum opposing violence against women. We learned that in the last 5 years, there have been 5,500 women murdered in Honduras. 95% of murderers are never brought to justice in this country that has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

I was impressed with the courage and determination of the women at the forum. They were not about to be silenced, nor do they want her death to be in vain. They will not allow her death to be forgotten and become another statistic of unsolved murders. Continue reading “International Women’s Day in Honduras”

February 9, 2016May 14, 2017

WNC project in Honduras to expand

by Bruce Petch, director

World Neighbours Canada support in Honduras expands to Valle

World Neighbours Canada has provided support for rural development in Honduras since its inception in 1988. Federal government funding approved last year will allow our partner organization, Vecinos Honduras, to provide assistance in new areas. Vecinos Honduras will support 10 communities in Nacaome municipa

lity and 8 communities in Langue municipality. Both areas are in the department of Valle, located near the Pacific coast and known for its dry climate and poverty. Unfortunately, it is necessary to discontinue activities in several communities in Danli municipality (El Paraiso department) because of security concerns. Violent crime is pervasive in Honduras and travel to many locations is dangerous.

The overall objective of the federal government

support is to decrease mortality rates of mothers and young children. Ironically, the extreme levels of crime (Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world) will make project implementation particularly challenging.

February 1, 2016May 14, 2017

APDC perspective on attacks in Ouagadougou

by Judy Gray, WNC director, with information from Charles Tankoano

We recently received the following information from Charles Tankoano, coordinator of APDC, our partner NGO in Burkina Faso. I had emailed to ask for on-the-ground information about the horrible massacre that took place in the capital city, Ouagadougou, on January 16, 2016. Though our project activities take place in the Fada n’Gourma region, about 200 km. east of Ouagadougou, the recent attack on innocent people has resulted in a dramatic reaction from the populace. Here is a translation of Charles’ email: “Thank you for your concern about this drama in Ouagadougou. We are doing well but no one is happy with these attacks by Muslim extremists. They undermine the security that our country has been benefitting from, and which had rendered this landlocked and impoverished country attractive to other countries and peoples. Peace, stability and security had been preserved until that day and had allowed Burkina Faso to be a country open to the world. These deadly attacks will likely have a significant negative impact on the dynamism of tourist visits to this country, especially those visiting from western countries. Despite this recent problem, the Burkinabé people continue their daily activities throughout the country and calm has returned. The army and all other security forces have divided the country into sectors in order to ensure greater oversight and control. The leaders of the neighbouring West African countries are pooling their efforts and discussing strategies to better cope with this threat.”

For more information on the Al-Qaeda attack, please click on one of the following links: BBC or CBC . Continue reading “APDC perspective on attacks in Ouagadougou”

December 20, 2015May 14, 2017

He’ll be missed …

(L to R) Mary Hunter, Susan Duncan , Suresh Shrestha, Dave Denbigh ~ during Suresh' presentation to the TRU nursing students in September 2015. — (L to R) Mary Hunter, Susan Duncan , Suresh Shrestha, Dave Denbigh ~ during Suresh’ presentation to the TRU nursing students in September 2015.

by Judy Gray and Bruce Petch with information from Libby Denbigh

We are very sad to announce that David Denbigh, a director with World Neighbours Canada passed away suddenly on 7 December. David was an excellent spokesperson and supporter of WNC, and was often called upon to explain the philosophy and uniqueness of our organization. Each time he spoke, his conviction and interest in WNC was expressed clearly, succinctly and with genuine enthusiasm. Both Dave and his wife Libby had a particular interest in the Nepal water and sanitation projects and visited the area on two occasions ~ once with their extended family ~ to view the newly installed water system in the village of Salleni. The water system was dedicated to their late daughter Rachel, for whom the people of Nepal had a special place in her heart. We will miss Dave’s contribution on the Board.

Dave Denbigh with his family in Salleni, Nepal

The family’s obituary follows …

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden loss of David Denbigh who passed away the evening of Dec 7th surrounded by his family. He is survived by his mother Anne, wife Libby, daughter Sarah (Brian), son Ian (Gina), brother Tony (Gerri), nephew Charlie and niece Mary-Anne, as well as grandchildren Cesar, Sumiko, Yuma and Olyn.

He is predeceased by his father Ian Denbigh and his daughter Rachel (Aaron).

David lived a full and rich life. He was passionate about teaching and his career with school district 73 spanned over 30 years and included high-school to elementary to adult education. He did not just teach within school hours but spent immeasurable time coaching and refereeing basketball, directing children’s plays, driving to field trips and many other activities. He loved to ski, golf and flyfish. Teaching his grandchildren these sports was a joy for him. In retirement, David, and his wife Libby took to travelling. Together they have visited many countries always returning with vibrant pictures and interesting stories.

The family has asked that donations be made to World Neighbours Canada, Box 1771, Oliver, V0H 1T0 or www.worldneighbours.ca
A celebration of life will be held Jan 2nd from 12 noon to 3 pm at Hoodoos restaurant located at Sun Rivers.”

December 8, 2015May 14, 2017

Elections completed successfully in Burkina Faso

by Judy Gray with information from Charles Tankoano

Presidential elections were to have taken place in October 2015, but were delayed after the recent coup. I was anxious to hear whether the election process would proceed at the end of November after that coup, and apparently that was the case. Charles Tankoano, coordinator of our partner NGO, APDC, recently sent the following information: “There were presidential elections in Burkina Faso last November 2015. The elections were very well run; quiet, free (because there was no former president who was running), and transparent ~ and the results were accepted by all candidates and all the people . The president-elect , not yet invested, named Rock Marc Christian Kabore , comes from a new party that he created a year ago . The political organization, those of civil society and the whole population are all in perfect agreement with this result. He will serve a 5-year term and may be reelected only once because our constitution currently limits the presidential term to 2 terms. No president would consider amending the constitution to perpetuate itself in power in Burkina Faso; anyone who might try to change this will find the entire people will block his path.” I was pleased to get this news and certainly hope that these election results will herald the beginning of a more peaceful period for the country. To read more about these elections, click on the link: BBC news, Burkina Faso elections

November 13, 2015May 14, 2017

India border strike causing problems in Nepal

posted by Judy Gray with information from Suresh Shrestha

Dale Dodge recently received an email from Suresh Shrestha, coordinator of Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti, and our partner in Nepal. Suresh was writing to let us know about a new and difficult situation facing the people in that country. Suresh writes:

“The life of people has been crippled due to 45 days of an undisclosed blockade by India since the promulgation of the new constitution. Being landlocked Nepal is heavily dependent on trade routes with India. The biggest route is in Birgunj/Raxaul from where about 70% of fuel is supplied; and this route has been totally blocked for the last 45 days.” The effects of this strike and the route blockade are devastating and have created some of the following problems:

~ Huge fuel crisis. Just to get 5 liters of fuel, it is required to line up for 4-5 days.
~ Huge shortage of cooking gas
~ Shortage of food supplies and increased prices up to 100%, which are mainly imported from India
~ Schools closed for last two months, especially in town, where children need to go by bus

Suresh continues by describing the effects of this blockade in Ramechhap:

“~ Nepal Oil Co-operation is supplying fuel to two gas satiations of Manthali, on the recommendation from Chief District Officer. But this is not regular. Our hospital ambulance will get the diesel while taking to patient to Kathmandu. We are also getting diesel for hospital generator.
~ Vehicular movement in Ramechhap is less, but not much over-loaded from Kathmandu-Manthali-Kathmandu
~ Less vehicle movement in other parts other parts of Ramechhap
~ The prices of foods and other goods are increased due to transportation and less & shortage in supply
~ People are now started to use fuel-wood for cooking.
~ Schools are running as the students don’t need to travel by any vehicle.”

We are hoping that this situation will be resolved soon as an increase in the price of goods and food is yet another challenge the people have faced during the past year. His entire email and explanation follows.
Continue reading “India border strike causing problems in Nepal”