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Wednesday, 14 July 2010 14:53

New GNUSA Program to Work with Volunteering High Schoolers

A couple weeks ago, a group of 6 volunteers from both the Los Angeles and the Baltimore regions participated in the GN Volunteer (GNVol) program and worked in Guatemala in a weeklong trip. The high school volunteers were Junho Lee, Lani Lee, Gilbert Lee, Paul Lee, and John Marh. Minsook Lee also participated in the trip. The volunteer trip was the first of a high school program to be established by GNUSA, in order to create awareness and to help high school students fundraise toward an international project that they can visit and actively work on to help the students expand their views, experiences, and goals about the world and themselves. Through the program, the volunteers were able to not only see the work Good Neighbors does in Guatemala, but to also assist in a variety of Good Neighbors Guatemala (GNG) projects including the volcano emergency relief, natural disaster relief, community development, and child sponsorship services.

One of the highlights of the program was the Estufa Mejorada Project, where volunteers were able to donate to building a family’s new stove. Many impoverished families have only a small fire in the corner of the house to cook and to use as a source of warmth. Good Neighbors Guatemala became concerned about the health hazards this proved to be for children and family members, as they would be constantly inhaling smoke and getting irritated eyes. Additionally, there were ecological and social effects, as the fires would constantly need more firewood leading to more deforestation. And the children would be the ones gathering wood as well, taking time away from their studies. The Estufa Mejorada, the “Improved Stove,” Project built stoves for researched families. The stoves, while typical to the lifestyle, had modifications that allowed the family to adjust the temperature of the oven, use less firewood, modify it into a furnace in the winter, and to use it as a table because of the tiles on top. Each volunteer donated $150 USD for a stove, and 7 stoves in total were built. The volunteers were able to visit the families and add finishing touches to the stoves, thus seeing firsthand the major changes their small contribution made to a family’s lifestyle.

Over the next weeks, our volunteers will be sharing their experiences in Guatemala and we will be posting pictures of the trip as well. If you are interested in donating to our Estufa Mejorada Campaign or in participating in our volunteer program, please call us at 1 (877) 499-9898 or email us at gnusa@gnusa.org.

Friday, 25 June 2010 14:09

Good Neighbors Reacts to the Natural Disasters in Guatemala

Volcan de Pacaya, the volcano located 98ft away from the downtown Guatemala City, erupted In May 27^th, 2010. Its ejecta rose up to a mile and was spread out to all regions in Guatemala City carried by the wind. The eruption caused many damages as about 1600 locals were evacuated, the airport was shut down, and flights were canceled.

In May 28^th, the tropical storm Agatha hit Guatemala--within 72 hours, the city was flooded up to 3.2ft. It left the country with 1300,000 sufferers from the flood.

According to the Guatemala National Disaster Commission (CONRED), 152 people were killed, 87 are injured, and 100 are missing after the eruption and storm. Also, CONRED reported that 128,149 became victims of the flood, 5,872 houses were destroyed, and 21,927 houses are severely damaged. The government of Guatemala understood the severity and asked for help to the International organizations in May 28^th.

Good Neighbors immediately researched and monitored the situations through our field office in Guatemala, and we are now in the midst of the emergency relief along with OCHA and CONRED. We are supporting with basic living supplies and medical supplies for 6,000 people, as well as the material for the destroyed roofs. We are also carrying on relief activities so that the victims could have their normal life back as soon as possible.

Good Neighbors International provided the fundraised $26,000 for this emergency relief, and about 100 boxes of clothing, donated by Korean clothing businesses in Guatemala (such as Beltran, El Cielo, etc). But it doesn’t stop there. LG and Samsung stores in Guatemala, Korean protestant and catholic churches, among others are continuously helping us with volunteers and donations, reviving the love and care of Koreans in Guatemala.

Thursday, 10 June 2010 09:52

Volunteer's Spotlight: Joanne Lee

When Joanne Lee, a pharmacist at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, volunteered to go with Good Neighbors' medical emergency relief team to Haiti the past February, she wasn't sure what to expect of the situation on ground and of her role in the emergency relief. This is her story.

When I heard that Good Neighbors was sending a medical relief team to Haiti, I wasn’t surprised. When I heard that they needed pharmacists, I was excited. Ever since I became a pharmacist, I’d been waiting for an opportunity to use my skills to serve the underserved, and this was it. But I was also scared. Though I had served as a missionary before, I’d never participated in medical relief work. On the contrary, I’d only worked in large university hospitals, with state-of-the-art equipment and storerooms filled with medications. Having thus never been exposed to sub-optimal medical conditions, I wondered what would await me in Haiti, and how I could possibly be of use. What kind of patients would I see? Would we have the medications that they needed? Would we even be able to communicate effectively with them? And, given the media reports of the volatile nature of the current situation, would I be safe? The only reassurance I had was the professionalism and experience of the Good Neighbors staff, but would that be enough?

Over the course of my two weeks in Haiti, I came to truly understand and appreciate the value of that professionalism and experience. My team, which included a physician and a nurse who had both been on medical relief trips before, was sent to relieve the team that had been deployed when the earthquake first hit. This meant that by the time we arrived (a mere two weeks after the earthquake) the logistics of where we would be working, what equipment we would need, and major security issues had, for the most part, been settled. We would be operating a mobile clinic, set up under tents at a local school for the time being. Since many Haitians were still extremely leery of being indoors because of the risk of aftershocks, this was an attractive alternative to a building. It also allowed for maximum mobility in case another area was deemed to be in greater need of medical attention.

On my first day at the clinic, I was struck by how smoothly it seemed to run. I had been expecting mobs of frustrated, impatient earthquake victims, crying and screaming. What I found, however, was quite different. Patients would take a number and fill out an intake form while they waited, sometimes for hours. After they had been seen, the patients would hand me their prescriptions and wait patiently until called. While there were certainly some grave cases that had to be referred to the larger hospitals, most of our patients simply needed basic medical care. Each of the physicians was assigned a translator, and I had a translator who doubled as a technician, helping me package prescriptions and counsel patients.

Though no one told me what to do, my responsibilities as a pharmacist quickly presented themselves. Cataloging and organizing the medications that were available to us, as well as sending the staff to buy essential medications that were not, while offering recommendations for therapeutic alternatives and dispensing prescriptions for not only our physicians but also for the Haitians running a small clinic alongside ours – all of it was fair game. It was both challenging and rewarding, but only possible because of Good Neighbors’ careful planning and the partnership that they had developed with the locals. In fact, I was impressed by the willingness to help, the level of education, and the generosity of spirit that I saw in not only our Haitian assistants, but also in our patients. I watched in quiet wonder as patients helped each other, making sure that their neighbors didn’t miss their turn, and helping each other understand my broken French. I realized the misconceptions that I’d had, and saw that even in the midst of such devastation, despair was not an imperative. Humanity, though beaten down and buried under a city of rubble, could prevail.

Going to Haiti gave me a greater appreciation for my profession, and I am thankful that Good Neighbors helped open my eyes and heart to the world of international aid. We are all part of one community, and I hope that the next time that community needs a hand, mine will be there, gloved and ready.

Monday, 07 June 2010 09:16

Volunteer's Spotlight: Hannah Gweun

Photojournalist Hannah Gweun, whose photographs are currently on exhibit at the Good Neighbors USA office, traveled to the villages in Chad with Good Neighbors and Somang Society to visit the Somang Well locations. Through the trip, she came to see water in a whole new light. This is her story.

I’m so thirsty. I’d kill someone for water right now.

Those were the only thoughts running through my head as I walked 2 miles in the dry, dusty, desert roads of Chad, Africa. Having been born and raised in the United States, I’ve never really understand how important water really was until this moment. I didn’t realize how great I had it back at home.

When I first found out that I had a chance to go to Africa with Good Neighbors and Somang Society, I was extremely excited. I was able to go as part of a sponsor tour for the Somang Well Project; a project that has Somang Society and Good Neighbors collaborating to build 40 Somang Wells throughout Chad. Here I was, comfortable in sunny Southern California, while organizations like Good Neighbors were saving lives in underdeveloped countries. As a photojournalist, going to Africa had been a dream that I had for a very long time. Growing up, I, just as everyone else, had seen only images of Africa on television, magazines, and books. I had grown up seeing thousands of pictures of dirty, poor, sick African children. I had already been to the oppressive, communist country of North Korea; a country where children have no freedom to choose how to live their lives. I had already been to the poorest cities and villages of Mexico before. Villages where the richest children wore raggedy, threadbare clothes that were two sizes too small, where sick children couldn’t get the medical attention they needed, and where food was scarce. I was ready to go to Africa. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and what to expect in Africa.

Landing in Chad on February 26, 2010 changed my life. Those five days in Chad blew every preconception I had of Africa completely out of my mind. The first day was spent in a village called Ndou. This was the site of the first Somang Well in Chad. Good Neighbors had already built many other wells before this, so everything from the planning and preparation to the actual digging of the well itself was done by the natives that were trained by Good Neighbors. The village of Ndou is right next to a river and is scattered with huts made out of straw and clay bricks. Walking around this village proved to be a task in itself as it was so dusty, you could hardly breathe. As we were waiting for the preparations for the well-building to start, children began to gather around us. I had honestly never seen children with such expressive, emotional, and shining eyes before. It’s like they didn’t even realize how hard their life was. As I watched these children running around barefoot, with clothes so threadbare and old that large holes were scattered around the fabric, I kept thinking about my life in the states. I grew up with so much, but always thought that I had so little. As various thoughts assaulted my mind, the children stared earnestly up at me, almost as if they were expecting something from me. I smiled at them and they smiled back so brightly that it brought tears to my eyes. So much innocence and love radiated from these kids. I watched as they laughed when I showed them their pictures on my camera, I watched as they ran around excited to see foreigners, I watched as they hid behind their mothers’ backs, peeking and shyly smiling at us, I watched as they ran to the river and came back with buckets of water on their heads, and I watched as they drank the dirty river water. I thought that living next to a river was a lot better than living next to no water at all. I learned that living next to a river was more dangerous and hazardous because of all the diseases from insects near water and diseases caused by drinking the river water. To see children so young drinking from water so dirty, that I wouldn’t even dip a finger in it, was heartbreaking.

The next village that we went to was a village called Kkachi. It took us three hours of off-roading to get there. The village of Ndou was similar to the poor villages in southern rural Mexico, something I was a little accustomed to. The village of Kkachi, however, was another world in itself. As we were getting out of the car, I saw the ground littered with hundreds of piles of dark brown things. Upon closer inspection, it was animal feces. Animal feces surrounded the small village. It was in front of the huts, around the huts, and behind the huts. When asking why poop was just on the ground like that, I was told that it was dried and used for various purposes such as using it for bricks. In this feces covered village, there were only women and children, and a few old men. We were told that the last time a foreigner had been in the village was when the eldest man, who looked to be about 60 years old, was a young child of 5. The women and children were so fascinated to see light-skinned people for the first time, that they kept touching my skin.

This was when we met Ajitae, a young 12 year old girl. Ajitae can’t go to school because there are no schools around for miles and miles and miles. Her day consists of going to and from the well 3 times a day to bring water to her family. We decided to follow her on a trip to bring water back. 2 miles of blistering sun, 2 miles of dry lands, 2 miles of breathing in dust. I am 24 and I could barely walk 1 mile in this condition. I was dying, I was tired, I was thirsty. At that moment, I could and would have done anything for just one glass of cold water. And then I looked up and saw Ajitae, a young 12 year old girl who goes 12 miles back and forth every single day of her life and I was ashamed. It was then that I finally understood, no, felt the importance of water. Never in my life had I been so thirsty that I just wanted to curl up in a corner and die. While I was leisurely drinking ice cold water anytime I wanted back in the states, kids were traveling miles and miles just to get water that wasn’t even clean and most definitely not cold. While I blasted the air conditioner even if it wasn’t that hot, children were traveling miles and miles in dry weather over 100 degrees just to get water. With this visit to the village of Kkachi, Good Neighbors and Somang wells 4 and 5 are planned to be dug there.

This trip had many ‘eye openers’ for me. One of the most interesting facts I’ve learned on this trip was that one well gives clean water to 4,000 people. How much does it take to make one well? It takes just 3,000 dollars. That’s less than a dollar per person. I see an NGO like Good Neighbors working so hard, helping to develop and train communities, providing relief aid, and digging wells for villages that desperately need it, and it makes me want to do something, anything that would help villages like Kkachi. I’ve never done anything before because I’ve always thought that because I was just one person, what could I possibly do that would change anything. But I’ve realized that it takes so little to help one village. We have to speak for those who cannot yet speak for themselves; those whose voices aren’t loud enough to be heard yet; we have to be loud and yell at the top of our lungs so that the world will stop ignoring what’s happening in this country. Every time I drink a glass of water, I remember Ajitae, a young girl who journeys for hours just to get the water that her family needs to survive.

There are no excuses for me anymore.

Hannah Gweun

Tuesday, 01 June 2010 09:13

Building Wells of Hope in Chad

In March, Good Neighbors USA partnered with Somang Society, an end-of-life focused non-profit organization, to build 40 wells in Chad.

When Good Neighbors and Somang Society began a campaign to build 40 wells in the African country of Chad, no one had expected the flow of overwhelming support from individuals and organizations that led to the funding of 56 wells.

One of Good Neighbors’ many projects is to build wells for communities in Chad, where water is so scarce that people drink, bathe, and use muddy and parasite-filled water in their daily lives. In order to get to water, children walk barefoot for miles in the hot African sun to reach the nearest well. This is a daily journey children as young as 5 make so that families can face each day. Attending school becomes a lesser priority for these families and children, and many children do not go to school. Yet, it costs only $3,000 USD to build and maintain a well in Chad—a small price for something that can exponentially change lives and communities.

When Somang Society’s Boonja Yoo found out about about this campaign, she decided to help build the wells. However, it was not until she went with a team from Somang Society to the on-site location in Chad that she understood and saw for herself the impact a single well brings to communities and the steep price they pay when clean water is not available to them. “I had heard that children drink muddy water there, but I thought to myself, 'It is possible if when life gets desperate and tough.' However, when I saw them drinking muddy water right before my eyes, it broke my heart. It was so overwhelming and devastating. I was immensely shocked and wondered who and what had fated these children to this life where children were dying and where there were no signs of hope anywhere.”

Boonja Yoo witnessed the building of the first Somang Well in the village of Nadou, where 24 children died last year alone because of waterborne diseases. Upon the completion of the well which took a mere three days, children yelled with joy as sparkling clean water poured out of the pump. A spokesperson for the village said, “We don’t know how to thank you for coming such a long way to get here. Now our children do not have to suffer from stomachaches anymore; now our children do not have to go a long ways to get water. We truly appreciate that you saved our village. Thank you!”

With the help of the Joongang Broadcasting Company back in Los Angeles, Good Neighbors and Somang Society were able to spread the news about the Somang Well Campaign. Through the generosity of individuals and organizations, the Somang Well Campaign quickly reached and met its goal for 40 wells. However, as many wanted to continue to contribute, the Campaign was extended and we have now surpassed our goals, fundraising to build an extra 16 wells.

Each well is a visible sign of hope, a hope that reaches beyond borders and not only gives but invests in a community’s children and future. Join our campaign today.

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