Promising Practices!!

Below you will find another sample of something I have been working on this summer during my internship at Partners Worldwide! This is part of a series of profiles of people or organizations who do great things in their work with Partners! Not only do they do great things, we think the things they do are universally applicable! We are publishing these "promising practices" to encourage others to adapt similar strategies!

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Partners Worldwide
Promising Practices
The Farmer to Farmer (F2F) E-mail Family

What Terry Hubers is a farmer based in Iowa. He is involved in the Farmer to Farmer program in Nicaragua through Partners Worldwide. Terry has been sending detailed and enthusiastic emails to his supporters ever since he began volunteering with Farmer to Farmer. These emails explain in detail the progress of the Farmer to Farmer program in Nicaragua. They serve as a recruitment tool for new volunteers, an information portal for existing donors, and a way to voice the joys and concerns that are associated with serving God and others in Nicaragua. His email contact list had 104 people as of February 24, 2006! I am sure many more have been added since!

How According to reliable sources, Terry types with one finger using what he calls “the one finger letter search” technique. His emails usually range from 1 to 3 pages and go into great detail about the unfolding of God’s plan for Farmer to Farmer in Nicaragua. Terry notes that “it is very exciting as I sit and contemplate an email and even if it always seems to take me a long time to get it done it always seems that the Holy Spirit had something to do with it!”

Why According to Terry, “without [the emails] there would be no mutual encouragement and motivation for all those involved in F2F. F2F is not just one person helping another person! It involves many people and a number of organizations.”

Benefits Partners Worldwide prides itself in keeping its donors connected and involved in the projects they are giving to. The F2F E-mail Family facilitates this involvement and creates a lasting relationship between the donor and the project. Terry Hubers says it perfectly. “It is my hope that even if [the donors] do not ever have the opportunity to visit our partner farm families, …through the emails they are able to feel connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nicaragua.”

It's Fundraising!!! Hooray Fundraising!!!

My Dear Friends,

The time has come for an update! I am pleased to say that I am now up to $3,600 raised! What does this mean? It means I have raised enough for my stipend for this summer, and the exciting possibilities that I mentioned before are within sight!

You may be wondering what I am talking about. What are these exciting possibilities? Well, about a month ago, Pellagia mentioned to me that they are going on a trip to Uganda and Kenya around the end of September and into October. Partners Worldwide is setting up some new business partnerships with Ugandan business people! I thought, how cool! I wonder if I could get on that trip! Word spread around the office and if I can raise enough, I will probably go (depending on when Nana Pomaa comes)!

So here’s the deal. My goal to go on this trip will be accomplished if I am able to raise an additional $2,000 ($5,500 total) If you find it in your heart to support this venture of mine, I would greatly appreciate it! You can mail checks (write “Justin” in the memo) or cash to

Partners Worldwide
CC: Justin Daining
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560

Or just swing by my house and drop off a contribution! Whatever you like! Thank you all so much for your prayerful and financial support so far. May God bless all of you richly!

In Christ,

Justin

Is anybody interested in Haiti?

Hello Readers,

Below is a sample of some of the work I am doing for Partners Worldwide. I have written about 15 of these so far. It has proved to be a very enjoyable and interesting project! Enjoy!

HAITI COUNTRY PROFILE (SAMPLE)
Capital: Port-au-Prince

Quick Facts
Population: 8,308,504
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $14.15 billion
GDP per capita (Purchasing Power Parity): $1,700
GDP composition by sector:
Agriculture: 28%
Industry: 20%
Services: 52%
Size of labor force: 3.6 million
Labor force: by occupation:
Agriculture: 66%
Industry: 9%
Services: 25%
Unemployment Rate: Widespread. More than two thirds of labor force do not have formal jobs.
Population below poverty line ($2/day): 80%
Life expectancy at birth: 53.23 years
Adult Literacy Rate (age 15 and over):
Male: 54.8%
Female: 51.2%

For more information: http://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ha.html

Political History

A former French colony, Haiti was the second country in the Americas to gain independence in 1804, the first being the United States. It became the first independent black republic in the world. Haiti was one of the richest colonies in the world, exporting large amounts of sugar and coffee around the world. This was only possible however, with the presence of over 500,000 African-born slaves. After over a century of independence, Haiti was invaded and occupied by the United States in 1914. The occupation led to many positive developments, but sparked a massive wave of rural to urban migration with the centralization of government and industry to Port-au-Prince. The United States also helped establish the Armée d’Haiti which would eventually commit atrocities on its own people. The United States left Haiti in 1934.

In 1957, after Haiti’s first universal suffrage elections, François Duvalier (known as “Papa Doc”) became president for life. After his death in 1971, his 19 year old son (“Baby Doc”) Jean-Claude Duvalier became president for life. After a corrupt reign, young Duvalier was deposed in 1986. After a period of political upheaval, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1991. He was quickly deposed in a coup, which led to three years of military rule. Three years later, the United States again invaded and returned Aristide to the presidency, who proceeded to disband the army. In 1996, Aristide was succeeded by his close ally, René Préval. In 2001, Préval stepped down at the end of his term. Aristide was again elected president in 2001 after many of his opponents boycotted elections on the grounds that his party, Fanmi Lavalas, used intimidation and improper ballet counting during the elections. In February 2004, Aristide was overthrown by armed rebel groups consisting of disenfranchised ex-soldiers and Fanmi Lavalas workers. After intense political upheaval, the United States again sent Marines into Port-au-Prince. Haitian elections were held in February 2006, and René Préval was re-elected as president of Haiti, where he continues to lead today.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti

The Economy

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population living on less than $2 a day. Haiti’s economy was first crippled when after independence in 1804, the French government required Haiti to pay 150 million francs to compensate the losses experienced by French planters. Two-thirds of Haitians depend on a vulnerable, small-scale subsistence level of farming. Frequent natural disasters along side massive deforestation have made life very difficult for the majority of Haitians. In 2005, Haiti’s economy grew at a rate of 1.5%, the highest since 1999. High levels of inflation, lack of foreign investment, and a massive trade deficit ($1.471 billion imports. $390.7 million export) results in a government reliance on foreign assistance. In 2005, nearly a quarter of GDP came from Remittances. Haiti’s primary agricultural products are coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; and wood. The primary industries include: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, and light assembly industries based on imported parts. It is evident that the work that Partners Worldwide is doing in Haiti is much needed life blood for the Haitian economy.

For more information: http://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ha.html

Take care everyone!

In Christ,

Justin

Get out of bed, ride bike, work

My dad always told me that as soon as you find something you like doing, it is easy to get up in the morning and go to work! I have found something I like doing, but it is still hard to get up in the morning! I think the reason for not being able to get up is that I stay up too late. It has nothing to do with the fact that I dread going to work. Dad was right, life is far more enjoyable when you are doing something you love.

I have been riding my bicycle to work. I hesitate to use the word "bike" due to the kind of bike people think I am talking about (I wish I had a hog!). Bicycling is a great way to wake up your mind and body in the morning and a perfect way to let loose after sitting at a desk for a few hours. The best part? My bicycle gets infinity miles to the gallon. All I need to do is stay hydrated and I'm good to go for miles! $3.09 gas... no problem!!!

And now back to my work. I am still working on country profiles, with a bit of promising practice gathering thrown in the mix. Partners Worldwide continues to be a fantastic place to work, and thank you again to those who donated in support of my internship. I will update the number when I know how much I have raised!

Take care and God bless all of you!!!!!

Justin

Happy Independence Day!

Hello readers,
After learning the significance of an independence day in a former colony such as Ghana (its a glorious event), I feel as though I should not take our independence day for granted. After all, we were a British colony as well, and we had to fight for independence. The only difference is that ours was a long time ago, Ghana's was only 49 years ago.

Anyways, Happy Independence day! Take some time to learn about some struggles for national independence that may be happening right now. Take care and God bless!

Justin