Tuesday, May 31, 2011

2010 Annual Report Available for Download



The Lahash mission statement is to "partner with East Africans - advocating and caring for the vulnerable in response to Christ's love."

The 2010 Lahash Annual Report is now available for download, and has been designed and organized to address our finances in each of the areas of our mission statement -- Partnership, Advocacy, Care, and Responding to Christ's Love. In it you will find summaries of our work at Grace & Healing Ministries, IWASSRU, and Tenderfeet, wrap-ups about special events such as Rice & Beans Month and Christmas parties, a breakout of donations, and more.



We welcome you to download the Annual Report here . Special thanks to Will Campbell, who did a fantastic job with the design and layout. Please contact info@lahash.net if you would like one or more printed copies mailed to you.

Why Sustainability?

We have been talking much on sustainability and realized how important it is in our daily lives.
Food production is the main source of survival and education in most orphanages in Africa.
Children are the most vulnerable part of society and victimized by the problems of famine, drought, poverty and disease.The children at the IWASSRU are able to work at the farms with the help of the workers who teach them through farming to be self reliant. The younger ones are not able to go to the farms. By doing this the older get to know that they need to take care of the younger ones. The food that they get can also be an income generating by allowing them to get skills needed to improve not only their quality of life but also make them self-reliant
The children and one of the workers planting.
The cow below was donated to the Saviour's home by one of there friends. This cow is meant to produce milk for the children and at the same time sell the milk for income. This will help them to be self-reliant. They may use the money to pay rent, buy other food products. This is a great way of sustaining themselves. The cow does not produce milk at the moment until it has a calf.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Telling The Story: A Lahash Media Gathering


Earlier this month I attended an event entitled "Telling The Story: A Lahash Media Gathering" at the Lahash headquarters in Portland, OR. I and other volunteers were invited to hear from a variety of guest speakers and engage in deep discussion on the topics of meaningful communication and intentional living in an increasingly digital world. "As an organization that uses media extensively to advocate for the vulnerable and to connect people around the world, it is important that we look critically at the positive and negative effects that our digital culture is having on our lives and relationships," explains Casey Schilperoort, Media Director for Lahash. In a time when our senses are constantly bombarded by the distractions of browser pop-ups, text messages and email notifications, we have to be very intentional about how we communicate lest we become part of the static.

Casey and guest speaker Ron Holcomb explored the topic of effectively telling our story to help people connect with God's greater story. Not only do we each have a unique and important story to tell, but each of our stories is a chapter in God's greater story and how we tell our individual stories affects how those around us connect with and understand that greater story. I am encouraged that my life and my words have the power to connect others to God's greater story and have been convicted to maintain a greater awareness of the theme of my own story.

Dana Berterman and Dan Holcomb transitioned to an examination of the challenges of effective communication in a digital universe. We discussed the difficulty of "being present" with smart phones constantly begging for our attention and considered the concept of a digital Sabbath, wherein we take a recurring, scheduled vacation from our devices in an effort to reconnect with God, people and the world around us. As a self proclaimed technophile, I was challenged by these ideas, but inspired to make some changes, including limiting usage of the internet on my smartphone and spending less time on Facebook and more time in person.

Digital technology is here to stay. It is an integral part of our lives and will only continue to become more and more prominent as time goes on. We can't avoid it, but fortunately we don't have to. We simply need to consider its place in our story and how it connects us to God's bigger story. We need to create space in our lives for face to face interactions, quiet reflection and prayer. Turn off the TV and tell your kids a tale. Put away your iPod and listen to the wind blow. Instead of checking your email first thing in the morning, say a prayer of thanks to God for the incredible story that he has made you a principal character in.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Uganda Updates

-Edwin Angote is Lahash's Coordinator in East Africa. He sent us an update on his current travels to Uganda.

"We have just a day before we travel to Amazing Grace Orphanage in the Northern part of Uganda. It's been a week now since we got to Kampala. We are thankful that at least the city has calmed down after an unusual burst of mayhem that witnesses say has killed at least 10 people and left many injured.

The week has been extremely busy. We have been racing against time to ensure that we accomplish our goals and making sure that we were not caught in the mayhem. We have been working on different projects with our partners. They have shared their successes and the struggles they face every single day as they serve the vulnerable children here in Uganda.

Below are the Kampala children helping at preparing food for the rest of the family.

The past month the Lahash staff and friends were able to raise some money that was used to pay school fees for Saviors Home. They do have many struggles that they are facing such as lack of food, shoes, clothes, bedding, and sanitary pads for the girls. Thanks to all who contributed towards the school fees for the children.

Esther, the Director at Grace and Healing Ministry, is taking classes to receive a Bachelor of Community Health in Nursing at the Uganda Christian University. She was able to visit the Kampala home and spent time with Mama Susan and the children. Below is Esther with Susan Tabia and Susan's ailing mother. Please continue praying for Susan's mother that she will get better."

Monday, May 09, 2011

The Gift of Sponsorship



One of the goals of our work at Lahash is to build a deep connection and relationship between those that sponsor the vulnerable children in East Africa and the children themselves. We want our sponsors to know that they are not "just" giving money, but they are giving tangible, much-needed items that bring hope, happiness, and sometimes, quite literally, life.

Building relationships is a core value at Lahash, especially when it comes to caring for the vulnerable on a global scale. We meet with the family of each child to find out what their specific needs are. Those needs are communicated to the child's sponsor, who is then able to give an individualized gift just for their sponsored child.



"When creating the lists for Christmas gifts, it is so wonderful to be able to meet directly with each family to find out what they most need," says Leisha Otieno, Lahash Sponsorship Director. "By fostering a relationship between our sponsors and the children they support, we build a community that is directly connected, and our sponsors know they are giving something truly need by their child. I have visited with so many families in East Africa who are amazed that people in America care about them. They tell me over and over, 'Please let them know how thankful we are for them!'"




We want to thank all of our sponsors for their generosity and caring. Many of you have received hand-made thank-you notes from the children you sponsor, and we have received many photos of the children being given the items that you donated this past Christmas. We hope that by connecting you directly with the child you sponsor, you can continue to grow a personal relationship with the vulnerable in East Africa. Thank you all for your gifts, and for taking the time to build your relationships with the children in East Africa.