How I found out about IHF:
In early 2005, Roberta and I went on a vacation in La Jolla California, by San Diego. We were walking down the street doing some window shopping, and we happened to walk into the IHF World Store. I believe (but I'm not sure) that Tish was at the store at this time. When she told me what the store was, and what the profits from the sales went to, it really touched my heart, and I started crying like a little baby, I couldn't stop. During the rest of this year, I was thinking about IHF a lot. I found that their website was just sitting there, no changes at all. Then, in September, we had some extra cash, and I was wondering some more about IHF. I called a number that I found on the website, and it happened to be the mother of one of the volunteers. I talked to her quite some time, and after this, I determined that this was a good cause, and I decided to send my money to them.
I then happened to be working in San Diego on a job, so I called, and talked to Carol. After I told her who I was, she called me her angel! Apparently the Universe had touched my heart at the time that IHF really needed the money. I was able to spend about an hour with Carol, at the world store.
Carol told me she was going to have to fly home early to deal with the money situation, when out of the blue, they received this money. She was then able to finish what she was doing. Now I certainly don't claim to understand how the Universe works, but sometimes I do see evidence of 'Universe nudges'. Being sort of a scientist, this goes against everything I believe, so I'm just throwing up my hands about this! It's sort of like the Universe wants things to happen, and sometimes, due to people somehow "listening", hearts are moved, and action takes place. It's not my intention to discuss how I think this works here, maybe someday I will, but for now, it was just wonderful to feel that I was somehow used by the Universe, as a tool to help people in the world that I didn't even know.
I want to write why I support IHF with my time and also financially, as opposed to other charitable organizations. There are 3 main reasons that sets IHF apart. The first two, I found out on my first visit to the store, and the 3rd reason I found out over time.
1. IHF has no religious or political agenda. I come from a very right wing fundamentalist Christian background. I was taught that my dads beliefs were the only way to get to heaven. I bought into this for many years. I had been set free from this during the last 10 years of my life. Now I believe IN all religions, but I don't believe any of them! Does that make sense? If not, think about it some more! Well it doesn't seem right to me to tell someone else that their belief system is all wrong, and you've got to believe like this or you're going to hell. So the IHF way is to NOT change anyones political or spiritual system, just to help people learn to help themselves. There are other organizations with this policy too, so this is not completely unique.
2. IHF overhead is extremely low. When you send money in to sponsor a child, all of the money goes for food, clothes, shelter, love and caring for that child. There is no middle organization sucking up resources. Everyone in the U.S. is a volunteer, there are no salaries. The only salaries are the small salaries of the orphanage or education center directors, cooks, etc.
3. This concept took a while longer for me to understand, and I don't believe I understood it fully until I saw Carol working with the council members while in Kenya. Each center has a council. Included on this council is women and even children. Each person on the council has a vote, and the child's vote has the same weight as a "chief". Thus IHF is owned not by an organization in the states, who is issuing orders, but is owned by the center and its council. The people who are on this council are people from the area, who understand the people they're helping, because they ARE the people!
I've been asked by many people "Why IHF? Why not the Red Cross?". Well, I'm very thankful for all charities, and I believe the world is a better place because of them. But find an organization that works like IHF, and I'll be extremely surprised (happily so)! So I'm not here to tell you not to support your charity, there are many good ones, but for these 3 reasons, and also many others such as the "pass it on" philosophy, my heart is with IHF and the people they (well really "we") are helping.
I will end with a poem that was written and sung to us by an orphan from the Pokot orphanage:
Name: Chemariach Lomertelo
School: Chesirimion Pry Orphanage
Class: STO (8)
Title: Lost Childhood
My heart bleeds
For all the children
Who toil day and night
They will never experience
The joy of being children.
Many of those are my brothers
Who work in horrible conditions
In the quarries, in the salt mines
Breaking, smashing and carrying
And all for a pittance.
Others wake up before the sun rises
Into the coffee, tea, sisal plantations
They troop to become harvesters
In fair weather and bad weather
While their earnings go into their
Parents’ pockets.
And there are those of my sisters who
Are forced to abandon school to help
Bring up other people’s children. They cook, and scrub, and clean
So their charges can acquire the education their
Minders cannot even dream of.
Worst off are my sisters
Who are forced to auction their young bodies
To the merchants of flesh, defilers of angels
Who will never appreciate their humanity
These girls will never enjoy their own
Blossoming growth.
Ho! Mumy and Dady, strengthen your hands
And deliver your children from this prison
Of captivity. Bless us to go to school,
Be educated and get to know our rights
For knowledge is power and power is from
You.
In early 2005, Roberta and I went on a vacation in La Jolla California, by San Diego. We were walking down the street doing some window shopping, and we happened to walk into the IHF World Store. I believe (but I'm not sure) that Tish was at the store at this time. When she told me what the store was, and what the profits from the sales went to, it really touched my heart, and I started crying like a little baby, I couldn't stop. During the rest of this year, I was thinking about IHF a lot. I found that their website was just sitting there, no changes at all. Then, in September, we had some extra cash, and I was wondering some more about IHF. I called a number that I found on the website, and it happened to be the mother of one of the volunteers. I talked to her quite some time, and after this, I determined that this was a good cause, and I decided to send my money to them.
I then happened to be working in San Diego on a job, so I called, and talked to Carol. After I told her who I was, she called me her angel! Apparently the Universe had touched my heart at the time that IHF really needed the money. I was able to spend about an hour with Carol, at the world store.
Carol told me she was going to have to fly home early to deal with the money situation, when out of the blue, they received this money. She was then able to finish what she was doing. Now I certainly don't claim to understand how the Universe works, but sometimes I do see evidence of 'Universe nudges'. Being sort of a scientist, this goes against everything I believe, so I'm just throwing up my hands about this! It's sort of like the Universe wants things to happen, and sometimes, due to people somehow "listening", hearts are moved, and action takes place. It's not my intention to discuss how I think this works here, maybe someday I will, but for now, it was just wonderful to feel that I was somehow used by the Universe, as a tool to help people in the world that I didn't even know.
I want to write why I support IHF with my time and also financially, as opposed to other charitable organizations. There are 3 main reasons that sets IHF apart. The first two, I found out on my first visit to the store, and the 3rd reason I found out over time.
1. IHF has no religious or political agenda. I come from a very right wing fundamentalist Christian background. I was taught that my dads beliefs were the only way to get to heaven. I bought into this for many years. I had been set free from this during the last 10 years of my life. Now I believe IN all religions, but I don't believe any of them! Does that make sense? If not, think about it some more! Well it doesn't seem right to me to tell someone else that their belief system is all wrong, and you've got to believe like this or you're going to hell. So the IHF way is to NOT change anyones political or spiritual system, just to help people learn to help themselves. There are other organizations with this policy too, so this is not completely unique.
2. IHF overhead is extremely low. When you send money in to sponsor a child, all of the money goes for food, clothes, shelter, love and caring for that child. There is no middle organization sucking up resources. Everyone in the U.S. is a volunteer, there are no salaries. The only salaries are the small salaries of the orphanage or education center directors, cooks, etc.
3. This concept took a while longer for me to understand, and I don't believe I understood it fully until I saw Carol working with the council members while in Kenya. Each center has a council. Included on this council is women and even children. Each person on the council has a vote, and the child's vote has the same weight as a "chief". Thus IHF is owned not by an organization in the states, who is issuing orders, but is owned by the center and its council. The people who are on this council are people from the area, who understand the people they're helping, because they ARE the people!
I've been asked by many people "Why IHF? Why not the Red Cross?". Well, I'm very thankful for all charities, and I believe the world is a better place because of them. But find an organization that works like IHF, and I'll be extremely surprised (happily so)! So I'm not here to tell you not to support your charity, there are many good ones, but for these 3 reasons, and also many others such as the "pass it on" philosophy, my heart is with IHF and the people they (well really "we") are helping.
I will end with a poem that was written and sung to us by an orphan from the Pokot orphanage:
Name: Chemariach Lomertelo
School: Chesirimion Pry Orphanage
Class: STO (8)
Title: Lost Childhood
My heart bleeds
For all the children
Who toil day and night
They will never experience
The joy of being children.
Many of those are my brothers
Who work in horrible conditions
In the quarries, in the salt mines
Breaking, smashing and carrying
And all for a pittance.
Others wake up before the sun rises
Into the coffee, tea, sisal plantations
They troop to become harvesters
In fair weather and bad weather
While their earnings go into their
Parents’ pockets.
And there are those of my sisters who
Are forced to abandon school to help
Bring up other people’s children. They cook, and scrub, and clean
So their charges can acquire the education their
Minders cannot even dream of.
Worst off are my sisters
Who are forced to auction their young bodies
To the merchants of flesh, defilers of angels
Who will never appreciate their humanity
These girls will never enjoy their own
Blossoming growth.
Ho! Mumy and Dady, strengthen your hands
And deliver your children from this prison
Of captivity. Bless us to go to school,
Be educated and get to know our rights
For knowledge is power and power is from
You.
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