Pulse Report June 9, 2009

Some of the children in the child education program
Pulse Report, Jun 09, 2009

Community Development - Lebanon

TRIPOLI, LEBANON- "You must visit these people, they are in worse condition than us." With that as an introduction, HISG partners in Lebanon met Emily and her six children, and were amazed to see all of them living in a 9 feet by 9 feet (3 meters by 3 meters) room in a house inhabited by other families. Their home was destroyed during the 2006 war with Israel and they have no income apart from the small amount that Emily is able to earn cleaning houses. The children are registered in the refugee school but rarely attend because they do not have basic supplies nor proper clothes for the winter weather. HISG's partners returned with a school bag, supplies and a warm jacket for all six children. These children have had their childhood taken from them by war, and have been forced to grow up at very young ages. The oldest child, Danny, is only 14 years old but already focuses his attention on succeeding in school in order to get a job to help his family. HISG is helping these and hundreds of other refugee children in Lebanon get the education they need.


Disaster Relief - Argentina

ARGENTINA- Earlier this spring, heavy rains in Northwest Argentina forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes in the town of Tartagal. The flooded Tartagal River triggered mudslides that filled homes with several feet of mud, and swept away an entire railway bridge along with a number of vehicles. HISG worked with volunteers (pictured) who traveled over roads still partially blocked by the mudslide to work through sporadic power outages and a lack of clean water to help the families who had been forced out of their homes. The volunteers assisted over 60 families by cleaning their homes, listening to their experiences, and helping them return to their normal lifestyle. The volunteer team cooperated with local organizations such as the local Rotary Club and volunteer firefighters in order to reach as much of the community as possible.


HISG Operations

HISG is expanding our Community Development and Disaster Response operations to stretch into four new countries: Bosnia, Algeria, Turkey, and Georgia. The humanitarian situation in each of these countries warrants more international attention. In Bosnia, a 45% unemployment rate forces many families to go hungry. Algeria is ranked in the bottom half of the United Nation's Human Development Index. Turkey is home to a growing number of refugees. Georgia suffered significant damage to their infrastructure and many civilian deaths during a conflict with Russia in August, 2008. HISG is working with partners to identify solutions to these and other issues in each of these countries. Please check back with us for updates on the progress in these new areas of focus.


Department Focus - Sustainable Development

HISG has added a full-time director to manage all the requests that we receive from businessmen who desire to use their expertise to make a difference in poor communities. Randy Valentine is stepping into this position with a broad range of experience in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Randy will be working to connect interested business leaders with emerging development opportunities abroad. In the past several months, as the concept of "Corporate Social Responsibility" has been steadily gaining momentum, HISG has engaged in discussions with different business professionals who want to emulate HISG's model for transforming communities. Randy will be helping these professionals launch small to medium-sized businesses that can employ people from poverty-stricken communities and give them a means to escape destitute conditions. You can click here to email Randy for more information about this program.



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