One of my favorite quotes is "Be the change you want to see in the world." by Ghandi.
Issues related to global poverty have been "on my radar" for some time.
In this this "modern" age living in America, and hearing that that there are places where children and families go hungry for lack of food really bothers me. Hearing that there are people- millions of people- who live without electricity, running water, or proper shelter- really bothers me. Hearing that there are people with no education, and who are without basic medical care for lack of resources- really bothers me.
These conditions exist for some in America and other developed countries as well, but there are often government assistance programs available to help. What if help did not exist? I found myself wondering what then?
And then I began to ask myself- What if there were a way to make things better? There must be something I could do.
I started with Food For His Children (FFHC) in 2009 answering an ad posted online for volunteers. I was excited by the opportunity to be able to do "something." The organization served families in rural villages in Tanzania, Africa and was based in Minnesota close to where I live. Their idea was so simple- let local village leadership identify families in need in their community, provide them with one dairy goat, training on how to take care of it, and grow food for the goat and their families. When the goats breed those families would give their first born goat to another family in need and so on and so on until each family and each community could support itself. In this way their needs for food and income were being met- but in a way that left them their dignity and independence.
In volunteering with Food For His Children I have been able to combine my skills in writing, my education in communication, and my passion for serving families in extreme poverty. Over the past 3 years I have been able to write letters encouraging families and volunteers living in rural Tanzania to let them know people in the US are thinking about them. I have written to donors thanking them for their support and to American volunteers for sharing their time and talents. I have also worked on a number of other writing projects telling the story of people who have no voice and raising money to support them.
In November 2011 I went with FFHC leadership to Tanzania to see the program in action. We meet families, volunteers, and the FFHC Tanzanian leadership. I got to see a place and a people I had only read or heard about second hand. I found myself saying "It's so beautiful!" in regards to the landscape and people, and "I didn't know it was this bad." in response to the conditions. The contrast of the two were overwhelming at times.
I love being a part of a ministry that is offering opportunities rather than hand-outs in response to conditions of extreme poverty. I love that a simple thing, like giving a family a dairy goat, can make such a big difference. Families who were eating only 2 meals a day, now have 3. Children who were not able to go to school before because they couldn't afford the fees, are now in school. Fathers who were sick and unable to work are healthy now because they got the medicine they needed. I like also working with others in the organization, being a part of a team. FFHC is almost completely run by volunteers, people who are compassionate, creative, and loving. Being a part of this organization allows me to use the talents God has given me to make a difference in the world. I would encourage anyone to consider joining the team!
Joni Hoffmann
Food For His Children
Marketing Coordinator and Board Member
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