hu·man·i·tar·i·an (n.)
a person who seeks to promote human welfare
When the suffering of another human being is witnessed, I think it is human nature to act in such a way as to alleviate that suffering and to eliminate its source. Occasionally our various fears may overpower the compulsion to help, but I choose to believe that generally, people are good and want good for people. In this sense, my work as a humanitarian – and yours – is simply to follow the natural impulse from within as it guides us to promote the welfare of those around us. I suppose the heart of the humanitarian will never be at peace until every human being has the economic, social, and political freedom to equally choose a quality of life wherein their basic needs and rights are met.
www.AfricaHeartwoodProject.org
Following our hearts’ desire to bless the poor, Kayla Thompson and I spent three months in Ghana shortly after our marriage in 1999. The challenging and beautiful experiences we had left an indelible impression on our souls, knowing that we could actually make a difference for good. We also learned that having a heart to care for the poor is just not enough – it requires knowledge and training, specific skills, and resources including money. So I changed my major (BA International Development Studies with an African Studies Minor, BYU; MA International Education and Development, University of Sussex), started a social enterprise, and have spent a substantial amount of time learning from and serving among the poor in West Africa.
Our short “humanitarian honeymoon” has never ended, as we continue to volunteer as directors of the international non-profit NGO we founded in 2008 – Africa Heartwood Project. Follow the links to learn more about our work, and to see photos and videos from the 18 trips I have taken to West Africa, and to see how you might get involved.
These photos show how the seeds were planted that have grown into the humanitarian and development programs we have created to bring relief and prosperity to the poor in West Africa. The fruits of our labors have truly been sweet.
Our volunteer experience as newlyweds in Ghana was the springboard to a new life together of service, compassion, and adventure. The lasting impact was not the minimal service we provided during those three months, but the way our hearts were changed, our understanding increased, and our determination set to do anything in our power to bring relief and empowerment to the poor among us.
(Photo credit: Annalisa Jensen – Bodi Falls, Ghana – 1999)
We spent two weeks in a remote village where highly skilled cultural artisans showed us how to carve beautiful traditional drums. Despite their skill and the value of their product, the drum carvers remained very poor because of the lack of access to markets to sell their drums.
Africa Heartwood Project has been the means of helping hundreds of cultural artisans to gain access to global markets, producing and selling thousands of traditional instruments.
(Photo credit: Andy Jones – Drum carvers – Dzake, Ghana – 1999)
Sitting under this palm thatch roof, I received my first lessons from a cottage business owner on the existence and importance of “underground economics”.
I observed that relatively small amount of capital can enable a family to start or grow a micro-business that will provide income, which translates to education, nutrition, and opportunity for children.
Africa Heartwood Project has been able to provide micro-loans to many individuals, giving the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty they were in.
(Photo credit: Kayla Jones – Buduburam Refugee Camp – 1999)
Women and girls from the village walked a long distance to this muddy creek – their closest water source – to carry water home for cooking, drinking, and cleaning. We were astonished to learn that they – and millions of women and girls in developing countries – spend so much time gathering water, and that this unclean water is the number one cause of preventable death of young children.
Through Africa Heartwood Project we have been able to provide clean water wells and community development for thousands of people in Ghana and Liberia.
(Photo credit: Bob Linnell -Women gathering water – Ghanaian village – 1999)
A new Peace Corps friend hosted us at the school, where we learned that vocational training was the best option available to deaf students in Ghana to become independent and self-reliant adults.
Through Africa Heartwood Project we have been able to enhance and expand the school’s vocational training programs, where sewing, batik making, and leather working are taught. We have also helped to construct a dedicated vocational training building on the campus.
(Photo credit: Annalisa Jensen, Peace Corps – Unit Deaf School in Koforidua, Ghana – 1999.)
Most of our time in Ghana was spent living at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, created for tens of thousands who fled from the violence of civil war in Liberia. Our host was Pastor Andrew Salifas Wreh, who taught us of the difficulties refugees face, and the plight of war orphans.
Through Africa Heartwood Project we have provided for the needs of hundreds of Liberian refugee orphans, also creating jobs for Liberians as staff members at the Heartwood Orphan Home.
(Photo credit: Andy Jones – Andrew Wreh – Buduburam Refugee Camp – 1999)
Our first lessons in African drumming, dancing, and singing were taught by Ewe children in the village of Dzake. We learned how important traditional cultural arts are in creating and maintaining unity and identity, transferring knowledge, and enhancing quality of life in this village.
Through the Africa Heartwood Drum & Dance Ensemble we have been able to share the joy of African drum, dance, and song with thousands of participants through our performances, drum circles, classes, and workshops.
(Photo credit: Kayla Jones – Andy Jones with Ghanaian children – Dzake, Ghana – 1999)
