Poverty Fighters

We are 5 dedicated students from Richmond Vale Academy, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who are participating in a program called “Fighting shoulder to shoulder with the poor” which will include a 6 months service period in either Belize and Ecuador. We are starting up this page for the purpose of raising funds in order to be able to reach our destination as we are operating under a non-profit organisation and these funds will be our tickets(literally) to get there and help out hundreds of families.


Richmond Vale Academy is a non-profit based school, and since 2007 more than 500 international and local students have participated in different programs. Richmond Vale Academy runs 2 main programs; the 6-months Climate Compliance Program and the 18-months Fighting with the Poor Program.


During the Fighting with the Poor program we spend 6 months at the Academy learning about the situation of the world, the causes and conditions of poverty, future solutions, organic gardening, health and various other topics valid to gain experience for our Service Period.

We also carry out various projects that will increase our learning curve, spike our knowledge, team building skills and time management. The Service Period is 6 months where we work alongside The Poor in cooperation with projects by Humana People to People. Humana People to People is a non-governmental organisation that works with a range of development projects all over the world. The Development Instructors from Richmond Vale Academy will be working in Belize or Ecuador, depending on where the need is the highest.

 
Among other objectives, the main areas of development within the communities are:
1. Promote healthy living and fight life-threatening diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
2. Create development by setting up income generating projects.
3. Increase Food Security through vegetable production and other ways of agriculture.
4. Create development through standing shoulder to shoulder with the poor.
5. Build human capacity for everybody in the community through education.
6. Engage the communities to work together to create change.
7. Promote gender equality.


Working towards goals such as these with the local communities and the poor promotes empowerment, cooperation, new knowledge and a shared interest to create change.

Belize and Ecuador Projects

We have been decided into two projects, one in Belize and one in Ecuador. There will be a duo going to Loja district in Ecuador and a trio to Toledo in Belize. First the plan is getting to know the community we will be staying in and create ideas for projects that may be needed in the various communities, such as playgrounds, parks, a community centre and vegetable gardens e.t.c.

Every team starts with gardening projects, teaching about nutritious food and health, family planning and income generating activities. The programs are continuously in progress, meaning we continue with the programs Humana People to People and previous RVA Fighting Poverty teams have done before. This makes it easier with the information for what is needed in the specific community. Many volunteer companies or NGO’s go in to a community and provide children with schools or a community center and then leaves after a certain time. We live amongst the locals, where we spend every day working together with the poor to improve their living conditions, providing education about nutritious food and health as well as making income generating projects.


In Belize one of the most important project would be Child Aid where we will be development instructors in communities where we work together with children, youths, families as well community leaders. When we work this close with people, the local people will experience for themselves what and how Humana provides changes in to the community, when the local population are involved with planning within their community and taking charge of the changes they are often more acceptable for future changes. About 3000 families are involved with a Child Aid and Community Development project. Humana and the locals organize themselves in Village Action Groups where there is a planning process and discussion on what to improve in the community and when it should be prioritized. It is important that the solutions come from collaboration between everyone. Thus people themselves can identify problems and can provide the best solutions that are best for the community. There is a set of activities that are on the priority list, for example; health and hygiene, children's and youth’s involvement in political, economic and social actions around the community and education.


In Ecuador there are two main focus areas that Humana are working with, Child Aid and Farmers Club. As mentioned Child Aid programs are about working together with the children and youth in communities providing information about nutritious food, hygiene and sanitation and educational programs. Farmers Club are working with 300 local farmers, where improving production, agriculture and income through space they have and creating new markets for their products as well as many other activities. In developing countries such as Ecuador and Belize unsustainable practices for example deforestation, livestock over-grazing and unsustainable land management within agriculture threatens the future of food production and thus food security. We see people living day to day, instead of planning ahead. In consensus with the farmers, Humana assists in planning the future for improving their practices and creating better farming for themselves. This can also turn into a income generating project where farmers can work together, learning new skills and knowledge form each other, we are interested in teaching them about sustainable farming as well as permaculture.


The donations you provide will create sustainable projects within poor communities in Belize and Ecuador. Any donation will be highly appreciated, every dollar counts and will definitely make a big contribution towards our goal.

Please follow us on FaceBook on our poverty fighting journey. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/849934031789960/?ref=bookmarks

 
Thank you for taking the time to read our important message. Please like, share and donate to help us reaching our goal to do humanitarian actions in Belize and Equador.