Celebrate with us!

It is with great excitement we announce that after completing our annual financial audit and compiling data, editing, designing, and mailing, we can present LIA’s 2009 Annual Report with joy!

We’ve called this annual report: Empowering Change and the entire piece showcases the ministry that God allowed us to participate with during 2009. To him be the glory!

We have mailed out a copy of the report to partners  who generously donated to LIA in the past two years, or to those that have served on a short-term team with us in Africa.  If you don’t fall within one of these criteria, or simply want to ensure that we’ve mailed you a copy of the annual report, please send us an email and we’ll get back to you.

As our committed prayer partner we ask that you join us this morning as we take time to thank the Lord for the work that has been accomplished throughout 2009.  Below you will find a highlight from each of the countries as they are found in the report.  Thank you for taking time to praise the Lord with us, both for the guiding hand of the ministry and the impact that has been seen in the communities where we serve.

Ethiopia:
-    We commenced a community based water supply, sanitation and hygiene initiative in Addis Ababa with the aim of reducing communicable disease prevalence and improving quality of life for 4,700 household in the slum areas.

-    Please Pray that this initiative will continue to grow and that more families will see improved water and sanitation in their communities.

Horn of Africa:
-    As we established our International Headquarters in Nairobi and brought our Senior management team under one roof, LIA was able to implement more programs in the Horn and facilitate and sustain them more effectively.

-   Please pray for the underground churches in this area.  That they would be protected from any persecution and would be met with receptive hearts from those within the community.

Kenya:
-    We formalized key relationships bringing our church partnerships to a total of 30 and are nurturing even greater community engagement.

-    Please continue to pray for strengthened relationships with the churches and their leaders. Pray that the training will continue and more families will be impacted by the diligent work of the local churches.

Sudan:
-    In Rumbek, South Sudan, LIA helped establish a school, children’s ministry, theological training program and medical clinic for the benefit of more than 1,200 community members.  This clinic more recently has seen great success and is well accepted and utilized by the community.

- Please pray that the Lord would continue to bless this clinic and those that dedicated their time to serve the community in this transformative way.

How do you see poverty around the world?

This is a question I am personally confronted with on a daily basis, and to be quite honest my answer will shift from time to time.

To some degree, I’ve learned to see it as an abstract concept, one seeking to be understood by ratios, percentages and statistics.  Numbers that all serve to quantify the prevalence, reach and extent of human suffering in the world.  Though these numbers are important, used to generate awareness about the issues, sickness, destitution and hardships that many face, they cannot and should not be looked at as wholly defining.

In the book, “The Hole in Our Gospel” author Richard Stern designates two chapters about the desensitization that can occur through the prevalence of statistics. Without an attachment to a person or cause represented by such overwhelming numbers, we sometimes allow the needs of others around the world to fall on deaf ears.  Never feeling the weight of the burden others bear, and never fully grasping whom these numbers are intended to represent.

Read the rest of this entry »

It is a very exciting time for LIA!

God has truly favored the ministry of LIA, as expansion is happening both in depth and breadth throughout the communities we serve in Africa. We want to be intentional about sharing the transformation taking place, the struggles we face, and the practical ways that you can be involved in serving alongside the LIA family.

Please take a moment to respond to the survey linked here or above. This short survey will help us to identify how to best communicate and share the work that you have helped to empower through your committed partnership.

We deeply desire your input and treasure the opportunity to partner with you for this great cause!

FACT: In many parts of Africa, the production of food depends upon the intense physical labor of each family. When large areas of Africa are dislocated by war, especially southern Sudan where a civil war has been going on for 25 years, or adults die from the scourge of AIDS, fields cannot be worked, and food cannot be produced.  Unpredictable weather patterns and drought are another set back to the production of crops.

Source.

Photo by: Allyson Cheney

FACT: It is estimated that over 85 million people live in the vast country of Ethiopia.  Regarding age structure in this country, only about 3% of the population is over the age of 65.  In the US, about 13% fall into the 65 and older category.

This leaves about 46% of the population ranging between the ages of 0-14, and 51% between 14-64, with a median age of 17 years old in Ethiopia.  In the US the median age of the population is 35 years old.

The high rate of HIV/AIDs and the spread of other infectious diseases, in combination with minimal health services, is a major cause to the youthful demographic in Ethiopia.

Fact found from CIA Factbook.

It is with heart felt joy that we celebrate the goodness of God to LIA, as we mark our 8th birthday since our registration in the USA on April 17.

It’s been 8 great years marked with growth way beyond our wildest expectations. The easiest indicator of this growth could be noted by a look at how our yearly income has grown, or seeing how our staff team has emerged. These indicators speak for themselves. But, we know the real growth is measured by the impact facilitated in the countries God has given us; that has been huge.

We can confidently say God has established his work. We have declared His glory to the nations and the marvelous deeds are beautiful to behold. The fruit of our labor is worth every effort made. To God be the glory

Please take a moment to look at the most recent numbers regarding the work that has been empowered through our great partnerships both by way of the local churches in Africa as well as the various communities of support throughout the US.  These are the numbers of the LIA impact, the numbers that represent the beautiful people that have been served and empowered to have a transformed and abundant life.

We have organized, been part of, or participated in strategic local and international conferences to expand this vision:

* Empowered over 150 church leadership groups to embrace a vision, strategize and implement sustainable wholistc ministries in their communities.

* Implemented, in partnership with local churches, integrated projects in over 75 communities.

* Trained over 3,000 community resource people to teach improved sanitation practices.

* Empowered over 600 families with micro-loans and income generating activities.

* Working with churches, LIA has mobilized communities and established over 80 support groups.

* Trained more than 1,250 youth in skills development programs.

* Provided health education and clinical care to more than 800,000 people.

* Cared for and rehabilitated well over 1,250 vulnerable children.

* Involved more than 12,000 youth in reproductive health programs.

*Helped 50 HIV+ mothers avoid vertical HIV transmission.

* Assisted over 1,200 people with AIDS through home-based care and support.

We celebrate with you all. Your prayers, encouragement, support and participation in this great work is what makes us who we are, and the outcome what it is. Thank you for being part of the LIA family. Thank you for seeing what we see and choosing to be a partner so we can accomplish His mission and charge to us. We celebrate this birthday as a grand LIA family.

Fact: Sanitation in the slums of Kibera is very lacking.  It is estimated that there is one pit latrine to be shared between about 50 shacks.  Many times these 3m x 3m homes can be found to house 8 or more people.

The poor waste management procedures for these minimal toilets intensifies the problem of sanitation in the community.

Fact found from kibera.org.

Fact: In Djibouti, a country with a population over 724,622 people, a mere 13,000 are recorded as internet users.

In the United States, with a population of about 307,212,123, there are 231,000,000 people able to access and utilize the world wide web.

Fact from CIA-The World Factbook

Fact: In Thika District 61% of orphans and vulnerable children live below the poverty line.

Staying away from the streets can be very difficult for many of these children due to the lack of uniforms,scholar materials and food needed to attend school.  Sadly, majority of young girls are used as sex objects increasing risks of being infected with HIV while boys are used as drug traffickers.

Fact found from betterplace.org.

Fact: In the rural settings of Sudan it is estimated that only 64% of people have access to an improved water source, and only 24% of the population have access to improved sanitation facilities.

Considering the necessity of water for not only for drinking but many other daily activities, as well as the fact that lacking sanitation is the world’s biggest cause of infection, these two percentages represent very serious issues facing the Sudanese people.

Facts found from Rural Poverty Portal and Water.org.