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Witness the transformation. Volume 4 / Issue 1

Transform A Village
INSIDE Haiti Earthquake Anniversary Report From the Frontlines of Famine

Hope for the future.
Join our 3-step, 3-year plan for Lietnhom.

1

Why We Chose to Give A Long-term Gift

A Lasting Legacy
Designating where your money will go when your life is over is a very personal decision, but an important one. Thoughtful gift planning can create a legacy that lives beyond your lifetime, impacting the lives of future generations.

Curt and Nora Nichols (left) gave their first donation to World Concern 30 years ago. They were newly married and Curt had just started his career in the technology industry. Fast-forward three decades. They’ve raised four children, Curt recently retired, and the family has made a huge impact in the lives of the poor through their advocacy and generous donations to World Concern. “It’s so evident there’s such a great need,” said Curt. “Christ commanded us to be generous with what we have. I’ve seen World Concern’s work they do in places of great need, and I’ve seen the impact on people’s lives. It’s an organization of quality people committed to Christ who want to help others less fortunate than themselves.” Curt and Nora want to continue helping the poor even after they’re gone. In addition to leaving an inheritance to their children, they’ve included a gift for World Concern in their will. “It’s pretty simple. You don’t get to take your worldly possessions and treasures to heaven. You never see a U-haul or an armored truck following your hearse,” said Curt. “Somebody’s going to get your money. Wouldn’t you rather plan and direct who will get your life’s legacy? “World Concern’s mission is something we believe in strongly. We want to continue that support with a long-term gift.”

If you would like to talk with someone about planned giving, please contact Carol Coddington at 206.289.7905 or [email protected]

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worldconcern.org

World Concern SOLUTIONS

From The President
I want to introduce you to a special village. Circular huts with thatched roofs are separated by dirt roads that wind through Lietnhom, South Sudan. Children in ragged clothes run barefoot, with little to do to pass the time. Most of them have never set foot in a classroom. Families survive on meager incomes from raising cattle or selling firewood. Small farms are vulnerable to droughts, which are common here. Without rain, people starve. The children in Lietnhom show signs of malnourishment and sickness. You’ll read about little Peter in this newsletter. His story is heartbreaking, but not uncommon. But things are about to change in Lietnhom. And here’s where you come in, as we invite you to enter the story. For $33 a month for three years, you will make a powerful and significant investment in the lives of struggling families—helping transform Lietnhom, long-term. The mission of One Village Transformed is to equip families with tools and training to improve their lives. It won’t happen overnight—lasting change takes time—but you’ll contribute to a healthier, more productive way of life in this community. None of this is possible without your partnership. Please join us and witness the transformation.

David Eller President, World Concern

Table of Contents
Page 4 / Cover Story: At Death’s Door Page 7 / Help Transform A Village Page 8 / A New Life of Independence Page 9 / Haiti Earthquake: 2 Years Later Page 10 / From the Frontlines of Famine Page 11 / Start Your Own Fundraiser
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AT DEATH’S DOOR
The little boy—no more than 3 years old—writhed in pain, crying and coughing, as his mother carried him forward for prayer during a church service in Lietnhom, South Sudan. His name was Peter and he’d been sick for five days. He was quickly getting worse.
4 worldconcern.org World Concern SOLUTIONS

His mother had taken him to a witch doctor who had told her to give him a liquid made from tree roots. It didn’t help. Not knowing what else to do, the mother brought Peter to church. God answered this mother’s prayers through the keen eyes of World Concern staff members who were at the church service that morning. They saw how sick the boy was and drove him and his mother to the nearest medical clinic.

Peter’s tiny body lay limp and he labored to breathe in the small room with concrete walls and a dirt floor. As life-saving fluids pumped into his veins and medication began working immediately to heal him, he finally slept. And his mother began to feel relief. No doubt, God was in the midst of the circumstances that day, which led to Peter’s life being saved. But the circumstances surrounding his illness and near-death experience highlight the tremendous need in this village of 10,000 people. His malaria could have been prevented. His mother lacked education to identify the signs of why he was so sick. Mosquitoes breed in the murky puddles, from which people are forced to drink. The village only has three wells, nowhere near enough to meet the needs of the population.
Continued on next page Peter’s mom holds him on her lap as he sleeps during a church service where she brought him for prayer.

“This boy has severe malaria,” said the health officer treating him. “Without treatment, he would have died in about six hours.”

5

At Death’s Door Continued from Page 5

In Lietnhom, one to two of every 10 children will die of a preventable disease before the age of 5. Lack of clean water, medical care and education, malnutrition and extreme poverty contribute to this heartbreaking statistic. And every number is a child. Years of oppression and war have led to extreme poverty in Lietnhom. Many women lost their husbands and are now struggling to provide for their families—alone—with no hope for the future. Most families survive on meager incomes from raising cattle, or selling firewood or thatch. They can’t afford school. Seventy-five percent of the population is illiterate. Small farms are poorly planted and vulnerable to droughts, which are common here. Without the tools and resources to improve their lives, families are barely surviving. But all of this is changing.

Without a quick response, malaria would have killed Peter.

With your help, we will witness long-term improvement. Better education, healthier food, clean water, job training and a strong local economy will bring new life. Ultimately, we want this village to be able to sustain itself, without having to rely on outside aid. You can be a part of that transformation. Together, we’ll make sure children are in school where they belong. We’ll teach farmers to grow sustainable, droughtresistant crops to feed their families. With job skills, families’ incomes will increase. They’ll learn the value of saving through village banks. In turn, they can pay for school fees and grow their businesses. We’ll also improve healthcare and increase access to clean water—so fewer families like Peter’s are faced with preventable lifethreatening illnesses. This is an investment in human potential. As a partner in transformation, you will help bring a healthier, more productive, abundant way of life in Lietnhom. 

We ask you to give $33 a month for three years, as we work together to see Lietnhom transform.
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World Concern SOLUTIONS

Sometimes you might feel powerless to help people suffering in poverty. The problems seem too big. We might not be able to change the whole world, but together, we can see One Village Transformed.
World Concern’s new campaign matches you with a community for three years. With your support, we will work with the people of Lietnhom, South Sudan to accomplish specific goals and help them see a better future emerge. This village has great needs: hunger, sickness, poverty, hopelessness. You and World Concern will walk alongside families in Lietnhom, working to solve significant problems. By focusing on both urgent and long-term needs—areas of life that are essential to progressing beyond mere survival—we envision One Village Transformed. 

For $33 a month for three years, you will make a powerful and significant investment in the lives of struggling families.

OUR PLAN:
YEAR 1
Clean water and enough food

YEAR 2

Education for kids and adults

YEAR 3
Incomes and a future

7

A New Life of Independence
Vocational Program Trains Skilled Workers for Jobs in High Demand
Lietnhom is now home to the only vocational training center in Warrap State, which has a population of about a million people. World Concern opened the center in 2010—a positive step to transform this troubled village. Following 20 years of civil war and a collapse of infrastructure in South Sudan, unemployment remains one of the country’s major socio-economic challenges. The majority of young adults are unskilled and illiterate. In spite of this, people desperately want to learn and work. Joseph Akech sacrificed being with his family to spend a year in Lietnhom, South Sudan, several hours away from his home. But he’s returning with something valuable
Joseph Akech is an example of how transformation is possible when we invest in a life long-term.

that will help his family: job skills. Joseph and his family were barely surviving in war-torn South Sudan. He likens his country’s struggle for independence to his own life story. “Before South Sudan’s independence (July 2011), it seemed like nobody knew we were here,” he said. Joseph is now trained in auto mechanics and driving. Skilled mechanics are rare and he will likely have no trouble finding work to support his family. “I thank God because I have been trained,” he said. “The life of South Sudan and my own life are synonymous because it is a new start.” 

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worldconcern.org

Progress Since the Earthquake
Repaired 1,761 houses Built 750 new homes Rehabilitated 450 latrines Installed 1,450 houses with rain catchment systems Trained 115,715 people about cholera Distributed 71,806 cholera prevention kits Employed 8,145 Repaired or Built 32 churches

Two Years After the Earthquake

There is Hope for Haiti

Marie stands proudly in her new home. After 18 months living in a tent, she thanks you and God for a home for her children.

Eighteen months after the devastating January 2010 earthquake shook Haiti, Marie Virtile and her 12-year-old daughter were still living in a tent made of plastic tarps. Marie prayed to God every day to rescue her from her desperate circumstances, but she was starting to lose hope. The earthquake destroyed the two-story house her family had lived in for 14 years. Her husband passed away in a car accident in 2003, but Marie supported her two children by running a restaurant out of her home. In a matter of seconds her home, her source of income, and, tragically, a neighbor’s baby, were buried in rubble. In the months following the disaster, Marie had to send her son to live with her brother. She couldn’t afford to feed two children anymore. But she continued to pray.

Marie’s prayers were answered the day a World Concern staff member came across her tent. She interviewed Marie and determined she qualified for a new home. Marie cried tears of joy, thanking God that help had come. She and her daughter were able to move into their new home just a few weeks later, and her son was reunited with the family. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford to build such a beautiful and comfortable house. I was barely managing to feed my daughter,” she said. Marie’s home is one of 750 World Concern has built since the earthquake. There are still thousands more who need help. We’re committed to walking with the people of Haiti, long-term, as they rebuild. 

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From the Frontlines of Famine
A small patch of black hair is growing in on the back of 6-year-old Raha’s head—a sign of health in her frail body. For months, her hair has been turning almost blond and her belly swelled—indications of malnutrition. What’s changed? Food. Raha is one of eight children. They live in Dhobley, Somalia, a drought and faminestricken community in southern Somalia. Her mother, Halima, resorted to begging to try and feed her hungry, crying children. “There is no job opportunity and people are hungry,” she said. The family survived because World Concern and donors like you are providing food for Halima and her children through a unique voucher program. With the vouchers, Halima can purchase food from local merchants. She’s now able to feed her children three meals a day. “Since we didn’t have something to cook, when we get the support of the food voucher, we are very happy. There is a total difference in our lives,” Halima said, smiling with her daughter. She runs her hands back and forth on Raha’s head, pausing on the patch of black hair in back. “When she got food, she has been recovering,” she said. World Concern has provided enough food for more than 135,000 meals in Dhobley since August. We’re uniquely positioned to help in this crisis and are using innovative methods to reach people, despite the challenges here. As a result, lives like little Raha’s are being saved. Please help us reach more families in the Horn of Africa. Visit our website at worldconcern.org/crisis to donate. 
Halima holds her 6-year-old daughter Raha, who was malnourished before receiving food from World Concern.

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worldconcern.org

World Concern SOLUTIONS

To give every month on your credit card, please fill out this form and send it back to us. I give World Concern permission to charge $_________from my:









Start Your Own Fundraiser

on the  5th or  20th of each month (Canada: 16th only). I would like to pledge:

 ongoing monthly gifts  monthly gifts for 3
years to help Lietnhom. Name on account Address City State Credit card # Exp date Date Signature Please return this form in the enclosed envelope. Zip

Round up support from friends and family to increase your impact! The iFed fundraiser involved a car wash at a Mercedes dealership, barbeque and more. The iFed team raised more than $2,000 for the famine in Somalia. Choose a cause that’s near to your heart. Set a date for your fundraiser (your birthday works great). Ask friends and family to donate. Use social media to help spread the word. To set up your own personal fundraising page, visit firstgiving.com/worldconcern 

For recurring giving via automatic bank withdrawal, download the country-specific form at:

worldconcern.org/forms
and return it with a voided check to the address on the form. You can also call 1.800.755.5022, x7706 to have a form sent to you.

ONE-TIME GIFT

About World Concern
World Concern is a Christian global relief and development organization. With our supporters, our faith compels us to extend life-saving help and opportunity to people facing the most profound human challenges of extreme poverty.









Name on account Address City State Credit card # Exp date Signature Date Zip

facebook.com/worldconcern twitter.com/worldconcern
© 2012 World Concern. All Rights Reserved.

Make checks payable to: WORLD CONCERN

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Give online at: worldconcern.org/onevillage
*Recurring gift and credit card information on reverse.

Yes Dave, I want to help transform the village of Lietnhom, South Sudan, with my gift of:

 $33/month for three years*

 $150 one-time gift to help the people of Lietnhom.

Make checks payable to:

 $____________ to help the village.

and you will receive a receipt. In the event that a program need has been fulfilled, we will apply your donation to a project that is similar in nature.

Thank you for your support. Your gift to World Concern is tax deductible as allowed by law
Our programs receive more than 95 percent of all cash + gifts-in-kind donations.

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