Harry and Annie Bergshoeff from Oakville, Ontario; George and Toni Fernhout from Edmonton, Alberta; and Harry and Greta Harsevoort from Hamilton, Ontario are all volunteer International Relief Managers with World Renew and recently departed for another term of service.
“World Renew’s International Relief Managers are a key component of the World Renew’s Disaster Response Ministry,” said World Renew Program Coordinator, Vanessa Mathews-Hanna. “They use their education and experience in business management to provide significant oversight to the planning, logistics, and execution of World Renew’s disaster response activities. Because of these important volunteers, World Renew is able to respond to several disasters at one time and still ensure excellence in our ministry.”
That is the case for World Renew in 2016 as Harry & Annie left to oversee a drought response in Indonesia, George & Toni departed for Zambia to assist with a food security project, and Harry & Greta returned to Nepal to continue their work assisting in World Renew’s earthquake response.
Each assignment is diverse and unique. Here is some information on the work that each of these teams is involved in.
Indonesia
As a result of El Nino, there has been a prolonged drought on the island of East Sumba, resulting in widespread hunger.
Working with World Renew’s local partner, the Sumbanese Christian Church (Gereja Kristen Sumba or GKS), Harry and Annie Bergshoeff will be assessing needs and designing a food assistance project that will help individuals and families in East Sumba. This project will also include drilling and constructing boreholes to provide improved access to water in the future.
This program is expected to run for six to nine months and the Bergshoeffs will stay in Indonesia until April. Near the end of their term, they will mentor Pieter and Margot van Lindenberg, new International Relief Managers from Calgary, Alberta. Pieter and Margot will then take over management of the project until it concludes.
Zambia
In Zambia, George and Toni Fernhout are taking over management of a project in Mwandi district that was started by IRMs Rients and Margaret Mazereeuw.
Mwandi experienced below average rainfall during the last crop season, which resulted in extensive crop failure in the district. With little to no harvest, families were unsure how they would find enough food to meet their nutritional needs. Many were making the difficult choice to sell off assets such as livestock and seed for future planting, even though this could hurt their ability to eat in the future.
Through its partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Renew is working with its local partner the United Church of Zambia to provide nine months of food assistance to 2,496 households. This food is being given as part of a “food-for-work” program where people receive food in exchange for working on community projects such as irrigation and school gardens.
The project is also providing a daily breakfast porridge to nine primary schools with a total population of approximately 1,140 students, to help improve both school attendance and performance.
George and Toni will be working in Zambia until April.
Nepal
Harry and Greta Harsevoort are returning to Nepal after a brief stay in Hamilton, Ontario for Christmas. The couple had already been working in Nepal in the Fall of 2015 and helped to manage World Renew’s response to the deadly earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015. They are now continuing that work until May 2016.
Harry and Greta are situated in Kathmandu and will be managing World Renew’s efforts to build earthquake resistant homes, latrines, and improve health and sanitation through hygiene training. They will also begin developing plans for a longer term program to help earthquake survivors restart their livelihoods and businesses.
“Each new year is an opportunity for us to pause and thank God for the blessings he provided in the previous year and pray for his continued grace in the year ahead,” said World Renew Director, Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo. “As we start 2016, World Renew is especially grateful for the endless dedication and heart for service exhibited by our supporters and volunteers – including our amazing IRMs! Our ministry could not happen without each and every one of them.”