The growth of Global Youth Network has brought many changes and we are very happy to say that we are about much, much more than just teams! As those nations to which we have connections have faced numerous disasters, Global has been making efforts to respond. Here is an overview of our Relief Work projects.
2009
Global continues to stay informed on the effects of the phenomenon known as Mautam in northeast India and the Chin State of Myanmar. Rat infestation has destroyed crops and left this region in serious need of aid. Please view the following:
Thanks to a large food donation from Fraser Valley Gleaners and to other donors to the Mizoram Project, Global has been able to respond to the famine cause by the bizarre phenomenon of rat over-population due to flowering bamboo plants in the remote Indian state of Mizoram.
Since mid-2007, Global Youth Network and its volunteers have been working hard to spread the story of this unique situation. From compiling newspaper and online articles, to conducting interviews with CBC Radio; from spots on CBC television to creating and showing our own documentary, Global has been working hard to get the word out on this sad situation. Here is an extensive compilation of reports and information on this relief situation:
Report of information gathered by independent journalists
Global's partner Relief & Development group in Mizoram, India sent us this report in 2007 before the relief.
"The impact will certainly be very serious, even today wild tubers and wild yams are the only food available for many rural dwellers. A survey in five affected villages found that many people hunt and gather food from the jungle, but those wild foods supplies are also very limited and one has to go very far. In most of the areas farmers are not harvesting food crops even five percent of their expectations. Actually every year about 60% of the state requirements are harvested from Mizoram itself another half from Central Indian support. Therefore, Mizoram is production is almost nil this year. The situation can be anticipated deadly not only because of non-availability of food but ill health cased by bad quality food."
*29,888 families affected by famine (based on agriculture department records) residing in 431 villages.
*October 31, 2007, according to which 13,839.01 hectares of croplands amounting to Rs 2,71,244,596 were destroyed by rats.
"We will never know the total impact our doc had. I can say that every media that I was involved with, watched it (CBC Radio, TV, Nat Geo, Nova, independent film makers). Fraser Valley Gleaners watched it and it helped them to double their donation. The chain of events that led to CIDA's $250,000 Food Grains Bank donation needed that video, I would suspect USAID saw it before chipping in their donation. I have emails out of the blue because of it. Anybody who googles "mautam", finds it. Of course, inside Mizoram that video was really the first indication that people outside of the state were really trying to help and led to many Aizawl people taking mautam more seriously...many thanks."
Tim Morgan, Mizoram Project Director to the Global students who made the documentary
In 2006 and 2007...
Global Youth Network responded to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the USA, by taking work teams to Louisiana. There is still a lot of work to be done in New Orleans and many people have not been able to return to their homes. Stay posted to this site for details of any upcoming trips.
Katrina volunteers: 29,000 Presbyterians and counting
According to a report in USA TODAY, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) sent more than 29,000 volunteers to assist in rebuilding homes in Louisiana and Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina struck almost two years ago. The relief efforts were coordinated by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) program.
The article includes a list of religious charities and the impact of their work in the region. The list shows 29,345 Presbyterian volunteers have worked to improve 3,380 homes. USA TODAY estimates that the faith-based groups provided a total of more than 500,000 volunteers. PDA continues to recruit work teams for the ongoing recovery effort.
Since the Tsunami disaster in December 2004...
Global Youth Network has sent teams and individuals to Thailand to aid in the rebuilding. Global continues to send teams every May to partner in the region of Phang Nga and to help with the ongoing rebuilding and development and this is also an opportunity through our Internship Program.
