MERCY MWANGI’s IMPACT as a COMMUNITY ONE HEALTH CHAMPION In the heart of Thunguri Village in Kenya’s Nyeri County, the hum of daily life begins early for Mercy Wanjiku Mwangi. Before dawn, Mercy is already tending to her cows, ensuring they are fed, comfortable, and ready for the day ahead. Together with her husband, she …

Animal welfare is more than an ethical concern—it is a critical component of global food security, public health, and economic stability. For billions of people worldwide, livestock provide essential nutrition, livelihoods, and a safety net in times of crisis. Yet, ensuring the well-being of these animals is often overlooked, despite its central role in sustainable …

Heart in Hand is more than a world boutique… Heart in Hand (www.heartinhand.ca) is a place you can connect across borders. You can connect to cultures, traditions and social realities different than your own which enrich and deepen your own experience and understanding of the world. It is also a place where you can take …

RESILIENCE THROUGH MASS LIVESTOCK VACCINATION IN SOUTH SUDAN From August 21 to September 5, over 57,000 animals were vaccinated in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan, as part of an ongoing collaboration between Veterinarians Without Borders and Action Against Hunger USA. This life-saving campaign has brought renewed hope to communities dependent on livestock for their …

EMPOWERING WOMEN DAIRY FARMERS IN RURAL KENYA In the lush highlands of Nyeri County, Kenya, the sun rises early over the village of Gathiriti, signaling the start of a long day for Ruth Wakariti and her husband, Elias Goturuma. For this couple, like many others in rural Kenya, dairy farming is not just an occupation—it’s …

SAN DAVY’S TRANSFORMATION IN CAMBODIA In the heart of Battambang province, Cambodia, San Davy, a 34-year-old mother and farmer, is cultivating more than just crops — she’s growing a future for her family. Living in Baydamram Village with her two children, mother, and grandmother, San Davy’s life is a testament to resilience, underscored by support …

SOUTH SUDAN PROGRAM IMPACT: Resilience and Community Transformation in Torit County From March 2023 through March 2024, VWB/VSF implemented the “Building Livelihood Resilience for Income Security and Dignified Life” project in Torit County, Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan. This report provides an overview of the significant achievements and impact realized in livestock productivity, farmer resilience, and …

In the heart of rural Cambodia, amidst the tranquil landscape of Battambang province, a quiet revolution is unfolding. Women like Chek Chob, Chhun Ly, and Nhin Nika are rewriting the narrative of rural livelihoods, harnessing the power of cricket farming to secure brighter futures for themselves and their families. Their stories are a testament to …

I felt the heat before I saw Ida’s smiling face… The heat lay like a blanket, draped over the rural setting that encircled me, including goats, chickens, wooden animal pens, mud-walled compounds, toiling farmers, and stooped agricultural workers. Ida wore a bright yellow, “Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Sensitive Technical Solutions” (VETS) program t-shirt, a lively headwrap, …

Group art show brings together abstract, figurative and sculptural art with a unifying message to break down walls Three internationally collected and award-winning local artists – Patrick John Mills, Jana Jaros, and Keith Busher – are coming together in a group show to be held at the Art Factory Warehouse in Renfrew from May 5th …

Climate Protection & Child Protection Go Hand-in-Hand: Green Projects to Mitigate Climate Impacts The warning signs are all around us. Dried fields, massive forest fires, unbearably hot summers and drought. In other regions of the world, these consequences are much more pronounced: intense storms devastate islands in the Caribbean; extreme rainfalls flood Bangladesh; and persistent …

The Emerging Refugee Crisis in Ukraine: How SOS Children’s Villages Cares for Children Separated from their Families War uproots families, destroys economies, and ruins infrastructure. Today, 79.5 million people are displaced from their homes, more than any other time in recorded history. Children are disproportionately affected, accounting for nearly half of forcibly displaced people worldwide. These …

Years ago, when I started volunteering overseas, it was simpler… the “voluntourism” industry hadn’t exploded and caused damage to what was otherwise a potentially beautiful force of good in the world: international volunteering. So, when I see old pictures of myself volunteering in Tanzania, Romania, Nepal, Cambodia and elsewhere, I know that some will regard …

Gezina is one of those incredible people who make you aware that generosity has nothing to do with material assets and that geographic borders do not apply to human hearts… Gezina, a 24 year old mother of three children under the age of 8,  gave us an entire day, her time, her attention, and a …

Vulnerability is to be alive – fully alive with heart wide open. Having dropped the walls and armor required for perceived safety, the vulnerable heart leaps off the edge without reservation. Vulnerability is bravery, courage, unrelenting faith in the possibility of that which has not yet happened or perhaps has never been seen or experienced …

It’s Sunday evening now, and I’ve just completed my first, full weekend in Deoghar. Despite the forced solitude of “foreigner status”, I kind of enjoyed learning the pattern of work and errands that must be accomplished on “free days” so that the traditional Indian work-week (Monday through Saturday) can start over again. Suffice to say, …

From Romania to Tanzania, India, Mongolia, Costa Rica, Peru, India, Nepal, Jordan, Cambodia and onward… my intuition has led me gently but firmly across the globe, speaking in whispers when possible but thundering demands when necessary. Intuition makes itself known to me through inspiration, energy, joy and ideas. It fills me with anticipation and excitement. …

Change comes, and at first you resist… You thrash about with temper or maybe desperation to keep things as they are. But, slowly… the resistance ebbs. And you relax into what is your only choice. Acceptance. The waters of acceptance dance around your toes, and then take your feet and rise up over you. You …

I look through all these old emails, old journals, old messages. I’m treasure hunting. I’m picking up the breadcrumbs, desperate to figure out where it is that I’ve always been headed… or at the very least, how to return home (when “home” as a destination has never really existed at all). It’s time now. The …

I could not have imagined how much the world would change in the short span of time between meeting Stephen Chilufya in February and writing his story in April. But somehow, it fits. It’s all about challenge, change and harmony… CARE’s Southern African Nutrition Initiative (SANI) has been working in rural communities across Malawi, Mozambique …

In all my years working in international development and humanitarian relief, and in all the words I’ve ever penned in an attempt to make people feel connected to human stories and situations in faraway places, I could never have been as effective as COVID has in a span of mere weeks in facing people with …