Welcome to our web journal!

We still can’t believe we were chosen to be among the eight people traveling to Mozambique this summer as a part of World Vision’s 2009 Study Tour.  It is a huge honor to have been selected for this opportunity and to be given the chance to represent Dayspring, Phoenix/Tempe/Chandler/Mesa, and the United States.  We know this trip will change our lives in ways we can’t even imagine.

We will be traveling to northern Mozambique, on the southeastern coast of Africa to witness firsthand how the funds we raised during the 30 Hour Famine are put to use.  We leave Phoenix on July 6 and return on July 21.  While in Mozambique we will have the opportunity to see the buildings we helped to fund, to smell the meals we helped provide, and to meet the children we helped give a chance.  

We hope this web journal will give our family and friends back home an opportunity to share our experiences and to learn about the amazing work World Vision is doing in Mozambique.

World Vision

An international humanitarian organization, World Vision works in nearly 100 countries around the globe combating the root causes of poverty and responding quickly when disaster strikes. The organization partners with communities to find lasting ways of improving the lives of children and their families while also providing immediate disaster relief.

To help fund these programs, World Vision holds an annual fundraiser; the 30 Hour Famine.  This fundraiser empowers youth to fight poverty and its causes.  After participating in the famine, individuals who have raised at least $360 (enough money to feed a child for a year), are eligible to apply for the annual study tour with World Vision.  If chosen, these students travel to an area where the money they raised helps. 

Mozambique

According to a recent study by CNN, Mozambique is ranked fifth from the bottom on the list of the 174 best countries to live. Severe droughts and floods often threaten the lives of millions who already living close to the brink of poverty and malnutrition.  HIV/AIDS has made a significant impact on this country where approximately 1.3 million people are currently living with the disease.  In addition, 470,000 children have lost parents due to AIDS. 

A civil war (1977-1992) damaged much of the country’s infrastructure.  Land mines left from the war remain a concern.  Reports still show little rebuilding, especially away from the larger cities and the coast.  More than 75% of the population work as subsistence farmers; trying to grow enough food to feed their families and rarely able to harvest a surplus of food.  Despite a rising GDP, the country remains one of the poorest in the world with an adult literacy rate of 39% and a life expectancy of less than 41 years.

World Vision is partnering with families throughout Mozambique to build brighter futures for their children. Many activities are currently underway to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.  Please click here for more information.