Tabitha Foundation Cambodia
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Newsletters

With our regular newsletters, we aim to keep you posted on all the interesting and important news and updates of our programs and various activities. Enjoy reading! 

February 14, 2008

            	

Dear friends and partners, Happy Valentines Day – my office smells of flowers given by staff. Makes me feel guilty that I didn’t buy them all flowers for they are people close to my heart – people who enhance and fill my life with so very much.

The past few months a number of friends have celebrated various special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. A number of these people chose to have people give them wells for our families rather than receive cards and gifts. It has touched my heart – what a wonderful way to celebrate – to share one’s joy by giving joy to others.

The impact of these gifts is immeasurable in some ways – measurable in others. Last Friday Von came and gave me pictures of 10 families in her area. They live in Chong Ou – an area we have worked in for the past 4 years. Often when I visit our project areas – I am dismayed with the sight of fallow fields – lack of access to water means that the one resource all our families have, which is land, is unused for 9 months out of the year. Their main source of sustenance is their land and the rice that they grow. The three month growing season is not enough to sustain their families for the whole year.

The installation of wells encourages the use of this land. Von had pictures of families who have learned this lesson. We insist that families must grow vegetables if they receive a well and/or raise animals such as pigs/chickens and/or develop fish ponds – all of which provide additional income. These ten families had grown vegetables in increasing amounts over the past year. In January they harvested enough vegetables to clear $250 US dollars – doubling their annual income.

Initially, their vegetable plots tend to be very small – enough for family use. Vegetables that are planted are enough for family use but not enough to earn an income. The next cycle the plots get bigger and so is repeated every six weeks – for these families, the income averaged $250 US dollars for the past several cycles. How very good that is!  They bonded together and their latest purchase is a gas driven rotor tiller – at a cost of $1310.00 – but will save them endless hours of backbreaking labour and enhance their ability to do even more. It is so very good to see these families move from despair and hopelessness to a state of hope and vitality.

 

     

In April, I celebrate a big birthday – I turn 60 years of age – my life is full of goodness, full of grace. I too would like to share the gift of my life with others. So I would like to ask each of you to help me. Instead of birthday cards, wishes, flowers and the like, I would like to ask for wells – 60 wells would be wonderful – 300 families would begin their road to hope – but 600 wells would be a true measure of the grace that has filled my life – 3000 families would be touched because you and I know each other. You are my grace.

If you would like to do this – contact the Tabitha Foundation nearest you – just say that you and I are celebrating my life with the gift of a well.

I thank my God for His grace in my life – I thank my God for each of you.

Janne