Ch anges f or New Hope Humani tari an M agazi ne Bringing Compassionate People around the World Together October 2019
Special Ed it io n Celeb r at ing Changes f o r N ew H o pe's Ten Year Anniver sar y in Per u
Human r ight s is not a once and done pr oject . So t hat ever y gener at ion can appr eciat e and enjoy fr eedoms, ever y gener at ion must t ake par t in it s r evit alizat ion
Edit or 's Cor n er In 2009, I arrived in Lima Peru all wide eyed and aimless waiting for a bus that would take me up into the Andean mountain town of Huaraz where an NGO had invited me to be their volunteer co-coordinator. What turned out to be disappointment and a chat about our opposing definitions of the word, "Humanitarianism", I left and decided to create my own project which is now known internationally as Changes for New Hope. This project is in response to the gut-wrenching destitution and despair that I saw while traveling a few years earlier in other Latin American countries. The vulnerable children were my main focus and concern. Since those early oblivious beginnings, Changes for New Hope has emerged into a humanitarian project that has reached over 5000 children, created awareness programs that include art exhibitions, Do The Right Thing campaigns, a massive sports day, chess tournaments, vitamin A and anti-parasite campaigns, distribution of hundreds of pairs of donated shoes and over nine tons of clothing, school supplies and other aid. I am completing my ninth e-book sharing my heart, experiences and concerns with the international community with the underlying theme being, "We are one human family, we need to take care of each other." This is our special edition to share this project's past ten years in a brief snapshot. It wasn't always easy but it was always worth it. Those of us that practice altruism are defined by our struggles and our victories that emerge from them. Thank you for being part of our ten year anniversary celebration. ~~~~ Jim
Killon
Changes for New Hope Celebrates Ten Years i n Peru
Hu m ble Begin n in gs Changes for New Hope's very first day in a small adobe room just outside of Huaraz
Shiqui, Macashca, Mejorarca, Cot oparaco, Recuay, Lima, Ticapampa, Yanama, Villa Hermosa, Rio Seco, Secsecpampa, Tinco, Pueblo Libre, Yungay, Vicos, Cat ac, Uco, Huari, Cajay, Huaraz, Huashao, Compina, Aija, Llacllin and Cochabamba. St range sounding names but in all of t hose t ow ns and villages are t housands of disadvant aged children numbering some 5000, t hat Changes f or New Hope has reached over t he last t en years. The pages t hat f ollow , you w ill read about many of our groups and t he ef f ort s t hat have made t heir lives happier, healt hier and provided opport unit ies t hat have enhanced t heir lives. Those t hat have self lessly cont ribut ed t o make t hese successes possible, consider t his special issue our heart f elt grat it ude f or your compassion in act ion t oget her w it h us. Apat hy is humanit y's most prof ound humiliat ion. To quot e Margaret Mead, "Never doubt t hat a small group of t hought f ul, commit t ed cit izens can change t he w orld; indeed it is t he only t hing t hat ever has."
Why Did We Do It? Because It Needed To Be Done And We Were There! In our Secsecpampa group, the rainy season will ruin a pair of shoes as the kids trudge through the muddy trails. Parents were cutting the toes out to allow the children's shoes to be worn as their feet continued to grow. One of our first objectives was to get new shoes and socks on every child's feet. Most kids only had 2 pair of socks which were wet, moldy with holes. Donations solved that issue here and throughout our various groups as a priority.
Many of the schools that we visited did not have anything of a playground. When donations became scarce, we used large cardboard tubes and rope to make our own swing sets. When resources are not available creativity is a prime resource. We have made games from discarded egg cartons, crawling tunnels out of long sheets of plastic and board games from pizza boxes and crayons.
Our group in Challhua was discovered when I asked where I could find the most desperate and roughest group of children in town. Everybody pointed me to Challhua. They did not exaggerate anything. What the kids didn't receive from inbound boxes of donations, they stole. Parents explained that they taught their kids to steal as a matter of survival. In part our Do The Right Thing campaigns were borne in response to this desperation mentality. It was adopted by the mayor and became a city wide initiative.
As the children were receiving shoes, their parents arrived and also asked if we could buy shoes for them too. Those with no other means to buy them were fitted with new shoes as well. Several hundred pair have been distributed and as a local shoe store provides us with older unsold shoes, we continue getting shoes to the outback regions.
Many people were wearing old, ill-fitting clothing. This prompted me to ask cafes, churches and language centers to allow me to put large cardboard boxes with them for donated clothing to distribute. It was my first experience with the apathy that was ubiquitous among people who had plenty to share but refused. Perhaps 10% helped. Others told me that these people were not their family and not their responsibility. What we did gather we passed out as far and wide as possible. It prompted me to issue a widely circulated statement, "Apathy is humanity's most profound humiliation."
Our partnership with the Department of Social Development for the region of Ancash in 2019 filled in the hole left by the series of disasters of the previous year. Marielena, the director of the department coordinated campaigns in areas we had yet to visit. The mayors of Huari, Cajay and Uco embraced us and opened doors which allowed us to reach several hundred more children in the remote outback mountain areas. Marielena, and the mayor of Uco receive a large box of much needed school supplies for the school there.
The municipality building (City Hall) for Huaraz displays our logo and message on a banner during a visit by the president for Ancash. This banner says, Respect each other, Respect yourselves. We believe that simple messages such as this one, seen throughout the town, causes a subconscious awareness and motivates positive changes can begin.
Not every idea was a big hit. After reading that untold thousands of children die every year worldwide by smoke inhalation from indoor open fire cooking, I decided to design and build a metal wood stove with exhaust tubes taking the smoke out of the house. I presented the first stove to two of our groups and the parents were very excited. I explained that I would split the cost 50/50 which meant a one time purchase would eliminate dangerous cooking practices permanently. Nothing doing. The parents were enraged that I was "making money" off of them, ignoring the fact that I was shouldering 50% of the cost. No, they demanded that I shoulder the entire cost and give each of them a wood stove for free, else they did not want it. I learned that there was a difference between a hungry wolf and a starving wolf. A hungry wolf wants something to eat , a starving wolf will rip your arm off and eat it. We can help those living in impoverishment who want to help themselves. Those that just want handouts will stay poor. by their own choices. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Gulp!
Over the past ten years, we have used art to build self esteem in our children. It also was a way I could communicate with the children before I could speak Spanish. They have become artists abandoning the idea of less wholesome choices. We believe what kids see and hear they become. Once they raise their self worth and personal value, better options become clear and possible. This is and art photo exhibition in Yungay.
Over the past years we have received over nine tons of materials such as clothing, shoes, school supplies and recreational equipment. It has its own set of challenges. Aduana, Peruvian customs stationed at the main post offices in Lima, tear open the boxes looking for contraband and items that either they or members of their families might want. We have received deliveries from compassionate individuals from the U.S., Japan, England, Scotland, Peru, Canada, Germany, Poland and Italy.
Our partnership with Vitamin Angels has provided vitamin A to thousands of children which has boosted their immune systems and enhanced eyesight health. Meals in this region seems to be chicken, rice and potatoes every day. If you want to eat something different, they turn their plates around and eat rice, chicken and potatoes. There are other options occasionally but this is the main diet. What vitamins they do not receive diminishes their overall health which as a young child, cripples growth and their general health into adulthood.
The Wonder Wash donated by our Swedish friends, is 100% green, uses less water and requires only 10 minutes to do an hour of laundry. This hand cranked unit eliminates the back breaking chore of scrubbing laundry in a river. The indigenous families had never seen anything like this before.
Books! Donated books have been shared with the children which they eagerly gather around to read. We have put them in libraries in schools where books were absent. Learning games using the books have advanced their education. Aside from the steep, grueling climb up mountainous terrain to get them there, the appreciation of the children to have these treasures was all worth the effort.
Our project has partnered with public schools for special needs children. We had a new product called the Neuromat donated to us which has proven quite valuable to help develop motor skills in children with brain/muscle coordination challenges. As with the Wonder Wash units, this is something unheard of and has served to advance the lives of some of our most vulnerable children.
Volunteers have been a double edged sword for our project. I have been honored to know these altruists and other community leaders for change, who were in the early stages of their journeys. Their compassion in action and brilliant ideas have helped to bring Changes for New Hope to our next mountaintop. If a volunteer comes with a sense of dedication and motivation, together we can do wonders. Sadly, some just needed to pad their CVs. However, I believe that those that pull in the opposite direction for reasons best known to them, help us to develop compassion for them and poses yet another stumbling block that we climb on top of to see further than we ever could before.
Hu m an it ar ian Aw ar ds an d Recogn it ion Pr ovide In t er n at ion al Aw ar en ess an d Cr edibilit y Livin g in Per u M agazin e n am ed Ch an ges f or New Hope as t h eir ch oice of NGO of t h e M on t h f or M ay, 2016
20 17- Ji m K i l l on w i n s th e D av i d Ch ow H u m an i t ar i an Aw ar d f or h i s y ear s of d ed i cat ed ser v i ce to ch i l d r en i n Per u
20 19- Gl obal Good w i l l A m bassad or s or gan i zat i on n am ed Ji m K i l l on as a f el l ow am bassad or an d p ar tn er f or i n ter n ati on al ad van cem en t f or a better w or l d
20 19- W r i t er an d au th or Ji m K i l l on i s aw ar d ed t h e Book s f or Peace Sp eci al Aw ar d an d i s i n v i t ed t o joi n th i s or gan i zati on 's ef f or ts t ow ar d h u m an r i gh ts an d p eace.
Ju st som e of ou r cam paign s an d gr ou ps w h er e w e h ave h elped
Challhua
M ejorarca
Huashao during a vit amin /ant i-parasit e campaign
Self est eem building Art Cont est in Ticapampa
Huambo a dist ant and remot e village
Pizza part y for our Secsecpampa children
M eet ing wit h communit y leaders in Huari
Yanama high alt it ude village wit h a lot of pot ent ial
Villa Hermosa, a desert village near Casma
Helen Keller School for special needs children
A Huaraz orphanage t hat we also support
Compina wit h primary school children
Art exhibit ions build self est eem of t he kids
Gringo Bingo one of our first games we shared
Get t ing t o t he children isn't always easy
Shiqui a remot e group of some great kids
Vit amins from t he U.K. went t o a jungle school
Legos develop brain power and creat ivit y
Ou r w ebsit e doesn't h ave a don at e bu t t on . Those who want to support our project can do that by sending the children a post card with a message of love, hope and encouragement. Another way is to purchase one of our e-books available on Amazon books. Life enhancement for you and royalties support our kids in many various locations. Win-Win. Just go to www.changesfornewhope.com
or:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=jim+killon&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&ref=nb_sb_noss
A nnounci ng Th e Ji m K i l l on Humani tari an A w ards 2019 ?
Ok, let me beat everybody to the punch and respond to what I know you are probably thinking; I am not a narcissist. I wanted to create this humanitarian award out of a deep concern for so many dedicated and compassionate people around the world who are making incredible inroads to find solutions to human suffering where they serve. I looked up humanitarian awards available around the globe and found that there were many however they were either very specific for a narrow group of individuals or awarded to people who are already famous and world renown. Those who have followed our magazine each month know that I am passionately engaged in solutions. This humanitarian award is another one of these solutions I endeavor to create. Why should there be a humanitarian award honoring these obscure and nearly invisible altruistic individuals? a) It is a gesture of gratitude for their compassion in action. Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools available to the human race. b) It is a tangible expression of recognition for those who have set aside their own personal ambitions to alleviate the suffering of others. c) The credibility afforded by such an award opens doors for humanitarians as they seek grants, co-operation from government agencies for assistance needed to accomplish objectives and fund raising efforts.
B
Let 's Talk Abou t Th at 500 Pou n d Gor illa in t h e Room
Why is this being called The Jim Killon Humanitarian Award? It has nothing to do with having an uncontrollable ego. Those that know me personally would tell you that. Most of the time that I lived in Peru I was domiciled in one room, eating just one meal a day to be able to conserve funds to get the children what they needed. When apathy replaces donor contributions you do what you have to do in order to accomplish your goals. ?Last year in July, 2018, I was viciously attacked by two thugs in front of my home who beat me so severely that I nearly died and needed months to recover. I was left unconscious in a pool of my own blood and I believed that death was certain to follow from the internal injuries. Two things happened.. One, when I regained consciousness, I was smiling, knowing that I was one of the rare individuals that found my purpose in life as a humanitarian and if I died, I was going to die on empty, having completed the goals and objectives that I came to Peru to do. Because I lived, I could continue my work of love and reach thousands more disadvantaged children here in these Andes. I decided to jettison the obstacles that either intentionally or unintentionally had blocked me from accomplishing an even wider range of objectives. This tragedy definitely showed me who my friends were, and were not. Over two hundred people reached out to me to share their outrage about the attack and concern for my safety and condition, for which I am grateful.
BThe
second awareness was that, had I died that night, there would have been
some slow walking and low talking but a year later, conceivably, Changes for New Hope and the name Jim Killon would be an ever fading memory and whatever I had been to so many people would be buried under the daily life that consumed everybody and ever accomplishment eventually forgotten. Now at age sixty two, how many tomorrows do I have anyway? I believe I needed to create something that will outlast my physical existence or memory. I want the sense of compassion in action to continue to grow and reach out beyond just here in Peru. I want to recognize those who are influencing positive changes around the world because so few are doing it. ?
Th e Jim Killon Hu m an it ar ian Aw ar d is a Legacy Th at I Wan t t o Leave Beh in d
I believe that people will Google the name of this award asking "Who in the hell is Jim Killon?" I want people to read about who I was (but still am because I am still on this side of the grass) I want people to understand the motivation and importance for recognizing some great people who no one would ever know about otherwise. I hope that people would be inspired to emulate and step into a humanitarian project, wherever they can and with dedicated selflessness. I believe small changes make for great advancements that benefit thousands. Consider a commitment of 1% of your day dedicated for the benefit of someone other than yourself. Did you realize that is only fourteen minutes. Imagine if half of the people in your office or school decided to join you in that effort. What a wonderful world. Try it!
Live Large my friends, Live Deliberately ~~~ Jim
Killon
This is a question that I am asked often enough to share it with you now with my considered response.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
When you look around at the world that we live in, we see people who are face down in their phones, emotionally wrapped around self centered pursuits and the hamster wheel chase for more money, more recognition and more material things leaving little or no time to reflect on the one thing that matters most; our sense of true purpose in our lives. The distractions and issues that concern everyone, whether real or imagined, consume us, blind and deafen us from the calls from adobe houses, straw huts and scrap wooden shacks in 3rd world environs. Some may say that these are not my problems, these are not my family members, why should I care? The answer is more clear now than ever before. One of the longest wars in recent times continues to rage on in the Middle East in an effort to stop terrorism., with no end in sight. Destitution is a human condition that corrupts a person. We begin to realize that reaching out with our abundance to places around the world, that barely creep by on a mere dollar a day, is the single simplest and most cost efficient solution to interrupt terrorism, alleviate disease and develop healthy future generations throughout the world where they are. One percent of our day is just fourteen minutes and one percent of our abundance is a penny on a dollar. Whether you share that small bit of help with an elderly neighbor down the street or provide mosquito nets to Central American familes to prevent malaria or help to drill a well in desert floors of Africa, your joy and new-found purpose in life will make any new gizmo or gadget you just bought pale in comparison. Look up and look around, there is a world that needs your love and compassion. Money is secondary, first, you have to give a damn, then how you show your support for the disadvantaged in the world is up to you. A better world is the responsibility of us all and there is no insignificant kindness. It is time to be who you were born to become. A value to the human family however you decide to do it, now is the time.
I Love Solu t ion s Her e ar e a f ew ideas t h at ar e ch an gin g t h e w or ld When we think about solutions that will make the world a better place wherever we decide to touch it, we think it is an enormous endeavor and almost immediately become discouraged. If we are not Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, what would our small contribution to the world be if not a popcorn belch in a strong wind? However, as you will see here, people put together projects that grabbed a piece of the world's issues and developed a solution one step at a time. These ideas are simple and they are saving the lives of millions whose suffering ends with their compassion in action. Ask yourself, "What's stopping me?"
Healin g Ar t Ph ot os Elaine Poggi is an American citizen and has resided in Florence Italy for many years. In 2001, her 85 year old mother was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She left her family to be with her mother every day of her almost three month stay in the hospital. Along with her mother, Elaine experienced endless hours of loneliness and staring at sterile white hospital walls. Because of this experience with her mother, Elaine?s mission now is to place colorful, soothing photographs of nature and beautiful places from around the world in hospitals. Her wish is to give hope and comfort to patients and their families, visitors, and caregivers to help soften the often stressful hospital experience. Elaine?s hope is that those who view her photos will feel the joy and love she felt while photographing the scenes for them. The requests for her photos are increasing. There are so many hospitals with white walls that her mission is endless. Elaine is humbled and encouraged to continue because of the enthusiastic, positive feedback from patients and hospital staff who are already viewing her photos in hospitals. Elaine received the 2010-11 Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award for Zone 31 from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for her work with Healing Photo Art. epoggi@healingphotoart.org
Ch ar it y:Wat er Scott Harrison
After a decade of indulging his darkest vices as a nightclub promoter, Scott declared spiritual, moral, and emotional bankruptcy. He spent two years on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, saw the effects of dirty water firsthand, and came back to New York City on a mission. Upon returning to NYC in 2006, having seen the effects of dirty water firsthand, Scott turned his full attention to the global water crisis and the (then) 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. He established a small core team in a tiny Manhattan apartment and created charity: water. The organization set out on a big mission, to bring clean water to every person living without it, and an even bigger vision, to reinvent charity with an innovative 100% model and radical transparency, proving every single water project funded. Twelve years later, with the help of more than 1 million supporters worldwide, charity: water has raised more than $388 million and funded over 44,000 water projects in 28 countries. When completed, those projects will provide over 10 million people with clean, safe drinking water.
Clean Th e Wor ld
Shawn Seipler
Clean the World collects discarded soap and shampoo from the hospitality industry and other sectors that generate environmental waste and recycles it for redistribution. Once the bars and bottles of soap have been collected from hotels and shipped into the warehouse, they are then sanitized and re-packaged for distribution. Since 2009, Clean the World has distributed more than 45 million bars of soap to children and families in 127 countries worldwide, while diverting 16 million pounds of hotel waste from North American landfills Shawn Seipler and Paul Till started Clean the World in 2009. Seipler started the company after learning that the barely used complimentary soap in his Minneapolis hotel room would be thrown away. Seipler and Till started their company in Orlando, Florida and used meat-grinders and other kitchen utensils to cook the soap into clean bars. The first soap donor was the Holiday Inn at the Orlando International Airport. Within three years, the home business became an "international charity that...distributed 9.5 million bars of recycled soap in 45 countries." In 2011, Laguna Beach became the first city in the United States to have all hotels participate in Clean the World.[ Clean the World has helped redirect 250 tons of soap from going into Nevada landfills as of 2014. They expanded operations to Asia that same year. It now has plants in Orlando, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, India, and Montreal. By 2015, they were distributing soap in 99 different countries. Since 2009 the company has distributed over 40 million bars of soap. The Hilton hotel chain announced in March 2019 that they would, in conjunction with Clean the World, be collecting used bars of soap from the guest rooms across their hotels to recycle them and create 1 million new bars of soap by Global Hand washing Day on October 15. (source:Wikipedia)
Changes for New Hope is a registered NGO, non-profit organization with the Peruvian government since 2010. Our focus is to help children living in destitution and inadequacies in the Andean region. This magazine is expanding that focus to partner with other NGOs and their leaders around the world. The project creator is Jim Killon, an American born humanitarian, author/writer, exhibited artist, and life enhancement speaker.
His writings, articles and publications can be seen on The Good Men Project, Living in Peru magazine, Inspire Me Today, as well as self publishing: "A Gringo in Peru-A Story of Compassion in Action," "Living Large- Living Deliberately" "The Changes That You Deserve"
"Infringe Me?" "Silver Linings" "When 'Bad' Things Happen to Good People Like You" Jim Killon is a recipient of The David Chow Humanitarian Award . He is available for speaking engagements and interviews. For more information, contact him through our email at cn h m agazin e@gm ail.com Changes for New Hope is a 100% donation supported NGO project and is not affiliated with any religious or political organization. Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved. Photo: Cecilia Falco Hirt
Ch anges f or New Hope Humani tari an M agazi ne
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