Inspired by my friend Jordan: A United Humanity

I met Jordan in Rishikesh a couple years ago. He inspires me. A young man with generous ambitions, he started an aid organization helping people in Sri Lanka recover from the tsunami several years ago, and the ongoing war there. He has a commonsense approach and spends time working with the locals to find out what they want and need.

This is his recent letter, appealing for funds. It gives a good idea of what is important. As you might expect, it's the simple things that really help: food, shelter, basic elements of hygiene (suitable outhouses, clean water sources), and sustainable systems to maintain those basics.

If you have a few extra dollars... even $5-$20 goes a long ways to helping out, not to mention a few thousand dollars. Those statistics about most of the world living on a few dollars a day... means that in most places, food is cheap enough such that that is possible. As a tourist in India, I can live on $5/day... so that mean's a local person could easily live on much less... so you can imagine that even $5 might cover a large portion of a weeks groceries for a child. Can you imagine how much could be done with even a portion of the amount we spend on bombs?... but that's another story.

A United Humanity's website is: http://www.aunitedhumanity.org/

And here's Jordan's own words from his two most recent emails sent out from Sri Lanka.

Healing Humanity 

Hello everyone!! I sincerely hope this e-mail finds each and every one of you in good health and great spirits. My attempt to continue the humanitarian aid work in Batticaloa district of eastern Sri Lanka is well under way this year, and I send this e-mail with the intention of sharing my deepest respect and gratitude for you previous support of this cause. Before I begin explaining our current projects and what sits on the immediate horizon, I need everyone to understand that without your generous donations none of this work could have been, or will continue to be possible. I must take a moment to make it very clear to all of you that just because you shared your hard earned money with me and my Sri Lankan friends before, I have no expectations that you must continue to donate. Of course money is highly needed and needed now, but there are other ways you can assist beyond financially. Contacts and networking are essential so please spread the word, forward, my e-mails to others, speak of what we are doing, and remember us if and when you come across any philanthropists or people looking for a trustworthy charity. I am also in need of finding folks back home who are global minded, proactive, and vested in the welfare of the people whom are suffering in our world. Fundraisers, advertisers, accountants, people with knowledge and experience in the humanitarian aid fields and anybody inspired to create change in others lives are more than welcome to become part of the team. 

Although the ethnic war has intensified greatly in the northern regions of Sri Lanka, the eastern province of Batticaloa is now experiencing a time of relative peace. There is still the odd bomb blast and soldiers and tanks still line the streets, but in comparison with my two previous journeys here in 2005 and 2007, things are very tame. There is a new sense of optimism in the air, and I believe this to be a marvelous time to reach out and effect change in the local people’s lives. 

I am more than humble enough to admit that I am learning as I go, and for this reason we will be focusing on community based projects this year, rather than supporting individual families’ separately. Although some families are obviously in greater need than others, to provide for one and deny another due to any number of reasons can lead to resentment and disharmony in the community. 

Currently we are building a toilet and a well at the Kallidy village fisherman’s rest house. Another toilet and well are going up at the same villages rural development societies community center, which we are helping to establish by completing it’s construction, providing computers, desks, tables, chairs, fans, and lights. Our efforts of build an orphanage last trip have proven very worthy and now we are creating a large vegetable garden, three cows and a little house for the care takers, in our effort to have the orphanage self sustainable. These projects have utilized all our funding, but there are many more important initiatives waiting for the go ahead. The only thing lacking is more money. Within the next few days I will be sending out a more detailed description of what we still plan to accomplish. For now, I merely wish to reintroduce our mission to all of you.

Please visit our web page at: www.aunitedhumanity.org

And don’t hesitate to let me know if you wish to be taken of this mailing list.
Due remember that this economic crisis is a global one and many countries are experiencing it’s grip in a much tighter way than the richest nations are. Thank you dearly for your time. 

Peace and Love
Jordan Korth
President and Founder
The Foundation for a United Humanity 

May your forehead be calm, your eyes serene, your lips grateful, and your heart aglow!!

Hello friends, peace lovers and budding philanthropists!! In my last e-mail I tried to convey my sincere thanks to all of you for your support of this work, and I hope my gratitude is still resonating deep within you. Not only are you creating educational opportunities, sustainable incomes and a higher standard of living for the people of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, you are also greatly contributing to the fulfillment of my own personal inspirations. This work brings me such joy, and I will never be able to express what an important and integral role your donations and words of support have made on myself and my Sri Lankan friends.



There is so much to do, and Healing Humanity is currently at a bit of a stand still as all of our funding has dried up. So if it is possible, please continue your generosity. Unless the immigration office grants my request for more time on Lankan soil, I will only be here for another month and a half, so please do not sit on the fence. Your money is needed now!!



One of my goals this trip was to visit as many orphanages as possible, and asses their needs, while establishing contacts for the Human Harmony volunteer initiative. I have to admit, despite the hard work of the care givers, I have been appalled at what I have discovered. Many foreigners come to visit these boys and girls homes. They bring with them toys, note books and pens. Foreign religious groups will pay to have large and lavish buildings erected to house these children, as long as they worship the correct God, of course. This is all fine and dandy, but as my dear friend Raju says. "None of this stuff matters, toys, crayons, stuffed bears, large rich looking living quarters. Sure it is needed, but right now�.it is all pointless. None of it matters as long as these children have no food in their bellies."



Now I've never been one to try and induce guilt in people with the hope of raising money. So please do not misunderstand what I'm about to say next. You more than deserve you place at the top of the global financial ladder. But nobody can tell me these innocent children aren't worthy of a portion of your hard earned money. I only wish I could take you by the hand and bring you to these orphanages. Behind beaming smiles you will see the yellow eyes of hungry children. Don't mistake their blotted bellies to mean they have just finished a large and filling meal. Malnourishment as made these boys and girls appear pregnant. They reach out with tooth pick arms and some can hardly even stand on their boney legs.



Hand outs are good. The toys and books bring instant smiles and momentary comfort, but the truth is they are soon forgotten. They end up scattered in the dirt with the rest of the rubbish and the books are often used as fuel for the fires that heat their morning breakfast, which usually consists only of tea, if they are lucky its milk tea, and even luckier, a biscuit or two to start them on their day.



I feel so passionate about creating self sufficient orphanages, that it is going to become the focal point of Healing Humanities many efforts. With out a steady income source these boys and girls homes will never be able to provide both a physically and mentally healthy environment. These children have already been through so much, loosing there parents, fleeing the violence of war, surviving in the dog eat dog worlds of street life and refugee camps. Many are lucky they haven't been forced into militant recruitment or thrown into the sex trade. We need to show these children they are loved, they must know people are vested in their well being. The folks, who have dedicated their lives and sacrificed so much to protect these children and try and provide them with a decent life, deserve our help. In fact I think they deserve a lot more. These care givers are true heroes. Effecting a positive change in the chilren's life all starts with a warm meal, and that warm meal can't be a one time thing. By creating small businesses, gardens and farms, the care takers of these homes can make sure the children receive the quality food that every human being deserves and needs.



It is essential to the success of such projects, that the leaders of these orphanages choose their own way to generate income, and believe me they have the ideas ready, but lack the funds to make them manifest. Healing Humanity is not about dictating what they should do, but rather giving them the means to accomplish what they already see as beneficial. Here are a few examples. Shakthi girls home has 36 girls aged 8-15 years old. I first visited Shakthi in 2005 and it has always remained in my heart, for I had the most amazing experience spending a day playing games with the kids. They orphanage, along with two others was inaccessible for me in 2007 as it was right in the middle of a severe war zone. Believe me I tried to reach them but was denied as I went to take the ferry boat across the lagoon by the army with a stern "no foreigners allowed." This year, as I said in my last e-mail, the district is going through I time of relative peace and the army has granted me accesses to the impoverished village. At Shakthi they want to construct a bakery that the president claims will not only fill the children's bellies but also provide simple things like soap and tooth paste, things they have gone without for months. Healing Humanity has already begun construction of the bakery but has had to put the construction on hold. Just like the children have no food in the belly, we have no money in the bank account.



Another home, Jesu Ashram, with 25 girls aged 11-17 already has a fishing boat, but they have no fishing nets. They also have requested an auto rickshaw which would double as a means to transport the children to the hospital in emergencies and serve as a taxi for hire in Batticaloa town. Manthiniyum girls home has 80 girls from 4 years to 20 years old. This is a substantial amount of mouths to feed. They have plans for a vocational training sewing center, which they could sell their homework to local stores and schools, and a meditation center as they have a wise old guru eager to teach peace from within for a small fee to both tourists and locals alike. For now, all they want is help establishing a farm. They have the buildings already in place; just need the chickens, cows and goats to make it successful.



Any one familiar with Healing Humanities work knows of our crown achievement thus far. An orphanage we have built called Hari Boys Home. The transformation that is still occurring at Hari is a massive source of inspiration for me. There are currently 65 boys staying here and the doors are always open for children fleeing the war across the lagoon, which can erupt again at any moment. We are currently supplying them with a vegetable garden and hope to also deliver some cows. I would love to fulfill the directors wish to get a bus he can then use as a private busing company, which in turn would solve all there financial worries. If the bus comes through, then Healing Humanity can move on from Hari with complete knowledge that we not only built an orphanage but gave the care takers the means to be fully self sufficient.



I want to make it clear that Sri Lanka has tough child labor laws and Healing Humanity has many friends who will continue to check up on all it's orphanage projects to ensure that no child is being forced to work instead of study and play. Also the orphanages are all part of a vast networking and profit sharing plan. Basically they help each other out when times are tough. Karma is a very real belief here and the caregivers know the pains other homes can go through.



To accomplish all the above stuff, and the few other smaller scall things that we could easily finish, about 50 000Cad is needed. This would also leave a nice sum to get things going next trip. Of course this is a lot of money, and it is including the 30 000 grand for the Hari bus. The point Im trying to make is that we can handle large donations, so by all means feel free to throw us 10 000 or so. But please don't shy away from smaller donations as well. I can't even begin to emphasize how far I can make a 100, 50 or even 5 dollar donation stretch. Don't be shy, even one pennie is that much closer to accomplishing something.



I have given four examples of homes and ways we can make these safe zones for the neglected children of Batticaloa able to care for them selves. Of course there are many more homes in need, but Healing Humanity would rather focus on one at a time and ensure their successes then spread ourselves to far and to thin, then have to shatter hopes of following through on any promises by informing them that we can't complete our work, something that we have already done to Shakthi. As I've said many times before I'm learning as I go and this in itself has been one of my most important lessons.



Again I wish to emphasize how important it is that our funds continue to grow. Without abundance we can't do anything, and this depends on you, so, if you are able please do give, if not then at the very most remember us in your prayers.



Thank You for your time.

Jordan Korth

President and Founder

The Foundation for a United Humanity



May your forehead be calm, your eyes serene, your lips grateful and your hart aglow.