I am Chinese-Vietnamese American. During the Vietnam War, my family received aid from a number of humanitarian organizations, so I have always understood first-hand the powerful impact of international organizations that help families in need. Once the war[...]
While on a field supervisory visit for the Hilton Trachoma Elimination Project, I entered the hut of a 5 year-old boy named Nazifi Aminou who had been referred as an “unsaveable case” by the local Chief Medical Officer at one of the health posts in the[...]
Manju Thekre is a 23 year old resident of Ragiwada Village in the Darchula district of Nepal, where she lives with her husband, 17-month-old daughter, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. Manju is identified as a “1000 days mother,” referring[...]
“I was inspired to construct a semi-intensive poultry coop after learning about its importance during a mothers’ group meeting at Tachai village. I could not continue to stand by while my poultry was ruining my neighbor’s Homestead Food Production (HFP)[...]
"Just Because He Can't See Doesn't Mean He Can't Think"I carried out a field visit to observe first-hand the work that the Helen Keller Intl Niger staff had been conducting. One of our Niger offices is located in Zinder – a large town some 895 kilometers[...]
In the wake of the devastating 7.9 earthquake that hit Nepal this past April, we went to the Nuwakot district to conduct field level assessments and focus group discussions with the communities in order to understand what needed to be done in order to rebuild[...]
Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSPs) have been scientifically proven to be the best source of vitamin A to combat the rapidly rising effects of vitamin A deficiency, one of which being blindness. At Helen Keller, we believe that it is the responsibility of[...]
"Grab a Root and Hang On, We've Got to Get Through This!"Ishowri is a Village Model Farmer (VMF) who lives in a small village in the Rasuwa district, situated in the north of Nepal’s central region. Most households in this community depend upon agriculture[...]
The Reaching Agent of Change (RAC) project advocates for improved policy and increased investment in the distribution of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP). It is a highly nutritious crop, full of micronutrients that are crucial for reducing hunger and[...]
"A Creature With Many Legs"John Palmer, former President of Helen Keller International What attracted me to Helen Keller International wasn’t so much blindness, but the agency’s approach to international development. I think the paradigm that this agency[...]