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This is an orphanage that was found after crowdfunding for Covid relief during the pandemic. Our chickens farms were not allowed to sell in Abidjan with the shutdown so we did a GoFundMe to purchase the chickens and then distribute them to surrounding orphanages.

This orphanage had literally run out of food the same day our team arrived. They were about to take the kids out to look for food when wee delivered rice and chicken.

Since then, we have donated rice and food to them periodically. Unfortunately, to receive state funding they need to have a certain number of directors and positions of which they couldn’t pay the salaries so they are not recognized by the state.

This priest here is the founder. The story of how this began is a woman came to him to receive healing for a mentally ill child. He went with the woman to a local healer. He found out that the ‘healer’ was going to give them drugs to kill the child but because the priest was present instead told them he couldn’t help them. That night the priest had a dream where the child came to him and told him to help him. The priest didn’t understand the dream but the next day the woman went off in search of another healer and returned 2 days later with no baby. The priest then understood that the woman had disposed of the child.

In this region, we are not sure how far these traditions extend. Children born incorrectly are taken by the families and killed. They are deemed to be cursed. For example if a baby come feet first instead of head first, if it’s two top teeth come before it’s bottom teeth, if a mother dies in childbirth, if the mother is crazy, etc. these mean the child is not respectful and is often killed.

All the children in this orphanage were saved from the punishment of death and brought here. Because of the taboo of raising these children, they are not allowed to play outside in the village so they study most of the day.

The priest created this “Center for Transitioning Youth.” These children are so smart! And talented. Back last year we started an Art initiative as an extenstion to the STEM method taught in some schools. We had paint supplies brought in and the children created visual art pieces. One boy displayed significant gifts. With the help of one of our micro finance loan success stories (a local T-Shirt Printer) we printed T-shirt’s with his artwork for the whole orphanage! This gave the boy great pride and he presented the team with another piece of art. You may notice the boys arm. He was extracted from a tapioca machine when he was an infant which is why his arm is deformed.

We are grateful to be in association with this orphanage and hope to continue to support them as we can.

One of our original ways to create revenue in the communities was establishing chicken farms. We had scaled the production to process 4,500 chicken per month and then Covid hit. Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast, shut down its borders and we were no longer able to export chickens into the city. Because of this, we raised eenough funds on GoFundMe to purchase the chicken and donate them to surrounding villages. It was an incredible feat and despite the challenges, we were still able to help a little.

It will take time to regrow the business to what it was.  We had to start from scratch again with purchasing chickens, breeding, harvesting and proceessing them as well as resecuring our contracts to sell them.

Here is our team working with our chicken guys to “harvest” the chickens to be sold. The process is as follows: 1-slaughter, 2-boil, 3-defeather, 4-clean, and 5-refridgerate for transport.

Not very glamorous but this helps support the schools we build in the comunity and we are grateful for income producing ventures to sustain the projects we drive.

Orphanages are common in the Ivory Coast. Most of these homes are run by individuals out of the kindness of their hearts. Most do not receive compensation from the government and rely on donations to provide for the children and young adults.

This orphange “Saint Genevieve” was started by a priest who witnessed many young mothers abandoning their children after birth because of superstitions. For example, if a child is born breach, they can be considered cursed because they are not submissive to their mother and come out head first. In some villages those babies are killed immediately after birth.

The artist in this photo was one of these children condemned to death. He was thrown into a  chicken de-featherer as a baby when this man, a religious “Father”, pulled him out and claimed responsibility. This child lost part of his hand in the process but has risen above and become an artist even with his lame hand.

We periodically offer assistance to this orphange and commend this Father for being God’s hands and advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are grateful for him and his service.

The shirts we are wearing are of a piece the artist painted the last time we visted.

With the assistance of Relief Haven, Well Africa has been approving microfinance loans to individuals to start their own businesses. We want to assist the community to become self-relient. Kirk Feller, CEO of BGZ brands and Founder of Relief Haven Foundation, has created a course for applicants who have ideas for businesses. With mentorship and accountability, many have already started profitable businesses. We can help more people, many more, duplicating this same system.

As part of the growing web of endeavors we are weaving, we have purchased land in an up and coming part of Abidjan adjacent to the new temple being built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Upon this land, we have plan to build a 4 story apartment complex with a ‘Entrepreneurship Center’ on the lower level. The above apartments will pay off the structure and cover expenses for this center where men and women can learn about business, plan for their own passion projects, receive funding and maintain a relationship through to execution and endurance for these ventures. We are giving them the tools to create their own success and not only provide for themselves but for others as well.

In honor of #worlddayagainsttrafficking, we are spotlighting Sery Kone, founder of Well Africa.

As a child slave himself, Sery decided it would be his mission in life to spare other children from being taken to work in the cocoa fields of the Ivory Coast. On this day we celebrate and support those who are making a change in the world.

Let’s #endhumantrafficking by supporting causes like this today and continually to #savethechildren.

All donations on July 30th, 2020 will go directly to fund the projects of Relief Haven provide education for the kids who are extracted from the cocoa fields.

Let’s get together and support those who are changing the world.

Local children have created art for charity! In an effort to raise funds for COVID-19 relief in the Ivory Coast, we have asked some kids to create art pieces that we can auction off. All proceeds go toward providing food and necessities for families and orphanages struggling from government shut down in Africa.

Please tag family and friends in the photo who may be interested in purchasing these art pieces for a cause.

Auction is Friday, May 8th from 10am-6pm. All proceeds go toward Covid-19 relief in the Ivory Coast. To learn more about the cause, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-feed-families-in-the-ivory-coast

We ask that bids start at $5 (the cost of a chicken to feed a family in Africa). Just comment on this photo what your bid is. You may also donate more at your discretion. Just comment, “winning bid” and you will automatically win with your anonymous bid:)

Auction closes at 6pm and you will be DM’d if you win. Winner to donate to reliefhaven.org, the GoFundMe link, or through Venmo @ReliefHaven-Foundation. *Tax-deductible

Art can be picked up or delivered locally upon request. Thank you for your charity!

Check out the facebook album HERE.

We need your help! We were just informed about some devastating circumstances with our friends in the Ivory Coast.  We partner with @wellafrica and they have over 16,000 chickens in their farm they can no longer sell due to Covid shutdowns. With no income, they can’t keep feeding them as they grow.

We want to purchase all of their chickens and have them donated to families impacted by this crazy pandemic. Most people make $2 per day there and live on what they make each day. They are literally starving and we want to help how we can.

Please donate $5 to give a family a chicken and Relief Haven will match!

We are opening up the opportunity to travel to Abidjan, Ivory Coast to assist WELL Africa in the building of their high school. Ground was broken for the school in June 2019 in the village Soumahorodougou near San Pedro.

The high school is being built for the students that attended the first WELL Africa primary school built in 2013 and who are now ready to attend high school. If we don’t help, students could be sent back to the farms due to the fact that there is no high school in the area.

The trip will last 7 days where you need to be prepared to do hard labor building the school. We will also take some time to visit the existing schools and chicken farms which we helped establish.

Cost: We are asking each applicant to raise $3000 in the form of a donation to Relief Haven. Relief Haven will then cover all expenses except vaccinations and travel to/from the US departure airport.

Dates:

*POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

Vaccinations Required: Yellow Fever, Measles, and routine vaccinations. Recommended: Typhoid, Hep A, and Malaria.

Donations can be made directly through the Relief Haven Website. Please note the name of the traveler so we know who to attach the donation to. * All donations are tax-deductible.

Note: If you are an employee of BGZ brands and wish to set up a salary withdrawal, please email aharrison@bgzbrands.com. BGZ brands employees also qualify for paid leave when they volunteer.