April 15, 2021

Respected John Sir,

I don't know where to start  and how to start. So let's start from our first meeting. I hope you remember, our first meeting was in my ola cab. On that day you had booked my ola cab to go to the market from Priya's house. That day was also a normal day for me like the rest of my working days. I did not know that God was going to introduce me to a special man today. That man was Dr. John Bickert !

God had sent him to add some color to my colorless life and show the right direction to my directionless life. But I can not know in the first meeting. I picked him up from Priya home and dropped back like a normal customer and I thought that he came from another country and should have taken more business from him, then I had requested him. Sir, whenever you need a cab please call me any time. So this is how my journey Started with Dr. John and I did not realize it. When did he become a part of my family! We can also say that Dr. John's personality is such that he would make everyone his own within minutes. And I strongly believe that he is nothing less than a magician. Because the magician attracts everyone by hypnosis and Mr. John attracts everyone by running a spell of love.

So After first meeting we took many trips. Dr. John also introduced me to CFTW and provided knowledge about CFTW. Vision and Purpose of Cftw is to spread love and help those in need, Providing basic health facilities including healthcare and education in third world countries. And then I understood the reason for Dr. John's arrival in india. 

I always wanted to help others, due to the lack of income and lack of the right path I could hardly help needy people and whenever I had a chance to help a needy person I tried to help. We are human beings and this is the most unique thing created by God. And I strongly believe that God helps those who help others. So, Dr. John showed me the right path and  he started bringing me with him to help needy people. We visited many Places like ruler areas in delhi, punjab for giving treatment for any health related issue. We also visited schools / Colleges to help needy students who want to study, but because of the lack of money in the family, they are unable to study further.

I am thankful to Dr. John because he gave me the opportunity to serve others. Dr. John also helped me and helped my family alot during covid -19 lockdown periods. He helped us financially by buying groceries and paying the children 's school fees.

There are a lot of things to write and speak for him, But for a person like him, the more you write is less for him. There are very few people in the world. Who leave their mark in the hearts of others but you are one of them my dear Dr. John.

In the end it is thanks to God from bottom of my heart that he gifted me a friend like Dr, John. We love you alot. Sir. You are a legend for us.

and wish you a very very happy wedding Anniversary.

With Regards,

Amandeep Singh

Charities such as us are working to provide aid to those who need it the most, but the struggle to continuously raise funds is a barrier. With your donations we have been able to do marvelous things that would have inhibited multiple peoples lives and abilities if not completed. Although, we must acknowledge that charities such as ours get assistance from the community and our followers in many ways, and in this blog, I will tell you how you can help. 

2. Raise Awareness!

Need a topic to discuss with your friends? Perhaps consider informing them about issues they may not even be aware of. Did you know Leprosy is still prevalent in India today? Many people think it was an illness eradicated over 100 years ago as we don’t see it in the West. 

7. Become an Ambassador/ Share online

a. Reaching the correct audience is difficult without your help. The number of viewers on our content dramatically determines the amount of money we are able to raise. You can help us by simply pressing share or adding our posts to your story.

Overall, providing aid to your local charity is not as difficult as it may seem, as small actions such as those outlined above can lead to something great. When you are unable to donate, there are many other ways you can help. Remember that there are still people all around the world who need us to work for them to survive. Please consider supporting us on this journey. 

Do you know how to spell your name? If so, you’re already many steps ahead of millions of children in third world countries. Whether in Africa, India, South America, or elsewhere, young people around the world face constant barriers in getting an education—and that can have profound, lifelong consequences.

However, some people would do anything to ensure that these children receive the schooling that they need and deserve. For three teachers across the globe, making sure that children receive an education isn’t just an interest—it’s a duty.

 Inspiring Stories of Amazing Teachers 

Everyone has probably had that one teacher who made a difference in their life. But for children who can’t typically access education due to political conflict, cost, geography, poverty, and even the COVID-19 pandemic, a few teachers have stepped up in their communities to bring them the schooling they need.

Going the Distance

The sun is up early in the small region of Prey Veng in Cambodia, but the ardent teacher Seng is up even earlier. Attaching a cart to the back of her motorbike, she’s off to pick up children for preschool.

For the last 15 years, Seng has managed a community preschool, but many of her students rarely attended because the facility was three or more kilometers away from their homes. Because parents often couldn’t bring the children themselves, she decided it was time to take action on her own.

Early in the morning, the familiar sound of the motorbike brings the kids out to hop into the cart, and at the end of the day, Seng makes the same trip again to drop them off at home. Thanks to her efforts, the number of children attending preschool has multiplied drastically.

Seng won’t let the geographic and opportunity failings of her impoverished regions to deny children the right to an education. And she’s doing something about it.

Bringing the Classroom Home

Across the globe in Balochistan, Pakistan, another teacher is making waves to ensure that students aren’t locked out of schooling. Najeeba saw that COVID-19 had shut down schools, and her family stopped going. Determined to ensure they continued their learning, Najeeba crafted a sanitization station outside her home and called for all the students to attend there.

In place of a closed school, Najeeba turned her home into a classroom. WhatsApp groups experienced in home schooling have flocked to help her as she manages the daunting task of educating these students—even though she is a student herself.

Najeeba refused to give in when COVID-19 shut down schools. And now, students are continuing their education through her. 

Give a gift that will make a real difference in the lives of children 

Down to the southeast of Indonesia, the small island nation of East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, a teacher named Nicolau has acquired land on which to build a school accessible to more students than ever before.

With educational facilities miles out of reach for many rural families, Nicolau was upset—even at his own situation. Forced out of school at a young age himself due to political conflict, Nicolau vowed to bring education to those less fortunate. He recalled that during the time he was in school, the situation was so dire that even 17-year-olds were still studying in Grade 1 because they did not have the time or opportunity to attend regularly.

Convincing the local parents and authorities that a school was worthwhile proved to be a challenge—they believed that since girls were meant to get married and men to work, schooling was a pointless use of time. However, Nicolau never gave up, and his convincing prompted an important official to gift the land on which his school was built.

Now, with access to proper educational tools and even critical resources like water, the community is flourishing. 

Conclusion 

These teachers have made massive impacts in the lives of their communities. However, they could not have done it alone—Nicolau’s school, for example, still required the help of charitable causes. If you would like to give the gift of life-changing education to a family in a third world country, consider donating to CFTW. We build educational and medical facilities in areas that do not have access to them so that the families living their can receive the rights to education and health that they deserve, setting themselves up for future success. Even a few dollars can buy critical materials like textbooks and access to clean water.

November 23, 2018

In the fall of 2018, I travelled to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh in response to an invitation. Most of the Uttar Pradesh rural area is served by farmers work small farms to provide a living for their families.  On the visit to Lucknow, I visited St. Francis School for the Hearing Impaired.  It was a visit that has a lasting impact on me.  

Ninety students gathered excitedly and waited for more than an hour for me to complete treating patients brought to the school.

A large room contained more than 90 students gathered to present a dance and ask guest questions through a sister translating for me using sign language.

I was told by the sister who started the dance music that the music was solely for my purpose since they could not hear it at all.

Following the dance, a student raised his hand and asked, "Do they have deaf people in Canada?"

I then asked the assembled students, "Does anyone know what they want to be when they finish school."

A long silence was followed by a girl at the back of the room stood and announced, "I want to be a tailor."

"Great, I responded, do you sew now?"  

The sister, signing to the students at my side, quickly told me they are a very poor family.

The girl said, "No, I don't have a sewing machine."

I felt a little more than plain stupid. "Ok, you have one now.  We will buy you one."

It was a promise that I intended to keep; I offered money for a sewing machine to my host, who had arranged to take me to the school.  He refused to accept the money and insisted that he would buy the machine and arrange delivery to the girl.

I had no idea what was the girl's name.  I just trusted my promise would be kept.

Second Trip to Lucknow - November 2019

After travelling 23 hours from Calgary to India, I had 4 hours; to rest, shower, and be driven to the New Delhi train station.  I was once again heading to Lucknow, about a 6-hour train ride.

I asked about the girl who wanted to be a tailor, and they told me that she graduated, left the school, and the school administration had changed.  The potential tailor still had no sewing machine, and now I had no idea how to find her.  We visited a leper colony on this trip and did not return to St. Francis School for the H.I.

It bothered me that the young lady had not received her sewing machine.  In rural Uttar Pradesh, a poor family would have little chance of acquiring a sewing machine. The girl's aspirations of being a tailor would likely not be realized without sewing practice and instruction.

Who was that girl?  - November 2020

I wrote to Bishop John Mathias and asked about providing Christmas gifts to the now 130 students at the school and requested a list of the students and age levels.  I also asked if he could track down the girl to whom I promised a sewing machine.

He did!  The Bishop found the girl's name and contact details.  I now can keep the promise made to her two years ago.

Her name was Jyoti.  She lived in a rural village about a 4-hour drive north of Lucknow.

I ordered a sewing machine, and we had contacts from Jalandhar drive more than 20 hours overnight to visit her and show her how to operate the machine.

Jyoti has a 90% hearing loss.  She is one of 7 children who live in very rudimentary housing in the village.  She has two brothers and four sisters.  Two of her sisters suffer from learning challenges.  Girls in rural Uttar Pradesh have tremendous challenges without suffering any special needs.  Here is a family with three girls who have special challenges.

Jyoti and her family are happy to have a sewing machine. 

Plans are underway to find suitable training for Jyoti in the art of tailoring.

ANOTHER CFTW SUCCESS!  

Only made possible by donations from those who love. 

The Christmas season is fast approaching, and for many people, it’s their favorite time of the year. There’s something irreplaceable about watching someone receive something they desperately wanted and the joy that lights up their face. Christmas is about giving and sharing—but for many around the world, Christmas is a reminder that they don’t have what they need. While millions across the globe tear into new toys, some sit at home fearing for their health, safety, and future. But with a little Christmas generosity, you can give them the best gifts they’ve ever received.

The Best Christmas Gifts You Can Give 

The real spirit of Christmas isn’t about getting things; it’s about making others happy and ensuring they have what they need. This is why many people appreciate getting money instead of physical objects—they can use that money to purchase what they desperately need. The same is true for charities, and giving even a few dollars can make a dramatic change in someone’s life.

Heading 3: Give Child A Gift Of Education 

If you’re reading this article, you have already received the gift of education. Unfortunately, a huge percentage of children across the world are desperately trying to attend school to better their lives, but instead, they must spend their time collecting garbage for money for their families. Imagine where you would be if you had never been given the gift of going to school and instead had to work hard labor when you were just a small child.

Unable to read or write, what jobs or tasks could you perform? Children who don’t get an education struggle to support themselves and break out of poverty. If you donate to charities that offer educational access to children, you’re giving them the best gift they could ask for: opportunity. A chance to be and do what they want.

And just maybe, the cure for cancer can be found in the mind of a child who just needs an opportunity.

Give A Gift Of Health 

Few things hold more value than life; after all, you wouldn’t be here without it. Many people in the slums of India and Africa fear that they may not even make it to tomorrow because of the dangerous pandemic currently ravaging the world.

Even a small donation can literally save the life of a human being—and what greater gift could you offer than someone’s life? Their life may be filled with opportunity, joy, and love, but they need to stay healthy and safe in order to enjoy these things.

Donate to save someone’s life. It’s the biggest blessing you can offer.

Give A Gift Of Winter Warmer And Socks  

Climate change continues to impact all parts of the globe, and never before seen cold weather has hit the slums of India hard. Simple gifts like hand warmers, hats, and socks can mean the difference between freezing and suffering injury or staying safe and warm.

Simple items like socks and mittens are only a few dollars. For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can save a human being from suffering, injury, or even death in the cold. A donation to help those in need is a simple and powerful Christmas gift.

Feed A Hungry Person  

As you contemplate what side dishes to prepare for your Christmas dinner, remember that hundreds of thousands around the world haven’t eaten in days. In Africa, thousands of children are unable to even walk because they don’t receive the calories and nutrients they need.

Instead of leaving cookies out for Santa, partner with a charity like UNICEF to offer therapeutic milk, which contains energy, fat, and minerals needed by starving children to make a recovery. If you can afford to leave milk and cookies for the imaginary symbol of ultimate generosity, why not put that to good use and feed a real child? 

Conclusion 

You may not bat an eye at snagging the $500 PlayStation 5 that just launched, or the $700 purse, or even the $50 toy. But just a fraction of that money combined with the efforts of a charity can make a lifetime’s difference in the lives of children and families around the world. Christmas is the season of giving and sharing—and for those who have more, what seems small to them can be monumental to those who have less. Remember the spirit of generosity this Christmas and donate to charities that offer people across the globe opportunities, education, and even life itself.

The Most Common Diseases

Throughout the third world regions of Africa and Asia, three diseases in particular ravage the population and leave little room for treatment: malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Where a rich person can continue on with life after HIV/AIDS by taking medicine, this illness is almost entirely untreated in the poorer regions of the world. Tuberculosis is essentially unheard of in first world countries, and vaccination has slowed or even stopped the spread of germs that have the potential to wipe out entire communities of children in some parts of Africa and Asia.

In the developing world, up to half of all deaths are due to infectious diseases. AIDS has cut the life expectancy of some countries nearly in half, with Botswana seeing a drop from 62 years old (in the 1980s) to only 37 due to the high rate of HIV infection: about 39% of all people in the country. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the life expectancy remains at a low 47 years of age on average.

Poverty plays a primary role in why these regions of the world are primarily infected. Affluent countries have no issue with affording the drugs that suppress HIV, but those medicines—and even more inexpensive options to treat only the infections resulting from their weakened immune systems—are unavailable to poorer countries. Tuberculosis takes advantage of the widespread HIV epidemic to proliferate itself, latching on to those with already weakened immune systems. Up to 15% of HIV cases die as a result of TB. 

Malaria also plays a significant role in health outcomes of third world countries. Transmitted via the bite of the Anopheles mosquito, malaria causes more than one million deaths per year—90% of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. It is highly resistant to many antibiotics that have previously been used to treat it, and this trend is not anticipated to slow down any time soon. For residents of developing countries that do not have access to newer treatments, this constantly evolving disease is an ever present threat.

The Cost of Fighting

It is the responsibility of richer countries to assist in fighting disease in the developing world. Some solutions are simple and inexpensive, such as mosquito nets infused with insecticide. Simply installing these in sample regions has cut the number of malaria deaths by 20%. The UN has noted that affluent countries pay a fraction of the cost for medicines that the poorest in the world would be entirely unable to pay for, and NGOs like Action Aid have maintained consistent lobbying to cut drug prices.

Anti-retroviral drugs that keep people with HIV alive cost nearly $10,000 in developing countries, but thanks to the efforts of organizations like Action Aid, the price has been brought down to about $300. This is still prohibitively expensive in many of the world’s poorer areas, but the price is anticipated to continue downward. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan established the Global Fund for HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria, though affluent countries have been stingy to contribute toward its yearly $7 billion goal, with the US sending only $500 million. 

Market Incentivization and What to Do

One of the largest problems facing the treatment of these diseases is the lack of incentive to focus on them from a market standpoint. Out of 1393 new medicines that were approved for public use, only 16 focused on tropical diseases like TB. A drug for sleeping sickness, which kills an average of 66,000 people per year, saw its production halted when no one was buying it—because it was too expensive for the developing countries that needed it. However, it was rebranded for use in the United States, where it is now used frequently as a hair remover. 

Drug companies must be incentivized to continue or focus on production of critical, life-saving medications even when poorer countries cannot afford them. This will require significant policy change in the government as well as the support of normal people, who can contribute by donating to charities that provide monetary assistance to underprivileged areas. 

For marginalized children and youth, especially those living with miserable conditions, education is more than just attending lessons. For them, going to school is more like improving health, safety, nutrition, and lifestyle as a whole.

David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, says, "In the poorest countries, children often rely on schools for their only meal of the day. But with many schools now closed because of COVID, 370 million children are missing out on these nutritious meals, which are a lifeline for low-income families. They are also being denied the health support they normally get through school. This could do lasting damage, so when schools reopen, it is critical that these meal programs and health services are restored, which can also help draw the most vulnerable children back to school."

COVID-19 has forced the world's learners - over 90% - to stay out of school. 

The worst is that nine out of ten of the world's youth live in either developing or under-developed countries. Sadly, where (including India, South Africa, and a few others) opportunities for distance learning are quite limited due to the low caliber or unavailability of internet connections.

Fortunately, or maybe, unfortunately, schools are set to open by this week; in some regions they have resumed already.

So, as countries are grappling with when to resume school, the Global Education Coalition (UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, and World Bank) urges governments and education authorities to consider all the risk factors associated with the reopening of schools.

Considering all those factors, a list of precautionary measures will be issued to all schools - to aid in their reopening plans. Adherence to anti-COVID behaviors can reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Measures are not for schools only; children and their parents are also requested to cooperate with schools and practice the given instructions.

What’s Next 

Countries across African continue to suffer from unsustainable economies that can collapse at any moment, local conflict, ballooning poverty levels, failing educational systems, and natural disasters like droughts that only exacerbate other issues. These barriers to a better quality of life can be addressed, but it will take cooperation and a concerted effort from people across the globe to offer the assistance that the African people need.