On April 7 2021, the Faribault Rotary Club welcomed Mr. Jim Hunt who virtually spoke about Fast for Hope (FFH). FFH’s vision statement is applying the power of Rotary to end extreme poverty. FFH wants projects to be sustainable and focused on community self-sufficiency. Mr. Hunt explained extreme poverty is defined as living on $1.90 per day as articulated by the United Nations. FFH follows new thinking about global projects to address poverty. Mr. Hunt commented that aid provided by developed countries to date has not reduced poverty on a sustainable basis and does not address underlying causes of poverty in the developing world.
Mr. Hunt used FFH’s efforts in Nicaragua as a case study, highlighting the difficulties of operating in Nicaragua over the past year caused by political unrest, hurricanes, and COVID-19. Mr. Hunt said that among the lessons learned in working on humanitarian projects in Nicaragua is that many relief efforts apply relief instead of development or rehabilitation. He also commented that many projects focus on doing for rather than working with the host community. He emphasized the importance of investing in individuals in the target community and working closely with the community to ensure the community identifies the need and solution for any aid projects. He stressed the need for the community to be the first investor in any aid project. The targeted community needs to set the pace of any project. Importantly, projects need to ensure that appropriate technical background/support and training are provided to ensure the project is sustainable.
FFH partners with Opportunity International. (OI) and an NGO named Kairos in Nicaragua. OI has a background in micro-finance and has a similar mission as FFH in combating extreme poverty. All three organizations try to complement efforts in their project work. Projects include electrification, water purification, and roads.
Mr. Hunt provided an update on the El Corozo project which has been challenged by leadership issues and COVID. Kairos has been active in El Corozo focused on social issues (Children program, Women’s group, Healthcare initiative, and a reading program). New leadership at El Corozo has focused on water to ensure the community has a safe and reliable water supply. Plans call for installing a bore hole well drill with solar powered mechanical pump and a tank reservoir for water retention and community piping.
Mr. Hunt stated FFH is well-aligned, focused and growing in ability to achieve positive change and impact in targeted communities. Partnering with OI and Kairos, FFH is focused on completing the well project by January 2022. As always, FFH is striving for measurable impact on target communities.
Mr. Hunt requested Rotarians to get involved by donating money, participating in a cultural delegation, and/or joining FFH steering community.
