Water
This year our water initiatives team dug two wells and also pioneered a spring-fed water catchment system.  Now, thousands more people in rural communities have access to clean, safe drinking water.

Education
Across three continents, wherever Himalayan Institute centers opened their doors, they provided scholarships for underprivileged people of all ages.  It’s a simple way of showing our commitment to long term poverty alleviation through education. Support education today by joining our latest campaign, the Center For Leadership in Africa.

Cultural Exchange
Our eco-service excursion to Mexico proved that zero footprint tourism can be win-win.  Between exploring centuries old cathedrals and stunning landscapes in central Mexico, participants contributed to communal projects and were invited into the homes of local residents.

Ground Breaking:
In Khajuraho, India we began construction on a new Himalayan Institute campus, nestled between the Vindhya Mountains and a national forest.

Holistic solutions
In 2011, more medicines than ever before were grown and processed on site by the very communities they will heal.  The union of agriculture, medicine, and employment opportunities forms the backbone of sustainable humanitarian projects.

Humanitarian Staff
Last year we said goodbye to humanitarian couple John Daskovsky and Amanda Masters who served our projects in the USA, Mexico and Cameroon. They have taken on new territory in Buffalo NY and now work at and run the Himalayan Institute Buffalo center. Congratulation to them both as they await arrival of their first born expected in April!

Also last year we said hello to new humanitarian dept technician, Steve Odnoha and welcomed him and his big bag of techy tricks.

Vocational Training and Job Creation
In Cameroon, we expanded our jewelry-making course to reach more rural women, while our School of Carpentry and Construction has been declared one of the leading vocational centers in the country.  In 2012, support these entrepreneurs by purchasing clothing, handcrafted jewelry and quality artwork from our Humanitarian trAID store.

Environmentalism
In Mexico our community center continues to grow it’s sustainable agriculture programs as it teaches earth friendly and money saving farming practices.

Thanks again to HI members, donors and our humanitarian fans who’s extraordinary support made 2011 a year to remember!

To date, we’ve raised $4,310! This means we are only $690 shy of our goal. With this $5,000 (which will be instantly matched), thousands will benefit from HI Cameroon’s educational center.

We need your help! Every dollar counts! Please take a moment to donate. We won’t reach this goal without you….

Some gifts look great with a bow. Some gifts are harder to wrap like the gift of education to budding professionals in the developing world, or the gift of state of the art tools and equipment to an entire community of entrepreneurs, all striving to build a better life for their families! In 2012, with your help, we’ll provide this gift to thousands in Cameroon by creating a Center for Leadership and Vocational Studies.

The Himalayan Institute’s humanitarian projects are funded by the contributions of its members.  This holiday season, please give $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can to continue making these gifts a reality.

TAKE ACTION NOW by clicking here and make a contribution which will  help build this new center.

Happy Holidays!

Today we have something very specific and extremely important to ask you. But it’s not just important to us here at HI, but rather to the 100,000 people who will receive this gift….

Watch our trailer below and check out our campaign page to learn more about the CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP AND VOCATIONAL STUDIES and to make a contribution.

did you know?…

50,000 people die each day due to poverty related conditions. Over half of these people are children who never had the chance of developing themselves to ultimately improve their lives and their surroundings.

Here at HI we use education and long term mentoring to build capacity, create opportunity, and give people the means to direct their own lives.

This is why we need your help to support this NEW campaign and build a Center for Leadership and Vocational Studies at our community center in Kumbo, Cameroon.

The action you take today will make a real change, for tomorrow and beyond.

Sincerely,

The HI Humanitarian Team

To get the program started, Ariszandy has organized multiple rounds of meetings with local farmers and families, introducing the goals of the course, which include giving families the skills needed to develop home gardens and accompanying education about nutrition.

The course also focuses on preserving and honoring traditional food sources from the area, which are being neglected, in many cases, as access to imported and processed food increases. As the rate of obesity and diabetes escalates, even in rural areas like Jonotla, it is crucial to reclaim healthy and sustainable food production, especially for families with children. Finally, the program aims to empower marginalized families to produce food for themselves and to help develop the larger community by combating poverty with abundance.

While HI Mexico has already been teaching farmers basic techniques in organic farming, including food and medicinal herb production, this course focuses specifically on food diversification, production in limited spaces, and nutrition education.

Attendees of the first meeting were very participatory, with many questions and suggestions.

The goal of this first program session is to give fulltime training to at least five families, though as many as are interested and committed are welcome. HI Mexico looks forward to serving its community in this new way!

Two students from the Government Training Center of Buea, a large costal town approximately 250 miles away (over a 10 hour drive), recently travelled to the center in Kumbo to see for themselves the facilities they have been hearing about.  They were impressed.

Visiting students Nji David Emaka and Alima Espa Nsom.

The visitors were invited to experience each of the community center’s core programs, including the School of Energy Farming, Total Health Center, Kumbo Public Library, and School of Carpentry & Construction.

Examining medicinal herbs being cultivated in the Energy Farming demonstration plot behind the community center.

Head consultant of the Total Health program demonstrates the encapsulator which turns Energy Farming-grown herbs into effective and inexpensive medicine.

“I could not believe my eyes it when I saw these capsules made in the blink of an eye,” exclaimed David at our herbal laboratory.

"The Kumbo Public Library, what a blessing to your community,” commented Alima while touring our large public library.

In the Carpentry and Construction facility, the visitors observed fine furniture being made with equipment they had learned of in school.

They were especially inspired by the solar wood drying kiln.

David and Alima were impressed by the innovation and creativity at HI Cameroon. They left saying, “This center should be affiliated with a technical university in Cameroon.” Certainly, the more people that HI Cameroon can reach, the better!

Click the image below to listen to the interview and see accompanying photos of HI Mexico’s work:

A few of the main points that Geovanni spoke about include:

• An introduction to the Himalayan Institute and its main work focused on yoga.
• In January 2010 HI launched a social program in rural Jonotla, aimed at contributing to sustainable development in the region, specifically sustainable agriculture. The connection to yoga? “We think that when your body is healthy, your mind is healthy, everything else comes to you naturally. When people use sustainable organic practices, you are regenerating the soil and the environment, so the products that you obtain will be good for your body and for nature.”
• Much of HI Mexico’s trainings have been done with local university students who are the next generation and who are more open to ideas of sustainability, such as composting, crop diversification, organic biofertilizers, and so on. Through them, we are working to “create a new conscience in the community.”
• How have people received the vision that HI Mexico puts forward? Some people have hesitated to adopt new farming practices, but in reality these techniques are not new. Our grandparents used these techniques until the chemical and technical era introduced new approaches. The Institute offers to take up these old, natural techniques with a new approach.
• One challenge is that organic agriculture can mean more up-front costs, but we hope to show that by adopting these practices, the soil and environment are regenerated, saving future costs of degredation. Additionally, the produce grown is healthier for the body. Our new program in family gardens, soon to be launched, focuses on both the techniques and environmental benefits of organic food production, as well as the nutrition.
• The goal of our work is not just about saving money. It is about health, the natural world, and the social development of excluded societies in the world.
• Those interested in learning more or collaborating with HI Mexico are encouraged to visit our webpage: http://www.himalayaninstitute.org.mx/

Geovanni was invited to return to the station later this week to publicize upcoming yoga events in Puebla and Mexico featuring Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, sponsored by HI Mexico. These include a lecture tour in Puebla and Mexico City and keynote address at the 8th National Conference on Yoga in Mexico City. To see Pandit Tigunait’s event schedule for Mexico this Nov 12th-16th, click here.

Listen to the interview, live at: www.pueblafm.mx (105.9 FM Puebla, Mexican Radio).