Habakkuk's Well

Bringing Hope and Life to a Village with Nothing.

A Brief Profile of Kpeletayama Village

From Pastor Peter Flomo, son of the village

Kpeletayama is a village in Suakoko District, Bong County, Liberia. It contains about nine huts. This village is surrounded by over ten villages with similar conditions. It is a 'village with nothing'. With the population put together, 500 persons from the town will benefit while those from the surrounding areas will also benefit from this potable water.

The people in this village are simply "existing" while others are living. They are without basic life necessities.Your help is a LIGHT IN DARKNESS. This village could be the "Nazareth of Liberia" where no one expects any good thing. For those with hearts for humanity, I invite your investment in this village and your dividend will be one of eternity.

Please consider making a donation to bring hope and life through clean water to a village with nothing.

Donations can be sent to:
Global Orphan Outreach
Attn: Habakkuk's Well
P.O. Box 97Ladysmith,WI 54848

Materials and Cost Estimates for the construction of a concrete reinforced culvert lined hand-dug well so that safe drinking water can be provided to the Kpeletayama Village and the Suakoko District in Bong County.

Item Cost
1. 40 pcs of 2 x 3 diameter of concrete culvert rings - $1,800
2. 12 cuyd of 1/2 inch crushed rocks - $200
3. 12 cuyd of sand - $175
4. Excavation above water table($5.00/ft x 60ft) - $300
5. Lining of Culvert rings in the pit - $200
6. Mounting of sanitary court yard/apron - $325
7. Suction pumping of unsafe water - $125
8. Chemicals for chemical application - $100
9. Hand Pump - $750
10. Installation of pump - $75
11. Transportation of materials to and from site - $645
12. Below water column (20 ft below) - $300

Material total: $4,995
10% contingencies $499

Project Grand Total: $5,494







Our Story:

Mark and Peggy Halvorsen have been preparing to adopt two brothers from Liberia, West Africa, for the past year. In June 2009, our hearts were broken when we were told that our youngest boy, Habakkuk, then 2 ½ , had died of cholera, a disease acquired from drinking contaminated water. Habakkuk lived and died in a village with no well. He is not the only child who died for lack of clean water. Since losing our boy, it has been our dream to build a well in his community. We are working hard to raise the funds so construction can be completed before the rainy season, which starts in April.

Thank you for partnering with us to make Habakkuk's well a reality for the people of Kpeletayama village and Suakoko distict.

--Mark and Peggy Halvorsen
#715-514-4300
peghalvo@charter.net

Your Invited...Liberian Trip 2010!

Come see us in Liberia!

Global Orphan Outreach is planning a spring mission trip. Travel date is tentatively the week of April 7^th, 2010.

This trip is for those who are interested in becoming more involved in some capacity with one of our special projects and want to see and experience first hand for themselves- Liberia and the needs of its people.

We will be visiting Forget-Me-Not Children’s Homes and its special children, fixing up and decorating some of the foster homes, visiting a University as well as building handicap ramps on campus, hold some work shops, touring Monrovia and the Bong Cty area, taking foster families out for a “day at the beach” including enjoying a Liberian style meal of chicken and rice with them. We hope to tour some hospitals, a feeding center, check out the caustic prevention/education project progress as well as taking time to drive through the 1 million acres of Firestone. There also will be plenty of free time for personal time; spending it however you wish.

Price for airfare, transportation as a group, 6 nights accommodations (air conditioned), food, and $100 donation towards the FMN program while in Liberia will be $2600. (Funds for snacks or souvenirs –you will need separately)

If you are interested in traveling with us or want more information about this exciting trip; please contact Christina Hoffman #651-353-5248 or Donna Barber #715-415-4401

*** Passport, travel visa, and yellow fever shot required***

Liberian Family receives rice-by Julie Redman

Not a day goes by (since my trips to Africa) that I don't think about how to better help and serve the people in Liberia. I am thinking about ways to improve what we are doing @ Global Orphan Outreach
and ways I can contribute to other organizations who are working on other areas. The need is so great and I wish that I could contribute more. So, when other families jump in and say they want to help...well, it is encouraging! It is so awesome to be able to bring food (or other help) to another family. We also do a school sponsorship program and working with the people in Liberia with this program I realized how important it is to see that kids are fed FIRST! It becomes very hard for a student to learn when their bellies are constantly thinking of hunger. It is hard for them to stay in school when hungry because they know if they could just sell something during the day, they might be able to eat. This is such a basic need that goes unmet everyday for many people. Many people are helping to feed people and we are happy to be able to contribute along with them!

This is a picture of a family that recently received a bag of rice by a sponsor. Her name is Millie (I love that name, it also belonged to my granmother who has passed). Millie has 3 children to provide for but no education, no other family (it is believed all her other relatives died in the war), can't really speak much English and has not had a source of income for more than 10 years! Recently she began selling charcoal which has provided some income. One of her daughters has been to school and is done, the other is currently walking FOUR HOURS each day for her education. I believe this daughter's journey will be better on a full stomach!



This is where Millie and her children are living. The above picture shows their room. It is dark, humid and the roof leaks. So many needs...but this month she will not have to worry about food.



I want to direct you to the family's blog that has blessed this Liberian family. Please visit Mama B and get to know this awesome family! Thank you B family for your support!

To learn more how you too can become involved in the Rice Bowl Project; go to:
http://www.globalorphanoutreach.com/RiceBowl.html

Update on Gifty

I have had opportunity to spend some time with the Cook family and Gifty in Rogester,MN. Gifty is having some much better days after her last scare. Gifty had a liver transplant last week which went good. Then she had a very serious brain bleed and had to have surgery for that. Christmas day there were many many people praying especially for her to make it through. Today she has been able to have some apple juice, sit in a chair, have her tenny shoes on, etc...
Here she is watching the African Childrens choir on dvd and was facinated with the music.

Here is Gifty talking on the phone?ha! Actually her aunt Emma was singing to her- how sweet!

Gifty even got to enjoy part of a popcile. She loved it as you can imagine.

And Dean is getting in some much needed daddy/daughtere time!

Please continue to keep the Cook family and Gifty up in your thoughts and prayers. She has a long way to go.

Happy Holidays

Cleaning up for Christmas Day. Please remember us during your holiday season.

Gifty

This Beautiful little girl's name is Gifty who was adopted by the Cook family a year ago. (this is her picture from last Christmas) Gifty is special needs in that she has needed a liver transplant for sometime now. A family friend emailed this following update:

"Please pray for Gifty, they got the call this morning that they had a liver for Gifty. They are on there way now and hope to do the transplant tonight! It is so time for her as she is on oxygen and still having a hard time breathing because her liver is so enlarged".

Global Orphan Outreach along with Andrew Tyler were happy to be a part of helping her be adopted by the Cook family. They have done an amazing wonderful job of raising her and we all cannot wait to see her be healthy!!

Just in time for Christmas..

( click on picture to see bigger)

Happy Holidays! As some of you know; many of us have been helping in different ways in Liberia since the adoption of our children. One of those ways is with a program called Forget-Me-Not Children’s Homes. These are foster homes for special needs children. In deed-Christina is in Liberia this week working with the program nurse as well as meeting all the children and caregivers in these homes. To read more about this: www.globalorphanoutreach.blogspot.com

At this time of year, our thoughts and hearts turn to those who are less fortunate and how we might be able to help. We encourage you to consider giving to this program so that we can continue to help and support children who have been left abandoned because of their unique special needs. It is as easy as going to www.globalorphanoutreach.org and clicking on the pay pal button. You are welcome to send a donation to our address listed on this site as well. We are a 501c3 and give receipts upon request. And as always, you can reach us by phone at #715-415-4401

We also have an African Inspired Quilt Raffle that you can participate in. All proceeds are going towards the homes for special needs children in Liberia. What a great gift for a loved one in your circle of family or friends. The warmth of this quilt will be appreciated by your loved one and the donation of this raffle will go to precious children in need of your help. Thank-you!