Worldharvest’s Weblog

World Harvest, in partnership with some of its strategic alliances and sponsors, is proud to host a Benefit Concert for Africa. This year’s concert will feature Frontline Generation, along with special guest appearances by the acclaimed African Band Milele and the solo recording artist Elva Frye. All proceeds and profits of the AFRICA BENEFIT CONCERT will go toward strategic humanitarian projects in Africa, specifically in Uganda, Congo, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The AFRICA BENEFIT CONCERT will be held on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at Wilshire Ebell Theater, located at 4401 W. 8th St. in Los Angeles. Doors will open at 5:30 PM, and the event will be held from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Over the years, World Harvest in conjunction with the non-profit IFGF-GISI have successfully produced exciting and professional benefit concerts and productions; steadily attracting more visitors annually with close to 800 attendees at the last year’s benefit concert alone. With a growing interest, an improved program, a larger and better venue, we are confident we will sell out the 1,200 seat venue at this year’s AFRICAN BENEFIT CONCERT.

We urgently need and request your support for this event so that lives can be transformed and communities can be built. The AFRICAN BENEFIT CONCERT will only be made possible by generous donators and/or sponsors like you.

Appeal

The continent of Africa makes up about 22 percent of earth’s surface area, containing close to 13 percent of the world’s population. Its population growth is deteriorating rapidly due largely to the devastating effects of AIDS-HIV, and other diseases which sadly are actually treatable, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Africa’s economy has remained largely stagnant in the past 40 plus years of the post-colonial era. Africa’s per capita income is $660 (2% of USA). The whole continent generates only about 1.7% of world’s GNP (Gross National Product). Most Africans are subsistent farmers, vulnerable to famine and diseases due to poor sanitation and health-care services. Corruption, foreign debt, natural disasters, regional and national wars, famines, and low income generating opportunities, have all contributed to Africa’s continuing poverty.

When looking at the enormity of the problem in Africa, it is tempting to just ignore it and think there is nothing that can be done about it. Micah 6:8 says “He has shown you, o man, what is good: And what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Our goal is to act, and to do according: enact justice and communicate love through mercy (charity).

World Harvest in conjunction with IFGF wants to play a key role in becoming agents of justice and mercy. We have adopted and planted leadership training and relief efforts in Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo; and we intend to penetrate Sierra Leone and Burundi this fiscal year. We are working in equipping African indigenous leaders by providing them with entrepreneurship skills, through job and leadership training.

We wish to invite you to partner with us in making a significant impact throughout Africa by playing a key role in helping sponsor the AFRICAN BENEFIT CONCERT. Please send us an e-mail for further information on this great opportunity.

Ticket Prices: $10 (advance) and $12 (box-office).

Please contact World Harvest @ (626) 358-7700 to purchase your tickets.

Thanks.

Western aid to foreign countries usually arrives in the form of medical assistance, or food provision. Of which are welcome with open arms; however, are these just short term remedial solutions, or do these offers (as long as they are sustained indefinitely), actually help combat the cycle of poverty? World Vision for instance for years, has been at the fore of providing immediate needs for basic survival in poor communities. However, does such an approach to humanitarian aid address the issue of eradicating the cycle of poverty? Would there be merit to tackle the mindset that keeps developing societies in a state of impoverishment; for instance, foreign aid agencies working at not just providing a fish to these communities, but working at teaching them how to fish.

 How about an approach that would tackle the immediate needs (which is necessary), but in addition to, an approach that would work at equipping natives of these developing countries with the tools and resources that could eventually provide for them a self-sustaining community. How about starting with the future generation (the children), by providing them with the means to gain a quality education. Or we can say, equipping communities with opportunities to conduct business ventures, and providing them with say, “soft-loans” that can serve as the working capital for such ventures. I believe that tackling such root problems (a lack of education opportunities, a lack of capital resources, foreign aid reliance etc.), would veer a developing society, and poor communities therein, from dependency to self-sustenance and long term sustainability.