Facebook message to all members of HEARThs

Hello all old and new members of HEARThs. We have now 243 members in our facebook group, which is wonderful, but I get the sense that most people here dont seem to understand the purpose of our group, and so I wanted to take a few moments to explain to you the significance of HEARTHS:

Short for: HElpingAfricanRefugeesToHelpthemSelves, this group is not a charity, not a place for you to simply get help with your problems, but instead we are here to combine our efforts, work together and come up with a plan and strategy so we can show to the world that you are not just a buch of poor people in need of help, but that you have heart, a spirit, a passion with which you can create miracles. With this spirit you will show your love to the world, and it is this spirit through which you will be able to improve your life, with the spirit of love in your heart.

Some people here still come to me only when they need help. Help with food, healthcare, housing and education, all of which are important needs, but there is someting that many people here dont seem to understand, but its important that you know this: We dont have any sponsors. Since I started this group in September 2013 we only had 2 sponsors other than myself, but these sponsors left because they felt uncomfortable after many people from this group went to them personally asking for help, and even though we asked them several times not to do that, they continued to begg for money, and so those those two other wonderful people, Terri Summers and Beberly Abbasgirl left our group.

Can you understand how bad it makes somebody like them, or me feel when people continue to come to you begging for help? Even I learned the very hard way that when you help somebody once of course they are happy, but after a while either this person comes back asking for more, or other people also come and ask for money, and it never stops. I realize that many of you are extremely poor, but please understand that this group is not a charity, We just dont have the funds for that, and I am rather poor myself as I am unemployed at the moment, and so I cant do much with $400 per month.

I understand that many of you are so desperate for help that you might spent the majority of your time online to find sponsors and people to help you, but there is someting that you are not understanding, but I hope you will after I share the following with you:

People from Ghana epecially, but also other parts of Africa, many of the poor refugees, widows and orphans have developed a very bad reputation because all they do is invite people to be their friends only for one reason, to ask them for help and for money, but let me assure you, this is not how you are going to make real friends, if all you care about is how this person is going to help you. This way people feel being taken advantage of, and used as somebody who is only there to help you with your needs, and nobody likes that, believe me, and also, this is not what HEARTHS is about, so now that I told you what HEARTHS is not, let me now tell you what HEARThs is.

HEARThs is about the idea that with the love in our heart we can change our world, If we work together as one unit, one organization, one family, anyhing is possible, but for that to happen its time for you to change your thinking, from looking at yourself as somebod who is poor, powerless to change anything, without any hope, in need of help from others, towards the realization that you are a person with many talents, passions, dreams, ideas and skills, and even though you might not be aware of them, now is, the time for you to find, develp and express your inner gifts and creative energies.

The main purpose of HEARThs is love, which is really what brings us here, the love in our hearts. We are here to inspire, motivate, encourage, empower and care for each other so we can create a wonderful organization together, and for this to happen we need to become organized, and for this we need your help.

There are so many things you can do for our group, like posting about the situation on the camp, or wherever you live, to be like a reporter for the group and to show us with articles and pictures about your specific living situation and your neighborhood. This would be so very important to see since most people here in the western world like Europe or the USA have no idea of how you live since the newspapers and tv only rarey repeport on that, so it would be so great if you could show us with pictures and articles how you live. I would then compile those articles and pictures in a group blog, which would another great way of draw attention to our cause.

I know its difficult when you have many needs yourself, but this is the time for you to focus less on your personal needs, even when you have them to not bring them up to me or in the group, but instead find ways of what you can do to help the group.

Remember what sister Maya Angelou said. Nothing will work unless you do. With this in mind I hope that you will show this group some love, which is the essence of everything: Love is not about expecting anything from anybody. Its not about other people to help you or give you what you want from them, but its about the love you give to others, the love that comes from your heart

We are HEARThs