January 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Lesotho: Orphans: NGO's: Service: The Journal News.com, NY: Lesotho RPCV Kenneth Storen trying to save African children with " Touching Tiny Lives," a safe house for homeless children

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Lesotho: Peace Corps Lesotho : The Peace Corps in Lesotho: January 1, 2005: Headlines: COS - Lesotho: Orphans: NGO's: Service: The Journal News.com, NY: Lesotho RPCV Kenneth Storen trying to save African children with " Touching Tiny Lives," a safe house for homeless children

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-43-253.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.43.253) on Saturday, January 01, 2005 - 4:13 pm: Edit Post

Lesotho RPCV Kenneth Storen trying to save African children with " Touching Tiny Lives," a safe house for homeless children

Lesotho RPCV Kenneth Storen trying to save African children with  Touching Tiny Lives, a safe house for homeless children

Lesotho RPCV Kenneth Storen trying to save African children with " Touching Tiny Lives," a safe house for homeless children

Local man trying to save African children

By BARBARA LIVINGSTON NACKMAN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: January 1, 2005)

MAHOPAC — Kenneth Storen, a 1987 graduate of Mahopac High School, is trying to save the world — one child at a time.

A trained teacher, he enrolled in the Peace Corps in 1999 and stayed for three years in Lesotho, Africa, educating orphaned children and working with HIV/AIDS support groups. After his assignment ended in 2002, he remained in the African nation working for the Near East Foundation to further help children left as orphans by the disease.

"You look into the eyes of a child and can't turn away. I have seen them turn from sickness to health," Storen, 35, said while visiting family in Mahopac during the holidays. On Jan. 7, he returns to Lesotho — a hilly, rugged nation slightly smaller than the state of Maryland and landlocked by South Africa — hoping he can fund a life-saving project of his own.

While continuing to work as country director for the New York-based foundation, he has turned his three-bedroom home into Touching Tiny Lives, a safe house for homeless children. He is raising money through an initiative called Six Degrees of Love, based on the concept that everyone is connected to everyone else in the world through friends of friends.

In Storen's case, he has taken six young orphans into his home. A few are younger than 2 years old. Friends and volunteers help him care for them.

Storen said he hopes to raise $100,000 while visiting New York to fund a permanent home for children before May — when winter arrives in Lesotho.

St. John's the Evangelist, the Mahopac church where the Storen family has worshipped for many years, has adopted the project. Tomorrow, church leaders will ask parishioners for contributions after each Mass to help Storen's project.

Longtime family friend John McNamara of Mahopac said he already made a contribution and would encourage others to do the same.

"He is an amazing and inspiring young man," McNamara said of Storen.

Dorothy Brady of Briarcliff Manor agrees. She and her husband, Walter, also friends of the Storens, also have solicited contributions on his behalf.

"There are young people out there who are doing wonderful things and he is one of them," she said. "It is devastating to hear of these children. There is such a horrible epidemic in Africa."

Storen, who has a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and a master's degree in education from the University of Colorado in Boulder, said when he joined the Peace Corps he asked to be assigned anywhere except Africa.

"I thought it was a big, hot place," said Storen, who had just spent a year living in Colorado and enjoys mountain climbing.

Actually, he explained, there are changing seasons in Africa, though they are reversed from New York. He said the culture is rich and the people are friendly. He has learned the local language, Sesotho.

He continues, though, to miss local pizza. This past week, he said, he has eaten a few slices.

His father, Dennis Storen, said his son has always defended the oppressed.

"As a kid he didn't like it when others bullied a weaker child. He always stepped forward," Storen's dad recalled.

Near East Foundation president Ryan LaHurd said Storen has taken on a difficult job and is inspiring other workers, even his bosses.

"There are so many people dying of AIDS and the families can't take care of these kids," he said. "Sometimes it feels like you are spitting into the ocean. But to Ken, one life is worth saving, and he will do everything he can. We are fortunate to have him with us."

Send e-mail to Barbara Livingston Nackman



How to help

Donations may be sent to Near East Foundation, 420 Lexington Ave., Suite 2516, New York, NY 10170. Please write Six Degrees of Love/Lesotho in the memo portion of the check. For information, contact www.six degreesoflove.org or the foundation at www.neareast.org or 212-867-0064.
Lesotho at a glance
History: Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966 when it gained independence from the United Kingdom. Its history includes 23 years of military rule and a violent uprising in 1998 that was quelled by South African intervention. Parliamentary elections were held in 2002.
Population: 2 million people, including nearly 100,000 orphans. It is estimated that 31 percent of the population is HIV positive.





When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Date: December 24 2004 No: 345 The World's Broken Promise to our Children
Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories Date: December 26 2004 No: 346 December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories
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Tom Murphy will not seek 4th term as Pittsburgh mayor 22 Dec
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Gov. Jim Doyle streamlines state government 22 Dec
Namibia Volunteers sworn in 21 Dec
RPCV serves as Ukraine election observer 21 Dec
Christmas Gifts for Peace Corps Volunteers 21 Dec
Estonia RPCV John Isles wins NEA poetry award 21 Dec
Director Vasquez decries racism and discrimination 20 Dec
RPCV criticizes "harrassment by Russian government" 20 Dec
War's horrors turn RPCV's son into pacifist 19 Dec
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Our debt to Bill Moyers Our debt to Bill Moyers
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RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack
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Is Gaddi Leaving? Is Gaddi Leaving?
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The Birth of the Peace Corps The Birth of the Peace Corps
UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.
Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes
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Read the stories and leave your comments.






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Story Source: The Journal News.com, NY

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Lesotho; Orphans; NGO's; Service

PCOL15675
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By Zeeshan Ahmad (203.135.23.75) on Monday, September 26, 2005 - 8:48 pm: Edit Post

To,

Government Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Sir,
Most considerately, I wish to bring to your kind notice that my brother Tanveer Akraam s/o Muhammad Akraam who was living and serving as an Electrition in Saudi Arabia since 2002 under OWAD NAGI SAALM AL-HAMAMI. {Kafeel}
He was goining to NAJRAN from RIYADH with his friend Anees Amjad in Mini truck whose driver was Anees Amjad. Tanveer Akraam was goining to NAJRAN to take new AKHAMA from his Kafeel because the previous AKHAMA was expired. They were struck by a road accident near ABHA-ASEER on 22,Sep, 2005. Tanveer Akraam was died on the occasion, still his dead body in the Hospital of ABHA. We are pitiable & poor and can’t afford the expenses taking deceased person’s dead body to Pakistan. We have sent him to Saudi Arabia to earn for our family but we have lost an earning person of our family. He was the only earning person of our family. Tanveer Akraam was married and he has left two sons behind him. The whole family is suffering with deep sorrow and waiting for the dead body. We are helpless and distressed in such circumstances. This is our humble request to Government of Saudi Arabia and NGO’s of the world to help us in this situation. The Deceased person’s family requires financial assistance. We hope that Government of Saudi Arabia and NGO’S of the world will take notice and help us in this time of trial. Family of the deceased person is waiting for the dead body in Pakistan so this is our humble request to Saudi government and NGO’S of the world to help us and make it easy to carry dead body to Pakistan. It is appealed on the basis of human helpless, as you are good helper in the world of needy and poor. Please contact as soon as possible with MUBKHUT NAGI SAALM AL-HAMAMI {NAJRAN}
MOBILE#00966-0503072630
OFFICE PH#00966-5440385
FAX#5450920
MUHAMMAD FAZIL {PAKISTANI}
MOBILE#00966-0508679241

I shall much obliged to you.

Usman Akraam
S/o
Muhammad Akraam
Chak No.32 S.B. Distt. Sargodha {Punjab} Pakistan.
PH#0092-048-3821506
PH#0092-048-3821295

By Anonymous (wwwcache1.cumbria.cleo.net.uk - 212.219.207.41) on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 10:14 am: Edit Post

this is sad


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