About our programs

Through our poverty and education programs IHF creates person-to-person communication links between the voiceless, at-risk populations and the ordinary everyday people of all walks of life. This facilitates the exchange of more accurate information on global poverty thereby educating each other and creating a world that is better prepared for effective problem solving.

The creation of these long lasting relationships is a learning experience for the poor and marginalized children as well as for the educated volunteers that participate in our programs. IHF policies and programs are firmly routed in a pass it on philosophy. This philosophy is a part of all our programs, and is embedded in the belief that all knowledge ever learned is gained through communication with others, thereby it is a responsibility for our children, staff, volunteers and sponsors to exchange this knowledge to reduce global misinformation and develop informed leaders for tomorrow.

IHF has four locations in Indonesia, one in Kenya, and one in Thailand.

We established the centers in Kenya because we wanted to work in a country where famine existed but that was also relatively safe for our volunteers to work in, so they could visit famine stricken areas to personally see what the effects of hunger on society are, to learn what the signs of malnutrition are, and to help those who face malnutrition.

The Thailand location in Chiang Rai was established as a preventative measure against the trafficking of children as sex slaves, which has been a major problem in the region since the Vietnam War. According to the UN, human trafficking is the third largest portion of the black market in developing nations after the trade of illegal arms and narcotics and this fact is unfortunately prevalent in Thailand, a country where sexual slavery has started incorporating into the tourism industry.

Indonesia has IHF centers in Jakarta, Bali, Aceh, and Medan. These centers primarily focus on educating children through the TEP and Class Sponsorship programs with some centers teaching over 400 students. The centers provide an informal place for children from lower economic classes to work with volunteers, which teaches the children to feel comfortable with people from different backgrounds at a young age.

IHF has many different programs, sponsorships, and opportunities to help:

ORPHANAGE/SAFE-HOME PROGRAM

Opens homes around the world to the most vulnerable and marginalized children from slum areas and nomadic/tribal villages who cannot be placed with relatives. At the IHF orphanages, children find a personal, permanent family-one that preserves the values and traditions of their culture in an informal, supportive environment conducive to growth and learning.

THE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Finances expenses for education in countries where public education is a luxury and most of the poor cannot afford to send their children to school. Sponsors can provide the costs for tuition, books, uniforms and graduation ceremonies for one child.

CLASS SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Encourages class-to-class sponsorship and builds connections between students in the West and the poorest students overseas. In addition to English and computer skills, we teach math, leadership and life-skills, all designed to enhance our students’ problemsolving and teamwork abilities.

FAMINE FEED PROGRAM

Provides emergency relief for the severely malnourished nomadic tribes of Kenya during periods of extreme drought. Our volunteers and local staff distribute enough food monthly to feed more than 500 malnourished tribes people (mostly women and children) who often walk all day to receive several handfuls of food.

SURVIVAL PROGRAM

Funds the purchase of chickens, goats and camels for the poorest starving families in rural nomadic tribes. Because they are often unable to farm the land they inhabit, many East Pokot tribes depend on these livestock as a reliable source of sustenance and self-sustainability.

MEDICAL CLINIC PROGRAM

Funds a basic medical facility staffed by one full-time nurse to provide free or low-cost health care to the children and surrounding community, as well as to our local staff. Medicine and first aid are IHF priorities in Kenya, and our vision is to provide a much larger range of medicines and services.

TRIBAL PEACE FARM

An extension of our orphanage and brings people together from surrounding tribes. Its 20 acres in the fertile Rift Valley of Kenya is a group effort of peace, development and sustainability. Children assist in tending it, and crops from this land provide income for the orphanage. Plentiful harvests are shared with the poorest tribes in the surrounding desert areas. We have programmes worldwide. . .

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