Of Haiti’s 9 million inhabitants about half is under 20 years of age. The life expectancy is 53 years for men and 56 for women. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. The living conditions, with unemployment around 70% and a totally inadequate healthcare system makes death physically present and a natural part of everyday life.

To get an education is getting more important. Please help Star of Hope give more children a good start in life. We need more sponsors for the kids that we are trying to help. Maybe you can be a sponsor as well? Thank you!

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When I visited North Korea in 2003, you had to visit a number of tourist destinations. They included a couple of monuments honoring leaders among others. You also had to visit the Mangyongdae Children's Palace, which was a house full of various activities for children. I think these visits are still a must.

These children showed a range of activities for us tourists. It was sports, games, singing, dancing and more. It was reported that the children were more skilled than their peers in other countries. They were extremely talented, no doubt about that. However, there were many with me that questioned then and even now, the methods used to get the kids so talented.

Some pictures from my visit in 2003 below. These images concludes my short series about the disaster relief that Star of Hope did in 2003. The effort was much needed and very appreciated. I hope to return to North Korea sometime in the future.

In Dano village in Haiti the village leader is also the pastor at the local church. Mr. Wallas is a busy man of God, he has also a big heart and always in a good mood. He fights hard to do the very best for the villagers, the children and the elderly. If not preaching the good word he is out doing good works.

His personality encourages the people to help others in the village and he is always ready to step in and do the work himself if needed.

Here are some pictures from a service after the flooding in 2008:

The hospital “Pyongyang Baby home” also received goods at the Star of Hope relief in North Korea in 2003. Dr. Mun Chang Un showed us the products they received. We took off our shoes and put on white coats before we went in to the patient department.

Dr. Mun said the following about the hospital founded in 1980: It has 1,500 patient beds. 500 is for children, 1,000 are occupied by women. It is not only births to take care of there. It has also various gynecological departments, and about 15,000 women get through here every year. 50-60 children were born every day.

They have received technical assistance from China, India, Russia and Thailand. They have received lab equipment from Sweden.

They were very happy about the goods they got through Star of Hope, but they were still missing a lot. Their needs included vitamins and ultrasound machines. There was a great need for antibiotics - especially to the mothers who do cesarean which is a full 15% of all births.

Dr. Mun said that a full 12% of births are premature and that it was due to women's poor health. Dr. Mun showed us the premature children. They were very small!

I also found out that a seven years old kid in South Korea weight about 20 pounds more than a kid from North Korea on average. And the kids in South Korea is on avergare 8 inches taller than the North Korean kids. Big numbers.

In Haiti we have given out goats and chickens since mid December again. The animals were given by sponsors that wanted to give a good and useful Christmas gift to poor children in one of the poorest countries in the world. Pictures has arrived and I would like to share them with you.

The pictures are taking Tony Boursiquot, Star of Hopes project manager in Haiti. You can see more pics on Flickr if you click here.

Also Nampo Children Boarding School with slightly older children received clothes and food from the Star of Hope disaster relief in 2003. Nampo Children Boarding School is located on the beautiful country surrounded by low mountains and green hills. We drove into the area that had a basketball court and a soccer field.

In total, here lived and studied 212 children. 111 of them were 7-11 years old and went to primary school (4 year grades), 101 were 12-17 years old and went to secondary school (six grades).

The subjects studied by the children included Korean, math, science, electronics and gymnastics. Students in secondary school also read English.

They got this time following the Star of Hope:
Clothes, sugar, cooking oil, rice, soybeans, meal and supplements.

I privately bought pens to all the kids with a little difficulty. It was not like going to the first available shop to buy. You had to ask permission to go to a store where foreigners like I could shop.

But it all worked out and the kids were happy. They also received two soccer balls which was very appreciated. It was very interesting to meet these children.