Morocco is still reeling from the devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the western side of the country this past September. Not only were 2,900 people killed and another 5,500 injured, but many remote villages in the Atlas Mountains as well as historic parts of the city of Marrakech were completely obliterated. After conducting an assessment on the ground, GAiN concluded that the need for shelter and blankets was of utmost importance and has since delivered aid to many people affected by the disaster.
Our teams have travelled and distributed aid in various parts of western Morocco and continue to encounter all sorts of people who are eager to share their stories. In one village south of Marrakesh, team members gave a relief package to a 12-year-old boy named Idir, whose life was turned upside down by the violent upheaval of the earthquake. He told the team about how he lost everything he owned and everyone he loved, including both of his parents and his brothers. Today, he lives in a tent with four women who each lost their husbands.
“I continue to speak with my father even though he is no longer around because I miss him so much,” Idir shared.
Despite the crushing loss of his family and home, Idir continues to have hope for the future. He dreams of studying and participating in sports and hopes that one day, he will be a worldwide journalist so that everybody will know what he and his country have lived through.
Idir is one of many people in Morocco who have received some form of aid from GAiN. According to recent stats and in collaboration with our partner on the ground, we have provided 400 packages of essential items such as food and clothing, 20 large tents, 65 emergency tarps and 20 latrines to survivors of the earthquake.
Although our efforts feel small in the wake of such overwhelming loss and hardship, we pray that by meeting some of the immediate needs of the people of Morocco, they will gain a measure of hope and strength for the days to come. Our desire is to one day look back and see Morocco as a country that overcame the darkest of days and is now marked by peace, stability and restoration.
Ever since the enormous earthquake in February of this year, Turkey and Syria have been struggling to move forward. The degree of devastation is intense and has pushed tens of thousands of people into an ongoing state of desperation and need.
We have continued our work with our partner on the ground in order to provide aid for those without proper living conditions. According to recent reports, there were over one million individuals living in tents in the Hatay area a few months ago. Only an estimated 85,000 of these people have been moved to container houses, which are nothing more than empty, portable containers set up as temporary forms of shelter. These structures lack a bathroom or kitchen and have hardly any electricity, which was extremely trying in the summer months as temperatures were reaching highs of 35 degrees. Some individuals were able to scrape together enough money to buy a mattress or sofa, or had one donated to them by an NGO, but the numbers are few.
One of our partners relayed a story of a family living in one of these container houses:
“Last week, contacts in Istanbul informed us of a family living in Hatay who were in need of help, so some members of our team visited them. It was a family with small babies. Their house had collapsed. All their neighbours had been killed by the earthquake. All except them. They now live with two other families in a single container house. Three families crammed into one container. They have nothing, they have lost everything. One of the big needs we identified was an air conditioner, a fridge and a washing machine”.
In an effort to alleviate some of people’s discomfort, GAiN and our partner organization sought to provide fans and refrigerators to people living in these container houses. Within days, our teams were able to identify several dozen families living in these difficult conditions and in need of aid.
During one distribution, our partners on the ground, accompanied by a governor of the city, encountered an elderly couple in their sixties in the village of Hatay. It was a blisteringly hot 44º day and as the team handed them the fridge, the couple graciously offered the team members a seat and some bottled water.
The elderly man pointed to a pile of rubble, the remains of their house where a lifetime of memories and experiences are now buried. In spite of everything, they were happy and grateful for the house they have now, which they have been gradually building with their own hands after the earthquake.
Our partner said, “The heat was extreme and this is a big problem for families like the one we have visited. Not only is it very difficult to withstand the temperatures in a home that is not conditioned for it, but the food does not last long before rotting.”
Giving the elderly couple a refrigerator has not only boosted their spirits, but it has improved their health by allowing them to keep food without fearing it will spoil and make them sick.
“Meeting this couple makes us think about how interesting it is to see the different responses to the tragedy that each family has: some turn to help others, others focus on improving their situation, and others remain paralyzed without knowing what to do,” our partner shared.
A fridge may not seem like much, but to these survivors, it has symbolized love and reminded them that there are people out there who care for their wellbeing. To date, our partners on the ground have distributed 75 fans and 75 refrigerators, as well as 8,600 litres of bottled water, 860 food boxes and 1,506 health care kits. They have also built 20 tiny houses for people without homes and have distributed two large transports of GIK, including essentials such as toilet paper, clothes, blankets and mattresses.
The disaster relief we have brought to Turkey and Syria can feel like a small droplet of help in a sea of devastation and need. Yet knowing the hope that can seep out of our lives into those we touch spurs us to keep going. In Jeremiah 29:11, God declares, “‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
We speak this promise over the nations of Turkey and Syria, for He who promised is faithful.
For over a year and a half, GAiN has committed to bringing aid and support to the people of Ukraine as they continue to navigate the war. Current stats report that there are 5.8 million Ukrainian refugees recorded across Europe and 3.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine. Simply put, there are still millions of people in dire need of practical provision, such as food and shelter, especially with winter on the way.
Our local partners on the ground recently encountered two women, Raisa and Violette, who have both been profoundly impacted by GAiN’s work. Although the women live over 600 km apart and do not know each other, both share similar stories of finding hope in a time of overwhelming loss and hardship.
Raisa Kelb is a 39-year-old woman who lives with her husband and children in Kherson. Despite the danger of staying there during the period of occupation by Russian troops, her family remained because both she and her husband are in charge of caring for their elderly parents. Raisa works as a hairdresser while her husband works in the municipal service of the city.
Due to the massive explosion of the Kakhovka reservoir, Raisa’s house completely flooded and became unusable, causing city authorities to resettle their family in a hostel. The four of them huddle in the same room and share a kitchen with 16 other families. Life is not easy, wages have fallen and the chances of saving enough money to repair their house or buy a new home are slim. But Raisa has not lost hope for a better life–she is inspired by the fact that people from all over the world are helping the people of Kherson. Since receiving aid from GAiN, she now has the resources to feed her family for some time.
“This is evidence of God’s love and care in [our] lives,” Raisa said. “[I am] very grateful to everyone who is involved in this good deed.”
Violetta Chizhevskaya (30 years old) lives in Kharkov and raises her children, Ilya (5 years old) and Dasha (4 years old) by herself. Like many residents of Kharkov, the family was left homeless and forced to rent an apartment. Violetta is a practical psychologist, but since the beginning of the war, her client demand has significantly decreased. Earnings are hardly enough for utilities and rent.
Therefore, when help came from GAiN, Violetta was exceedingly thankful. She was already thinking about buying shoes for her children, so it was perfect timing when GAiN arrived with brand new sneakers for her kids. Additionally, the family received a food package. The children were especially pleased with the sweets!
Violetta shared, “This help [has] not only met [my] material needs but [has] also strengthened [my] faith in human kindness and God’s love.”
Raisa and Violette are two women of incredible strength and grit, supporting the needs of their families in a time when their own lives are at risk. Losing their homes and barely scraping together enough funds to make ends meet is difficult and taxing, which is why it gives GAiN such great joy to be able to bless their families with practical aid. Their stories remind us that while many people are surviving each day, the need for basic necessities, like food, shelter and adequate clothing, is still prevalent. As an organization, we are devoted to seeing health and vitality permeate Ukraine once again and look ahead to many more months of bringing humanitarian aid and the love of Christ to those we encounter on the ground.
This past September, Morocco was rocked by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,900 people and injured approximately 5,500 others. The earthquake struck the western side of the country, damaging remote villages in the Atlas Mountains as well as parts of the historic city of Marrakech. GAiN swiftly stepped in to assess the situation and deliver aid to the affected areas, focusing primarily on the need for shelter and blankets.
As you know, GAiN desires to bring practical relief to those in desperate situations while also spreading words of encouragement and the hope of the gospel. Based on recent updates, and in collaboration with our partner on the ground, GAiN has provided 400 packages of essential items such as food and clothing, 20 large tents, 65 emergency tarps and 20 latrines.
In the aftermath of the quake, our local partner on the ground was able to bless many families who lost their homes and loved ones in the earthquake. The team encountered a believer named Ibrahim in a small village on the southern side of the high Atlas mountain region. Ibrahim worked as an engineer and moved to the big city with his wife and children, but later returned with his family to his childhood village to help his father with farming.
The village used to have 40 homes, but 80% of them are now demolished, including Ibrahim’s family home. When the earthquake struck, the house could not withstand the violent shaking and eventually collapsed. Only one room remained intact – the room where Ibrahim, his wife and five children were sleeping! Thankfully, Ibrahim received an emergency tarp from our distribution and is going to fashion it into a temporary roof next to their home.
As our partner spent time with Ibrahim, he came to understand the vision and heart behind GAiN’s work in Morocco and proved to be an invaluable resource. He served as a local guide and lent the team his credibility as they travelled into different villages. Because of his knowledge and abilities, Ibrahim aided our local partner in their distribution of solar panels and lights. He also taught each person how to use them and ensured that the batteries were charged regularly.
Ibrahim’s story is a prime example of how showing people the love and care of Christ can ignite in them a desire to do the same for others. Spending quality time with Ibrahim, listening to his story and giving him practical aid models the mission of GAiN, but more importantly, demonstrates the heart of God for His children. The outflow of Ibrahim’s gratitude in the form of helping our team and the surrounding villages is a beautiful example of the ripple effect that occurs when kindness is shown to one person.
This past October, a LIFE team of five participants flew to Benin for a 10 day trip to experience the work of GAiN’s Water for Life Initiative (WFLI). The team immersed themselves in the hands-on work of the well process while engaging with the day-to-day activities and rhythms of village culture. The blend of manual labor, relationship building with villagers and time spent with the GAiN Benin staff all contributed to a deeper understanding and appreciation for what the Lord is doing through the water program.
During a typical day on the LIFE trip, the morning kicked off with team devotions and a quick breakfast before driving for about two hours into the villages. Once there, team members were enveloped in a series of activities, ranging from laying a cement pad to exploring the village to chatting with locals about how life has changed since receiving a well from GAiN. The GAiN Benin team served as guides throughout the trip, answering questions and demonstrating how different parts of the well process was done.
“I found it staggering that the Benin GAiN team would go through all that hard work disguised as water suppliers while they really want to win souls for Jesus,” said Marius Schultz, a member of the LIFE team. “That is being disciples of Jesus on a different level!”
Frikkie Greyling, leader of the team, added, ““I was impressed with the dedication of the GAiN Benin team working under very difficult circumstances. They were always smiling.”
One of the greatest joys of the trip was witnessing a village receive clean water for the first time. All the children stayed home from school that day to watch as the GAiN Benin team put the finishing touches on the well, flushing out sand and installing the pipes. As big bursts of water exploded into the air, people gasped and women ran forward to fill their metal bowls.
“The air was thick with anticipation and excitement,” said Sarah Rhea, a member of the LIFE team. “One woman we talked to said they used to walk two hours round trip to get water! Now there’s perfectly clean water right in the middle of their village. It’s such a relief for them.”
Later on that night, DRIME performed and the JESUS Film was shown, leading many people to give their hearts to the Lord. As people came forward to receive Christ, the pastor of the local church and members of the DRIME and GAiN Benin team prayed for and chatted with villagers about the gospel. Everyone was invited to attend the local church the following Sunday to continue the conversation of what becoming a Christian means.
“The GAiN Benin team are so servant hearted and gospel motivated,” team member Sarah Overmyer shared. Seeing how the Benin team connected with members of the village so intentionally revealed GAiN’s heart to show the love and tenderness of Christ to all.
Another key takeaway of the trip was forming relationships and memories with other members of the LIFE team. Going through long hot days and having the chance to lean on one another and debrief at the close of each day was a meaningful and helpful routine for the group.
“One of my highlights was definitely the team. We supported each other well and had a lot of fun together!” Sarah Overmyer said.
The team all agreed there is nothing like witnessing the work of GAiN in person. From the beginning stages of seeing the drilling rig pound into the ground all the way to the moment when crystal clear water flows out of the well’s spout, there is an undeniable sense of clarity and awe.
“You realize how stunning the gift of clean water really is,” Sarah Rhea shared. “It changes everything – health, relationships, how people spend their time. It finally clicks when you are there on the ground, watching it all happen.”
This past March, GAiN’s DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) visited Turkey to help provide housing, including tents and tiny houses, to those who had lost their homes in the devastating earthquake that occurred in early February. One of the team members named Mitch shared about an encounter she had with a family whose home was completely destroyed:
Tulay is 32 years old and a mother of three gregarious boys. We met the family and a lot of other people because we were about to set up a tent. When we arrived, the boys (aged 9, 10 and 11) were in the middle of an intense football match with questionable rules. Since we had to wait for our work materials to arrive, we joined them.
For a moment, the world seemed like a less devastating place as we were running around in the sun, giggling and laughing every time one of the little boys lost his shoe in the dirt.
“I want to team up with you,” one of them said to me through a translator app and immediately his little cousin jumped in and said he wanted to be part of the team too. So we continued kicking a flat ball into a non-existent goal, losing shoes and running into each other.
When we eventually sat down and shared some freshly baked bread, the family and I started talking. “I was all alone with the kids on the night of the earthquake,” Tulay shared. “Our house got destroyed completely and now we are staying in this tent together with our neighbors.”
When I asked one of the boys where he went to school, he told me that the building was destroyed so there is no school for him to attend right now. I asked him if he liked going to school and he simply stated: “Medium.”
This somehow made me laugh because he was exactly like a 10-year-old boy was supposed to be: playing football and not liking school too much. At the same time, it made me sad to see how drastically the lives of these little boys have changed, and the fact that there was nothing I could do about it.
We sat there for a while, chatting through a translator app and sharing bread with their 7-year-old cousin who would only take a bite if I had one first. My poor Turkish made them laugh. In this small moment of peace and contentment, I hoped they could forget what they had been through — even if it was only for a second.
There is so much power in restoring human dignity.
Our DART team who were responding to the Turkey earthquake was able to participate in a distribution with GAiN’s local partner, First Hope Association. With their local volunteers and staff, we distributed hygiene kits as well as food and blankets for families in a community outside of Antakya. However, it wasn’t what we were able to give that was the center of attention. First Hope Association had a crew of professional barbers on site, who were giving children haircuts. The earthquake happened over a month ago, and a nice trim for many of the children was greatly appreciated.
The line for haircuts continued to get longer, and each trim brought a smile to the child and their parents. As they waited patiently for their turn, Lucia from GAiN Spain connected with many of the children, teaching them a couple key Spanish words, along with some numbers and colours. As she recited them over and over with the kids, you could hear their joyful cheering as they remembered numbers like ocho and nueve.
It’s incredible how such a simple gesture like giving someone a haircut can restore dignity and joy to a community surrounded by brokenness.
“I can’t do everything, but I can do more than nothing.” – Ian Daniel, founder of He Had Compassion
Since the war began in February 2022, Global Aid Network (GAiN) has sent disaster relief to Ukraine to help shed light into the oppressive darkness that has become people’s waking reality. In addition to GAiN Germany and GAiN Netherlands, our ministry has partnered up with a local non-profit organization called He Had Compassion to bring supplies to those who are desperately in need of food, clothing and shelter.
The founder of He Had Compassion, Ian Daniel, went on a trip to Ukraine this past January where he distributed aid alongside his friend Oleg, a pastor from Ivano-Frankivsk. Ian had become acquainted with Oleg before the war started and had been sending him money to support his church in Ukraine. When war broke out, the need for support increased, as Oleg’s church began housing, feeding and caring for a steady stream of refugees.
One group of refugees in particular is called House of 64, and is primarily made up of orphans and widows who come from the occupied east and are in need of all basic necessities. In addition to providing for these refugees, Oleg also wanted to use his church’s key positioning in western Ukraine to move and deliver humanitarian supplies to other locations in Ukraine, but didn’t have the money or vehicles to do so.
In response to this need for practical supplies, money and a transportation system, He Had Compassion was born, with Ian serving as its founder and leader.
“I just said ‘This is what I’m going to do and if anyone would like to support us, I welcome you to do that,’” Ian shared. He went on to say that He Had Compassion now consists of 100 supporters, ranging from church members to friends to business clients. One lady from his church makes handmade dish cloths and sells them by donation each week, giving all proceeds to Ukraine.
GAiN’s COO, Lindsey Schacter, became acquainted with Ian through church. After hearing about the mission behind He Had Compassion, GAiN decided to team up with the organization with the goal of helping Pastor Oleg care for House of 64 as well as transport goods to different cities in Ukraine.
The primary purpose of Ian’s recent trip was to set up a solid system for obtaining supplies and transferring it to the border between Poland and Ukraine. Throughout his time there, he bought materials like sleeping bags, hot water bottles, food and generators, and also obtained two vans and two trailers to transport the supplies. Pastor Oleg picked up the supplies from the border and stored it in warehouses near his church. From there, the supplies were distributed to occupied places in the east, including Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kharkiv and Volchansk.
During Ian and Oleg’s first trip to deliver supplies to the border, however, things didn’t go as planned. Ian shared that they had approximately $72,000 worth (50,000 €) of supplies (including 1,000 sleeping bags) to bring across as well as the van and trailers, yet people at the border would not let them through. They checked their trailer and credentials half a dozen times, even though Ian and Oleg explained that the gifts were from people in Canada and meant to help those in Ukraine that were without food and shelter. Ian, Oleg and his family were stopped at the border for 5-6 hours in freezing temperatures–long enough for Oleg and his entire family to become sick with pneumonia. Finally, the border guards decided to let them through.
“One of the border guards–a great big burly guy– was so pleased with the decision to let us through, he came out to us and said something in Ukrainian and gave me a hug! God put his fingers on the scales and let us in,” Ian recalled with a smile.
Ian, Oleg and his family made it back to Ivano in time for Christmas morning. Since Oleg was sick, he asked Ian to share a message to the church on his behalf. Ian shared about peace, and although it seemed like a risky topic for a congregation in the middle of war, many people wept and were blessed by his encouraging words.
The war has undoubtedly made the atmosphere in Ukraine incredibly bleak. Ian explained that air raid sirens are going off constantly and buildings everywhere are destroyed, with bodies buried beneath the rubble. He shared that three of the places he visited were shelled 36 hours after he left. Yet in the midst of their concern and stress, people have great heart and are extremely thankful.
Ian shared numerous stories about how touched people were by the practical items supplied by GAiN. When he visited a place where supplies had been distributed, people would swarm his van to personally express how grateful they were for the provision of hot water bottles, food, sleeping bags and warming centres to charge their phones and rest. In Mykolaiv, their team was also able to supply 18 cubic metres of firewood to a network of churches that in turn delivered supplies to the entire community. People would come to the church and ask, “Who is this God who hears their cry when they are cold and hungry, and brings firewood to their door?”
After talking with a young woman from a village near Mykolaiv named Anna, Ian also learned that women were in desperate need of feminine hygiene products. With the funds covered by He Had Compassion and GAiN, Anna put together 60 beautiful packages for women in her community, including cream, nail files and other hygiene products. She is planning a meeting where all the ladies will gather at the church and the pastor will give a devotional and pray over them.
Out of their gratitude for the work of He Had Compassion and GAiN, Ian was constantly blessed by a network of people throughout his journey. Wherever he went, people would invite him to stay for a meal and to spend the night in their home. On one occasion in Berlin, a 75-year-old man from the church in the area told Ian and his team to follow him home because he and his wife and their friends had prepared a meal for them. He also insisted that they spend the night, and served them breakfast at 5 am the next morning so that their team could get on the road early. Ian described the meals he received as being “fit for a king.”
“They are giving you some of the last things that they have, and want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are changing lives and touching hearts . . . For several days, we didn’t have to pay for a meal or a night’s accommodation. People kept sending us to their contacts,” explained Ian.
GAiN is deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this process of delivering much-needed supplies to the places of greatest need in Ukraine. Ian described the system as similar to an underground railroad of Christians helping refugees go one way, with those bringing humanitarian aid going the other way. His testimonies of successfully arriving in the country and witnessing the gratitude and joy of those lives he touched are stunning reminders of God’s faithfulness.
“We just came across story after story of people. You think you’re going to do logistical stuff, but really you’re going to hear and touch people’s hearts, people that God has put in your path. You end up coming home with a collection of contacts with people you want to keep in touch with. That’s what matters the most,” Ian shared.
Ian has just returned back from another trip to Ukraine, disturbing humanitarian aid and providing “Trauma First Aid” for people through seminars and discussion. He has reported that so far, these seminars have had an incredible turnout. People arrive early and the room is always packed! Ian shares that there have been opportunities to pray for people. It is encouraging to hear that people in Ukraine are eager to process what they have experienced and receive emotional support as a community.
We are thankful to all our partners who make these kinds of missions possible. Without your constant support, the stories that stem from our partnership with He Had Compassion and GAiN offices worldwide would not exist.
Tyler C., one of the team members of the DART Team, recounts his interaction with a family in Turkey who lost their home because of the earthquake:
“Are you afraid of another earthquake?” I asked 10-year-old Taner* from Iskenderun.
“Maybe after the first three – but not anymore,” he replied.
We passed the phone back and forth, working in Google translate.
Taner and his family lived on the first floor of an apartment building in Iskenderun, and while his building remains standing, it’s not safe to return. After the first earthquake, Taner and his entire family slept on their first-floor balcony in case something else happened. They wouldn’t go into the kitchen because they were afraid the refrigerator would fall on them in the next quake.
“For 1 minute and 45 seconds, the ground was crazy. I was very scared. You could hear the walls cracking,” Taner shared.
The family is now staying with Taner’s aunt, who lives in a newer building that is still safe. His grandmother Selah* received one of our tiny houses. Taner was a very helpful builder, with his father and uncles also supporting.
When we had a break, I told him that we were friends now, but he stopped me and said to me: “No. We are blood now.”
He continued to ask me why we came to Turkey and if we were afraid. I told him honestly that I was a little scared. But we know that the people of Turkey are in need of our help, and we will be here for them.
He gave me a big hug and thanked me again for coming.
*Name has been changed
A colourful children’s playground stands firm amidst the waves of rubble from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey.
For Beste, now the only child around these streets, having a playground is a miracle that helps to distract her from the traumatic experience she lived only a few days ago. Swinging and climbing up the slide is one of the very few things she can do to keep the memories away.
“When the evening comes, she tells me: ‘Daddy, let’s go to a house that does not shake,'” said Memduh, her father. “She does not like the tent because sometimes there are bugs inside”.
Debora, a Spanish missionary who lived for decades in Türkiye, kept on asking the DART team not to forget about playing with the children and spending time with them because they are struggling heavily inside.
“Psychologically, [my daughter] is gone. She is suffering,” explained Memduh.
Memduh (47), his wife Serpil (26) and Beste (4), were inside the house when the devastating earthquake hit in Türkiye. The wardrobe fell on Memduh and his hand was seriously cut, but otherwise the family was unharmed. Their house did not collapse, but was severely damaged. They now reside in a tent in front of the house.
“We have not been able to overcome it. Even when we are in the tent, we are still scared,” said Memduh. Later on, he added,“Psychologically, we are very hurt. Which father wants his child to live in these conditions? But we don’t have anything else”.
Sadly, his statement rings true. The family no longer has a roof, running water, electricity or food. Everything they have now comes from the tremendous help that local pastors, Elmas and Hamdulah, are providing for their neighbours. Elmas and Hamdulah are the pastors of one of the few churches in Antakya, and their house is next to Memduh’s house. Thankfully, their house didn’t collapse either and they are now using it for storage and a kitchen. This is where GAiN’s assessment team stayed too.
“It is Elmas, Hamdulah and the church that has helped us. Nobody else has really helped us. [It] is thanks to her that we are still here. Because nothing came to us from the authorities,” the family shared.
They went on to say that the highest need for them are blankets due to the cold temperatures at night. Currently, there is enough food, but they know this can change soon.
What they miss the most are not material things, but rather a community of people with which to share the experience. “It would be good if people were here with us, so that we would feel more encouraged and not feel that scared.”
This has been one of the most important lessons of the DART Assessment Team when they were in Türkiye. People need people. Right now, it does not matter the background, language or culture barriers. Survivors simply need other people to surround them and be with them in these ghost cities full of silence and desperation. This need for fellowship is definitely one of the main reasons why GAiN sent a DART team to the ground.
Memduh, Serpil and Beste expressed their gratitude: “Thank you to anyone who wants to help us and thank you to the church as well that has been helping us. Basically, they saved our lives. If they were not here to provide for us, I don’t know what we would do.”