Posts By: Eileen Schuhmann

Grain Banks Pioneer Remembered

Elias Gondji visiting with villagers in Cameroon. “He devoted his entire life helping communities to become self-reliant, and worked tirelessly to draw attention to issues faced by communities in the northern part of the country and bring development in the area. With RELUFA, Elias contributed to the construction of 45 granaries in far north Cameroon, which have been well managed and operational… Read more »

Cobalt and Copper Mine Displaces Kishieba Community in Congo

Abandoned house in Kifumpa, DRC - Jaff Napoleon photo By Jaff Napoleon Bamenjo | Coordinator Joining Hands Cameroon, RELUFA In 2004, residents of Kishieba village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were displaced from their ancestral land to make way for the Frontier Mine, a cobalt and copper mining project currently owned and operated by Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). The residents of… Read more »

Proposed Bolivian Law Declares that “Water is Life”

mining holding ponds By Chenoa Stock | Mission Co-worker, Joining Hands Bolivia As we gathered around the U-shaped tables on this Bolivian winter day, bundled in coats and scarfs – the typical meeting style in Bolivia due to the lack of central heating in any buildings or houses – we were not there to debate or be heard… Read more »

We’ve made you angry, so now what?

Haitian woman holding oranges By Cindy Corell | Mission Co-worker, Joining Hands Haiti The man sat in the Fellowship Hall growing angrier by the minute. I continued explaining how foreign countries dumping cheap imported food into Haiti made it all but impossible for Haitian farmers to sell their local foods at market. Cheap rice from the U.S. sells quickly. Better quality,… Read more »

Peru “Wins!” But What About La Oroya?

La Oroya demands health By Jed Koball | Joining Hands Peru In an unexpected turn of events, after five years of closed-door hearings, the arbiters overseeing the case of The Renco Group, Inc. v Peru issued a surprise decision on July 15, 2016 in favor of Peru on grounds of jurisdiction. Early reactions from the Peruvian government and civil… Read more »

Justice for La Oroya: Renco Group loses arbitration suit against Peru

Many of you are probably familiar with the tragic case of La Oroya, Peru. La Oroya is one of the ten most polluted places in the world and 99% of children in the immediate area are estimated to suffer from lead poisoning due to the pollution generated from the metal smelter there, formerly owned and… Read more »