Support The 2011 Harding University in Zambia group held the second Hearts After HIZ fundraiser the spring after its return from Zambia. The purpose of the fundraiser, created by the 2010 HIZ group, was to raise awareness about needs in Zambia and to collect funds for impoverished Zambian villages. The HIZ program was designed in 2007 to help students understand the missionary needs of Africa while experiencing the Zambian lifestyle. The students lived in a compound that housed George S. Benson Teachers College, an elementary school and a high school, as well as a medical clinic and an orphanage. Throughout students' time in Africa, they saw poverty of every type: financial, emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. Spring 2011 , they decided to do something about it. The fall 2011 HIZ group took up management and expanded the event spring 2012. Sophomore Chelsea Sullivan said that, in her opinion, the most devastating deficit was people's viewing themselves as worthless. She believed the HIZ group could help revolutionize the Zambians' economic situation and sense of worth. "Africa has everything we do: intelligent people, abundant natural resources. Yet, if the people do not believe they have anything worthwhile to offer, they will not use those things," Sullivan said. "Empowering people is a project that does not take money, but it does take time and a lot of it." According to junior Abigail Partlow, people often thought that sending money instead of interacting with the Zambians would be enough, but the natives needed to learn to help themselves. "The only true long-term solution for poverty is genuine relationship and sharing life with people," Partlow said. "Through HIZ Fall '12: Row 1: H. Stanger, P Malmquist, H. Baker, B. Dollins, K. Plachy, A. Hayes, S. Herr, K. Massey, M. Welton, B. Petty, C. Beck, K. Daggett, A. Hilt. Row 2: J. Daggett, J. Bingham, Z. Roehl, L. Ammerman, M. Sorrell, C. Jackson, P. Burgess, L. Larsen, M. Koch, R. Campbell, P. Habegger, K. Leonard, S. Watkins, G. Chambers, E. Huffard, K. Wood, H. Sullivan. Students unite through Hearts after HIZ fundraiser relationships, the core issues that cause poverty can be addressed, rather than putting a band aid on the symptoms." The second fundraiser differed from the initial event in several ways, one of them being the location. Previously, the event occurred at the Underground Cafe in downtown Searcy, but the cafe was shut down for renovations, which caused the team to move the event to the lawn next to Midnight Oil coffeehouse. The HIZ students sold products such as T-shirts, bracelets, headbands and pictures taken in Zambia. The team also personalized the fund raiser by telling stories of their experiences in Zambia and displaying photos of the children they spent time with. To emphasize that the fundraiser's purpose was to glorify God by helping the Zambians financially and sharing testimonies about His work, the fund raiser ended with a time of worship. "We wanted to conclude our HIZ experience the way we started-looking toward Jesus," Sullivan said. Hearts after HIZ was even more successful than the previous campaign, which raised $5,872 spring 2011. The team chose to send the money to the Havens Orphanage at the Namwianga Mission, where the team had worked. "I definitely think it raised awareness, at least for the HIZ program in general," junior Julia Ervin said. "It showed our attachment to our babies and the lengths we were willing to go to help them." HIZ students hoped that the annual tradition of raising funds for the Zambian villages through the Hearts after HIZ campaign would continue to bring prosperity and empowerment to the people of Africa. Jessica Head Enjoying time with the Maasai people, sophomore Molly Koch talks with a member of the village to learn about how they love others. The group visited the Tanzania village after a tour of the safari. Courtesy of Jeremy Daggett HIZ Est. 2007 147
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