Global Hope Network International’s (GHNI) mission is to bring health and hope to the most vulnerable people and least-reached places that are often overlooked by the rest of the world. They empower village communities to become self-sustainable and help them to move toward an independent future free from the perpetual cycle of poverty.

GHNI trains villagers in Myanmar, Thailand, India, Burkina Faso and and Nigeria to sucessfully use the Aquagenx CBT EC+TC MPN Kit so they can monitor their own water sources for quality.

One of the many great features of our powder growth media for E. coli and Total Coliforms for CBT Kits and GEL Kits is it does not requite a cold chain. However, all instructions for use for Aquagenx water quality test kits specify the media must be stored at 4-25 degrees Celsius in a dry environment.

These storage conditions are important to prevent water vapor ingress that could affect the format of the powder. If our growth media is stored in very warm, high humidity environments for long periods of time, the powder can become hardened and sticky, and it is more difficult to use.

Proper storage conditions also help ensure the three-year shelf life of our growth media.

On our end, after we manufacture media we package 25 individual medium packets into a thick 4 mil bag with a 5gr desiccant to discourage water vapor ingress. When our warehouse receives our growth media, they store it in a refrigerated cold room until individual orders are packed and shipped.

If your testing location is in a high humidy environment, there are additional steps you can take in the field to preserve our growth media's loose powder format: Store media in a styrofoam cooler or insulated storage box with a large, reusable 100-500 gram desiccant brick.

There are many options for large, reusable desiccant from different vendors. Here is an example of this desicccant on Amazon USA. 

Question for customers: would it be helpful if Aquagenx sold inexpensive storage containers and large, reusable desiccant bricks to help properly store our growth media in the field? These items might be more readily available in the USA. Let us know! Email Lisa Hirsh, lhirsh@aquagenx.com.

The authors of this article in Foreign Affairs spent 10 years researching and documenting changes in the international NGO sector. They begin by saying, "The 1990s were a golden age for nongovernmental organizations...Today, however, the picture looks remarkably different. The population of international NGOs has stagnated: between 2010 and 2020, their numbers grew by less than five percent."

In addition to documenting the changes, the authors explain why the influence and impact of NGOs decreased over the decades.

Daniel Handel was a USAID officer for 11 years. He writes, "Foreign assistance saved millions of lives and improved millions more through programs to reduce the worst of global poverty, improve health, education and nutrition. Far from being the 'criminal organization' and 'ball of worms' described by Elon Musk, my colleagues were overwhelmingly smart, hardworking, dedicated and apolitical. But we should also keep in mind the opportunity to build a much better system."

Handel outlines four ways the U.S. State Department has an unprecedented opportunity to do aid differently and better, with a system that is lean, entrepreneurial, and growth-focused.

What Does 2026 Hold for Global Development?

Oh sh!t, now what?

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