Stephen Tomlin                                                                                                                       Karen Doyle Grossman

December 8th SVMN speaker Event recap written by Leslie Roulias, photos by Elena Pons-Conforto:

Microfinance in Post-conflict areas and Failed States

The SVMN Speaker Event on December 8^th focused on the role of micro-finance and health care services in the most fragile economic and political regions and featured Karen Doyle Grossman, Vice President, Social Innovations at Mercy Corps and Stephen Tomlin, Vice President, Program Policy & Planning at International Medical Corps.  While many micro-finance and aid organizations look for relative stability before entering new markets, both Mercy Corps and International Medical Corps target their efforts to countries in transition.

Karen presented several case studies from Mercy Corps’ experiences in these countries including, Bosnia, the Congo, North Korea and Afghanistan.  She also talked about failed states that Mercy Corps decided against entering due mostly to lack of minimal infrastructure and safety.   Karen advocated that micro-finance enables people to establish their own individual identity apart from the persecuted or war-torn group to which they belong.  Reaching these markets presents unique challenges, which include fear, lack of future orientation, legitimization of violence, hyperinflation, destroyed infrastructure, and tenuous political environments.  In these delicate situations, timing is essential as is political neutrality and balancing acceptance and inclusion by local powers with the U.S. Government mandates.  In the future, Karen hopes to see a wider use of mobile financial services, which she sees as having the ability to make a transformative impact in providing services in fragile states.

Stephen Tomlin spoke about the health and wellbeing of communities within failed states, which are countries where the central government does not exert effective control over significant parts of its own territory or assure provision of vital assets.  Stephen’s talk focused on health care, nutrition and agriculture, all of which contribute to “health” as reflecting one’s wellbeing.  Stephen presented startling statistics on “fragile states” (failed, failing, or recovering from conflict), such as:

• Fragile states comprise 1/3 of all those living in absolute poverty in developing countries.
• 1 in 3 people in fragile states are undernourished.
• Fragile states comprise nearly ½ of all children dying before their 5^th birthday.

Stephen spoke about what International Medical Corps provides in failed states and sited specific projects.  Their focus is on training local people to provide basic medical services in local clinics and hospitals, especially relating to trauma and the top 10 causes of mortality in that country.  Stephen sees logistics and the inherent security in them as key to doing anything successfully in these states.

For more on Failed States, you can go to the link.

By Stephanie Bowen (Stephanie wrote Thoughts from Uganda for Recession Mama awhile back.  By popular demand, she is back with an update and photos!)

I have been back from Africa for over a month now and parts of my trip feel like a distant memory, where others I know will stay with me for a very long time. It was a trip for work but I grew so much personally that I would’ve gone as a volunteer (don’t tell my boss)!

A little background: I work for the humanitarian aid organization International Medical Corps. We focus on health care and training with the ultimate goal of helping communities become self-reliant. Our work literally saves lives and builds healthy futures. I’m not just saying this as their PR person – I’ve seen it first-hand. First in Indonesia about two years after the tsunami, now in Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This was my first trip to Africa and as you may remember from my blog reflecting on my wanderings through Kampala, I was immediately struck by the warmth of the people. That warmth continued on into Kenya and the Congo. Bright colors and big smiles were everywhere. Children were always running up to our vehicle, chasing us while laughing and waving. At one point I was in the middle of a refugee settlement in southwest Uganda surrounded by children who couldn’t stop laughing and screaming, so excited that I was taking their photograph and even more intrigued when I showed them the digital images. It was so much fun for me that I didn’t want to leave. To see that much joy in a situation that quite frankly can be very joyless was quite intoxicating.

The reality of life in the refugee settlements I visited in Uganda and the internally displaced persons camps I visited in the Congo were tough. Women who had been raped and left alone and pregnant (http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=665), and children who were so malnourished it was a miracle they were still alive (http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=687). But there were also many stories that left me feeling very good.

I haven’t formally written about it yet, but we have an amazing program in Kenya that has made great strides in fighting HIV and helping those who are infected. It’s our Home-Based Counseling and Testing program. We started it in Suba, which is along the shores of Lake Victoria and the HIV/AIDS rate is very high – some say up to 30% — because many women there frequently trade sex for fish so they can feed their families. We reached 100% coverage in Suba and now have expanded to a neighboring community, Migori.

Marcy and Jessica are just two of the women who are participating in this program. Having met with a volunteer community mobilizer, Marcy, and her sister-in-law, Jessica, decided to get tested for HIV – they wanted to know their status. Marcy has a five-month-old baby with her husband, Jessica’s brother, and being able to get tested in their shared home made it convenient and confidential. After preparing the women for all the possibilities and educating them about HIV and AIDS – the difference between them, transmission methods, risk reduction, etc. – they took their tests, which only needed about 10 minutes to process. They chose to get their results separately and were both happy to learn that they were negative. If they had been positive, International Medical Corps would’ve been there to make sure they knew how to access treatment and counsel them through the process. International Medical Corps has 44 counselors who go door to door, administering HIV tests in this one area alone. We test 3,000 people a month!

This is one of our community educators in the Kyaka II refugee settlement. The t-shirt she is wearing is one means of conveying information.

I don’t want to get too bogged down in the details of the program, but what I observed with the several families I witnessed getting tested is that this program is not only helping people who are infected it is changing people’s views on the disease. Stereotypes are being broken down, treatment is being sought and prevention measures are becoming more and more acceptable. Change is taking place around AIDS in Africa, one person and one family at a time.

I think the biggest highlight for me was when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a stop by one of our programs in the Congo (http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=686). We of course knew she was going through Congo on her Africa tour but were thrilled to learn that she was going to visit our nutrition program at the Mugunga I camp for those displaced inside their own country due to the ongoing war. I was supposed to come home right after Kenya, but got diverted to Congo to help document her visit. Even though I had spent six years in Washington, DC working for CNN, it was so thrilling for me to see our field staff – 96% of whom are local – being recognized in this very big way. People asked me if I met her or got my photo taken with her and to be honest, it never occurred to me because it was all about them. They are the people who are doing the hard work day in and day out and I was so glad she took the time to SHAKE EVERYONE’S HAND!

Okay – enough about International Medical Corps! Some of the other highlights of my trip were visiting the Nairobi National Park where I saw giraffes, ostriches, zebras, a hippo and countless other animals roaming around in their natural habitat (with the Nairobi skyline in the background!), and floating along the Nile River at the point where it starts its 3-4 month journey to the Mediterranean. I also loved that everywhere I went the Coca-Cola was served in bottles that had been used hundreds if not thousands of times before and the power outlets had switches so you could turn them on when you were using them so you weren’t wasting energy when you weren’t.

I have written way too much already, so I will stop here. But I will just say this: if you get the opportunity to go to Africa just do it. I’ve traveled to many countries and cultures – modern and developing – but there is nothing comparable. I can’t wait to go back!

Katy sez:  My friend Stephanie is in Uganda, as part of her work with International Medical Corps.  It’s a great non-profit organization, and she sent an e-mail out to friends, family, and others that I wanted to share with you today, as our guest post.  For me, it’s important to give to charities, and this is a great charity for me to give my money, when I can.  I also think that although this recession is bad, and a lot of people are out of jobs…other people in other countries have it worse.  After reading what Stephanie wrote, I was in awe of her work, but I was also so grateful for everything I have.  I hope you are inspired too.

Uganda is in orange next to Kenya

By Stephanie

My first week in Uganda will be spent with a remarkable young woman named Georgina Miranda who started a campaign called “Climb Take Action” for which she will climb the highest summit on each continent with hopes of raising $50 per meter to benefit International Medical Corps, a total of $2.2 million. She climbed her third summit – Kilimanjaro – this week and will be visiting our programs in the Southwest where we have HIV and gender based violence activities. She will be joined by two other Kili climbers who also raised money for International Medical Corps. After that I will head to Northern Uganda where I will see programs that range from HIV to nutrition. It is also the site where we implemented our American Express Members Project grant, so I will be collecting information on that so we can report back to Amex. My third week will be spent in Nairobi where I will see our programs in the Kibera slums. I will also be reaching out to journalists, hoping to get some media coverage of the good work that we are doing at International Medical Corps.

Kampala is the capitol of Uganda

July 18, 2009

Today was my first full day in Kampala. After taking an Ambien I woke up a bit groggy and it took me a little while to just get going, but it was worth it because I feel totally caught up on my sleep. Thankfully the shower was warm this morning – last night it wasn’t. That after 48 hours of travel, in the same clothes!

Moses, one of the International Medical Corps drivers, was going to pick me up and take me to a few hotels that I wanted to see for a donor trip we are planning in October. When he called to ask if he could come an hour later, I decided to take a cab as the hotels I was interested in were in the same area and I could just walk to them all – after all it was his day off and he has a one month old baby!

Moses is a young, hard working Ugandan who takes pride in his work, his family and his country. In addition to working for International Medical Corps he has a cab company, which keeps him busy off hours. Right now his wife is staying home with their three children, but he would like to be able to buy her a salon so she can have her own business. He carries photos of their children on his cell phone and showed them to me on our ride from the airport. They are pretty darn adorable. He does not want anymore children because he wants to be able to support his family and have a good life.  He explained the whole cycle of lack of education and poverty in Uganda that we see throughout the developing world.

Moses reinforces that lesson I always learn when traveling: We all have similar dreams and goals.

After touring the Sheraton, the Serena, and the Grand Imperial (if you are looking for luxury the Serena beats them all by far), I walked to the city center. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for but ended up in a place called the City Garden which is a big shopping center. Most of the shops were not very interesting – salon, dry cleaner, food court, a couple of restaurants and clothing stores that were not very appealing. But I did find a really great bookstore and finally got the Lonely Planet East Africa guide book I wanted to pick up before I left along with a couple of maps. Now armed with information, I decided to check out this area below Kampala Road that they suggested for people who wanted to see beyond the tourist spots.

It took me a while to find it, even with the map, but the walk there was really delightful. People were very friendly, saying “hello, how are you?” which I learned is customary here in Uganda. People don’t just say hello – they genuinely want to know how you are. So, after a few mishaps, I got myself in the habit of asking ‘how are you?’.

There are armed guards all over the place – not overwhelming at all, just noticeable. They carry these big guns – rifles maybe, or even machine guns, I wasn’t sure. I stopped to take a picture of two armed guards in front of the election council and had to explain I was just a tourist in order for them to let me keep them on my camera’s memory card. The walls around the Council’s compound were covered with slogans and paintings that encouraged voting and democracy, which of course I thought was very cool.

I felt I was getting closer to this market I was looking for, but wasn’t know certain. I was constantly being asked if I wanted a ride by men with motorcycle taxis and buses that were really mini-vans that would pick people up along the way. I had been warned by Moses that I would be taking my life into my hands if I rode on a motorcycle, so opted against that. And I had no idea where the buses were going, so just continued to walk. I could always see certain landmarks like the Parliament building and some other high rises that were near the hotels, so I could tell what direction I was going and never felt lost.

I turned down one road and as I walked along the poverty was stunning. I did not take any photographs as I thought that would be rude, but the people were living in flimsy shelters with tin roofs that I assumed did not have electricity or running water. Once I got to a section where people clearly had a little bit more I took some photographs. There were these adorable children playing outside of one house and as soon as I took out my camera they started waving and smiling. In general I did not take too many photos – unlike other places I have traveled it just felt like a violation of their privacy.

After a bit more walking I knew I was almost there. I walked through an area where they sold car parts and other supplies, then a few turns later I was at the market. One enterprising Ugandan named Pasqual offered to show me around. I politely declined several times then just decided to give in. In the market there were several tables where men were playing Lugo – a game played with dice that looked a bit too complicated for me! Without Pasqual I would have no idea what that game was called so already decided it was worth whatever I would end up buying.

We walked around and he took me to stalls run by his friends. Our first stop was someone who was selling fried and spiced insects – I forget what kind, but I promptly turned them down. He ultimately convinced me to buy some vanilla beans, passion fruit, plantains and roasted peanuts. I already knew how delicious the peanuts were from a colleague’s trip, and was not disappointed with the rest. At one point we stopped at a meat counter and I wanted to take a picture but the guy did not want me to unless I paid. So I gave him a couple of coins and took a few photos. Feeling empowered by my new level of comfort, I decided to try one of those insects on the way out. It was good, but glad I didn’t buy a whole bag!!

I did a bit more walking, found my way back to the posh hotel neighborhood and caught a cab back to my hotel. My feet were covered in red dirt and my face with many layers of dried on sweat. I now sit at the patio bar at the hotel, enjoying a glass of white wine and an incredible view of lush trees and a sky filled with papery clouds just starting to collect moisture. The perfect end to a memorable day.

[...] The partnership’s priorities will include:

• Providing access to clean water through the rehabilitation and/or construction of new, locally sustainable facilities
• Delivering hygiene promotion, water and sanitation education, and behavioral change-oriented messages
• Increasing access to locally sustainable sanitation facilities through construction or rehabilitation, as well as providing hygiene products
• Providing education on the importance of proper hygiene and its relation to improving health and well-being
• Promoting education and understanding of one’s role in positively impacting and protecting the environment as it relates to climate change.

Source: IMC, 02 Apr 2009

BEIRUT: Inaam is one of an estimated 50,000 Iraqis who have sought refuge in Lebanon, a fraction of the 2 million scattered across the Middle East, mostly in Syria and Jordan. Although she possesses a Masters in chemistry and is keen to find work, she is not entitled to that right.

According to a 2007 survey by the Danish Refugee Council, 77.5 percent of Iraqis in Lebanon arrived illegally, usually via Syria. As Lebanon has not signed the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, many Iraqi refugees could face arrest or deportation if discovered, let alone found working.

As a result, Inaam said most of her days were “wasted” at home. “If you don’t have a job, you get bored and start to feel as though you are less [valuable] than other people. You get depressed.” With no income, Inaam survives off aid and her rapidly diminishing savings.

There are thousands of highly educated Iraqis in Lebanon like Inaam facing the humiliation of being barred from pursuing a career or being forced to take casual jobs completely unrelated to their professional training.

Last week, the plight of Iraqi professionals was addressed by the international nongovernmental organization (NGO) International Medical Corps (IMC). On Wednesday it launched the “Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development Program,” comprising 10 workshops aimed at strengthening and developing the professional skills of Iraq’s educated elite. By the end of the program, some 200 Iraqi professionals will have benefited.

The workshops, developed and implemented by the American University of Beirut’s (AUB) office of Regional External Programs (REP) and funded by the US State Department, were providing a much-needed lifeline to Lebanon’s population of Iraqi professionals, said IMC medical director Haidar Sahib. “There is a thirst for these kinds of activities,” he said.

A dozen Iraqis participated in the first three-day workshop, “Finance for non-Financial Officers,” taught by AUB professors. While the issues covered in the first workshop were relatively broad, REP assistant vice president George Farag said the other workshops would be more tailored to professions such as medicine, business, teaching or engineering.

Inaam, who has cancer in her salivary gland, was so keen to participate that she came straight to the workshop after having a session of radiotherapy. “This is the first time in Lebanon the [Iraqi] intellectual community is being addressed,” she said. In fact, the IMC program is the first of its kind in the Middle East.

The goal of the workshops, said Sahib, was not only to upgrade the skills of long-idle Iraqi professionals, but to provide them with the expertise to ensure they found jobs upon resettlement or return to Iraq. According to Sahib, an IMC assessment of critical needs indicated that “one of the biggest gaps [in service provision] not only in Lebanon but across the region,” was in capacity-building.

The “huge displacement of professional Iraqis” meant the war-afflicted country was suffering from a shortage of skilled professionals at a time when they were needed most, he added. “Iraq is keeping up with the rest of the world in terms of technology – there are more than 14 million cell-phone lines and 1 million internet users,” Sahib said. “All this requires human resources.”

The program was also addressing the mental health and psychosocial needs of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon. Many of the participants said the workshop helped to restore their lost dignity, morale and self-esteem.

Haidar, who has an advanced degree in mathematics, lost his job as a day laborer because of his attendance. “I don’t care because I didn’t want to miss this course,” he laughed. “We have all had to work in fields inappropriate to our expertise, work that has humiliated us.” 

Suha, a social researcher who lives with her two sisters near Qana, just outside Tyre, said the Iraqi population in Lebanon was “keen to update their professional knowledge and pursue careers,” and hoped she would be able to join IMC’s future workshops. “It makes you feel as if your degree has value,” she said, wishing the workshops were longer.

“For a few hours at least, they feel as though they are not refugees but real professionals,” Sahib said of the participants.

“I don’t have the proper words to express my gratitude to the organizers,” Inaam said. “We are thankful to know there are people out there who care about helping us develop our skills and find careers when we go back to Iraq.”

Although IMC had limited funding for the workshop program, support officer Michelle Kayaleh said the NGO was hoping to expand its partnerships to continue providing capacity-building programs to Iraqi professionals and to create partnerships with Iraqi universities.

For more information, check out the IMC website at www.imcworldwide.org

The genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region remains the most vicious of our time. The Sudanese Armed Forces, anti-government rebel groups & Janjaweed militias continue to clash, killing hundreds of thousands with no end in sight. This explosion of violence reverberates into continuing crisis for over 2.5 million Darfuri refugees, innocent people caught without food, shelter or life-saving medicine.

The regional instability that initiated this crisis is the biggest obstacle against its solution. Many non-government organizations (NGOs) cannot provide aid due to insecurity, and the fragmentation of rebel & militia groups causes mistrust amongst the refugees over who can be trusted with their safety.

But where there remains humanity, there remains hope. The 2007 documentary Emergency in Darfur: Children at Risk (linked from MAZON’s YouTube page – http://www.youtube.com/mazonusa) chronicles the success of relief efforts by UNICEF and MAZON grantee International Medical Corps (IMC) in the troubled region. IMC serves over 288,000 Darfuri through mobile clinics and dedicated health care centers. Sudanese doctor Ali Dowelbait relays that a majority (80-90%) of the doctors and workers in these clinics are native Sudanese, insuring local sustainability and continued operation. It’s a hand up – not a hand out.

UNICEF assists the nomadic tribes in the Northern region of Darfur, and collaborates with certain factions around Darfuri capital Al-Fashir, to meet the education & nutrition needs of all who are hungry. This is a particularly difficult task, as many Darfuri confuse the wandering tribes with the Janjaweed militia. Here, UNICEF works with Sudanese NGO Al Massar to distribute food and education through a school based in the city of Al Harrar. This program boosts enrollment rates from almost nothing for girls and merely 5% for boys to 20% for girls and 40% for boys.

These efforts bring a marked impact on malnutrition rates, with IMC in particular reporting rates more than halved during their program period. But NGOs aren’t the only ones working to help the region. Another documentary, Darfur Now (available on DVD from Warner Home Video), follows a group of individuals working independently to end the genocide.

The most fascinating figure is International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. Driven by his personal history living under Argentina’s military junta, he seeks to try Sudanese minister Ahmad Muhammad Harun & militia leader Ali Kushayb for war crimes. He watches helplessly from afar as Janjaweed burn villages to the ground, protected by the Sudanese officials who deny the massacres to the rest of the world. Yet these heartbreaking images and second-hand reports are the keys to justice in the region, and he finds the strength in diplomacy to press forth.

Actors Don Cheadle, George Clooney & student activist Adam Sterling show the value of advocacy. Cheadle & Clooney use their celebrity status to influence Sudan’s international trading partners, while Sterling passes fliers on street corners and takes his fight all the way to California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interviews with Sudanese rebel Hijewa Adam underscore the importance of international advocacy; she believes in justice for her murdered son and fallen countrywomen, but admits that her corrupt government only listens to gunfire & “white people”.

But you don’t need celebrity ties or an international profile to be an advocate. Advocacy simply means speaking up, and you can speak up for those in this desperate situation without leaving your computer. Save Darfur, a coalition of over 180 faith-based and humanitarian organizations (including MAZON), features a web campaign at http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/addyourvoice08 through which you can send postcards to Presidential candidates Barack Obama & John McCain to insure that the next President commits vital resources to the region.

Here at MAZON, we raised almost $100,000 in direct appeals a few years ago, and still receive regular donations for our Darfur fund. Real progress is being made, and with so many ways to help, we will see the Darfuri through this tragedy.

If you love

The smile and the shine on the face of this child

Vote for ‘Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children’ American Express Members project to get $1.5 million aid;

So that International Medical Corps can help millions of malnourished children to smile and shine like this one!

Vote doesn’t cost you a thing!

Vote Today as time is running out.

Know more facts here.

Click Her to Vote.

You can vote till  13^th of October – for next three days.

(image and video source:IMC)

I have voted and if you like you can also

Vote For ‘Feeding 1 million children daily’ project by Akshaya Patra Foundation.

(To provide school lunch to children across India)

International Medical Corps

Chosen out of 1,190 projects, “Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children” is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million in funding. The project with the most votes receives $1.5 million, 2nd receives $500,000, 3rd $300,000, and 4th and 5th $100,000. The funding – made possible by your votes – would bring a vital lifeline to hungry and malnourished children around the world. 

They need your help between now and September 29th. Voting is easy and doesn’t cost a thing! In just a click, you can save the lives of thousands of malnourished children. Click here to vote:

I checked their website and they do a lot of work. Their areas of focus are Africa, Asia, Middle East and Caucasus and parts of North America. They really are doing a magnificent job.

Hunger and malnutrition kill more people in the world than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. As food prices rise, this funding is even more critical. More people are being driven deeper into poverty trying to afford basic staples. Many have nothing to eat at all. Your vote makes it possible for fewer young lives to be lost because they do not have enough to eat.

Getting the word out to your friends and family makes a huge difference! Forward this link to a friend and you bring us that much closer to the $1.5 million to help malnourished children around the world!

To find out more about International Medical Corps, check their website – www.imcwordwide.com.

It’s time to support International Medical Corp (IMC) -  a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, IMC’s mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions in underserved communities worldwide.

The coolest part? IMC has been chosen out of 1,190 projects by American Express to be eligible to receive up to $1.5 million in funding. But you have to VOTE for them HERE in order for them to get this funding!

Yes, it’s really possible that with one click, you can save the lives of thousands of malnourished children – but you have to vote HERE before September 29th.

Please take one minute of your day to vote. It will mean that severely malnourished kids will receive a life-saving treatment program that will offer them much-needed nutrient-dense food supplements. This is a life-saving action that will change the lives of thousands. Please help NOW by voting here.