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Notes from the Field
poverty
Friday October 2, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:21PM EST on October 2, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009 Friday August 14, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 11:57AM EST on August 14, 2009
Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE, blogs from her trip to Kenya. August 10, 2008 This morning after a breakfast briefing we loaded up in a van and headed to a drop off point to get to Kibera Tabitha Clinic. Kibera is a densely populated "informal settlement" or slum area of Nairobi. Population estimates for Kibera are as high as 1 million people. It's probably the largest and most studied slum in Africa – nearly the size of Manhattan's Central Park. From our drop off point at the top of a hill, it looks like a corrugated sea of rusted tin roofs and open sewers. Reaching the clinic involves walking through a maze of muddy walking paths as there are no streets. While there we were briefed by Dr. Rob Breiman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who is a former colleague from my days at CDC, and the clinic's director, Salim Mohammed. The clinic took two years to build and was completed this year. The bricks to build it were all carried by hand down the same narrow, windy path to the site and was built by the community. The clinic partners with the CDC to identify trends in infectious diseases and develop programs to meet the highest priorities for improving health. They also integrate HIV training, reproductive health and antenatal care. About 150-200 people visit this clinic every day. Staff also do home visits to households every other week, asking questions to identify possible health issues. For example, if someone has a cough or potential complications with a pregnancy, it initiates a specific set of questions to help determine the whether there is a problem that needs attention. I had the chance to go on a home visit to meet with a woman named Cynthia, a mother of five. It was interesting to see how the local health worker, Jaciuta, gathered surveillance information on Cynthia's family that was logged on a handheld PDA – technology put to good use. This allowed the home health worker to go back to the office and upload household health information on a daily basis. Sure beats old fashion paper record keeping! From there, we walked through another part of Kibera to meet with a group of women. They told us about the daily struggles they face as well as some of the support they receive from a woman named Judy, a retired nurse who started her own organization that CARE supports as a local partner through our Local Links program. Judy helps the women start small businesses, like selling vegetables, to earn their own income. The story of one woman, Mwinza Mwema, especially impressed me. She has seven children and two orphans in her care. Her vegetable stand was burned to the ground during the post-election violence in Kenya last year but she didn't give up hope. She takes on jobs washing clothes and dishes, making a little over a dollar a day. It never ceases to amaze me the resilience of women like Mwinza, who continues to have a positive attitude despite the hardship she faces. This is a woman who survived home childbirth, cutting the umbilical cords herself because she couldn't afford to go to a hospital. She was lucky to have survived and that her children still have a mother. She mentioned other women she knew who didn't survive home childbirth, a common practice in poor areas. Hopefully as more clinics like Tabitha go up, more people will start accessing health and family planning services. During lunch we spoke with Peter Anyang Nyong, minister for medical services, who noted health challenges in Kenya, and how improving infrastructure and human resources are critical to the country's development.
(L to R: Admiral Fallon, Minister for Medical Services Peter Anyang Nyongo and me at lunch) From there we drove to Pumwani Maternity Hospital for our final visit of the day. According to the director, Dr. Charles Wanyoni, it's the busiest maternal health hospital on the continent. This year, he said they've experienced seven maternal deaths for some 11,000 deliveries. He noted that "when it's this busy you can expect complicated cases." The hospital has two operating rooms, one antenatal clinic, family planning services, services to prevent mother-child transmission of HIV and comprehensive care. Because it's located right next to Kibera, many women and girls who deliver there have to work out with a hospital committee how they will pay for services – approximately $40 for a normal delivery and double that if a caesarean-section is needed.
(Here I am visiting the Pumwani Maternal Health Hospital's neonatal unit.) Because the hospital was built in 1926, it was obvious they've have to expand, which is a constant struggle when facing high demand and low funding. It was good to see that the CDC is supporting the hospital with a laboratory, and it also receives PEPFAR (the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funding. The hospital staff has aspirations for developing their infrastructure during the next five years to include things like a new water system and more skills training workshops for staff. I really hope for the day when poor women can focus on getting the care they need without putting themselves in precarious financial positions that deepens their poverty. This is what I will continue to push for: more investment in maternal health and family planning. These issues really need to become a priority, not just in Kenya, but on a global scale. Tonight, I have to brush off the dust from today's trip to wear another hat: meeting with health leaders and key donors at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Ranneberger. More tomorrow! Dr. Helene Gayle of CARE shares her thoughts on the importance of visiting Kenya on a Learning Tour trip.
Monday August 10, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:46AM EST on August 10, 2009
Blog by Allen Clinton, CARE staff, currently on a Learning Tours trip to Kenya. There's a lot involved in putting together a Learning Tours trip. Right now I'm in Kenya as part of a team doing an advance run-through. I'll hold back on all the program details until the trip starts but I will say we've been on the road a lot visiting numerous communities, hospitals and clinics to make sure delegates have a safe, well managed and well informed trip. On the way to one clinic in the slums of Kibera to review the schedule and time the walk, we were instructed to keep moving along a narrow one lane pathway so we don't hold up anyone coming from the other direction. As parts were muddy, black rubber boots were provided. Some who didn't have the right shoes on wore the boots. For the majority of us who didn't try out the black boots, we did survive walking through or stepping over drainage ditches. I took a few photos to show you what I mean.
Along the way children would walk with us for a few steps asking, "How are you?" When we respond we're fine and returned the same question, they would always smile and giggle. Some even asked the folks with the boots on when it was going to rain. Wednesday July 22, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 2:19PM EST on July 22, 2009
Blog on her recent trip to Ghana by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE Today, I received one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever been given – a bouquet of flowers from the Girls' Club in the village of Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti region of Ghana. ... (more)Wednesday July 15, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:05PM EST on July 15, 2009
Blog on her recent trip to Ghana by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE CARE works with farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana to help improve cocoa yields and educational opportunities for children. How do these two seemingly-disparate things go together? ... (more)Monday July 13, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:26PM EST on July 13, 2009
Blog on her recent trip to Ghana by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE
Today, in the predominantly Muslim – and extremely rural community – of Wundua in the Northern Region of Ghana, I met an amazing group of farmers who are being trained by CARE on better farming techniques, including conservation practices. ... (more)Thursday July 9, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on July 9, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media & Communications Officer Farewell, Pakistan. My month among these kind, hospitable people is coming to an end. As I leave this country that is struggling with a massive wave of civilians fleeing conflict, my mind is full of thoughts, and my heart full of emotions. I've seen the sacrifice of ordinary Pakistanis doing their best to help their suffering compatriots. Their generosity is an inspiration, but also a challenge, to the rest of the world. ... (more) Thursday June 11, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 11:36AM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: Friday June 5, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:48AM EST on June 5, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 28, 2009: It is about noon up here in the northwestern province, or maybe a little later. In one of the camps for displaced people we meet a teacher, who is now volunteering to help his fellow countrymen. He tells us his story: "When all of the refugees arrived, I did not hesitate. I contacted the government to register as a volunteer. 'What can I do,' I asked them. 'How can I help?'" ... (more)Thursday June 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg While travelling to places like Pakistan, I naturally meet many different people. All of them have their own story and background, their traditions, cultures and personal experiences. Talking to the displaced people in Pakistan, I realized right away how different their path of life is compared to my own. Living in Buner, Kohistan, Dir and the village of Swat bears no resemblance at all to lifestyles in so many western countries. The gap could not be much bigger. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Today I visited a place close to Mardan, where tens of thousands took refuge from the ongoing fighting in Dir, Buner and the village of Swat. Their overall situation is horrible. ... (more)Friday May 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:19AM EST on May 29, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 22, 2009
It’s been two and a half years since I last visited Pakistan. At that time, I was in the valley of Allai, in the north western part of the country. In October 2005, a massive earthquake struck the province. I visited the region twice: right after the disaster and a year later. CARE was able to help, in great part due to donations. Together, with the affected population, we built new schools – ones that many girls attend for the first time. This continues to be a big step, because girls’ education is not a given in this part of the world. In cooperation with Pakistani engineers, CARE offered trainings for housing construction so that buildings would be more stable and, hopefully, not collapse when another earthquake hits the region. With CARE’s support, Pakistani experts also built ditches in order to support agricultural activities. ... (more) Wednesday March 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 2:48PM EST on March 4, 2009
On March 5, I’ll be attending APN Live, a one-night event being held at hundreds of theaters across the U.S. in celebration of international women’s day. I’ll be at the Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24 event and hope you will join me.
We’ll be watching the film “A Powerful Noise” and participating in a live town hall discussion with panelists Madeleine Albright, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington Burns and Helene Gayle. Can you imagine – being able to discuss women’s empowerment and fighting poverty with the likes of them? Wednesday December 24, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 11:52AM EST on December 24, 2008
I leave Ethiopia today, December 22, after
nearly two weeks of visiting rural communities and meeting with local CARE staff
and health workers. My first trip ever to this country came on the eve of the
25th anniversary of the 1984 famine.
The situation in Ethiopia is bad. Around the countryside, the drizzle of rain turned shrubbery green, but it came too little, too late. Drought has caused most crops to fail. Nearly 85 percent of families in this country of 80 million people depend on seasonal rains to grow food on half-acre-sized plots of land — the primary source of nourishment for their children. It seems that larger families are feeling the pain of hunger and malnutrition first. ... (more)Tuesday December 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:44PM EST on December 23, 2008
Final Days at Poznan - December 11th, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:06PM EST on December 23, 2008
Day 11 Reflections from the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Poznan, Poland from Dec. 1 - 12.
On December 6, Bread for the World, CARE International and Germanwatch submitted a proposal to the Secretariat that calls on Parties to prioritize, in the Convention's framework for long-term cooperative action, the needs and rights of people most vulnerable to climate change. As it stands, there has been a lot of discussion here in Poznan about prioritizing the adaptation needs of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. This discussion is, indeed, an important one. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 4:22PM EST on December 23, 2008
Further observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan.
I am participating for the first time at a meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. And as a "first timer", I have been grappling with two very strong emotions. First and foremost, there is the exhilaration about being a part of what could be a monumental event. If these talks succeed, the world is going to be much closer to a post-2012 agreement that will increase our chances of avoiding dangerous global warming. Being here as a delegate offers me the opportunity to work with my colleagues to advocate on the issues that are important to CARE and, most importantly, to the communities where we work. We have a chance, and the space, to raise the profile of the needs and rights of the world's poorest people, who are the most affected by climate change yet the least responsible for the problem. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 12:50PM EST on December 23, 2008
More Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Poznan, Poland, from Dec. 1 - 12.
The NGO Practical Action held a side event that focused on the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Climate Change adaptation. This means enabling communities to be prepared to face disasters prior to them happening and in a way that loss of lives is minimized and livelihoods are protected. As I watched the brief video that introduced the speakers, it all came together and I could relate the issue to CARE's work in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Tanzania. It all made perfect sense until I heard two gentlemen, one from Honduras and one from Vietnam, make a few simple remarks. "Let me assure you," one said to the audience in a serious tone, "that disasters in my part of the world and in my community are becoming more intense every year. We simply can no longer predict them. Lives are being lost, and frankly no one is there to help us." ... (more)Friday December 19, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 4:57PM EST on December 19, 2008
Day 4 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12.
There are thousands of people running around at COP14. It is an excellent place for meeting colleagues and finding out what is happening on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) fund. You see, rich countries are committed under the Kyoto protocol to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. One option on the table is that instead of reducing the emissions in their own country, they can finance a project in a developing country. So the financing mechanism for doing this is called the Clean Development Mechanism.Most of time, the projects financed are related to renewable energy like wind turbines, solar, improved cooking stoves, etc. ... (more)Friday October 10, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 10:04AM EST on October 10, 2008
It happened yet again. This time it was on a Friday evening, just before the weekend. Usually, it happens around the holidays. Either right before or smack in the middle of it. Sometimes you wonder whether it is a coincidence or it is a strategy. Maybe it is both.
... (more) Sunday September 28, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 11:15PM EST on September 28, 2008
Facts A woman gives birth in a temporary shelter, the bare ground covered in trash.Without medicine. Millions of barefooted people in mud laden with sharp objects. Without shoes. ... (more) Friday September 26, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 4:23PM EST on September 26, 2008
A clammy heat that clings to your skin, a blazing sun that withers you to the core, I’m at the Télecom sans Frontières tent to send the latest news to CARE’s network. At the entrance, an alert announces that a storm system has formed from the ensuing rains and unfavorable winds in the Caribbean area. We have been following the weather development since yesterday, which we hope will not announce its lot of torrential showers on the country. Tuesday September 16, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 12:29PM EST on September 16, 2008
My first lesson in the realities of poverty and global inequality came on a trip to Guatemala when I was four years old. My father, a doctor, had volunteered for a rural medical project, and brought his young family along.
The country was a riot of unfamiliar colors, smells, and sounds for a child’s senses. The joyfully clattering melodies of the marimba. The bustling marketplaces, where meat came not wrapped in cellophane, but on two or four legs. The destinations called out in sing-song voices by boys hanging precariously from brightly painted buses. “Gua-te, Gua-te, Gua-te-ma-la!” they’d shout, as they departed for the capital. I had no idea that these children, only a few years older than I, worked to help their families survive, at the price of a missed education. ... (more) Wednesday July 9, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:05PM EST on July 9, 2008
As a young woman not yet initiated into motherhood, I am both excited and frightened by the thought of giving birth. I can imagine nothing more amazing, and yet I recoil at the thought of labor. But standing here in Rancho Grande, Nicaragua, I must admit that my fears seem kind of absurd. After all, if I give birth, I will have the benefits of modern medicine at my fingertips – drugs, experienced doctors and sterile and well-equipped delivery rooms. ... (more)Wednesday June 25, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:29PM EST on June 25, 2008
Below, Chris Northey continues her reflections from the field while working as CARE's
... (more) Saturday June 21, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:00PM EST on June 21, 2008
Sean Camoni offers insight and reflection following his advocacy efforts on the Hill for CARE's 2008 National Conference.
... (more) Wednesday June 18, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 10:32PM EST on June 18, 2008
The day started with a bang – or a beat, in any case – for some 20 participants in this year’s CARE National Conference. These hardy souls gathered at 7 a.m., under the leadership of CARE Ambassador Eric Harr, and ran the few blocks to Washington’s National Mall. There, Master Drummer Antoinette Kudoto of Ghana provided the motivation, while they moved their bodies as part of the global movement against poverty.
... (more)
Friday May 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 12:16PM EST on May 23, 2008
This past Monday on Capitol Hill I got to attend a press conference with a group of Congress members and supporters. The purpose of the conference was to highlight the need for U.S. leadership to promote safe motherhood for women around the world and the bi-partisan House Resolution 1022, sponsored by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA). ... (more)Monday May 12, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on May 12, 2008
As CARE’s emergency teams complete initial assessments in the Irrawaddy delta, gruesome scenes of bodies decomposing in the very ponds the Myanmarese use for drinking water are being reported. Corpses still cannot be buried and entire villages remain underwater, many with few survivors. ... (more)Friday May 2, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 6:59PM EST on May 2, 2008
I attended the world premiere of A Powerful Noise at the Tribeca Film Festival last night (Apr 30). The turn out was great! There was a standing ovation at the end followed by a Q and A with executive producer Sheila Johnson, director Tom Capello and Madame Urbain, who was one of the three women featured in the film. She flew in from Mali to see the premiere. ... (more)Thursday April 24, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:50PM EST on April 24, 2008
“Extreme poverty can be ended in our lifetime.”
If you believe this, you are: a) Optimistic bordering on delusional. b) A rock star with a cause. c) A liberal policy wonk. d) A level-headed realist who believes humans have the capacity and creativity to solve tough problems.
Maybe ending poverty isn’t such a nutty idea. ... (more) |
