Fri, Mar 19, 2010
Hello Anonymous! | Sign Out
| Account Settings
|
Rate This Blog
 5 rating(s)
Categories
• CARE
• Poverty • Empowerment • Women • Myanmar • Disaster • Relief • Food • Aid • CARE National Conference • Education • Maternal Health • HIV and AIDS • Children • Dr. Helene Gayle • Village Savings and Loan • Microfinance • Girls • Haiti • Africa • Climate Change • Gaza • Emergency • Refugee • IDP • War • Conflict • Disease • Health • Natural Disaster • Earthquake • Haiti Earthquake • Shelter
Archives
• Current Entries
• March 2010 • February 2010 • January 2010 • November 2009 • October 2009 • August 2009 • July 2009 • June 2009 • May 2009 • March 2009 • February 2009 • January 2009 • December 2008 • November 2008 • October 2008 • September 2008 • August 2008 • July 2008 • June 2008 • May 2008 • April 2008
Latest Entries
Loading...
|
Notes from the Field
CARE
Wednesday March 10, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 2:02PM EST on March 10, 2010
by Sabine Wilke, CARE Media Officer in Haiti Monday, March 8, 2010 Her first life was that of a teacher at a nurse's training school in Port-au-Prince, teaching skills to make sure that women have a healthy delivery. Today, Carline Morney spends her days in and around the earthquake-stricken capital of Haiti, helping expecting and young mothers to cope with the difficult situation. She is one of more than 70 new CARE staff members who have been hired in addition to the existing team to ensure a timely and efficient emergency response. ... (more)Monday March 1, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:20PM EST on March 1, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE Media Officer in Haiti Monday, March 1, 2010 We're watching from Haiti with shock and sadness as the news comes from Chile: another merciless earthquake, more powerful than ever. So soon after the devastation here in and around Port-au-Prince. (Was that only a few weeks ago? It feels like an eternity.) ... (more)Tuesday February 16, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 4:48PM EST on February 16, 2010
by Anne Larrass, CARE in Haiti's Information Management Officer
Friday, February 12, 2010 "Mèsi Bondye paske ou bann lavi ankò" It is 6 p.m. and the sun has just set, leaving behind a gentle trail of pink and orange. We are on our way back to the office, driving on a road that takes us past the now very common picture of broken homes and mountains of rubble of Port-au-Prince. Today is the last day of three days of official mourning, which explains the thousands of Haitians we've encountered on the streets chanting hymns and calling out slogans of hope and gratitude. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 4:28PM EST on February 16, 2010
by Anne Larass, CARE in Haiti's Information Management Officer Wednesday, February 10, 2010 "Ne bloquez pas, ne bloquez pas!" a CARE distribution coordinator calls out to the giggling crowd of women and girls who have been lining up since 5:30 a.m. to receive their rice. With no easy way to carry the 50 kg bags, women and girls are dropping them every few steps, laughing and shaking their heads at the comedy of the situation. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 3:50PM EST on February 16, 2010
By Melanie Brooks, CARE International Media Officer in Haiti Friday, February 12, 2010 While professional rescue teams used heavy equipment to pull people from the rubble, Jacques Wylens' father, Jacques Wilkens, used a sledgehammer and his bare hands in a desperate effort to free his son from the coffin of what was once their home. Next to where two-year-old Jacques lie trapped and crying under the rubble were his dead grandparents. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 3:25PM EST on February 16, 2010
by Melanie Brooks, CARE International Media Officer in Haiti Saturday, February 7, 2010 Night falls, and one by one, the candles flicker on in the camps – tiny pinpricks of light in a city clad in darkness. As the sun retreats, the muffled cries begin. And the women creep deeper into their flimsy shelters of bed sheets and plastic tarps, praying for the morning to come. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:47PM EST on February 16, 2010
Excerpted from a note to CARE staff Sunday, February 7, 2010 Dear Colleagues, A week ago, I returned from a joint visit to Haiti together with CARE USA regional director, Peter Buijs. Peter and I visited Haiti to understand the situation first-hand and offer support and guidance to CARE's response to the extensive humanitarian suffering caused by the January 12 earthquake. Peter stayed-on in Haiti for an additional week while country director Sophie Perez was traveling. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:25PM EST on February 16, 2010
Story by Rick Perera, CARE Media Officer in Haiti Saturday, February 6, 2010 In earthquake-ravaged Haiti, where broken bones and open wounds far outnumber doctors, people have grown accustomed to long waits for medical attention. But many who turn up at Saurel Saintie's mud-brick home have waited longer than most. These patients have traveled five hours or more along a rutted, dirt road -- aboard battered old buses, in backs of trucks or perched by threes and fours on motorbikes – to escape the ruined capital, Port-au-Prince. Many have gone weeks without having their injuries attended to. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:14PM EST on February 16, 2010
Story by Rick Perera, CARE Media Officer in Haiti Friday, February 5, 2010 Woose Gammanuel Ulysse wipes his runny nose, as he hides behind his mother's skirts. The five-year-old has been wheezing and coughing since the terrible events of January 12, when his world collapsed around him. The boy was trapped for an hour an a half under the rubble of his uncle's house in Port-au-Prince, says mother Tulia. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 12:51PM EST on February 16, 2010
by Elizabeth Babister, CARE Senior Shelter Advisor Friday, February 5, 2010 In the mornings, as the little tent circle of staff in the garden of CARE's office wakes up our most precious items here the small padlocks for locking the tents. A token gesture towards security since anyone could cut through the fabric, but with the garden busy with CARE staff this would be noticed immediately. We are relieved from the inconvenience of staying with our possessions while I work. Many of the camps in the city are congested with people, strangers to each other situated in the same place by necessity because open land is so scarce. There are no locks or fences between families. CARE will be supporting community leaders to organise committees in order to empower families to work for their recovery as community. ... (more)Friday February 5, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 5:14PM EST on February 5, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE's Emergency Media Officer in Haiti Friday, February 5, 2010 This will be my last blog entry from Haiti – but certainly not the last about Haiti, a country that has worked its way into my heart. I leave tomorrow on a special charter flight for aid workers. ... (more)Monday February 1, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 6:11PM EST on February 1, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE Emergency Media Officer in Haiti February 1, 2010 We're all starting to feel a little safer, and more relaxed – though that's a relative term, of course. We've noticed that there have not been aftershocks in a week or so. The mass distribution of rice that got underway yesterday has gone smoothly so far – a huge relief since many survivors have had nothing to eat since the quake. Of course it will take a long time to reach everyone in need, but the system is working well so far. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 6:02PM EST on February 1, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE Emergency Media Officer in Haiti Saturday, January 30, 2010 I've just returned from one of the most heartbreaking visits of my two weeks here: to meet the family of Dr. Franck Geneus, CARE's gentle, dedicated health program director. Their homes destroyed, his extended family of 30 is packed into Franck's brother's tiny house and yard -- from the littlest niece, five-month-old Joelle, to grandmother Inosie, who says she's 94. ... (more)Friday January 29, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:35PM EST on January 29, 2010
by Abby Maxman, country director, CARE Ethiopia and former country director for CARE International in Haiti Taken from a longer piece written by Abby to her CARE colleagues on January 14, 2010 As we all reel with grief and concern in the aftermath of the horrific and massive earthquake that struck near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince on January 12, I am drawn back to my own personal and professional relationship with the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. As a humanitarian and development professional for more than 20 years, I try to unpack its troubled history, fast forwarding to this week's events, and rewinding again to my own experience as country director of CARE International in Haiti from 2004-2006. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 12:50PM EST on January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010 One of our staff members in Haiti reports on the bleak living conditions for people displaced by the earthquake:
... (more) Tuesday January 26, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 10:20AM EST on January 26, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE Emergency Media Officer in Haiti Monday, January 25, 2010 You can handle a lot if you keep busy, but watch out when you get a chance to stop and think. On a long drive last night I had a talk with an exhausted CARE driver, and felt for a moment what it must be like to be Haitian. ... (more)Sunday January 24, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 9:49PM EST on January 24, 2010
by Rick Perera, Emergency Media Officer in Haiti Saturday, January 24, 2009 "I can't describe how frightened I was," recalls Joanie Estin, remembering that terrible day barely a week ago when her world fell apart. "We've lived through a lot in Haiti, but this is the first time anything like this ever happened." But Joanie doesn't look scared. Sad, yes – but resolute, confident, and committed. Every inch the Girl Scout. "I always keep a cool head, because otherwise you won't be able to help other people," she says calmly. ... (more)Friday January 22, 2010
Posted by: Rick Perera at 4:42PM EST on January 22, 2010
by Rick Perera
Thursday, January 21, 2010 You might expect to see Wilner Ulysse helping a little old lady cross the street. That's the classic image of a dutiful Scout. But Wilner, age 23, has a much more important good deed for today. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 4:26PM EST on January 22, 2010
by Loetitia Raymond Thursday, January 21, 2010 At the fragile moment in time when a life enters the world, when a child leaves the warm, protective cocoon of her mother's womb, one gesture can change everything. It can transform what could have been a happy occasion into the saddest of all. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 2:12PM EST on January 22, 2010
by Steve Hollingworth, CARE USA COO and EVP, Global Operations Wednesday, January 21, 2010 I received an e-mail today that I deeply appreciated. It also made me proud to be a part of CARE!! ... (more)Thursday January 21, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 3:58PM EST on January 21, 2010
by Patrick Solomon, CARE USA SVP, Global Support Services Thursday, January 21, 2010 Yesterday, the CARE staff went to the Place Saint Pierre in Pétion-ville extremely close to the CARE office to do pre-work for today's distribution of hygiene kits. The team did an assessment and registration process to identify pregnant and elderly women to make sure they were recipients of the distribution. Today, the team ensured that these women were given priority in the distribution process. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 12:03PM EST on January 21, 2010
by Patrick Solomon, CARE USA SVP, Global Support Services Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Distribution of mattresses at one of our main sites today did not go as smooth and had to be canceled. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 11:26AM EST on January 21, 2010
On Wednesday, January 20, 2009, CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed Steve Hollingworth, CARE USA's chief operating officer and Executive vice president of global operations. The interview was aired on CNN's The Situation Room. Check back for video. Here is the transcript: ... (more)Wednesday January 20, 2010
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 6:05PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Steve Hollingworth, CARE USA COO and EVP, Global Operations Wednesday, January 20, 2010 I wanted to say a few words about our staff here in Haiti. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 5:40PM EST on January 20, 2010
by CARE staff in Haiti Wednesday, January 20, 2010 A 6.1-magnitude aftershock rocked Haiti around 6:00 a.m. local time this morning, only eight days after the earthquake destroyed the capital city, leaving tens of thousands dead and injured and many more homeless. CARE's emergency response team send the following by text messages (SMS) and e-mail: ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 5:08PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media officer in Haiti Tuesday, January 19, 2010 This entry is a small collection of photos of senior staff inspecting damage in the hard-hit Delmas section of Port-au-Prince. ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 4:56PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media officer in Haiti Tuesday, January 19, 2010 CARE Haiti staff held a moment of silence Monday in memory of their own lost family members and for their country. ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 4:33PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media officer in Haiti
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 It's obvious that people here are still in grave shock. You can see in the grim faces as people try to pick up the pieces that they are in desperate need. Everywhere we go, we see hand-painted signs on bed sheets pleading for help, asking for medicine for children or letting people know bodies are there. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 4:13PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Loetitia Raymond, emergency media officer in Haiti Tuesday, January 19, 2010 Depuis une semaine des centaines de camps de fortunes ont tristement fleuri le parterre des trottoirs de Port-au-Prince et de ses environs. Sans logement et sans aucune source de revenu pour la plupart, les sinistrés ont besoin de l’aide internationale pour survivre. Depuis mon arrivée dans les bureaux de CARE Haïti, transformé en camp de fortune pour certains des employés qui ont perdu leur maison, je découvre une équipe admirablement engagée et mobilisée, alors que bon nombre d’entre eux ont perdu leur habitation, parfois des membres de leur famille. De 7h du matin à 22h pour certains, 7j sur 7, chacun tente de faire face à l’envergure des besoins pour mettre en place l’aide à la population. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 3:26PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Patrick Solomon, CARE USA SVP, Global Support Services Tuesday, January 19, 2010 Patrick Solomon and Steve Hollingworth, CARE's COO and EVP for Global Operations, spent the day with in the hart-hit town of Léogâne, southwest of Port-au-Prince, where CARE distributed water bladders, jerrycans and hygiene kits to 135,000 people. ... (more)
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 3:13PM EST on January 20, 2010
by Steve Hollingworth, CARE USA COO and EVP, Global Operations Tuesday, January 19, 2010 11:00 a.m. Patrick Solomon, CARE's SVP for Global Support Services, and I are traveling with a CARE convoy to distribute water bladders, jerrycans and hygiene kits to 135,000 people staying in an areas southwest of Port-au-Prince in a town called Léogâne. We have 21 staff moving out in four SUVs and a large truck. There is lots of apprehension in the car about keeping together through the extremely congested traffic. The trip should take around two hours. ... (more)Monday January 18, 2010
Posted by: Rick Perera at 9:55AM EST on January 18, 2010
by Rick Perera, CARE's emergency media officer in Haiti Its name, Hôpital La Paix, means Peace — but this massively overflowing hospital is anything but peaceful. The largest medical facility still standing in devastated Port au Prince, La Paix is beyond overflowing with critically injured people. ... (more)Sunday January 17, 2010
Posted by: Rick Perera at 7:25PM EST on January 17, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media officer in Haiti Sunday, January 17, 2010 If charity begins at home, CARE is in the right place. Just outside our Haiti headquarters, many hundreds, perhaps thousands — no one has counted them — of newly homeless people are camped out in the main square of Pétionville, a near suburb of Port-au-Prince. They wait patiently in the hot sun, but their desperation grows by the hour. At night, groups of people can be heard clapping and chanting. Some have hung banners, painted on bedsheets, with messages like "We need help!" in English and Creole. ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 7:13PM EST on January 17, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti Sunday, January 17, 2010 I keep hearing the same question from journalists: why isn't aid getting to these desperate people faster? The answer is: aid workers are moving as fast as they can, but the conditions are grim. Haiti has never seen a catastrophe of this magnitude in modern times; it was already desperately poor to begin with; and in the aftermath of so many disasters in recent years, the people and infrastructure were utterly unprepared to cope. ... (more)Saturday January 16, 2010
Posted by: Rick Perera at 2:26PM EST on January 16, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti Saturday, January 16, 2010 I'm with a convoy of three CARE vehicles carrying water purification supplies form the airport to three different points of distribution. In order to avoid the risk of mobs trying to take materials, we're using ordinary SUVs — Toyota Land Cruisers — and piling the materials low enough so they can be covered and out of view from the windows. ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 2:17PM EST on January 16, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti Saturday, January 16, 2010I am near the airport at the U.N. security base. CARE's country director in Haiti, Sophie Perez, and our emergency response leader, David Gazashvili, are here meeting with the heads of all the relief agencies. We are coordinating how best to get help to those in urgent need. ... (more)Friday January 15, 2010
Posted by: Rick Perera at 12:59PM EST on January 15, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti Friday, January 15, 2010We're crossing the border at Jimeni, between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Things are moving fairly quickly, at least on the Dominican Republic side. We're seeing supplies crossing the border including search and explore teams with dogs, many large tanker trucks with water, backhoes and other construction equipment, mobile kitchens from the Dominican Republic, and many journalists. ... (more)
Posted by: Rick Perera at 10:54AM EST on January 15, 2010
by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti Friday, January 15, 2010A group of CARE staff and journalists – 12 of us in all, landed in the city of Puerto Plata in the northern coast of the Dominican Republic early this afternoon. We were welcomed as tourists by a steel drum band, scantily clad dancers and free cocktails. It was a surreal experience. ... (more)
Posted by: Jon Thompson at 10:47AM EST on January 15, 2010
by Hauke Hoops, regional emergency coordinator in Haiti Friday, January 15, 2010This is one of the biggest disasters I’ve ever seen, and it is a huge logistical challenge. Everything has to come in by plane or boat, but the port is destroyed. The airport is overstretched, overcrowded with flights. ... (more)Thursday January 14, 2010
Posted by: Jon Thompson at 2:15PM EST on January 14, 2010
by Hauke Hoops, regional emergency coordinator in Haiti Thursday, January 14, 2010Hauke Hoops, CARE’s Regional Emergency Coordinator, flew from Panama to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, just after midnight Jan. 13. We reached him at the airport in Santo Domingo Jan. 13 at 6 a.m. local time, as he was preparing to board a humanitarian flight to Port-au-Prince. ... (more)Wednesday January 13, 2010
Posted by: Jon Thompson at 3:55PM EST on January 13, 2010
as told by Sophie Perez, CARE's Country Director in Haiti Wednesday, January 13, 2010 Sophie was in the CARE office in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit at about 5 p.m. local time January 12, 2010. Tuesday November 24, 2009
Posted by: Helene Gayle at 3:24PM EST on November 24, 2009
This Thursday, Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving, a celebration of harvest. Thanksgiving has come to be a wonderful time to gather with family and friends, and to reflect on the things for which we are most grateful. It also has an interesting history. In 1621, the English colonists at Plymouth Plantation (near Boston, Massachusetts) in the "New World" joined with the indigenous Wampanoag people to share an autumn harvest feast. ... (more)Tuesday October 6, 2009
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 2:41PM EST on October 6, 2009
by Seki Hirano, CARE shelter advisor On September 30, Indra, a 20-year-old student in Padang, West Sumatra, received a desperate phone call from his mother. The island has just been struck with a massive earthquake. Indra left Padang and rushed back to his home in the remote village of Pulo Air. Fortunately, he arrived to find his mother safe. However, he found that half his village, along with two neighboring villages, had completely disappeared under a four-hectare-wide landslide. The edge of the slide had stopped just four metres from his house. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 2:26PM EST on October 6, 2009
by Adjie Fachrurrazi, CARE emergency coordinator in Indonesia It has been raining non-stop for the past six hours. Heavy, heavy rain. People are traumatized. They are asking for help. Everyone is suffering. People say to me, "Don't count the number of destroyed houses. Count the number of houses still standing. It will be faster." In most villages I have seen, only 15 percent of houses are still standing. Some houses are totally flattened. The roof is flat on the ground. People lost everything. Their houses are destroyed, everything in them is destroyed. And everyone is afraid so those with houses will not go inside. There have been aftershocks over the past few days but today was mostly quiet. Everyone is afraid of another earthquake. Disaster Strikes Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands
A series of natural disasters – including two typhoons, four earthquakes and a tsunami – recently hit Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. These disasters have devastated communities, killed and injured thousands of people and left millions homeless millions due to flooding and destruction. CARE is on the ground in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, assessing survivors' immediate needs and providing lifesaving aid, including clean water, food and temporary shelter. An estimated $15 million will be needed to provide humanitarian assistance in these hard-hit areas. So people are sleeping outside, living outside. We are all wet. They have no shelter. Some people are sleeping under broken pieces of roof. Shelter is the main issue. People also need mosquito nets. They are sleeping outside, and with all this rain, there will be mosquitoes and malaria. Children are already starting to get sick. They need blankets, mosquito nets and plastic sheeting for shelter. *** People are drinking coconut juice, or river water. People in these village used to get their water from springs, but the pipes are broken. In Padang city, the municipal water is not running yet. The water from the river is not clean, and people don't have stoves to boil water. They need clean drinking water or there is going to be a rise in waterborne illness. We have supplies to help 5,000 people to start, but we need funds to help more. *** There are many injured people and people still buried under buildings. It is very hard to reach the affected areas. Landslides have blocked roads and there is debris everywhere. Our team went out by motorbike today. We have 20 people on the emergency team, including staff from our local partner. This damage looks worse than the Yogyakarta quake in 2006. It has been five days now. It's not clear how many people are affected yet. We don't have all the information from the rural areas. There are many dead bodies. And the smell is coming. Friday October 2, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:30PM EST on October 2, 2009
by Celso Dulce Celso Dulce is CARE's Project Representative in the Philippines, and he is leading CARE's emergency response to Typhoon Ketsana in Manila. Celso is from Manila. It started to rain a few hours ago, and it's dark. Today we were supporting the government order to evacuate people from high-risk areas as a precautionary measure. I just returned from securing the warehouses for relief distribution, because the goods might be damaged. Another storm is coming. We don't know how bad, but the rain is getting harder. Some areas are still flooded. In some areas, we don't know why, the water started to rise again yesterday. Some areas are still hard to reach. With the oncoming typhoon, definitely we will see the floodwaters rising again. So people who returned to their homes, but they will have to go back to the evacuation centers or whatever safe place they have identified. This is very difficult, because people were just starting to clean their houses and now they have to leave again. Almost 300 people are dead. This is my city. I have never seen it like this. They call the new storm a 'super-typhoon', and people are becoming panicked. Just this afternoon, we received an SMS saying that the super-typhoon will hit by 9 p.m. tonight. Then we received another SMS saying it will hit Manila by 5 p.m. It creates a lot of fear and panic. We need to teach people what to do to prepare for the coming super-typhoon. They need to move to a safer ground. They shouldn't wait for the strong winds and floods, that will be too late. They have to follow government warnings. Survival steps, prepare water, prepare food that will cover for one or two days. The electricity company has already said there will be cut off in electricity. There is a high level of awareness, and the government units are doing their best to prepare. I hope there are no deaths this time. The biggest need right now is for food, safe water and emergency shelter, especially since it's raining again. People had been sent back home, because the schools were being used as shelters. Children have to go back to school. Classes had been cancelled for a week already. But now we will need emergency shelter again, mainly tarpaulins. Families have yet to rebuild their homes. Two days ago I visited one area. One family had a shelter barely larger than two metres by two metres made of salvaged material. As many as 10-14 people lived in this. They have to take turns sleeping, some during the night, some during the day. And then they were hit by the typhoon. For me, it was so depressing, because even before the disaster they were living in such a horrible condition, and the floods made it worse. The urban poor eat only twice a day, and have very poor quality food, maybe just plain rice and soy sauce. At times, they scavenge food from the garbage, but they can't now, because everything is contaminated by the flood. CARE is distributing drinking water and food that will last them for a week. We are also distributing emergency supplies like blankets, jerry cans to store water and plastic tarpaulins. One man said, we need assistance, my wife is sick. She was doing the cleaning after the floods, because a lot of mud and debris were in the households. It is the responsibility of the women to take care of the children and clean the house. They have to get food and take care of the children, and the children are getting sick. The requests for medical assistance is increasing. It has been a long week. I think of those families tonight. I watch the news and the path of the new typhoon. The rain is getting harder.
Posted by: CARE at 3:21PM EST on October 2, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009 Monday August 24, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 4:43PM EST on August 24, 2009
Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE, reflects on her trip to Kenya. During the past few days we've learned a lot, visited various sites, dividing into three groups going to communities and through urban areas. When reflecting on visits to countries like Kenya, I'm always impressed and encouraged by the enthusiasm of the people I've met along the way. In the case of the recent Kenya Learning Tours trip, it gave me great hope to witness health workers, mothers, people with HIV and youth express their commitment to solve health problems and work to overcome extreme poverty. Their names, faces and powerful stories will always be with me to drive my work. As co-chair of the CSIS Commission on Smart Global Health Policy with Admiral Bill Fallon, we hosted this trip to Kenya to learn and bring back messages to U.S. policy makers on global health solutions. Much can be drawn from Kenya to be applied more broadly as we look to enhance awareness and commitment to health issues around the world. We are seeing improvements but we aren't where we should be. Clearly, there's no quick nor easy fix to get there. The good news is we know the kinds of things that make health systems work from procurement of medicines to training health workers to good policies that make efforts sustainable. And, as more evidence-based data is collected and analyzed, it will help drive priorities. Moving forward, as we look to solve health problems and increase access to health services, it's important to not solely think about the technical interventions. Donor integration and coordination is also extremely critical. Increased flexibility of investments will be a major driver of success. Ultimately, our goal is to allow governments and communities to use this platform to take on more of an ownership role and make it sustainable. The bottom line is that we need to get this strategy right and efforts should not be about political advantage but rather on the health and well-being of the people, like the one's I've met in Kenya and in so many other developing countries I've visited over the years.
A woman in Siaya District (Nyanza Province), Kenya. (2009 Allen Clinton/CARE) 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 11:34AM EST on August 10, 2009
Blog by Allen Clinton, CARE staff, currently on a Learning Tours trip to Kenya. Helene, Admiral Fallon, congressional staff and others on the Learning Tours trip are about to land in Nairobi. As final information packets have been placed in folders for the delegates, we just sent a team to the airport to get them. There's been so much work put into this trip over the past few weeks, it's almost strange how fast we all know it will fly by when it happens. We're looking forward to getting the group together and getting underway. At the hotel we are staying at here in Nairobi, I had to do a double take at one of the restaurant employees who at first (and even second and third glance) looks like the actor Don Cheadle. We took a photo with him. What do you think? When we (Sarah Lynch, who is overseeing the Learning Tours, our videographer Indra Palmer and I) sat down for dinner he asked us if we wanted soup. We said no. He replied: "No soup for you?" We all laughed out loud…memories of the famous Seinfeld Soup Nazi episode.
L to R: Indra Palmer, Don Cheadle look-alike, Allen Clinton, Sarah Lynch
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)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? Thursday January 22, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:24PM EST on January 22, 2009
GAZA (Jan. 19, 2009) -- The first thing I noticed was the quiet. For the first time in three weeks, there were no bombs, no screams. Ceasefire.
... (more) Tuesday January 13, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:09PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 13, 2009, 6:15 p.m) - The leaflets came yesterday, telling us our neighbourhood would be attacked. The whole population of the area is terrified. We have nowhere to go. My neighbour checked at the UNRWA shelter, but it was full. Overflowing. There is nowhere to go. We waited to be bombed.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:06PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 11, 2009) - My son's school was destroyed today in an air strike. Ziad is just six years old – he started going to school in September. He loves it, especially the physical education class, and art class, where he loves drawing.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:06PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 9, 2009) - This is the 14th day of the attack. It is 4 a.m. My six children are so worried, restless and unable to close their eyes. With each air strike, the house shakes right and left, and the children grab one another like cold rabbits seeking warmth. We feel helpless and victimized. There is nothing worse than being unable to protect your children.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 7:03PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 8, 2009) - It's now 6:00 pm, and the streets and neighbourhoods are totally empty of any creature. My neighbourhood has been reduced to rows of abandoned homes with open windows – some windows have been removed, to avoid flying glass if they shatter during a bombing. During the day, there were many air raids that destroyed several homes. Shrapnel fell very close to our home.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:44PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 6, 2009) - Today I had no other choice but to knock down a door in our apartment, to break it up and use it to make a fire and cook. I've knocked down three so far.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:39PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 8, 2009, 4: 45 a.m.) - This is the 13th day of the attack. It is really more horrible than we could ever describe. We feel like the sky is going to attack us. There is nothing worse than being tired, needing to sleep so badly, but being unable to sleep. We feel if we close our eyes for a moment, we will die.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 5:18PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 7, 2009, 4:30 p.m.) - My children are all sleeping. They went to sleep three hours ago, when the bombs stopped for the ceasefire. For three hours, it was totally silent. No bombs. They look so peaceful. Last night, none of us slept at all. The bombs were falling every five minutes. It was a terrible night. You can't sleep with the war going on.
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 6, 2009) - My child just started crying – she just heard on the news that Israel will start bombing our neighbourhood because there are allegedly insurgents living here. She has been having nightmares that our house will be totally destroyed, and that our family will die under it. She has seen the photos of other destroyed homes on TV. She said to me: "Dad, if they bomb us, where are we going to go? What do we do? All the houses are targeted. We can't even run." ... (more)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 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) 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)Wednesday October 15, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 7:17PM EST on October 15, 2008
Healthy women and babies are dying from something natural and manageable – giving birth. In the poorest parts of the world, a woman's lifetime risk of death from complications during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 6, compared to as little as 1 in 30,000 in Northern Europe.
... (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) Wednesday October 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:37PM EST on October 8, 2008
Recently, I accompanied our water and drainage specialist for an assessment of needs in the field. I love these privileged moments, to go in search of those with whom we will work hand-in-hand to develop projects. To form an answer to a problem is, above all, to talk with the people, to understand how they live, to take in their daily existence, and especially, to hear their problems, listen to their needs - to not show up with preconceived ideas. 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) Monday September 1, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 10:05PM EST on September 1, 2008
As the journey in Malawi came to an end, I was left both humbled and deeply impressed by the women I've met. One of the most moving things I heard on this trip was that women were encouraged by our visit, and some who haven't participated in a village savings and loan group may even be inspired to try it.
... (more) Saturday August 30, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 6:27PM EST on August 30, 2008
If I could summarize what I have seen in Kaundama village in just a word, it would be "harmony". I have met the delightful, inspiring members of the Namirazi women's association (named for a local river). I was instantly drawn to them because of their joyful singing; I thought it was just to welcome us, but they continued to sing as they walked to and from their fields, as they cooked lunch, after they ate they just clearly loved the camaraderie and companionship they have found in their savings and loan group.
The group works so well together, they have undertaken a major investment in a new business. In the next couple of months, they will start raising poultry. Each member has already committed 3,000 Malawian Kwacha (about $20) to have the coop constructed. It stands at the ready. After they have saved a total of 110,000 Kwacha ($760), they'll be ready for CARE to help them arrange the purchase and transport of the chicks, feed and other supplies to start the new venture. Thursday August 28, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:38PM EST on August 28, 2008
I watched a woman named Rhoshida harvest her groundnuts – you might recognize them as peanuts – as the sun sank behind mountains south of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe. It was a beautiful scene for a couple of reasons. First, the setting was spectacular. More importantly, there before me was a woman who was harvesting the fruits of her labor, part of a plentiful growing season that would feed her family throughout the year. ... (more)Thursday August 21, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:28PM EST on August 21, 2008
Photographer Phil Borges traveled for two weeks in May to A village savings and loan association is a group of 10-20 members – usually women – who save small sums of money each week to create a fund from which they can access loans. The loans are used to start or expand small businesses, and are repaid with interest. With the income from interest and their individual enterprises, women are able to improve the health, education and well-being of their families. ... (more) Thursday August 7, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:33PM EST on August 7, 2008
Helene Gayle, MD, MPH, President and CEO, CARE The International AIDS conferences have been a
running timeline for the response to the epidemic and a marker for evolution in
my own career, and this week's International AIDS Conference is one of the
biggest – almost 25,000 delegates. I remember the first International AIDS
Conference, in 1985 in
Posted by: CARE at 5:19PM EST on August 7, 2008
For me, meeting with CARE colleagues and leadership here in Mexico City has been crucial. We need their support, as our work fighting the HIV epidemic in Côte d’Ivoire continues to grow exponentially. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 4:21PM EST on August 7, 2008
This is my first time at the International AIDS Conference, and I have to admit it's a bit overwhelming! But I'm learning a lot, especially about how we can improve our work with children affected by the epidemic. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 3:30PM EST on August 7, 2008
I have the interesting distinction of having been to every International AIDS Conference for the past 18 years. Every time, I learn more. It's a rare opportunity to stand back from our daily work and look at the big picture of the worldwide response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ... (more)Tuesday August 5, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 4:16PM EST on August 5, 2008
At the 2008 International AIDS conference in Mexico City,
an event the size of a small city, it is a relief to see some familiar
faces. I already knew a handful of the 30 colleagues from around the CARE
world who gathered for a meeting before the conference, but the others, too, were like
family.
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)Tuesday July 1, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:40PM EST on July 1, 2008
The FY08/09 Emergency Supplemental Spending
Bill, signed into law by President Bush on Monday, June 30, will enable the
United States to spend an additional $1.245 billion on international food aid
donations in this year and next, as donor countries work to relieve the
devastating effects of soaring food and fuel prices on the world’s poor.
Included in the funding is $50 million to be used to purchase food on the ground
at the local or regional level of the recipient countries. This first time shift
by the U.S. government of freeing some money to buy food within countries ─ thus
aiding local economies and alleviating the heavy costs of transporting food from
the U.S to Africa and other places ─ is
an important step in more effectively fighting the food
crisis. 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) Monday June 2, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 12:08PM EST on June 2, 2008
I had every intention of eating the tomato - I could see myself cutting it up into slices for salad, using it for grilled cheese or a bacon/lettuce and tomato sandwich. But good intentions aren't enough.
... (more) Wednesday May 14, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:50PM EST on May 14, 2008
Many articles have appeared in the news today reporting that a new storm is approaching the cyclone-devastated area of Myanmar. Early indications predict that the storm will dump heavy rains on already-saturated areas of Myanmar but is unlikely to develop into another significant tropical cyclone. In either case, the outcome will be dire, adding to the flooding and misery across the Irrawaddy Delta and the capital city of Yangon.
... (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)Thursday May 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:42PM EST on May 8, 2008
Today, we distributed rice to 3,000 people, using locally available food. On Wednesday, we distributed water to about 10,000 people in townships in Yangon. The recipients were those staying in temporary shelters and others who have no access to town water supplies. In addition to supplying them with bottled water, we cleaned the wells and toilets at the collective shelters, many of which are located in schools and pagodas.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 8:49AM EST on May 8, 2008
Cyclone Nargis has created a major humanitarian disaster in Myanmar - one that will require substantial international response. Even with the full extent of devastation yet to be determined, 60 years of disaster experience have taught us that clean water, food and certain basic items, like shelter materials, are initial priorities. Water and sanitation are also always key concerns. After a storm like this, most of the available drinking water is likely to be polluted. If you don't act quickly, there is a very real risk of an outbreak of disease. People need counseling on what's safe to do and what is not.
... (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) |
