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Wednesday March 10, 2010
A midwife's tale
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)
Tuesday February 16, 2010
“Mèsi Bondye paske ou bann lavi ankò”
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)
Rice and shine!
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)
The earthquake destroyed our future
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)
Bad spirits
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)
Visiting Haiti
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 1:47PM EST on February 16, 2010

Excerpted from a note to CARE staff
by Jonathan Mitchell, CARE International's Emergency Response Director

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)
Mixed blessing: Haitians fleeing quake zone flood home to native villages
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)
Friday February 5, 2010
Stoic
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)
Friday January 29, 2010
Reflections on resilience and recovery
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)
Makeshift shelter
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:

Shelter is makeshift. A subject of common prayer: "We hope that rain does not fall!" The big majority of the shelters set up so far assure essentially a symbolic role of limitation of territory guaranteeing a minimum of security and of intimacy. That means that the existing shelters do not protect against anything at all, if that would be wind, sun, cold, heat and even less against rain.

... (more)
Tuesday January 26, 2010
I Pledge Allegiance
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
Scout’s Honor Part 2: Profile in Courage
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
Scout's Honor
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)
Life hanging by a thread (available in French)
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)
Thursday January 21, 2010
A flawless distribution today in Pétion-ville
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)
Wednesday's distributions were a mixed success
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)
Interview of CARE's Steve Hollingworth by CNN Situation Room's Wolf Blitzer
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
Experts, local CARE staff and community members make for success
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)
Strong aftershock traumatizes Haitians early Wednesday morning
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)
CARE staff in Haiti hold a moment of silence
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)
You can see desperation in the eyes of children
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)
Ne vous y méprenez pas…nous avançons! (in French)
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)
Distribution has started in Léogâne!
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)
A successful day: a model for the future
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
A companion at the end
Posted by: Rick Perera at 9:55AM EST on January 18, 2010

by Rick Perera, CARE's emergency media officer in Haiti
January 18, 2009

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
Desperation at our gates
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)
They ask: why isn't aid getting to these desperate people faster?
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
CARE convoy heads through streets of Port-au-Prince to distribute water purification supplies
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)
Far more is needed
Posted by: Rick Perera at 2:17PM EST on January 16, 2010

by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I 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
Crossing the border
Posted by: Rick Perera at 12:59PM EST on January 15, 2010

by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti

Friday, January 15, 2010

We'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)
"Like Going from Heaven to Hell"
Posted by: Rick Perera at 10:54AM EST on January 15, 2010

by Rick Perera, emergency media coordinator in Haiti

Friday, January 15, 2010

A 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)
Thursday January 14, 2010
Eyewitness account: “I don’t know what I’m going to find”
Posted by: Jon Thompson at 2:15PM EST on January 14, 2010

by Hauke Hoops, regional emergency coordinator in Haiti

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Hauke 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
Eyewitness account: ''Everything is urgent''
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.
We reached her by phone at 6.30 a.m. local time the following morning.

... (more)
Friday October 23, 2009
Empowering Communities - - from VSL to VITOVU
Posted by: Ahungu at 3:34AM EST on October 23, 2009

When I was "forced" to leave CARE in Tanzania in May 2006, I was somehow confused! That was a "Threat" to my survival - for you who know "SWOT". But I turned things differently. On July 1st 2009 ASMET celebrated her 3rd year supporting and created new "life" for over 450 "Vituo Vya Maendeleo Vya Jamii" - VITOVU (umbilical cord - in Kiswahili). 3/4 of the 450 VITOVU members are women and young people who had lost hope! By July 2009 all were leading assured social and economic lives - many are now supporting 3 to 5 members of their families; including assured 3 meals per day, have sponsored their children to secondry schools and all managing viable small businesses.

... (more)
Monday August 24, 2009
Reflecting on Kenya
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)

Monday August 10, 2009
Kenya – How are you?
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
A most meaningful gift
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)
Monday July 13, 2009
My visit with rural farmers in Wundua, Ghana
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)
Friday July 10, 2009
My first day in Ghana
Posted by: CARE at 3:11PM EST on July 10, 2009

Blog by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE

After several days of traveling to and within Ghana, I finally reached the community of Yaroyiri in the Northern Region of the country. To get to this community, I took three flights and a several-hour drive. The community of Yaroyiri is extremely rural and most people make their livelihood through subsistence farming.

... (more)
Thursday July 9, 2009
Faces I'll Remember
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)
Monday June 29, 2009
Little Man
Posted by: CARE at 12:34PM EST on June 29, 2009

by Rick Perera, Media & Communications Officer

 

Just 12 years old, he carries the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders. The eldest of five children of a widowed mother, Sajjad Ahmad feels responsible for his family. It’s not easy being the man of the house at such a young age.

 

... (more)
Thursday June 11, 2009
A Crime against Hope
Posted by: CARE at 12:06PM EST on June 11, 2009

Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan:

ISLAMABAD – It’s become depressingly familiar: a tragic attack on civilians. Tuesday’s hotel bombing in Peshawar is just the latest in a string of events marring this beautiful country.

... (more)
Can't We Do More?
Posted by: CARE at 11:36AM EST on June 11, 2009

Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: 

ISLAMABAD -- It’s frustrating to sit in an air-conditioned office while 150 kilometers away people are crowded dozens to a room in the simple homes of generous but poor compatriots. To sleep in a comfortable bed while families lie under open skies for lack of shelter, their children kept awake all night by mosquito bites. I know CARE and other humanitarian agencies are doing everything in our power to get help to Pakistan’s millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs), but it still seems like too little, too slow.

... (more)
Friday June 5, 2009
The Spirit of the Pakistani People
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
Thousands of People and a Baby
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009

Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg
May 27, 2009

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)
Cars, Trains and Refugees
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009

Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg
May 26, 2009

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)
There Is a Good Plan
Posted by: CARE at 1:24PM EST on June 4, 2009

Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg
May 23, 2009

Yesterday, I was invited to attend a meeting of the United Nations. A dozen people – diplomats, government officials and organizations like CARE – met at the national library of Pakistan, located directly next to the prime minister’s house. The only topic of the meeting was: How can we help the refugees in the best, most efficient and safest manner? ... (more)
Friday May 29, 2009
Today, Pakistan Is a Different Place
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
Make a Powerful Noise on International Women's Day
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?   

... (more)
Thursday January 22, 2009
A Request for President Obama
Posted by: CARE at 12:55PM EST on January 22, 2009
Written by Christy Turlington Burns.

It's time to get rid of a policy that kills women around the world.
... (more)
Wednesday October 15, 2008
Death from Delivery - It Doesn't Have to Be This Way
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 September 26, 2008
Haiti report 1: The Punishing Rain
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.

... (more)
Monday September 1, 2008
Final Thoughts on Malawi
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
Women Investing in Business Together in Malawi, the "Warm Heart of Africa"
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.
   

... (more)
Thursday August 28, 2008
Women Advancing Women in the Warm Heart of Africa ─ "If I Refuse to Help Because I Am Overloaded, We Will Not Get Ahead"
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.

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Thursday August 21, 2008
Women Helping Women in the Warm Heart of Africa ─ Creating Access to Credit Where There Was None
Posted by: CARE at 5:28PM EST on August 21, 2008

Photographer Phil Borges traveled for two weeks in May to Malawi with colleague filmmaker/photographer Smith Patrick to learn about how women's village savings and loan associations impact families and communities. It was Phil's seventh trip with CARE.

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.


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Wednesday July 9, 2008
When Giving Life Means Risking Life
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. 

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Friday May 23, 2008
Advocating on Capitol Hill for Better Maternal Health
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).

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Thursday April 24, 2008
A Nutty Idea that Just Might Work
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.

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