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Notes from the Field
women
Friday October 23, 2009
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. How? I applied the CARE Niger MMD community groups methodlogy and CARE Tanzania (HISA or VSL) methodology to create VITOVU groups on pilot basis and now have over 12 VITOVU groups using personal savings, pension funds (32,000/= per month and parttime consultancy jobs. From 2010 we plan to create more VITOVU groups targeting young people in marketing places around Dar es Salaam City. Thanks CARE for empowering me first, I'm no longer confused from loosing my job. I'm now known as "mwalimu -teacher" or "mshauri - advisor" by the community members i work with. Join us to change their lives for the better! 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) Monday August 10, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:46AM EST on August 10, 2009
Blog by Allen Clinton, CARE staff, currently on a Learning Tours trip to Kenya. There's a lot involved in putting together a Learning Tours trip. Right now I'm in Kenya as part of a team doing an advance run-through. I'll hold back on all the program details until the trip starts but I will say we've been on the road a lot visiting numerous communities, hospitals and clinics to make sure delegates have a safe, well managed and well informed trip. On the way to one clinic in the slums of Kibera to review the schedule and time the walk, we were instructed to keep moving along a narrow one lane pathway so we don't hold up anyone coming from the other direction. As parts were muddy, black rubber boots were provided. Some who didn't have the right shoes on wore the boots. For the majority of us who didn't try out the black boots, we did survive walking through or stepping over drainage ditches. I took a few photos to show you what I mean.
Along the way children would walk with us for a few steps asking, "How are you?" When we respond we're fine and returned the same question, they would always smile and giggle. Some even asked the folks with the boots on when it was going to rain. Wednesday July 22, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 2:19PM EST on July 22, 2009
Blog on her recent trip to Ghana by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE Today, I received one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever been given – a bouquet of flowers from the Girls' Club in the village of Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti region of Ghana. ... (more)Monday July 13, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:26PM EST on July 13, 2009
Blog on her recent trip to Ghana by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE
Today, in the predominantly Muslim – and extremely rural community – of Wundua in the Northern Region of Ghana, I met an amazing group of farmers who are being trained by CARE on better farming techniques, including conservation practices. ... (more)Friday July 10, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:11PM EST on July 10, 2009
Blog by Sarah Blizzard, Development Writer, CARE Thursday July 9, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on July 9, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media & Communications Officer Farewell, Pakistan. My month among these kind, hospitable people is coming to an end. As I leave this country that is struggling with a massive wave of civilians fleeing conflict, my mind is full of thoughts, and my heart full of emotions. I've seen the sacrifice of ordinary Pakistanis doing their best to help their suffering compatriots. Their generosity is an inspiration, but also a challenge, to the rest of the world. ... (more) Monday June 29, 2009
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
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)
Posted by: CARE at 11:36AM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: Friday June 5, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:48AM EST on June 5, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 28, 2009: It is about noon up here in the northwestern province, or maybe a little later. In one of the camps for displaced people we meet a teacher, who is now volunteering to help his fellow countrymen. He tells us his story: "When all of the refugees arrived, I did not hesitate. I contacted the government to register as a volunteer. 'What can I do,' I asked them. 'How can I help?'" ... (more)Thursday June 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg While travelling to places like Pakistan, I naturally meet many different people. All of them have their own story and background, their traditions, cultures and personal experiences. Talking to the displaced people in Pakistan, I realized right away how different their path of life is compared to my own. Living in Buner, Kohistan, Dir and the village of Swat bears no resemblance at all to lifestyles in so many western countries. The gap could not be much bigger. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Today I visited a place close to Mardan, where tens of thousands took refuge from the ongoing fighting in Dir, Buner and the village of Swat. Their overall situation is horrible. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:24PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Friday May 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:19AM EST on May 29, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 22, 2009
It’s been two and a half years since I last visited Pakistan. At that time, I was in the valley of Allai, in the north western part of the country. In October 2005, a massive earthquake struck the province. I visited the region twice: right after the disaster and a year later. CARE was able to help, in great part due to donations. Together, with the affected population, we built new schools – ones that many girls attend for the first time. This continues to be a big step, because girls’ education is not a given in this part of the world. In cooperation with Pakistani engineers, CARE offered trainings for housing construction so that buildings would be more stable and, hopefully, not collapse when another earthquake hits the region. With CARE’s support, Pakistani experts also built ditches in order to support agricultural activities. ... (more) Wednesday March 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 2:48PM EST on March 4, 2009
On March 5, I’ll be attending APN Live, a one-night event being held at hundreds of theaters across the U.S. in celebration of international women’s day. I’ll be at the Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24 event and hope you will join me.
We’ll be watching the film “A Powerful Noise” and participating in a live town hall discussion with panelists Madeleine Albright, Natalie Portman, Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington Burns and Helene Gayle. Can you imagine – being able to discuss women’s empowerment and fighting poverty with the likes of them? Thursday January 22, 2009
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
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
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. 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) 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)Friday May 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 12:16PM EST on May 23, 2008
This past Monday on Capitol Hill I got to attend a press conference with a group of Congress members and supporters. The purpose of the conference was to highlight the need for U.S. leadership to promote safe motherhood for women around the world and the bi-partisan House Resolution 1022, sponsored by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA). ... (more)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) |
