May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm | posted by Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
Last week, fellow ONE field organizer Kim Smith and I traveled with FORGE to the Meheba Refugee Camp in northern Zambia.
In addition to building the world’s largest library in a refugee camp, schools, a women’s center, and assistance for refugees, FORGE, also has a micro-finance project that works to empower refugees and help with business skills.
Recently, the FORGE Microfinance Institute helped invest in agricultural loans to select farming refugees and provided much needed and expensive fertilizer for corn crops. Already is has proven to be a huge success as the farmers that received the fertilizer loan are having record corn growth.
We also paid a visit to another loan recipient, Bobo, a refugee turned baker. The first day we stopped in at his bakery, Bobo was not there and we were told that he closed his shop to travel around and stock up on corn and flour. The next day we returned and we spoke with him about his business.
Originally Bobo received a small loan to start his business. He did very well and when his rent went up in the market, he applied for another loan to build his own free standing bakery that allowed him to be profitable, pay back his loans, and provide for his wife and daughter. When we asked about the global food crisis and rising prices, Bobo took out all of his receipts and showed us the dramatic increase in the price of corn and flour. Being a successful baker and businessman, Bobo was fortunate enough to be able to stock up on his ingredients as prices continue to rise.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:32 am | posted by Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
At the conclusion of our recent trip to Mozambique and Zambia, I traveled with fellow field organizer Kim Smith to northern Zambia to Meheba Refugee Camp with FORGE, an organization that works hand-in-hand with refugees.
Meheba Refugee Camp has been in existence for over 30 years. It is about 700 square kilometers and has about 14,000 refugees, mostly from Angola, Congo, and Rwanda. Sadly there is no running water, no electricity, and no doctors.
A youth orientated organization, FORGE partners with refugees on a host of projects such as micro-finance, nursery schools, a women’s center, and has helped to build the world’s largest library in a refugee camp.
We stopped in at the FORGE Health Service center that was set up to aid in basic health care. Mr. Burton, the refugee that works there, told us how he helps to facilitate health care for people that are suffering from burns, insect bites, malnutrition and dehydration, and malaria.
We also stopped in at Kunachi Nursery School for refugee children that FORGE set up and operates. All the children were very eager to try out there English with us and sang a few songs.
Sadly, I noticed that during lunch, many of the children had nothing to eat, as food security is major issue in Meheba that is now being compounded by the global food crisis.
Many of the refugees in Meheba have fled their home countries due to wars and violence, and have seen horrific tragedies in their lives. Yet through it all, they are overcoming hardships and poverty and with the help and resources from FORGE, combined with more attention and better policies from the outside world, we can help to create a better partnership between our country and some of the most neglected and marginalized people on Earth.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Yesterday morning, I traveled with fellow ONE staff to several health-focused development programs in Lusaka, Zambia. (The country is gorgeous and we’ve taken incredible photos, but because of some technical issues I’ll have to wait until next week to post a few here.)
A couple of today’s highlights were visiting with the Matero Refferal Clinic - a health center in Lusaka that is heavily supported by the Center for Infectious Disease Research - and a meeting with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative and the Zambia Minister of Health. All of the healthcare workers at the Matero Refferal Clinic were wonderful as they showed us around their extremely busy and well-organized clinic. They showed us a new wing they’re building for HIV/AIDS and general health, but they did let us know that they need more medical supplies and staff. There were two doctors at the facility who, combined, see 200 patients each day.
Of note, we learned that patients receiving AIDS treatment at the clinic also receive “nutritional portions” from the World Food Programme. Food is vital to the fight against AIDS. For people infected with HIV, proper nutrition can slow the progression of the virus to full-blown AIDS and improve the effectiveness of antiretrovirals. Unfortunately, at the Matero Refferal Clinic, the size of food portions has decreased from 45 kilograms 5 years ago to just 12 kilograms today. On top of this, many people receiving these small, individually-sized portions will also share the food with their full families.
The meeting with officials from the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and the Zambia Ministry of Health was extremely informative as well. A main take-away: the government’s decision to focus its attention on children with HIV - combined with the government’s collaboration with NGOs and funding from international programs like PEPFAR - has more than doubled the number of children receiving life-saving AIDS-treatment in the country.
Throughout the day, the need for more trained healthcare workers was repeated by doctors, nurses and officials. This is a need that is echoed across Africa: Africa bears 25% of the global disease burden and has 14% of the world’s population- but just 1.3% of the world’s health care workforce. This deficit in capacity means that countries like Zambia face enormous obstacles in improving basic health care for children and scaling-up access to vital health interventions, such as HIV/AIDS treatment.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:05 am | posted by ONE.Partners
Todd Jennings, who works for PATH in Zambia, sends us his last post in a series for World Malaria Day.
4-25-2008
The 2008 Race Against Malaria concluded this World Malaria Day morning with all 31 riders arriving safely at the Mukuni Park Grounds in Livingstone. They had a royal reception—literally. Princess Astrid of Belgium shook their hands, followed by Rupiah Banda, the vice president of Zambia; and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the South African entertainer and Roll Back Malaria representative. A huge crowd had assembled in Livingstone for this year’s World Malaria Day celebration, which featured loads of VIPs like the above, plus all the health ministers from 14 southern African countries. All gave a mighty applause when the cyclists entered the park, especially when everyone learned the riders had covered 1,000 kilometers since Monday.
Joining the Cycling Association of Zambia for this year’s event was Tour d’Afrique cyclist Irmgard Bush. Because of her personal experience with malaria, she didn’t hesitate when invited to participate: Irmgard almost died of malaria in 2006 while on a marathon tour from Cairo to Cape Town. She suffered a severe bout of malaria and was attended to by medical staff in Mazabuka, Zambia. Since then, Irmgard has been a vocal supporter in the fight against malaria.
Irmgard was the only woman in the Race Against Malaria, and for much of the way she pedaled on a tandem with national cycling coach Peter Chintu, the rider featured in an earlier posting on this blog. In this audio clip, Peter talks about this year’s experience.
-Todd Jennings, Advocacy Officer, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program at PATH, Lusaka, Zambia.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:11 am | posted by ONE.Partners
Todd Jennings from PATH continues to send in daily updates about World Malaria Day from Zambia.
World Malaria Day was born Africa Malaria Day following a commitment by African leaders in 2001. The Abuja summit set benchmarks for malaria control and prevention by 44 African countries, including Zambia. Recognizing that the disease reaches beyond this continent, the commemoration is now known as World Malaria Day. This year’s slogan (Malaria, a disease without borders) and theme (United Against Malaria) demonstrate how connected we are in the 21st century. People travel more than ever and mosquitoes don’t respect borders, so it’s imperative that countries work together to fight malaria.
Yesterday, the First Lady of Zambia, Maureen Mwanawasa, gave a talk about HIV/AIDS and malaria, an interaction she described as the collision of hippos and elephants. Those with developing or compromised immune systems—children under five, pregnant mothers, the chronically ill—are most at risk of malaria.
World Malaria Day, the First Lady reminded us, is not a day to be depressed about the toll of the disease. Rather it’s a day to celebrate what’s possible. We have the means to prevent malaria at our disposal—treated bednets, house spraying, lifesaving drugs. All that’s left is for people to join together to kick malaria out of Zambia, Africa, and the world.
UPDATE: In this video clip, see the First Lady of Zambia deliver her malaria address:
-Todd Jennings, Advocacy Officer, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program at PATH, Lusaka, Zambia.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:25 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Todd Jennings from PATH continues to send in daily updates about World Malaria Day from Zambia.
The impact of malaria goes beyond the chills and the sweating, the dizziness and even death. It devastates families, communities, economies. Take a world map showing where malaria is common and overlay it on one showing the world’s poorest regions: it’s the same really, a wide belt of suffering around the equator.
One figure heard often is that Africa loses more than 12 billion dollars each year due to malaria. I don’t know how that was calculated, but I do know that the disease shackles growth and development. If your child is sick from malaria, she isn’t attending school, and a parent must miss work to care for her. From a parasite delivered by a mosquito, a family bears a loss in education, work and income.
Peter Chintu will never forget January 13th, 1997. He came home from traveling to find his four-year-old son, Abraham, not feeling well. Peter knew it was serious so he slung his son on his back with fabric and bicycled to the hospital in Mazabuka, about seven miles away. In a few hours Abraham was dead.
At 45 years of age, Peter is now the elder statesman in the 2008 Zambia Race Against Malaria from Serenje Livingstone. He is committed to sharing his experience with others so they and their families will protect themselves from the disease. Peter can recite the measures by heart: sleep under a treated bednet every night, allow your home to be sprayed, seek immediate diagnosis and treatment if you have the symptoms of malaria (fever, chills, sweating, loss of appetite…) He sat down with me in Lusaka after today’s grueling 122-mile ride (only 300 miles to go!). In this audio clip, he describes the cruel intersection of malaria and poverty.
-Todd Jennings, Advocacy Officer, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), a program at PATH, Lusaka, Zambia. Photo credit: Jesper Lublinkhof.
While visiting Zambia recently, I was reminded that extreme poverty is not just numbers and statistics. It lives in real people and has a life of its own. I was part of a group that was visiting a project that helps care for orphans and ensure that they receive education. In seeing this project, I was faced with the reality that I live in a world where I was fortunate enough to obtain a graduate education and as a result, provide for my family (my only daughter has just started college). I kept thinking that mothers around the world deserve similar opportunities.
During my trip, I met a lovely young boy named Armand. Armand, his little sister, his big brother and his three cousins live in a cramped, one room home that has neither running water nor electricity. He was smiling with his sister by the time I met him, a smile brighter than I had ever seen. Unfortunately, due to school fees, Armand doesn’t know whether or not he will be able to go to school as expected next term. This bright bubbly boy is just one of the many people, women and children that daily face life and death struggles, and lack of opportunity.
In a land faced with 78% unemployment, where 87% of the population lives on less than $2 per day, and life expectancy hovers around 38-years old, change is essential. The scriptures state that to whom much is given, much is required. As a person living in a nation that has been so richly blessed, I don’t see how we can sit idly by while neighbors literally fight for their lives? We must use our platform and speak out! Anything else is unacceptable. The ONE Campaign, and each member’s decision to take action, will ensure that Armand and others like him will have the opportunity to become all they were created to be.
The need is urgent and the stakes are high. The stakes are, literally, life itself. What will you do with all you have received? Take Action!
-Tatia Gibbons, mother and ONE Member, Oak Park, Illinois
The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, volunteers, members and coalition partners.
The content of each post and each comment represent the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ONE Campaign or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any posts expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
The 2008 Race Against Malaria concluded this World Malaria Day morning with all 31 riders arriving safely at the Mukuni Park Grounds in Livingstone. They had a royal reception—literally. Princess Astrid of Belgium shook their hands, followed by Rupiah Banda, the vice president of Zambia; and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the South African entertainer and Roll Back Malaria representative. A huge crowd had assembled in Livingstone for this year’s World Malaria Day celebration, which featured loads of VIPs like the above, plus all the health ministers from 14 southern African countries. All gave a mighty applause when the cyclists entered the park, especially when everyone learned the riders had covered 1,000 kilometers since Monday. 
