GLOBAL LINKS: Sharing Surplus. Saving Lives.

Global Links says that people around the world are literally dying for lack of even the most basic medical supplies, and at the same time, every year U.S. hospitals throw away an estimated 2,000 tons of unused surgical supplies worth over $200 million.

The Bazaar has written previously about organizations that provide retired medical supplies to health care facilities in developing nations, and hopefully I will be able to report on many more. MedWorld and MedShare are two that I have written about in the past. And now I want to add Global Links to that list.

In the previous articles I have stated that still useful medical material often ends up being dumped into landfills or incinerated. This is not only a terrible waste of much need supplies but it also adds to the burden on the environment and drives up the cost of healthcare in the United States.

Global Links, like MedWorld and MedShare, is a not-for-profit organization that recovers surplus medical materials from U.S. hospitals and makes it available to hospitals that serve the poorest members of society in less developed countries.

On its site, Global Links states: "Because poorly planned donations can be worse than no aid at all, each donation is carefully tailored to meet the needs of the recipient institution." This organization also relies heavily on volunteers help to accomplish its mission. And because of this heavy reliance on volunteers, Global Links spends less than 3% of its revenues on overhead costs. A highly efficient organization, Global Links even uses a nonprofit service (Local Independent Charities of America) to process their credit card transactions so as to greatly reduce its administrative cost by hot having to handle credit card transactions themselves. (I will talk about Local Independent Charities of America (LIC) another day in another article.)


In its Mission Statement Global Link says that it is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare in developing countries through a pioneering approach to recovering and processing surplus medical supplies and equipment for use by targeted healthcare institutions. To this end, they recover unused medical supplies as well as equipment and furnishings from U.S. hospitals for distribution to hospitals and clinics that serve the poorest segments of the population in developing countries.

Global Links takes great pride in being responsive to the needs of the recipients of their donated material. They say that their volunteers and staff "spend hours sorting and processing donated materials to meet recipients' needs."

After the materials are sorted and the furnishings cleaned and repaired they are then made available to recipient hospitals through three programs:

- The Suture Donation Program provides recipient hospitals around the world an annual allotment of suture, which is a critical medical supply that is in short supply in hospitals in the developing world.

- The Established Country Programs strive to develop on-going relationships with targeted healthcare facilities in specific countries. These contries are considered "established countries" and their recipient institutions receive specially tailored shipments of medical aid sent in 40-foot sea containers. These programs make a sustained impact on the capacity of recipient institutions to deliver quality healthcare to their patients.

- Special Projects (in limited numbers) are undertaken by Global Links each year. This may consist of a one-time donation of medical aid to targeted institutions in need of support. This aid is usually enough to be sent in 40-foot sea containers.


Global Links was started by three women with a vision in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in 1989. These women (Emily Solomon, Kathleen Hower, and Brenda Smith), were friends and colleagues and came together to form Global Links in order to address their concern about the desperate need for basic medical supplies and equipment in developing countries. They began collecting medical material in their own homes and recruited individuals to carry the donations overseas. Since then Global Links has grown considerably and maintains an offices and a separate 20,000 square foot warehouse.

At first, the founders solicited donations of medical materials mainly from manufactures; but as time went on they developed a system to recover unused medical supplies that U.S. hospitals could not use for a variety of reasons, such as changes in technology or vendors, and liability concerns. This method of collection filled an unmet need in the healthcare system. Global Links now recovers over 18 tons of medical supplies annually. Supplies that otherwise would have ended up in landfills.

After experimenting with various strategies of giving, the organization came to realize that it was best to establish long-term relationships with hospitals and clinics in developing countries. By doing this, they can best help to develop a foundation of medical aid and thus serve the needs of the local populations. They also decided to focus its shipments of medical material aid to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Global Links currently has relationships with recipient institutions in Bolivia, Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Nicaragua, and Cuba. But since it was founded in 1989, the organization has provided over $110 million worth of materials to more than 70 countries.

In each country where it has an ongoing program, Global Links partners closely with the local office of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Ministry of Health to select recipient institutions. It then works with the various hospital staffs to assess their most critical needs. After a shipment of aid is delivered, the staff of the recipient institution is asked to evaluate the quality of material they have received and the impact that the aid has had on their institution.


The Suture Donation Program was organized in 1989, and in 1990 Global Links sent 10,240 sutures to 14 hospitals in Africa, Asia and South America. In 2004, 100,000 sutures were shipped to 62 hospitals around the globe. Operating room nurses all over the United States mail sutures to Global Links. And the sutures also arrive in the Global Links office along with other donations of medical equipment. Once they are checked and sorted by volunteers, visiting doctors or missionaries then deliver them to their destination; or they are shipped in containers with other medical aid. On occasion, the sutures are mailed to their destinations.


One of the countries in which Global Links maintains an established relationship is Jamaica. The Jamaica Medical Material Aid Program has been in operation since 1990. And Global Links has worked in partnership with the local office of the PAHO and the Jamaica Medical Assistance Committee to improve public sector hospitals' and health centers' delivery of healthcare throughout the island.

A total of 26 shipments of hospital furnishings, supplies, equipment, and medicine valuing over $3 million have been sent to Jamaica for use in its public healthcare system. Since 1990 over 250 hospital beds and 900 mattresses have been sent to the island as well. In addition, other materials such as wheelchairs, infant incubators, pediatric cribs, and EKGs have be sent to recipient public healthcare facilities.

I would love to tell you more about Global Links and its many projects, but then that would defeat my purpose of trying to get you to visit its web site. Learn more about this great organization by going to the following link.

Global Links

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL : Got Milk?

There is a very famous series of "Billboards" in the U.S. sponsored by the Dairy industry. They feature pictures of celebrities holding a glass of milk and a "moustache" of milk just above their top lips. These celebrities are from the fields of entertainment or sports and very are well known. What is also very well known is the fact that milk is an very good source of nutrition.

While milk is a very good source of nutrition, Heifer Project International (HPI) is a very good source of milk.

This organization is involved in rural development around the world, like many other NGOs, but it is unique because it provides animals and trains individuals in organized local groups how to care for them.

Heifer Project International's work is community driven by the expressed needs of the people participating in their projects. And because of this they provide their services to organizations request their assistance.

Having conducted active operations in 115 countries worldwide, Heifer Project International may very well be the only NGO that specializes in animal agriculture as a vehicle for the development of the people and the communities as a means of helping families become self -sufficient in food and income .

HPI says that it is its mission to provide food-producing animals, training and related assistance to families and enable them to become givers by "passing on the gift" of training and offspring to others in need. And also to educate people about the root cause of hunger and poverty and to support them in sustainable development and steward-ship of the environment through responsible management of natural resources

In accordance with their mission statement, they provide livestock, training and related assistance to help the poor achieve social and economic development in ecologically sustainable manner. They say "The process of development in its broad sense, is community motivation and the use of natural, physical mental and spiritual resources to improve the quality of life for all."

The objectives of HPI is to enable poor people to achieve levels of production necessary to meet their economic and nutritional needs and to assist local efforts in fostering the spirit of sharing by means of "passing on the gift". They want to assist livestock development efforts that are ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable; and at the same time, enable individual and organizational donors to participate in the support of livestock related agricultural development effort of the poor.


Heifer International's unique approach to ending hunger and poverty since 1944 has provided food- and income-producing animals and training to millions of resource-poor families in 115 countries. They also provide microcredit in the form of livestock, and this too promotes self-reliance, which builds self-esteem and helps families lift themselves out of poverty.
Its web site states "milk, eggs, wool, draft power and other benefits from the animals provide families with food and income. Selected appropriately and managed well, animals improve nutrition and help families earn money for education, clothes, health care, better housing and starting a small business."
Using a grassroots approach HPI lets people and communities make their own decisions about how to improve their lives. They say that as partners work together to overcome obstacles, they strengthen their communities and foster democracy.
"By training partners in environmentally sound, sustainable agriculture practices, Heifer makes lasting change possible. At the heart of Heifer's philosophy is the commitment families make to "pass on the gift," by sharing one or more of their animal's offspring with other families in need. Helping others ensures dignity and multiplies the benefits of the original gift from generation to generation.
Heifer's time-tested approach helps build stronger families, gender equity, vibrant communities and a healthier planet"

HPI Zambia is a registered charity in Zambia, and since its inception in December 1997, it has been able to assist the rural poor communities achieve a sustainable decent livelihood. They hope to be recognized as one of the best examples of participatory development and rural transformation. This they plan to do through routine internal and external program reviews, training and exchange programs and a mature constructive relationship with the Zambian Ministry of agricultural Food and Fisheries, the Germany Embassy and NGOs like Women for Change and Africare.

In addition to their other objectives the aim to create viable communities while strengthening the family unit, increasing human dignity, promoting diversified and integral farming systems, promoting and using indigenous people, skill and resources, reducing urban migration and caring for the earth.

Heifer Project International/ Zambia has projects in Central, Copperbelt and Southern Provinces as well as in Lusaka. These projects include:

- Draft cattle projects

- Small-holder dairy projects

- Small livestock projects and

- Bee keeping

Over 3000 individuals have benefited from these projects by receiving animals and training in the management of these animals.

You can find the extensive site for Heifer Project International here and

The Heifer Project International / Zambia can be found at this second link.

NGO IN A BOX Helping NGOs To Become More Efficient

I know, I know, my dear friends, to many NGO operatives and administrators ICT issues are Worse than Boring. But, like it or not, we have to keep up with the new developments in technology in order to be as effective as possible.

Lets face it, NGOs exist to help people, and the more effective an NGO is, the better it can help people, and it is probably the case that efficiency increases the number of people an NGO can help.

Now, for those of you who have not clicked away from this article by now, I want to tell you about a tool that may be of great benefit to your organization. That tool is called NGO-In-A-Box.


NGO-in-a-box was developed by the people at the Tactical Technology Collective , who are some of the same people behind the Africa Source Conference last year and the upcoming Africa Source, II Conference .

As the folks at The Tactical Technology Collective put it: "NGO-in-a-box offers a set of reviewed and selected Free and Open Source software (F/OSS), tailored to the needs of NGO's. It provides them not only with software, but also with implementation scenarios and relevant materials to support this."

Okay, I almost got a headache trying to understand that sentence too; so I'll put it in language even I can understand. Simply put: NGO-in-a-box provides powerful tools for the daily work of NGOs. And it is designed to be very accessible to NGOs on a limited budget.

The main aim of the developers of NGO-in-a-box is to make it available to non-profits in developing and transition countries. To this end, it "is targeted at implementers working with small and medium scale NGOs and the people and organizations that support them." (To get an idea who these supporters might be, take a look at an article about eRiders that I posted on this Blog some weeks ago.)

NGO-in-a-box is F/OSS (Free and Open Source Softwawe) based solutions for NGOs and frees them from having to rely on 'closed', proprietary software. The closed, proprietary software usually has to be purchased by or donated to NGOs and can often be very expensive.

Compared to proprietary software the initial purchase price of F/OSS is very low, and the free (re-)distribution and upgrades of this software are two reasons why it should be attractive to NGOs. Also F/OSS has much higher security as well as better stability than proprietary software.

Because the software is based upon open source code it can be modified, to better suit the needs of an organization, by anyone who is capable of doing the programming. (Now this is a very good reason for NGOs to bite the bullet and have a staff member trained to be not only computer literate, but also capable of writing code.) For some time now, free source software has been recognized by both the commercial and academic sectors the as having advantages, and it is often found in their networks and web servers.

If you are still with me at this point, you probably want to know what's in NGO-in-a-box.

The full description of what's in the box can be found at: NGO-in-a-Box: Description of contents
but below is a brief description of the contents.

I. Documents about choosing Free and Open Source Software

These documents include a primer about F/OSS for NGOs, a decision making guide, and an article on the potential of F/OSS for NGOs.

II. A selection of links

Inclulding: General F/OSS Resources, F/OSS Application Resources, Linux Distribution Resources, Online News, Magazines and Books

III. The software collection

A list of GNU/Linux Distributions


Now, if you are like me, you want to know what Applications are applicable here. The full overview of the software applications in the box as of April 2004 can be found at this site. Applications and include the following:

Office
Web & Email
Drawing & Image
Multimedia
Networking
Text Editors
Utilities
Server & Development
Libraries and
Kernel (Kernel is the fundamental part of a program, typically an operating system, that resides in memory at all times and provides the basic services. - I had to look it up.)


The people at the Tactical Technology Collective state that: "In its current phase, NGO-in-a-box is an event-driven product, oriented to a focused community. Its value is in its role as a vehicle for access and peer recommendation, its content adapting to user needs in each version. In order for this to work as a concept outside of 'Source events' the issue of how to disseminate boxes and how to maintain its adaptive quality is a central one. In order to continue answering the needs of NGO based IT implementers and NGO activists, one solution would be to take advantage of the do-it-yourself (DIY) nature in which it has evolved and to continue its development in the grassroots environment."

Translation: "Take NGO-in-a-box, use it, play with it and see what you come up with. All this will help it to develop and grow."

But in order to use it, play with it and make it grow, you need to know how to do that. But don't throw up your hands and walk away, calling me bad names for bringing you this far only to tell you to do something you can't do. Check out the eRider project to see if you can get some help in doing this.

F/OSS will help NGOs carry out their missions, NGO-in-a-box will help NGOs utilize F/OSS so, even if you are as "behind the curve" on technology as I am, visit the Tactical Technology Collective's site on NGO-in-a-box and get serious about moving into the future.

IMC: Global Humanitarians

With the recent devastation of New Orleans, Louisana that began in late August a number of Health Care Providers that responded to the crisis have received recognition from the American media. One of these organizations, however, has been on the front line of health care crises for over Twenty Years now.

International Medical Corps (IMC) has been sending doctors to "hot spots" all over the world since 1984. As a "global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs" IMC has saved countless lives and relieved an immeasurable amount of suffering since it began. Its beginning in 1984 was with a group of volunteer doctors and nurses, IMC who wanted to form a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization "to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide". In addition to providing health services to people at highest risks, IMC offers health care training to their local communities as well. The organization also prides itself on being able to respond rapidly to emergency situations.

The health care professionals who volunteer with IMC come from all over the world. United by the common goal to save lives and alleviate the suffering of individuals affected by war, disease, and devastation, IMC rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance. In order to do this, IMC places great emphasis on training local medical personnel. Skills are enhanced through the transfer of knowledge needed to rebuild the various health care systems. IMC also provides extensive, hands-on training in the full range of health and managerial skills needed to restore self-reliance.


Responding to both man-made and natural catastrophes in 1984, IMC has served in over than 40 countries on four continents. They currently have operations in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Burundi, Chad, DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Indonesia, Ingushetia, Iraq, Kenya, Liberia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In the past, IMC has also provided health care to multitudes of suffering civilians in Albania, Armenia, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, East Timor, Honduras, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Mozambique, Nagorno-Karabakh, Namibia, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Ukraine, the Federated Republic of Yugoslavia and Zambia.

In addition to providing health care in the middle of catastrophes, IMC has trained thousands of female health care workers who go on to teach others in their communities, and in this way expand IMC's "legacy of care."

There is a long list of the health care services that IMC provides, and while I list them below, you may find a more full description of each service at the following web page:
http://www.imcworldwide.org/about.shtml

Primary health care
Maternal and child health care
Health education and training
Emergency relief and disaster response
HIV/AIDS
Reproductive Health Care
Water and sanitation
Reconstructive and rehabilitative surgery
Nutrition services
Microfinance
Gender and sexual based violence


As I said earlier, IMC has served in over 40 countries, but I am only going to briefly discuss their work in one African nation in this article. In order to learn more about the project in that country, as well as the projects in other countries, you need to go to IMC's web site (which I am trying to tempt you to do with this little bit of information that I am providing you).

DAFUR, SUDAN
IMC's web site states that according to the United Nations, the situation in Darfur was the worst humanitarian crisis in the world throughout 2004 and continues to be so today. IMC also states that of the 2.9 million people affected by the crisis, "as of June 1, 2005, 35% were not receiving food assistance; 51% did not have shelter; 44% were without access to clean water; 27% lived in areas without proper sanitation; and 35% lacked access to primary health care."

Citing an improvement in health conditions in areas "fortunate enough to have received ongoing assistance" the organizations also says that the nutritional and vaccination status in Darfur is now higher than it has been at any point in the crisis. But it is also pointed out that the daunting conditions in which displaced persons are forced to live overshadow these improvements.

Those residents of South and West Dafur who have been affected by the conflict have been provided critical emergency medical services by IMC since 2004. Darfurians have been severely traumatized by the region's ongoing violence and this humanitarian group has implemented a range of services to meet the needs of a targeted population of over 288,000. And particular emphasis has been placed on the service of children under five and women of reproductive age.

IMC states that most recently it has undertaken an "emergency intervention to provide basic health services to an estimated 1500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been relocated to the Al Salam camp outside of Nyala."

IMC operates seven primary health care centers and two mobile clinics to improve access to health care services, nutritional assistance, and clean water in several areas throughout Southern and Western Dafur.

In particular, they are providing:

Family medicine;
Maternal and child health care;
Prenatal care;
Immunizations;
and a large variety of other services that you can read about at their web site

In addition to these services, IMC has conducted a Health needs assessment with an emphasis on women's health issues and mental health among the internally displaced populations. IMC believes that the results of the study represent the unmet needs of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced women throughout Darfur.

IMC is also engaged in building local capacity by training residents of displaced communities to serve as community health workers and peer educators.

A network of Traditional Birth Attendants and midwives is used to provide first-line counseling to women who have been victims of sexual violence, while also training Community Health Workers to identify and refer high-risk cases to treatment at IMC clinics. IMC helps the Government by providing support to the Ministry of Health as well as providing on-the-job training for doctors and nurses who have just completed medical school.

IMC in also helping to restore local infrastructure as well as being engaged in water and sanitation activities, but I have to leave it to you to go to their web site to learn about these projects. I need to take the rest of the time left to me in this brief article to talk about IMC itself.



IMC employs a broad variety of professionals, a great many of whom are clinical and public health professionals. But they also use people with experience in logistics, finance, engineering, or public health administration. The organization says that most paid positions require at least a six-month commitment. IMC provides a salary, shared-communal housing, transportation to and from the field site, in-service consultation (general R&R), Health Insurance (medical, dental, and vision), and Medical Evacuation Insurance.

The organization also has a place for short-term volunteers. A large number of these short term volunteers are a part of an emergency response team. These teams are often deployment within 24-72 hours of notice and are some of the first health care professionals to arrive at a target area.


In June of this year the International Medical Corps was recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which awarded it a one-year grant of $537,228 to provide residents of eastern Chad with vital medical and health care services because the health care system there has been "catastrophically strained" by the vast number of refugees from neighboring Sudan.

Remember, IMC is currently in TWELVE AFRICAN NATIONS ALONE and in addition to that, it is in EIGHT OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL. These guys a doing a great deal to help their fellow man and I really hope that you take the time to go by their web site and see if there is something you can do to help them.

You can find them at: International Medical Corps

SELF : In Nigeria - Extending Opportunity To The Edge Of The Desert

In 2001 Ibrahim Siminu Turaki, the Governor of Jigawa State in Nigeria, entered into a dialogue with the Executive Director of SELF the (Solar Electric Light Fund) about the possibility of using solar-electricity (photovoltaic or PV) to power essential services in the far-flung villages of Jigawa State. Governor Turaki is said to be a strong proponent of appropriate technology and is not hesitant about harnessing modern technology for remote and rural areas under his supervision. In 2001 he had already been instrumental in the creation of a satellite-based broadband Internet and communications system to link all local government districts. His was the first state in Northern Nigeria to do so. Additionally under his leadership Jigawa State had started a computer technology trade school.

The reason for the talks about solar energy for Jigawa state in 2001 was because there was a serious unavailability of energy in the smaller villages.


Obtaining commitments from the United States Agency for International Development and the United States Department of Energy for about 60% of the funds necessary for the project, Jigawa State was able to come up with the balance. An NGO named the Jigawa Alternative Energy Fund (JAEF)was formed specifically to promote the use of renewable energy and it partnered with SELF, which was the lead implementing organization for the project.

SELF had had plenty of experience under its belt prior to that time in bringing solar power to rural communities in developing nations. Since 1990 it had launched solar household lighting projects in China, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and the Solomon Islands. In these countries projects had brought power to rural communities using the same small, decentralized photovoltaic systems proposed to bring solar light and power to the rural households in Jigawa State.

The project of the Jigawa Alternative Energy Fund and SELF proposed to use solar-generated electricity in a village setting to improve education, water supply, health, agriculture, commerce, security and women's opportunities in three villages with a combined population of 7,500 people. It was an ambitious goal, because in very few places had PV been used to address virtually all of the energy needs of a community. But the partners were committed to its success.

Having a reliable and adequate water supply was the highest priority of the three villages chosen for the initiation of the project. This was very obvious since Jigawa State has a semi-desert environment with few rivers or other sources of surface water. Typically, open wells with rope and bucket and hand pumps were the method of obtaining water. There were also diesel-powered pumps supplied by the government, but they were said to be difficult to repair when they broke down and the diesel fuel on which they operated, was expensive to buy.

The solar-powered pumps brought to the villages by this project are designed to run maintenance free for eight to ten years (sometimes longer) and they are powerful enough to bring fresh, clean water from deep wells. The wells are made a part of the village infrastructure by being connected into a distribution system that brings the water to numerous taps, and this reduces the amount of time that families have to spend transporting water.


The PV systems also provide power for the village health clinics. Patients can now be seen by health officers at night for the first time because of the solar powered lights. Greater quantities of vaccine can be kept on hand because it can now be refrigerated and stored longer. And this allows people to be vaccinated at greater frequency to reduce diseases. And the solar powered fans provide an obviously increased level of comfort level for both the staff and patients.

With at least two illuminated classrooms in each of the village primary schools there are currently adult education classes being conducted in the evenings. These lit areas also provide a place for the children to come and do their lessons as well. Each school also has a computer and computer instruction has been provided for the teachers. When these computers were powered up, they were the first computers in the project villages. Little time was lost in planning to eventually hook the computers to the internet via the State's broadband system in order to open the village to the rest of the world for all sorts of beneficial uses.

In as hot a climate in which these villages are located, there is a premium on being able to move about for business and socializing after the sun goes down. The new streetlights made possible by the solar energy project now give people bright places to congregate. New market locations have been created as food vendors operate beneath the lights in the evenings. By prior planning, many streetlights are located conveniently by water taps and all supply much valued security, as well as enhanced visibility, for people at night.

When the villagers go to their mosques in the evenings it is because nighttime activities are made more accessible by the solar power. Also the call to prayer five times each day can now be made over public address systems.

Every village has a solar-powered micro-enterprise building that each provides electricity to 6 very small businesses that would otherwise not have access to electricity. Electricity now powers tailors' sewing machines and barbers' clippers instead of manual power used in the past. And these are just a few examples of the progress that has been made.

The safety of solar powered lighting systems has replaced the dangerous kerosene lights in the homes of the villages. The children and adults no longer have to breath the fumes from the old lamps that were fire hazards.

There have been about 20 home systems installed in each village and this has created a demand and an interest in home systems. JAEF has put in place a micro-credit scheme in order to continue electrifying houses. Under this plan, the payments for each system will accumulate to purchase additional systems for more homes.

For one of the project villages, Wawan-rafi, a cattle or person pulled cart with fold-out unbreakable solar modules has been developed to power an efficient pump that can be moved from field to field to irrigate crops with water from a nearby lake. Before the arrival of this pump, some of the poorer farmers had to carry water their fields using a hollowed-out gourd. And there is no need to explain how difficult that was.

Also, in Wawan-rafi, a solar-powered oil expeller has been incorporated into the economy to more efficiently produce peanut oil. The production and sale of this oil is the only source of income for most village women in Wawan-rafi. The new expeller saves time, reduces the strenuousness of the labor and increases the earning capacity for the women.


A great deal of care has been taken to ensure that this project will be technically, financially and organizationally sustainable. This is a feature of all SELF projects.

"In its role as the maintainer of all project systems, JAEF provides both local and professional staff technicians to frequently check each system. Extensive training will ensure that there is always someone in each village to address any problems that might arise. Small, affordable fees collected from users will be used to pay technicians and to maintain an inventory of spare parts."


Governor Turaki , SELF and the people of the project villages are all happy with the progress of the project and they say that they are "Extending Opportunity To The Edge Of The Desert".

I have only shown you the "tip of the iceberg" of the Solar project in Jigawa State of Nigeria, and I have said next to nothing about all of the things that SELF is doing and has done. But; if I am to keep this article short; for now, I can only point the way to where you can find more information about this amazing project and to where you can learn more about SELF. Click the links below; it will be well worth your time.

Jigawa State Solar Project

SELF

AFRICA SOURCE II : FOSS Is Coming, So Get Ready

There is a term that is making its way around the knowing of the ICT community and that term is "FOSS," which stands for FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE. And while not a lot is known about FOSS in Africa right now, there are those who believe that it will become very important on the Continent in the future.

The belief that FOSS holds particular potential for Africa is because it is believed that NGOs in particular will benefit from the increased development of free and open source software. The reason for this is because NGOs often cannot afford to hire the type of expertise needed to manage the specialized technology in a manner that could bring about the potential benefits. And when you cannot afford to have such expertise on your staff, you have to look for help from the outside.

And that is where FOSS comes in. With free and open source software, computer savvy individuals will constantly be developing the FOSS applications and also localize the solutions needed by NGOs. In addition to NGOs, FOSS is expected to be of great benefit to small businesses and to health service and educational institutions. This highly adaptable software is not expected to have high initial costs, and this is another aspect that will make it attractive to NGOs, and the other markets that do not have large ICT budgets.

The Africans who write source codes face some difficulties that are not encountered as frequently in more developed environments. Sometimes it is even difficult for individuals to get online. But just as importantly, there is currently a less vigorous ICT community with which these "coders" can interact and benefit from the stimulation created by many cross currents of ideas. Nevertheless, there are African coders who, realizing the important potential of FOSS, are forging ahead with the development of free and open source software equal to that in any other communities.

FOSS is will always be a "work in progress" in many instances, and currently there is some debate over methodology and standardization. But there seems to be little doubt among the software developers and knowledgeable NGO types that this is indeed the road to finding the future solutions of many of the NGOs' ICT concerns.


An essay by bridges.org entitled: " Straight from the Source: Perspectives from the African Free and Open Source Software Movement " discusses this topic in much greater detail, but I wanted to bring to your attention that FOSS is on its way and the NGOs that are seriously concerned with meeting the demands of the future environment of the world of non-profit organizations need to be aware of it. (Click on the link to read the essay in PDF format.)

But FOSS is not completely new. In March of 2004 a conference was held in Okahandja, Namibia regarding the subject. This was the first pan-African Free and Open Source Software developers meeting take place. The conference drew over 60 participants from across the Continent who discussed the matter and engaged in peer learning and skill sharing. The central reason for the conference was to focus on the "practical challenges of realizing FOSS in the African context." It was also hoped that this conference would be the beginning of the building of long-term cooperation between individuals actively engaged in FOSS in Africa.

Tactical Tech, AllAfrica and SchoolNet Namibia organized the conference in Namibia, and support was provided by several other organizations. More about this event can be read at the link below for "Africa Source"

In January 2006 it is anticipated that there will be an "Africa Source II" in Uganda. This second conference will look to further the growth of FOSS expertise among African technical support professionals working in Africa and to "facilitate knowledge sharing and exchange around successful implementation of FOSS."

It is anticipated that the number of African technology support professionals, trainers and consultants working with the non-profit sector that will be brought together by Africa Source II will be as high as 100.

In Uganda, the participants will be experienced in working with NGOs and the various aspects of their operations; and the gathering will have a "workshop vibe" as opposed to a "conference vibe" according to its organizers. They want to "move beyond conceptual discussions of the benefits of FOSS and technology in general, and to test out these ideas and focus on practical skill sharing between technology implementers in the region."

Source events are designed to foster community building and Africa Source II will be no exception. Learning will be an important element of the gathering, but more importantly it is hoped that long-term relationships will be built.


I know that FOSS sounds like something out of a "science fiction" novel to those of us who do not have the expertise in ICT to fully understand at this time how all of this will benefit NGOs in the future. But we have to trust in the experts who do understand this, and support them in their work because we are all on the same team.

More on the 2004 Africa Source Conference can be found here.
AFRICA SOURCE

And Information on Africa Source II can be found here:
AFRICA SOURCE II

MEDWORLD : Twice Blest

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a Medical College, and that Medical College has a hospital, and that hospital has one dynamic medical supplies donation program called MEDWorld.

MEDWorld is a non-profit volunteer organization created by UNC physicians, medical students and hospital staff and was designed to collect and recycle unused medical supplies that would otherwise be discarded. The founders were "looking for an opportunity to do community service on a global scale while improving staff morale and reducing hospital waste." The materials that are collected are sent to developing nations where they are a great benefit to those clinics and hospitals serving the poor.

MEDWorld's program is earth friendly, as it is an environmentally responsible alternative for hospitals to re-use disposable recyclable material in order to bring health services to those who desperately need it.

The materials "rescued" by MEDWorld are still valuable, even though they may not be used in the United States because of regulatory requirements; procedural excess or technological changes to which the materials do not conform. And because those materials are put to use where they are needed, the program has a dual benefit, both to the donor and to the recipient. (If I may digress, that reminds me of what Shakespeare said about the quality of mercy being "twice blest." - "It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.")

Anyway, leaving Shakespeare behind, the Co-Founder and Director of MEDWorld, Georgine Lamvu, MD states on their web site:

"Every year UNC hospitals throw away thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment and supplies in order to keep up with the changing technology and the highest standard of medical care which we are privileged to have in the United States. Meanwhile, in many impoverished countries people are dying due to the lack of basic medical supplies, some of which we routinely throw away. In keeping up with the UNC tradition of providing the best medical care, we created MEDWorld as a means of extending this care to people who desperately need it in many areas of the world. MEDWorld is a program that was designed to help people in need and to help us pay attention to and improve the way we practice medicine."

The most common items collected by the organization are gloves, gauze and wound supplies, syringes, foleys and foley bags, sutures, and hygienic supplies. But the list of collected materials is very long and contains everything from Airway masks to Delivery kits to Toys, Vacuum pumps and Wheelchairs


The donated materials are collected by nurses and other hospital staff who identify reusable disposed material and place it in MEDWorld collection bins located throughout the hospital. Only those re-usable items that have been opened but NOT used or have been contaminated by reasons other than patient contact are acceptable for collection. The hospital volunteers are trained, according to the hospitals' guidelines, to identify what can be recovered and what should be discarded.

Once the material has been collected it is the hospital it is then taken to the MEDWorld warehouse, sorted, inventoried and packaged in boxes. Each box of material is labeled with the MEDWorld disclaimer and the address of the receiving charity. These boxes are then donated to the recipient charities who must pay for all shipping and transportation costs.

The recipient charity or individual must focus on global health through any one of several types of non-profit activities. They must also make assurances that the donated material is used for care of appropriate populations and not used for sale and that the supplies have been adequately sterilized prior to their use. Also, the recipient must provide feedback on the use of the supplies through photographs or written documentation.

MEDWorld also sends supplies abroad through various other methods.

They send materials with resident physicians and medical students traveling to developing countries to provide medical care to the poor.

They provide material to Global Links, which is a non-profit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA, that specializes in collecting recycled surplus medical equipment from over 50 hospitals throughout the United States and sends it health care organizations servicing the needy in over 40 countries, including the United States.

They also furnish material to Operation Renewed Hope -a program directed by Pastor Jan Milton in conjunction with the United States Airforce and which sends these materials to over 30 countries around the world.

The organization relies heavily on volunteers. These volunteers are required to commit to 5-10hrs/month for a year's time. Once in the program, the volunteers undergo training in MEDWorld's operational procedures. This training includes methods of collection and warehouse operations. They must also complete UNC Hospital's volunteer training program in Universal Precautions Training. In return for their assistance, volunteers get to shadow hospital physicians in clinical care or research and possibly to participate in overseas medical missions. This is a great experience for an aspiring physician, nurse or other health care professional.

MEDWorld also relies on the support of locally and nationally know individuals such as Dean Smith, the Men's Basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1961-1997 (Basketball is a pretty big thing in North Carolina and throughout the US); and Elaine Marshall, the Secretary of State for the State of North Carolina.

Community organizations lend a hand as well, and some of them are pretty big hands, such as Wal-Mart, the Duke University Gleaning Program at Duke University Hospital, Old Dominion (shipping company) and Yellow Freight (shipping company).

Needless to say that MEDWorld is supported by the UNC Health Care system and operates out of UNC Hospitals. There are also UNC institutional supporters, such as: UNC Central Distribution, UNC Sterile Processing, the UNC Staff Council and the UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

MEDWorld often brings home the idea that we waste while others want. Its web site quotes the non-profit organization Global Links in making its appeal for support in its efforts by posting on its web site:
"For people in developing countries, basic medical supplies are luxuries that are simply not available or not affordable. Doctors and nurses must constantly make do - washing and reusing "disposable" gloves and syringes, or substituting inappropriate materials such as fishing line or sewing thread for suture- or patients must go without needed care. In many countries patients must bring their own supplies, even acquire their own medicines, before treatment can be given."

And then MEDWorld adds its own observation that: "On the other extreme, American hospitals such as ours, discard tons of unused medical supplies in the interest of optimal surgical management and protection from litigation."

MEDWorld donates equipment to clinics and hospitals in need throughout the world, regardless of religious or political beliefs and affiliations. It states that it provides equipment to individual physicians, medical students and hospital staff who are planning to dedicate their time to provide healthcare to people in under-served areas, as long as they have the ability to re-sterilize supplies that need to be sterile.

And in addition to its primary mission MEDWorld provides UNC hospitals with updates on the amount of hospital waste and ways of decreasing cost of disposal, thereby giving the hospital another effective management tool. Also, MEDWorld returns hospital items that have been wrongfully disposed, increasing the cost effectiveness of the hospital's operations.

MEDWorld has provided materials to almost twenty countries in the developing world and twelve of those countries are in Africa or the Caribbean.

Well, I can see by the clock on the wall that my time is up, and so is my word count; so I must close here after giving THREE CHEERS to MEDWorld. But you can continue to learn about MEDWorld, and those fabulous UNC physicians and other health care professionals at Chapel Hill by going to the following link.
MEDWorld

SONGHAI CENTER : On The Move

Back in the early 1980's Father Godfrey Nzamujo believed that the level of development in Africa was grossly insufficient and sought to do something about it. He formed a small group to address this problem and to restore dignity to the African people. This effort became the Songhai Center named after the famed 15th-century Malian empire.

The Songhai Center, headquartered in Benin, is a center for training, production, research and development of sustainable agricultural practices. Those associated with it seek to augment the standard of living of Africa's populations by the creating viable agricultural enterprises using the following methods:

- Making use of local resources, traditional and modern methods;

- Blending traditional and modern agricultural practices;

- Teaching and employing effective management;

- Encouraging individual and communal responsibility and initiatives;

- Maintaining channels for, and respecting, diverse opinions.


Songhai seeks to foster "an environment of creativity and innovation and as a result, reestablish a stable African society." Inspired by "the Timbuctu effect," which was the impact of that ancient city on the many cultures that came together there to trade. Songhai believes that pride progress and effective results will be accomplished by there efforts "clearly emphasizing all the advantages Africa offers." And that "Citizens can therefore benefit from globalization rather than be excluded from it or solely bear the weight of its effects."

Believing that for agriculture to become a viable force of development, "it must be extensive and holistic, going beyond purely agricultural knowledge… and include education in management, organization, and planning." In order to accomplish this, Songhai engages in several activities that support and enhance agricultural production.


The Songhai generates income from the sale of its own products and it also receives grants from various partners. It is the hope of the organization that one day it will attain complete financial independence. But in the mean time, it has received funding from: USAID, the Songhai Support Group (of California), UNDP , HCR, (Agencies of the United Nations), the RABOBANK Foundation of The Netherlands, the Spanish Foundation - Accion Verapaz, SID (Society for International Development),IDRC (International Development Research Centre),Coopération Française of France and several others.


Songhai has more than 400 students in 18-month training programs in its centers located in Porto Novo, Savalou, Parakou, and Kinwedji. Also over 250 farms, managed by the young people trained in Benin, have been established in all the regions if the country. These farms are brought together under a network involving local coordinating units.

In addition to the 400 regular students, more than 300 other individuals of various backgrounds take part each year in short-term training programs.


Songhai aspires to promote an agricultural, entrepreneurial spirit in young Africans by developing and transmitting the human values capable of bringing about behavioral changes. Songhai believes that "Through this training, the students can then become agents of their own development. The final goal is to train a new breed of leaders capable not only of conceiving and carrying out entrepreneurial activities, but of equally blending individual and communal interests."

At Songhai, there are 3 levels of training. In Level 1, Students are trained in techniques of agricultural production, in agro-industry and in management of agricultural enterprises through the Songhai production workshops. In Level 2, the students continue training and collaborate in creation and management of an agricultural enterprise. Level 3 aims at empowering African executives so that, beyond their personal businesses, they may also become entrepreneurs in development. There is much more to these three levels of training, but I have just given the briefest of overviews.

Skills are taught in modules grouped into workshops in sequences of three months. This includes, among other things:
- Animal Production
- Fish farming
- Feed Mill - which is food processing, agricultural mechanics, marketing of agricultural products, and human development

Songhai says that the training is "a continuous process made up of successive stages. It involves progressively bringing the recipients (be they school drop-outs, current farmers, or executives) to a given level by sharing knowledge, expertise, and the ability to motivate others. The end result of this process is the establishment of profitable businesses and centers of excellence, which attract both local farmers and development agents and engender genuine socio-economic dynamics in rural areas."


In addition to training and production Songhai conducts permanent research into new varieties and species of both plants and animals, and into new techniques of production. They also conduct research into energy, the environment and mechanization. Because this research is conducted directly in the production workshops, it is termed "grassroots research."


The three fundamental principles of training at Songhai are:

- to create the desire in youth, underprivileged groups, and women to participate in entrepreneurial activities and in so doing empower themselves.
- to teach them values, which will lead to a change of attitude will thus make them agents of their own development. And
- to improve trainees' skills in the areas of analysis and socio-economic awareness, coordination, leadership, organization and management of sustainable community development activities.


As a by-product of their training and research, Songhai has developed products to enhance farming capabilities. Two such products are the Palmist Press and a Cassava Grater with a Metal Drum. I will let you go to the web site to discover why these developments are important. These products are offered for sale by Songhai and the income generated by those sales are an important part of its revenues.

There are many things going on at the Songhai Center that I will not be able to discuss here, but I cannot complete this article without mentioning the telecenters.

Believing that the new technologies of information and communication constitute a vital element in the improvement in the quality of their social, economic, and intellectual lives Africans. Songhai has established The Beninois Network Of Community Tele-Services. Community telecenters are being established Porto-Novo, Savalou and Parakou - the larger cities where Songhai sites exist. And these telecenters are integrated into the overall activities of Songhai.

The objectives of the telecenters are:

- To increase the level of knowledge in each community by giving the citizens the means of procuring and exchanging information relevant to their socio-economic and professional activities.

- To create within the Songhai community a culture of sharing information and experiences both internal and external.

- To train the target groups (grassroots communities, pupils, entrepreneurs, health workers, businessmen, students, etc.) to appropriate and utilize the new technologies of information and communication.

- To facilitate the acquisition and exchange of experiences among farmers and other members of the rural community. And

- To share technical results and experience gained by Songhai with other development actors on the continent through the new technologies in information and communication

Partnering with IDRC, (The International Development Research Center) Songhai has been able to create a network of these telecenters.

I could go on and on about the telecenters and the rest of Songhai's programs, but I must bring this article to a close. (Alas, so much to say and so little time to say it.) Believe me, folks, I have not even mentioned one third of the good things that are taking place at the Songhai Center. Here is the web site address: http://www.songhai.org/ it is in both French and English. Go by there and take a look at an African organization on the move.

RAINBO: A Broad Spectrum

Rainbo (which is an acronym for Research, Action and Information Network for Bodily Integrity of Women) is aptly named. Just as a rainbow in the sky covers a broad spectrum in the sky, so does Rainbo cover a broad spectrum of issues relating to the quality of life for Africans.

Because I am writing about this organization on my Blog, you probably have a strong suspicion that it is an NGO that works to improve the quality of life for Africans. But to be specific, Rainbo defines itself as "African led international non-governmental organisation working on issues of women's empowerment, gender, reproductive health, sexual autonomy and freedom from violence as central components of the African development agenda."

And although it has a specific focus on working to eliminate the practice of Female Circumcision / Female Genital Mutilation (FC/FGM, it has worked in many other areas as well.

The attack against FC/FGM has been conducted through facilitating women's self-empowerment and accelerating social change; and this has been approached through two main programmatic areas:

- The first area is the Integrated Initiative Against FGM and it includes their Small Grants Project.

Since its inception RAINBO has worked against FGM and has succeeded in redefining and repositioning FC/FGM in a human rights context, by showing it to be a gender based violation of the rights of women. Because of its constant work in this area, Rainbo has gained the reputation as the lead technical agency in the field of FC/FGM.

Rainbo launched The Integrated Initiative Against FGM in 2003 and this program focuses on using technical tools and assistance to provide direct support in the form of training, consultations and technical assistance to international donor and technical agencies, as well as African governments and NGO's. Multimedia interactive training CD-ROM on design, monitoring and evaluation of FC/FGM interventions are some of the development of tools included in their arsenal. Additionally, Rainbo is developing a web-based center that provides news, key facts and other information regarding FC/FGM, as well as successful projects, updates and recent advances in the struggle. And through their collaboration with the INTACT research network, they are involved in the publication of research findings. Rainbo also is instrumental in the publication of these findings in scientific journals as well.

Under its Small Grants Project, Rainbo extends direct grants to organizations with projects focusing on FC/FGM in Africa. Seventy-six organizations in 20 African countries have been awarded a total of over $850,000 by Rainbo since 1995. Priority is given to smaller organizations that promote innovative and effective approaches which facilitate women and girls' self empowerment and involve the community. The enhancement of organizational capacity is also a goal of the Small Grants Project with an eye towards maximizing impact or providing support through a South-to-South technical assistance scheme.

- The second program area is Amanitare, which is the African Partnership for the Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights of Women and Girls (SRHR)

Launched in the year 2000, Amanitare is a ten-year initiative to create a consolidated African voice to improve the status of African Women & Girls by promoting and protecting their sexual and reproductive health and rights. To date the program has 51 partners in 18 African countries.

Focusing on advocacy through Amanitare, Rainbo aims to:

- Build a network of partners and give support to partners through exchange and advancement of ideas, information and practical skills around issues of SRHR.

- Advocate for regional SRHR policy reform and the implementation of progressive SRHR provisions established in international and regional agreements and ensure they are addressed as part of the Millennium Development Goals and NEPAD

- Impact international policy by bringing a consolidated African women's voice to the UN and other global policy negotiations and highlighting African perspectives in international dialogues around women's rights and gender equity.


Rainbo used to have an African Immigrant Program, but that program has been spun off into an independent organization named: Sauti Yetu Center for African Women (SYCAW).

SYCAW became independent in 2004 as a not for profit organization linking social justice activism with academic scholarship to promote and protect the rights of African women and girls.

Working within the global women's, human rights, and social justice movements, SYCAW works on women's rights as an advocacy organization. SYCAW's web site at: http://www.sautiyetu.org/ says that their work and programs "have evolved in response to the evidence that women's rights, an empowered community, and access to integrated services are inextricably linked if we are to improve the lives of women and girls." Sauti Yetu means "Our Voice" in Swahili.

I will have to devote an entire article on SYCAW in order to do justice to the work that they carry out, but I wanted to mention them here so that you would know about this "spin-off" from the work began by Rainbo.

Another example of the broad spectrum of Rainbo is the fact that it is concerned with Capacity-Building for African Community-Based Organizations.

One of the organizations which Rainbo assists is Nah We Yone. Nah We Yone means "It belongs to us" in the Krio language; and the organization was created to proactively respond to the absence of culturally informed programs and services for distressed peoples from the various communities within the African Diaspora. These programs and services are offered to facilitate adjustment within the United States ands are carried out by providing psychological and social support, including the provision of pertinent information, the strengthening of community ties, wellness activities, and crisis intervention for adults, children and families.

Nah We Yone, Inc. has an active membership of about 50 people, and over 400 supporting members within the NY metropolitan area, as well as across the U.S. and abroad. Nah We Yone can be found at: http:// http://www.nahweyone.org and its site is also hosted by Rainbo.

In many ways, this voluntary non-profit group reaches out to displaced Sierra Leonean refugees and asylees , including detainees, and offers "counseling and crisis services, jobs and skills development, information sharing, and referrals to emergency social services; such as food, clothing, and car fare." It also has a youth summer camp, hosts a monthly brunch to help the clients of Nah We Yone to network and help intergrate into their new surroundings. In addition to this, and among their many other programs, they have a detention visitors program to provide contact to the "outside world" to those individuals who flee violence and persecution in their own countries only to find themselves "locked up" in U.S. detention centers for months while their asylum cases work their ways through the lengthy bureaucratic INS process.

There is a lot more I would like to say about Nah We Yone, and I hope to one day. And there is a lot more I could say about the Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, but this article is about Rainbo. And I could say a whole lot more about them. But in holding to my promise to keep these articles brief, I must ask you to go to the web sites of these fine organizations to learn more about what they do. And after you read about them, spread the word so that folks will help them carry out their important work. Rainbo's office is in London, while Nah We Yone and Sauti Yetu Center for African Women are in New York. So, if you are in their areas, pay them a visit, to see how you can help.

The links to the sites for Nah We Yone and the Sauti Yetu Center for African Women are in the article above, and the link for Rainbo is: http://www.rainbo.org/ . You owe it to yourself to check them out.

MEDSHARE: Sharing

"Sharing Can Make a World of Difference" is the motto of MedShare International, a nonprofit organization based in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.

MedShare collects medical surplus that is vitally needed in other countries worldwide. It sorts, evaluates, classifies, labels and then redistributes these supplies to the recipient healthcare institutions and medical teams. It also supports local organizations concerned with health services.

MedShare was founded in late 1998, and since that time it has shipped millions and millions of dollars worth of unused medical supplies to economically developing countries. As I have said in another article, this sharing of surplus medical supplies provides U.S. hospitals with an environmentally sound alternative to sending much needed medical to trash dumps while providing them to hospitals and clinics in the developing world that can use them.

MedShare carefully tailors each shipment of supplies to meet the need, as articulated by the recipient health care organization, in order to ensure that the donated material, equipment and supplies conform to the level of medical sophistication and infrastructure of the economically developing country where the recipient is located. The reason for this care is that there can be a drastic difference between the technical environments of the donor and the recipient. Once the supplies are delivered, MedShare "maintains an ongoing dialogue with recipients, to ensure that materials shipped will be useful and effective." One example of this is that biomedical equipment, (which is evaluated and often repaired by MedShare's workshop) is only shipped to hospitals that have the technology, training and resources to use and maintain the item.


MedShare's web site says that while the U. S. government regulations require hospitals in the United States to discard "more than $6.25 billion worth of unused medical supplies and equipment each year" thousands of patients in economically developing nations go without medical care for lack of this same material. This ranges from ranging from "sutures, syringes and sterile gloves to medical equipment like stethoscopes, pulse oximeters, ophthalmoscopes, electrosurgical units, anesthesia units, infant incubators and even hospital beds."

And while this equipment may seem "outdated" for a "state-of-the-art" U.S. hospital it is still very much useful in providing routine, or even acute, care.


MedShare gets its donated items by collecting, on a weekly basis, supplies and equipment from 14 hospitals and outpatient centers in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan area. Additionally, more than 50 hospitals around the country partner with MedShare in order to grow its network of donors. Also, most of the major hospital supply companies in the Atlanta area donate supplies as well. In most cases these supplies would be discarded due to industry regulations and most likely end up in landfills or incinerators, but in all cases, they are still useable.
MedShare is funded by support from individuals, foundations, religious groups, civic organizations and corporations. And while MedShare currently receives no federal support, it is registered with USAID as a Private Volunteer Organization. Many of the foundations, schools, individuals, religious groups, civic organizations and corporations that fund MedShare also sponsor medical mission teams and shipments of 40-foot cargo containers of supplies. However, sometimes the recipient institution pays for the shipping costs. Non-profits organizations often provide operation support as well as shipping, medical supplies and equipment. Additionally MedShare receives inkind donations and it relies heavily on volunteers. The volunteers (which MedShare says are the "lifeblood" of the organization) are students, professionals and retirees. They come from churches, civic and special needs groups. Health care professionals and bio-medical engineers also volunteer. MendSend says that it can even use the assistance of children over ten if they are accompanied by an adult.


The organization distributes its donations based on the degree of need, appropriateness of request, ability of institution to handle the logistics of the donation. All of the recipients, of course, serve the poor who would not otherwise have access to quality medical supplies. MedShare also requires the presence of a partner organization t in the local area to monitor the use and effectiveness of the donated supplies.

The hospitals that receive donations from MedShare are required to complete and return detailed evaluation forms so that MedShare can evaluate the impact of its donations. In addition to the forms supplied by the recipients, and other forms of measurement, MedShare receives reports from independent evaluators in order to evaluate its impact.

MedShare has operations around the world, even the United States, but a short list of some of the countries in Africa and the Caribbean that have received help from this very efficient organization includes: Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Haiti and Jamaica.

There is so much to talk about with MedShare, and so little time to do it. So, I am going to rely on you, dear reader, to go to MedShare's web site, read it and then give some thought to how you can help them help others. You can find there web site here: MedShare

eRIDERS: A Wealth Of Technical Expertise

What if you wanted needed to put a population density map for central Kenya into a grant proposal that you wanted to submit for funding? And what if you had no idea how to get such a thing free, or at a reasonable cost, from the Internet?

Most NGOs have a wealth of expertise and knowledge, but often they do not have the technical skills to fully utilize the Internet or computer technology. Now, there is a place where you can go for help. This help is eRiders, a network of computer savvy individuals and organizations that offer their services to non-profit organizations in order to make them "more effective, efficient and innovative through the use of all forms of technology. "

According to their web site an eRider is "part trainer, part management consultant, part computer expert." Often making visits to the organization they serve, these people provide consulting and assistance with technology strategy development and provide advice and information by phone and e-mail.

The eRider network also provides training materials and resources that can be accessed through their web site.


But this network is two sided. While the site offers a place where non-profit organizations can go to obtain technical service and training, it also acts as a recruiting station for those with the technical expertise to volunteer their services and/or to start their own assistance programs.

To the technical experts that may wish to become "eRiders" they offer the follow advice for starting a program:

"The ingredients of a good eRiding program are:

* an identified need for technology support for NGOs in your community,
* a well though out plan,
* strong donor or revenue generation scheme,
* committed, well trained and diverse team and
* a lot of energy."

And they tell these would-be eRiders that:

"In the eRiding resources section on this site you can find materials on the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation phases of an eRiding program."


The eRiders have taught people in the non-profit organizations everything from how to take a computer apart (in a Computer Anatomy class), to how to use ICT to attract volunteers.


At one page titled "For NGOs - group" there is a list of links that will take the reader to various resources on the web. For example, there are links to:

There is the "Benton Strategic Communication Toolkit" that "offers valuable tips and tools for eRiders and nonprofits to develop effective communication strategies. The research is based on best practices and lessons learned by nonprofits about the impact, successes, failures and struggles in using strategic communications."

"Database, Software and Technology Use" provides "Information and tips about databases for nonprofits."

The "Non-Profit Resource Center," which is said to have "a wealth of information for nonprofit organizations. … (Y)ou can find a list of links to websites of interest to nonprofits, and virtually everything you need to know about how to form, manage and maintain a nonprofit organization.

"Tips to Build Your E-mail Address Database By: Michael F. Murphy." This site says that it explains how to create a successful e-mail marketing campaign if you do not have a substantial e-mail database. And it also includes "tips to cost effectively build your e-mail address database and increase your donor participation and retention rates."

Plus, there are many more. Additionally, there are comments to each of these links that provide the reader with the opinions of people who have tried the advice and services offered at these links.


Remember, I began this article with a mention of being able to obtain a population density map of a certain area of Kenya. Well, under eRider's "Cool Tools" page, there is a link to numerous GIS sites (Global Information Systems) that provide mapping information from everything to topography, to aerial photography to city maps and property boundaries. And many of these sites have tutorials on how to use them.

At the Cool Tools site, this explanation of GIS maps is given. "Simply put, a GIS combines layers of information about a place to give you a better understanding of that place. What layers of information you combine depends on your purpose-finding the best location for a new store, analyzing environmental damage, viewing similar crimes in a city to detect a pattern, and so on." Pretty handy tool, I'd say.


All right, so you don't think you can take on this type of computer wizardry on your own. Well, don't forget the other side of the eRider equation. There are eRider geeks out there looking to help non-profits in need of computer training. These eRiders are all over the world and you can search for their expert help in any number of ways: By Alphabetic Order, By Country, By Organization, By Specialty or By Skill. Additionally the eRider site allows you to search for people, organizations, projects or statistics.

As I said, eRider experts are all over the world, but and in Africa you can find these experts in: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

So now, you have no excuse, visit eRiders and see what ITC doors are opening up for you at: http://www.eriders.net/

THE AFRICA CENTRE: "The Heart of Africa in the Heart of London."

If you are ever in London, you may want to go and visit The Africa Centre, which is located at 38 King Street in Covent Garden. The Africa Centre aims to promote positive awareness about Africa, and to help to empower the African Diaspora in the UK, and to support Africa's development aspirations. Their motto is: "The Heart of Africa in the Heart of London."


Established in 1961, The Africa Centre is an independent charity that has for over 40 years, been a cultural and educational center for Africans in London. It was developed to create greater awareness among British and other European people about developments in Africa and its Diaspora as well.

In 1964 by Dr Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia, formally opened the Centre. And during its four-decade history, the Centre has hosted leading African artists, writers, politicians and musicians who have met or performed there. It has been a place Africans could be "a source of inspiration to one another," and share their visions of Africa with British people.

In addition to being great resource to Africans, the African Centre has enriched the cultural life of Britain.


For many years, the Centre has been both a home away from home for the members of the African community in Britain. And the Centre's web site says that its new mission since 2000 has been to be "a flagship for Africa in Europe promoting the aspirations of Africa and its Diaspora; in particular to promote cultural, economic and socio-political initiatives in Britain and the rest of Europe that assist in the development of Africa." And a crucial part of its mission will be to promote programs that will strengthen African economies.


Another important aspect to the African Centre is the Contemporary Africa Database. The Database is a participatory online project, designed to provide easily accessible and current information concerning prominent Africans, African organisations, and dates in the African calendar. This database has been growing continuously since its inception.

The Database is maintained by a small group of researchers at the Africa Centre who aim to promote positive awareness about Africa and to help to empower the African Diaspora in the UK while supporting the development aspirations found on the Continent. Currently the Database has 11,248 records in the People section, and 2,326 records in the Institutions section.


Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Database will provide this information, on African people, organisations and history, on one easily accessible site and presented in three sections:

People
This is billed as "A Who's Who of prominent Africans now living or who have died since 1950, in all fields of expertise, for example artists, political luminaries, scientists, business-people etc. This part of the Database is currently online.

Institution Africa
The Africa Centre says that the directory of African institutions includes governments, pan-African bodies, non-governmental organisations, and significant businesses. This segment of the Database is also currently online.

Chronology Africa
This segment presents a chronology of important events and dates in the contemporary African calendar. These include: political events, festivals, birthdays and commemorations. Chronology Africa is scheduled to be on line this year.

The aim of the people working on the Database is to publicise it as widely as possible, and to accept help from, and work with, all who are interested in order to enrich the information. Finally they want it to become a "skills database of Africans inside and outside the continent."

Individuals included in the "People," section are those who are born in Africa or have acquired African nationality, and are either living, or have died since 1950. Also, these individuals must have left a considerable legacy.

Organizations that are included in the Database must be active, have a physical presence in Africa and must not be a subsidiary of a non-African organization.

There are several categories and subcategories in the Database for each of the segments a few quick clicks of the mouse and you will see that you can search by Categories or Countries, and there is also a "New" section as well as a section on the institutions most visited. If you search by countries, institutions are listed alphabetically and individuals are placed under one of eight major heading: Arts, Business, Education (including Academia & Research), Media, Religion, Society, Politics & Governance and Sports.


The Contemporary Africa Database is a useful tool and I would encourage anyone to take a look at it to see if it can benefit you. It is located on the web at http://institutions.africadatabase.org/

And the Africa Centre can be found at: www.africacentre.org.uk

But if you ever find yourself in London's Covent Garden, stroll on over to 38 King Street and see what interesting things are going on at the Africa Centre.

CAROLINA FOR KIBERA: Setting An Example For Virginia

I must admit that I was quite surprised when I came across the web site of Carolina for Kibera, Inc. (CFK), because this was the second student organization that I had found in the state of North Carolina, that has a very dynamic program in Africa. And my friends at the University of Virginia had led me to believe that there was very little of interest going on at the Universities down there. (The other program in North Carolina, that I wrote about on July 5, 2005 is Project Bokonon at Wake Forrest University.)


CFK is a non-profit 501(c)(3) international non-governmental organization housed at the University Center for International Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

While CFK is housed at the Center for International Studies at UNC,it is not formally connected with the University. It is supported by private donations and grants from the Ford Foundation , the American Jewish World Service and RAINBO .

Its three main projects are a youth sports association, a girls' center, and medical clinic in the heavily populated Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya.


With only 5 paid staffers, CFK is virtually an all-volunteer effort run by young Kenyans and Americans and its primary mission is to prevent ethno-religious violence by using sports to promote youth leadership, ethnic and gender cooperation, and community development. Additionally, the organization works to improve basic healthcare and education in Kibera.

Participatory development is the cornerstone of the philosophy of CFK. It is relying on community driven development to solve the problems of poverty of the communities it serves. CFK believes that while "concerned outsiders can help by mobilizing communities, advising, networking, and providing resources" it is the knowledge possessed by the community and the motivation of the stakeholders that are ultimately necessary to solve the problems such as those that exist in Kibera.

CFK is a non-profit corporation that has established partnerships with a number of U.S.-based organizations and universities and acts as the umbrella for the three Kenya based organizations that it serves. The three organizations are the Binti Pamoja Center (Binti Pamoja means "Daughters United"), the Tabitha Medical Clinic and the Youth Sports Association. Each of these three organizations is led by residents of Kibera and is independent of each other and autonomous. There is, however, is a high degree of collaboration between the three organizations.


The Tabitha Medical Clinic is located in Kibera and specializes in maternal health. However, according to CFK's web site, the clinic also offers primary care, curative, preventive, and counseling services. All of these services are provided to the residents of Kibera on a sliding-fee scale. The Clinic receives supplementary medicine and supplies from its non-profit partners Stop Hunger Now and the University of North Carolina's MedWorld . The Clinic also receives help from volunteer medical students and faculty from UNC and Duke Medical Schools (Duke is another University in North Carolina).

The Clinic, which is one of the only clinics in Kibera that offers in-patient and outpatient care 24/7, was founded by, and named for, the late Tabitha Atieno Festo, a certified nurse, used a $26 donation to raise the funds needed to start the Clinic by selling vegetables for six months in 2000. Tabitha also received some funds from a women's merry-go-round. Tabitha Atieno Festo died in Nairobi in December of 2004.

In January 2003, when the U.S. Embassy in Kenya delivered laboratory equipment as part of its Ambassador's Self-Help Fund and Tabitha Clinic began developing an in-house lab. In early 2005, the lab became fully operational when it was able to purchase a binocular microscope. This not only tripled the number of tests that could be done at the lab, but improved the quality of services offered. Among other things, the lab carries out tests for Typhoid, Malaria, and HIV at no cost.

With the help of ten trained community health workers, the clinic is also providing Home-Based Care to twenty families that are living with HIV/AIDS. This involves free treatment of opportunistic infections as well as food and clothing for the patients.

The Binti Pamoja Center is a reproductive health and women's rights center for girls13 to 18 years of age in Kibera.
The Center was established in June 2002 by two college students, Emily Verellen and Karen Austrian, who met while attending in the School for International Training's Kenya: Development, Health and Society program in the spring of 2001. The Binti Pamoja Center "uses photography, drama, writing, and group discussion to explore the issues that young women face in Kibera, such as violence against women, rape, prostitution, HIV/AIDS and other STDs, FC/FGM, poverty, sexual abuse, unequal access to education, lack of reproductive health care and information, and stifling domestic responsibilities." The Center also hosts monthly speakers and sponsors field trips. It has also initiated a community drama group, a newsletter, community service projects, family events, and an HIV/AIDS peer education program.

CFK's Youth Sports Association is used to promote youth leadership, community development, and ethno-religious cooperation. A committee of male and female youth representatives from Kibera's 11 villages advises the Association regarding organizational decisions. Sportsendeavors, Inc provides sports equipment.

In keeping with CFK's philosophy that everything must be earned and that nothing is free, the youth give back to their communities in return for the opportunity to play sports. Towards this end, the youth engage in projects like garbage clean-ups and youth-led public service initiatives. The Association members must also agree to adhere to CFK's Fairplay Code.

In addition to the athletic activities the Association also promotes additional projects, such as initiating a Community Library that will help to further its core goals.

Well, my dear readers, you get the picture about Carolina For Kibera, but, as always, there is much more to this story than is contained in this brief article.

For example they have a program entitled "Taka ni Pato" ("Trash is Cash") that is a collaborative effort within four large community-based organizations in Kibera to build the capacity for effective, environmentally-friendly, and profitable community-managed solid waste management systems in selected informal settlements in Nairobi.

So, I encourage you to visit their web site and find out more about what the folks at Carolina are up to with their projects in support of Africa.

Carolina For Kibera can be found by clicking the link below:
Carolina for Kibera

THE WECHIAU LIGHTING INITIATIVE : An Inspiring Story Of Partnership

When I began writing this article, I had in mind that I was going to write about Light Up The World (LUTW), an international NGO dedicated to ** but as I researched the facts for this article it struck me that it is important to let people about LUTW, it is also important to talk about the types of partnerships that LUTW and others enter into to achieve some of the necessary work that needs to be done around the world. So with a note in my computer to re-visit LUTW and write another article about their good works I want to tell you about a wonderful and effective partnership.

A full day's journey north of Accra, Ghana and along the banks of the Black Volta River is Ghana's Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary. This area is not only home to the huge river mammals because there are also 17 schools, seven schools and two health clinics located in the 40 kilometres long reserve.

In an effort to maintain an undisturbed grazing habitat for the hippos and to minimize their conflict with humans, the villagers have moved all of their farms and fishing camps two kilometres from the river. You have to give the people of these communities a great deal of respect for making such a sacrifice and disrupting their own economy in order to preserve the environment.

This significant commitment of the people of the Wechiau communities to the sustainable development of their region did not go unnoticed by The Calgary Zoo Conservation Fund. The Calgary Zoo Conservation Fund (which has been financially supporting this unique community-protected conservation project from its inception in 1996) has joined forces with the Nature Conservation Research Centre in Accra, Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. (a "leader in the Canadian renewable energy industry") and LUTW to initiate the Wechiau Lighting Initiative.

This project was designed to provide 550 solar powered lighting units to the 10,000 people living near the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary in Ghana by April of this year. The solar powered lighting units are replacing kerosene-fueled lamps, which are dirty, dangerous and expensive to operate.

John Keating CEO of Canadian Hydro said: "we believe in a balanced approach to conservation and development." And this is why he said that they "support the significant commitment demonstrated by the people of the Wechiau communities to the sustainable development of their region. We believe everyone should have access to clean, safe and affordable lighting. Currently, many people in third world countries, including Ghana, use crude kerosene-fueled lamps, which are dangerous, dirty and expensive. Half the people at Wechiau are children who need safe lighting to encourage literacy. There is great enthusiasm in Ghana for the project and a strong desire to move forward."

Because this sanctuary houses one of two populations of hippos in West Africa, where the animals are near extinction the Calgary Zoo Conservation Fund and the Nature Conservation Research Centre recognized the importance of helping the local communities to maintain a viable way of life that will allow them to respect the habitat of the hippos. Also, although the people of the Wechiau area are protecting the environment at a cost to themselves, "they are creating other opportunities for their community, including the increasingly popular trend of eco-tourism."


LUTW takes an innovative approach to the design and fabrication of clean, simple and safe lighting systems for third world communities, using solar power and this is the first of a three-phases project. Energy sources for LUTW's home lighting projects have included Person Powered Pedal Generators, Pico Hydro, Pico Wind Turbines and Solar Photovoltaic and they will apply the most appropriate solution given the overall needs of the community, the available budget and type of installation that is most suitable given other conditions.


LUTW will provide onsite expertise in installation training, micro credit and local business development to the 22 communities associated with the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary. The outcome of the project is to supply and install a LUTW system in each housing compound, as well as, schools and health posts in the project area.

The Calgary Zoo says tat this project is a "community initiative and will ultimately be managed by local citizens who will benefit by protecting this unique resource."

The NCRC, in addition to providing project management and logistical support for the lighting project with the Calgary Zoo, will undertake an umbrella education program for the 22 Wechiau communities. And commitments are in place to provide funding to support this project.

In July of this year Canadian Hydro reported that the Trial Phase of the Initiative was a success. The project, which started in February of 2005, was able to improve and refine the installation design by mid summer. This phase also created greater awareness about the lighting initiative among the intended recipient communities. Installing at least one lighting system within each of the 16 Sanctuary communities was decided to be a good way to achieve this.

At each of the meetings to provide the basic information about the process of purchasing a solar powered lighting system, efforts were made to strengthen the support for the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary.

While the recipients were required to pay the equivalent of $10 US for the system, one of the 10 units installed by late April was donated to the clinic in the community of Dornye, free of charge.

The First Phase of the Lighting Initiative began in July with a shipment of 275 batteries arriving and the shipment of 240 units from Calgary clearing customs in Accra.

Also, in July the Initiative had reached the level of 85% of it fundraising goal. One hundred and fifty individuals and corporations donated $105,000, which was enough funding to pay for 465 of the 550. Fundraising will continue until the end of December, and then a final shipment of lighting units will be sent to Wechiau in January 2006.


LUTW states on its web site that: "Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. is Canada's premier independent developer of EcoLogoTM certified low impact renewable energy. Publicly listed since 1990, the company owns and operates thirteen green power facilities. Wind generated electricity accounts for three sites and hydroelectric power, ten sites. Canadian Hydro's first biomass plant is now nearing completion. Canadian Hydro supports a portfolio approach that embraces all forms of renewable energy, including biomass, wind and run of river hydro."

When you combine Responsible Corporate Global Citizenship, committed, NGO innovators in the area of sustainable energy, dedicated Environmentalists and a community willing to make a commitment and sacrifice to secure their own future, you have a Partnership that is worthy of recognition and emulation.

Drop in on the LUTW's web site for the Wechiau Lighting Initiative. It can be found at:
Light Up The World's Project Page

Canadian Hrdro Developers, Inc. also has a web page on the project at:
Canadian Hrdro Developers, Inc.'s Project Page

The Calgary Zoo has a site on the project at:
The Calgary Zoo's Project Page