MEDAIR | newsNo. 2 | 2014 | medair.org

What you leave behindCLEAN WATER, NEW LIFE IN AFGHANISTANGOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE

S A V I N G L I V E S I N C H A D

3 A F G H A N I S T A N Clean water, new life

5 A L A S T I N G L E G A C Y Good news for a change

6 H A I T I Reasons for hope in Haiti

1 0 Y O U R L E G A C Y What will You leave behind?

Cover Photo: Jaime Abraham, Medair Project Manager, connects with children in a remote Afghan community.All photos © Medair except: page 3: © Medair/Paul Hageman; page 6: © Medair / Florance Paul; page 7 (bottom, right): © Medair / Anke Meiburg; page 8 (top): © Medair/ Gloria Lihemo; page 8 (bottom): © Medair / Elseline Verkerk; page 10: © Medair / Stella Chetham; page 11: Greenbelt 2013 © Jonathon Watkins; page 12: © Medair / Aurélie Grisel Charity registering in England and Wales no. 1056731 Limited Company registered in England and Wales no. 3213889The paper used in this publication is made using 100% ECF pulp from a sustainable source and is 100% recyclable.

Funding Partners: Afghanistan: Swiss Solidarity, Mennonite Central Committee with Canadian Foodgrains Bank, EC Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation-EuropeAid, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsHaiti: Swiss Solidarity, United States Agency for International DevelopmentD.R. Congo: EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United States Agency for International DevelopmentChad: EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil ProtectionSomalia: Swiss Solidarity, EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, United States Agency for International Development, World Food ProgrammeMadagascar: Swiss Solidarity, EC Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation-EuropeAid

Sources : 1. UN Inter-Agency Group. Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, Report 2013. 2. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 2014 Annual Letter. 3. United Nations. The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013. 4. World Health Organization (WHO). 2014 Fact Sheets: Measles, Tuberculosis, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Maternal Mortality. 5. UNAIDS. 2013. World AIDS Day Press Release. 6. WHO. 2012. Trends in Maternal Mortality 1990-2010. 7. The Economist. June 2013. Not Always With Us. 8. WHO. World Malaria Report 2010 and 2013.

M E D A I R U KUnit 3 Taylors Yard67 Alderbrook RoadLONDON, SW12 8ADTel: 020 8772 0100united.kingdom@medair.orgmedair.org

Two years ago, the UK was gearing up for a summer of sport. London was hosting the Olympics. It was a special time. As a London resident, a huge sports fan and fortunate to possess tickets to some events, the experience left memories I’ll never forget.

Much conversation since has considered the “Olympic legacy”. What was left behind? Amazing ‘Games Makers’ and a culture of volunteering? Incredible sporting venues? Passion among the next generation to stay fit and healthy through sport?

Leaving a legacy is something Medair is passionate about. Being a humanitarian organisation, we know we won’t be working in a country forever. So how will we leave things when the situation improves and we do eventually leave? This is fresh in our minds having exited Chad early this year.

Bad stories of vulnerable countries often hit the headlines. However, in Chad last year, we changed the lives of 5,924 children who were treated in our nutrition programme. That’s 5,924 youngsters who may have suffered the consequences of malnourishment, hindering their development or even a more harmful fate, had we not responded. This critical work is being repeated worldwide by fantastic organisations including Medair. That’s a good legacy!

When you give to Medair, you’re not throwing your money away. You’re investing in the largest, most successful effort ever seen to eradicate extreme poverty and preventable disease. I hope, as a Medair supporter, that’s a legacy you are proud to leave behind.

As ever, thank you so much for your generous support.

Alex Day Director, Medair UK

V I S I O N

Imagine a village where, for as long as anyone can remember,

people have gathered their drinking water from a source that

is unreliable, hard to access, and easily contaminated by waste.

Families spend so much of each day collecting and carrying unsafe

water, even though drinking it makes them sick—sometimes sick

enough to kill them.

What would it mean to those people to have a safe and reliable

supply of drinking water right in the heart of their village? More

than you can possibly imagine.

In the past year, Medair has provided 179 safe water points in

160 rural Afghan villages—that’s safe drinking water access for

14,822 people! We supported hundreds of Afghans to build their

own latrines and trained thousands of people how to improve their

health through better hygiene.

In one isolated community in Bamyan Province, people had to walk

more than 40 minutes each way to gather unsafe water. No other

NGO had provided help, likely due to the village’s remoteness. Our

team worked with the community to locate a new spring source

nearby, protect the source, and install a pipeline that brought water

right to the centre of the village. “The new water source has been

a big encouragement,” said Paul Hageman, Medair Programme

Support Manager. “People feel they have received new life.”

CLEAN WATER, NEW LIFE

            Before Medair, we got our water from a small stream in the village, but it was not always available and drinking from the stream caused us stomach and throat problems.

Ibrahim, Bamyan Province

            Before this, children were getting sick every day. Now, thanks to the new water source, children have far fewer health problems.

Maseema, Bamyan Province

A F G H A N I S T A N

medair.org | July 2014 | Medair 3

What you leave behind

                 Medair's been a miracle for my family. I enjoy my job, and I can send my kids to school.

Medair even trains me on the job, which means that one day I can get an even better job. The most

important thing about Medair, the real miracle, is that even when I do something wrong, I am always

treated with kindness and respect. It is at Medair that I learned that you can always be kind and

respectful to people, even if you don't agree with them.

Medair Haitian staff member

When you work with Medair, you travel to remote and devastated places to save lives, and then move onto the next crisis—knowing you will leave some needs behind. That’s the nature of emergency relief and recovery. Sometimes you will leave even sooner than planned, if resources run out or it’s too dangerous to remain.

When you know you may have to leave at any time, you start to focus on not only your daily activities but also on the impact you make every day and the legacy that you will leave behind, whenever that day may come.

Life-saving preventative actions   Vaccinations   Anti-malarial mosquito nets   Disaster preparedness   Health, hygiene, and nutrition promotion

Training and education   Upgrade skills of health professionals, midwives,

builders, farmers, et al.    Train committees to maintain new water points and

other infrastructure    Supervise and train national staff to improve their

skills and broaden their opportunities

Access to essential services    Primary health care and nutrition   Safe sources of drinking water   Sanitation facilities   Antenatal/postnatal care +

childbirth with a skilled birth attendant

Community engagement    Work closely with people

in every community, listen and respond to their needs, motivate them to take leadership of projects

   Be accountable to communities for our work

Construction projects   Disaster-resilient houses   Community refuge shelters   Flood-control dams   Health clinics, schools   Bridges, roads, airstrips

Coordination of relief activities   Work closely with UN “clusters” to identify gaps and

unmet needs   Coordinate with government and other agencies   Build capacity of local agencies    Hand over activities when possible

S a v i n g L i v e s

H O W M E D A I R L E A V E S A L A S T I N G L E G A C Y

A L A S T I N G L E G A C Y

Bad news is everywhere. Violent conflicts, natural disasters, outbreaks of disease. You are left with the impression that the world is always getting worse. But is it?

                 We all have the chance to create a world where extreme poverty is the exception rather

than the rule, and where all children have the same chance to thrive, no matter where they’re born.

For those of us who believe in the value of every human life, there isn’t any more inspiring work

underway in the world today.

Bill Gates, 2014 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Letter

Good news for a change

The world is getting better all the time. If you look at the enormous progress that has been made over the past two decades, you will see that extreme poverty and preventable diseases are on a rapid decline. The efforts of humanitarian agencies like Medair are working. With your help, we are literally changing the world.

medair.org | July 2014 | Medair 5

For sources, see page 2

Massive progress in eradicating killer diseases

Polio cases

350,000 (1988)

down to fewer than

400 (2012)

99.9 %

Measles deaths

548,000 (2000) down

to 122,000

(2012)

78 %

Tuberculosis deaths

2.5 million (1990) down

to 1.3 million

(2012)

45 %

Malaria deaths

985,000 (2000) down

to 627,000

(2012)

36 %

New HIV infections

3.4 million (2001) down

to 2.3 million

(2012)

33 %

Huge declines in child and maternal mortality

Deaths of children

Annual deaths of children under 5

From 12.6 million (1990) down to 6.6 million (2012)

48 %Pregnancy-related deaths

Annual deaths of mothers due topregnancy-related complications

From 543,000 (1990) down to 287,000 (2012)

47 %

A better life

Ending extreme poverty700,000 fewer people

live in extreme poverty (1990 – 2010)

% of world’s population in extreme poverty has fallen from

36% (1990) down to 17% (2010)An end to poverty?

The World Bank believes extreme poverty could be

eradicated by 2030

Drinking water

2.1 billion people gained access to improved

drinking water sources 1990 – 2011

Sanitation

1.9 billion peoplegained access to a latrine,

flush toilet, or other improved sanitation facility 1990 – 2011

A L A S T I N G L E G A C Y

Reasons for hope in Haiti

               Before the earthquake, most Haitians lived on very little. Still, they had a roof over their heads and a place to call their own. When the earthquake struck, millions lost their shelter as well as access to safe drinking water, food, and basic health care.

Four years later, people question whether international agencies have spent their money effectively in Haiti. All I can say that I have seen tremendous change happen with my own eyes in the lives of people living in southeastern Haiti.

Thousands of the most vulnerable families who could not afford to rebuild now have safer homes. Many families also received a 5,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank and a latrine.

Everywhere we go, Haitians tell us how Medair has changed their lives and brought hope back to their families and communities. Families talk about having better health as a

result of being safely sheltered at night. Children have returned to school, and families have been reunited. People thank Medair for providing jobs that allow them to send their children to school and buy food.

What has impressed me most about Medair’s programme is the local capacity building of my fellow Haitians. Medair’s commitment to long-term sustainability has meant that more than a thousand men and women have been trained in safe construction techniques. Medair employs local labourers, masons, and carpenters; the skills they acquire will remain here long after Medair’s departure.

On behalf of my fellow Haitians, I want to thank Medair for four years of hard work and service. I also thank the donors for their tremendous generosity. Haiti may not be yet where the world expects it to be, but change is happening, which gives me hope for the future of my nation.

SLEEPING SOUNDLY THROUGH THE RAIN

          Having a new home is the best thing that has happened to me. One night, it was raining and I heard the sound of the raindrops on the roof, I loved it, I loved it. I slept soundly through the rain. I woke up in the morning; everything inside the house was dry.

My life has changed because of this house. It gives me hope and makes me feel that there is still hope even when things are not going right. I thank every Good Samaritan who donated money to Medair to build a solid and dry house for me and Arigène.

Meliana, Jamais Vu, Haiti

A Haitian family enjoys their colourful new home and water tank.

Medair's Florance Paul sees real progress underway in her country.

6 Medair | July 2014 | medair.org

H A I T I

The love will remain

In the summer of 2013, Lagabo was a quiet hamlet with fewer than 100 people living in it. On 23 August, violent hostilities in South Irumu forced people to flee for their lives; more than 23,000 of them took refuge in tiny Lagabo.

Medair was the first international humanitarian organisation to come to their aid. We began providing life-saving primary health care, setting up a temporary health clinic stocked with crucial medicines. To prevent a possible outbreak, Medair partnered with UNICEF and MSF-Switzerland to conduct a massive emergency vaccination.

Thanks to this campaign, 82,500 children were vaccinated against measles, protecting them for life from

this deadly disease. More than 22,000 children were

also vaccinated against polio. The campaign was a huge

success: Zero cases of measles or polio have been reported

in the vaccination areas since the campaign began.

Medair is providing free primary health care,

treatment of malnutrition, family planning, medical

care to victims of sexual violence, and specialised

care for pregnant women in Lagabo.

“Since Medair has come, people are

less sick than they were before,” said

displaced mother Esther Losi. “If they

do fall ill, they can get the treatment

they need for free. This really helps us.”

Hope builds in Linakofo

Four years ago, displaced families in Linakofo camp had to walk five kilometres down a dangerous path to reach the nearest health clinic. At night, armed aggressors might attack, rape, or kill

those they found on the path.

Medair began supporting a health post right in

Linakofo to provide free health care. “If Medair were

not here, we could have died,” said Justine. “Buying

medicine is very expensive—impossible for us to

afford. But thanks to Medair, health care is free and we

are really grateful for this.”

In 2013, Medair built a new clinic in Linakofo to

replace the small mud hut that had served as the

health post. The new clinic is spacious, well-equipped,

and hygienic for patients, and will serve families

throughout the area for years to come. “We have never

seen such a quality building in the entire Dungu

health zone!” said Dr. Isaac Tandro, Director of Dungu

General Reference Hospital.

“We were hopeless, but now we’re not,” said Titulaire,

Linakofo’s Head Nurse. “Our thanks to Medair, and to

its donor, the European Union, for the love they have

shown us by agreeing to construct this building. Even

if the project is coming to an end, we have been left

with a great legacy: a fully equipped building, with

medicines and supplies. Although Medair will leave,

the love that was shown here will remain.”

Medair provides free health care for displaced families in northeastern D.R. Congo, where violent conflicts place hundreds of thousands at risk.

New clinicOld clinic

D . R . C O N G O

Saving lives in Chad

How do you leave behind a lasting legacy in less than a year?

Medair worked in Chad for a little less than a year. Most emergency responses are not long-term by nature, yet we strive to take actions that will make a lasting impact.

When we first arrived in Chad’s Abdi district, we met people who didn’t even know what malnutrition was. They didn’t know it was an illness that could be treated and prevented. We found many local health professionals lacked the necessary resources or training to treat malnutrition. "Malnourished children are considered to be dying,” said a community leader. “People are afraid to touch them.”

Medair helped start up a Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme that we had found to be highly successful in remote regions.

RE ACH PEOPLE WHERE THEY LIVE

    Supported the start-up of a CMAM programme at 10 local health centres and 1 mobile clinic, equipping them with the necessary materials to run a nutrition programme

    Screened more than 25,000 children in 194 villages

UPGR ADE LOC AL SKILLS & C APACIT Y

    Trained and supervised health committees, community mobilisers, and health centre staff and improved capacity for their daily work

    Provided health, hygiene, and nutrition training for caregivers

SAVE LIVES OF MOST VULNER ABLE

    Admitted 5,924 malnourished children for life-saving treatment—almost twice as many children as originally expected!

Ibrahim Bahar, before and after treatment

C H A D

8 Medair | July 2014 | medair.org

A legacy of lives changed

Medair provided hundreds of thousands of people with improved health care, nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in Burao and the surrounding region. Have we left behind a legacy that will endure?

Many of Medair's 1,162 trained Care Group volunteers are continuing their door-to-door health work:

             The community of Care Group volunteers believe in what we’re doing because now mothers go to the health clinic on their own initiative. Before, we saw children dying in our community. In the past 10 months, we have seen only one child die, and it happened quickly so it was difficult to avoid. Mothers have become aware of the information given them by the volunteers and they say, ‘God has sent you to us at the right time.’

Zainab Saed Yousif, Care Group Volunteer

               The time has come for Medair to leave the Burao region. We feel great sadness to say farewell to all the wonderful people we have worked alongside and all the communities we have seen transformed over the years. We know we leave behind a region that has grown and changed, thanks in part to our efforts to relieve the suffering of so many people.

In 2008, Medair made a commitment to improve overall health in this region. Over the years, we held extensive training and capacity-building activities

with local health professionals and Ministry of Health staff that upgraded the quality and availability of health care and nutrition services. Now that we are moving on, we know we are leaving the community in good hands. We have been heartened to receive so many words of gratitude and inspiration from so many different people. There can be no doubt that Medair leaves a lasting legacy in the Burao region.

Rhonda Eikelboom, Medair Head of Country Programme, Somalia

230%increase in vaccinations

at health centres

73%of caregivers report

that their children are immunised against

measles

600%increase in deliveries

assisted by skilled birth attendants at

three health centres supported by Medair

70%of pregnant women

receiving antenatal care

Huge shift

toward exclusive breastfeeding practices

Global Acute Malnutrition rates

dropped from 20.5% (2008) to

10%

2013 data

medair.org | July 2014 | Medair 9

S O M A L I A / S O M A L I L A N D

What will you leave behind?

A donation to humanitarian aid is more than a drop in the ocean. It is a hammer blow against extreme poverty, death from preventable diseases, mothers dying in childbirth, and children gone before they’ve had a chance to live.

In the past 25 years, the world has made greater progress than ever before to improve global health and prevent needless suffering and death. Real change is happening all over the world. With the right resources and effort, think where we could be just 25 years from now.

Connect your legacy with Medair’s

Medair is deeply committed to relieving the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Even a small donation from you could save someone’s life. Can you imagine what a larger gift could do? You could help lift a whole village out of poverty and despair. You could leave behind a legacy of lives saved, of new opportunities for families, of renewed hope and vigour for an entire community.

     I chose Medair so that my final gift would be useful to those in need and well-used by those entrusted with my legacy.        M.-J. F.

                 Health aid is a phenomenal investment. When I look at how many fewer children are dying than 30 years ago, and how many people are living longer and healthier lives, I get quite optimistic about the future.                    Bill Gates, 2014 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Letter

Secure your legacy for generations to come.For more information about remembering Medair in your Will, please tick the box on the response coupon or contact Andy Prescott in our London office on 020 8772 0100, or email him on andy.prescott@medair.org.

Y O U R L E G A C Y

Join us at GreenbeltThis August Bank Holiday, we’ll once again be heading to Greenbelt Festival. This year it’s taking place at Boughton House in Northamptonshire from Friday 22nd to Monday 25th August.

The weekend comprises a rich programme of music, visual and performing arts, spirituality, comedy, and talks and discussion. We’ll be on site all weekend. If you’re coming along, why not come and say “hello” to our team in the G-Source tent. You can buy tickets for the whole weekend or purchase a day pass. To book, please visit www.greenbelt.org.uk/boxoffice

Find your happy paceWe’re most grateful to everyone who’s pulling on a red running vest and raising money for Medair this year. Members of Melecia Henderson’s family are taking part in the Newham London Family Run, while Eddie Arthur is running the High Wycombe Half Marathon in aid of our work in Madagascar. You can learn more about Eddie’s exploits in the next Medair News.

Whether you’re an experienced runner, or putting on a pair of trainers for the first time, we’ll be happy to help you get ready for your challenge.

And, if you think you have got what it takes to complete a 10-mile run this October, we have limited places available in the Great South Run. For more information on taking part in a sponsored event for Medair, please get in touch with Andy Prescott on 020 8772 0100 or andy.prescott@medair.org.

Coming to a town near you?We’re touring the UK this year helping people to learn more about our work. Why not come along to one of our information evenings?

We’ve got events coming up in Derby, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. For more details, visit our website or medair.eventbrite.co.uk.

U K N E W S

Working togetherWe are delighted to add Lou Rout to our small team in London. Lou is

our new Partnerships Manager, seeking to work with organisations and promote our work. If your company, university or school is interested in exploring ways of working with us, then Lou would be delighted to talk with you. Please phone her on 020 8772 0100 or email lou.rout@medair.org.

AMBASSADOR UPDATE

If you’d like one of our Ambassador team to come and speak about our life-saving work to your church or group, please get in touch with Andy. He’s also the person to speak to if you’d like to become a Medair ambassador. Find out more at medair.org/ambassadors

"When we found Medair I was so happy! I really hope that Medair can treat many more children like my child. I'm really happy to see my child improving."

These are the words of Mary whose eighteen-month-old daughter Nyakume is being treated in our clinic

in Ganyliel, Unity State, South Sudan.

The pair made the journey from nearby Pajarial, a dangerous one-hour walk through a crocodile- and snake-inhabited swamp. When they arrived, Nyakume had diarrhoea, fever and was not breastfeeding – she wouldn’t eat our highly nutritious therapeutic food Plumpy’nut. She looked like she was going to die.

But, after just six days in our therapeutic feeding programme, she’s now looking much better! Take a look at the picture above!

One of the greatest threats to life is South Sudan’s severe food shortage. Even post-ceasefire, the situation in South Sudan is catastrophic. The UN has reported that a third of the country’s population – 4 million people – will be on the brink of starvation by the end of 2014.

“Crops haven’t been planted or harvested. Markets have been destroyed, and food supply routes have been shut due to insecurity and muddy roads. Food was scarce even before the conflict started; now it is all but gone. We are seeing people climbing trees to pick leaves to eat and wading into murky swamps to consume water lilies,” said Wendy van Amerongen, Medair Communications Officer. “Rates of malnutrition are skyrocketing.”

We’re seeing more admissions at our feeding centres and are continuing to work hard to saves lives. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you!

Connect your legacy with Medair’s. Get involved today at medair.org

Thank You from South Sudan.

MN

140

2Joe (Emergency Response Team Health Manager) plays with Nyakume on the last day before she gets discharged from the stabilisation centre.