The World Food Crisis

On April 17th at a joint White House news conference with President George Bush, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Gordon Brown, stated that the globe is facing a worsening food crisis unseen in over 30 years.

The World Food Program (WFP) has recently identified at least 30 “high risk” countries from around the globe that they consider vulnerable to the rising international prices of basic food commodities such as rice, wheat, and corn, commodities which have currently soared in the world markets and, in some cases, jumped to an all-time high at the wholesale level.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that 21 countries likely to be directly and adversely affected are in Africa where food-related riots have already been reported in Egypt, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Haiti. The WFP has characterized this as the ‘Silent Tsunami” warning this may lead to potential catastrophe.

Executive director of the WFP, Josette Sheeran, said this week, that the rising food prices are “threatening to plunge more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger.”

Though the long-term impact is still unknown, there is a way to help support those who will be severely impacted by this crisis. Through PCI, you can help provide not only nutritious meals, but economic opportunities that will enable those living in poverty provide for their families and communities. Learn more at www.ProjectConcern.org/FoodCrisis.

PCI and the Three Bears….

by Janine Schooley, PCI Staff

When people ask me about PCI’s annual budget, or whether we are a small or large organization, two thoughts come to mind: 1) It’s all relative; and 2) Goldilocks and the Three Bears. By “relative”, I mean that, in comparison to many grassroots or local non-profit organizations, we would be considered large, with a $22 million dollar a year cash budget and over 600 employees worldwide. On the other hand, if you compare us with our major competitors, organizations like Save the Children, CARE, or World Vision, with whom we compete for funding in the areas of child survival, HIV/AIDS or food security, we are definitely the “little guys,” working with organizational resources that are a fraction of what the “big guys” are able to muster.

Sometimes we are told “you’re too big,” when we apply for grant resources designed for smaller or local/indigenous non-profits. And yet we have also been told “you’re too small” by funders who are looking for a major, multi-country contractors with the obvious ability to manage multi-million dollar awards. This is where Goldilocks and the Three Bears comes in. We aren’t too small or too big; we are juuuuust right. Well first let me say that we aren’t exactly quite “just right,” yet. We would like to be bigger and better and stronger and more able to bring our programs to more people. But rather than try to be a larger organization, we strive to be the best medium-sized organization we can be.

Why, might you ask? Why not become as large as possible? Well because our particular size allows us to be responsive, nimble, innovative and yes, scrappy. We aren’t burdened by a large bureaucracy. We have systems, structures, and capacity that enable us to effectively compete and manage programs with the best of them, but we haven’t let them get unwieldy or cumbersome. While we can effectively compete for multimillion dollar awards through PEPFAR, for example, we are able to be more integrated and cohesive in our technical/programmatic work than otherwise. In some organizations, the HIV staff and the food & nutrition security staff, for example, are so large and so departmentalized that they don’t even talk to each other, let alone collaborate on integrated programming. Our technical officers interact with each other and actually seek out opportunities to collaborate. Because we aren’t attempting to spend large pots of funding in a relatively short period of time, we tend to seek out opportunities to meet the needs of smaller pockets of people who are particularly isolated and vulnerable. This “off the asphalt road” approach means that we can reach people in great need who otherwise might be overlooked. Our “just right” size also contributes to our ability to stay grounded and grassroots, working with and through local community-based organizations and networks because we don’t have our own large organization to draw upon. Our mid-size helps ensure our “in the middle” position whereby we effectively link the field/communities on the ground with global policy, research, technical resources, etc.

Of course, we must grow in order to stay viable and to expand our impact, and grow we will. But just like Goldilocks, we have been able to appreciate our mid-size and middle position in the meantime. This will help ensure that we retain what is best about our current size while expanding its impact as far and wide as possible.

The Continued Struggle Against Polio

By Dustin Wright, PCI Staff

During the 20th century, medical advancements helped take the offensive against the polio virus, which has plagued and crippled people since the days when Egyptian pharaohs were erecting pyramids. The polio vaccine made its debut in 1955 and was soon distributed in an oral form which made administration of the vaccine easier. People in even the most remote regions were receiving the life-saving treatment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last remaining polio endemic countries are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India, with the later having the highest number of confirmed cases. Already in 2008, India has confirmed 82 new cases of polio, adding to the 864 cases the country logged last year. The second highest endemic country, Nigeria, has confirmed 18 cases this year, with 286 reported last year.

Obviously, poverty and poor education are main factors that contribute to the tenacity of the virus in these countries. In Nigeria, for example, some Muslim communities have resisted polio vaccination because of the belief that Western countries are using the vaccine to inject Muslims with chemicals that will reduce their fertility or infect them with HIV/AIDS.

War and conflict aren’t helping things either, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and even non-endemic countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.

With the largest number of infections, India is the focus of many eradication campaigns. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh experienced a polio outbreak last year and PCI India responded by increasing its presence in the region. Volunteers were dispatched door to door to ensure that local families were taking part in available immunizations. Community leaders were contacted to spread the word and local mosques made announcements. After a century of technological advancements in the fight against polio, spreading the word may well be the weapon that ends the war.

A Glimpse of Life "Behind the Pearly Gates"

By Laurel Kirkland, PCI Staff

I was originally introduced to Project Concern International (PCI) by a new friend upon moving to San Diego. At the time I was looking to get involved with an organization like this. As a matter of fact I was hoping to find one EXACTLY like this. Fortunately enough I applied for and was accepted into an internship with the Program Development department allowing me the opportunity to familiarize myself more with the International NGO world.

I was immediately given projects that conveyed a confidence in my ability and intelligence. Instantly I found myself immersed in the non profit organization lingo, what I think should be termed, Acronymian. As I swam in a sea of acronyms, research, and editing projects I had a chance to learn PCI’s different strokes. I tried to be friendly, helpful and make connections with people from all departments in the office (which isn’t difficult, they are a welcoming bunch). I worked hard and asked lots of questions. Not long after my internship began, approximately one month, a position as Office Assistant/Receptionist opened up and I jumped at the opportunity to get on board this fine ship. I knew this was my chance to get a foot in the door and was given a lot of encouragement to do so.

Now I am continuing to learn more about Project Concern International and am eager to stick with the organization with hopes of moving up. I have had a glimpse of the incredible group that is the machine Project Concern International. I am convinced that every one of the people working here has good intentions. We are a wonderful family who celebrates together by having potlucks and lunch outings. Our VP for Technical Services and Program Development, Janine Schooley cleverly creates appreciative farewell songs for those that leave us which we all sing in unison at a farewell lunch. For Valentine’s Day we all drew Secret Valentines and came in to discover something special in our cubicle. For Halloween we dressed up and trick or treated around the office. We work very hard but there’s always room for a little fun around here too.

PCI from the insider’s view is probably just as amazing as it is from the outsider’s view, this is no mirage folks. These people are dedicated to making this world a better place. We are progressive, innovative and compassionate in our overall work and within our individual office.

PCI Fights for Clean Water in Tanzania: The Babati Health Through Water & Sanitation Project

By Janna Smith, PCI Intern

“We shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking-water, sanitation and basic health care.”

Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General

Lack of immediate access to water can have adverse effects on the health and development of a community, and especially affects the women and children of the community. In many parts of Tanzania, women and children spend an average of 6-8 hours per day accessing clean water. This can prevent some children, especially girls, from attending school, since water is usually collected by girls. Traversing long distances also leads to more danger for women and girls- including sexual assault, and rape. Children also frequently miss school due to illness, stemming not only from water-borne diseases, but also from walking long distances without shoes.

PCI has been working for many years in the area of water, sanitation, and environmental health. We have found that freeing up time for women and girls who spend hours each day collecting water positively impacts their health, education, and overall well-being, which in turn leads to positive community development and capacity building.

We firmly believe that community involvement is crucial to the success of our programs. Collaborating with community leaders is an essential part of the process to assess local needs and make decisions that would best benefit the local people. To this end, PCI has teamed up with the district council in Babati, a region in north-eastern Tanzania, and another community-based organization called ADRA/Tanzania to implement our newest water and sanitation project, called the Babati Health Through Water and Sanitation Project, funded by the Starbucks Foundation-Ethos Water Fund. This project will provide safe water for at least 30,000 people in the Babati region of Tanzania, as well as education programs for better sanitation and hygiene practices to mitigate the incidence of water-borne diseases. The project will also build rainwater harvest systems in schools within the area, so that children will have access to clean water while they are in school.

PCI has carried out successful water and sanitation projects in Central America, India, and Indonesia, and hopes to add Tanzania to the list of sustainable water projects in which women and children especially reap the benefits.

WATER IS LIFE

Access to basic water supply and sanitation services are increasingly acknowledged as fundamental for health and development, and are being increasingly accepted as a fundamental human right. In observance of World Water Day on March 22, 2008, I thought I’d share some interesting facts about this basic necessity that can help translate the global problem into terms that are a bit more easily digestible:

• A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.


• A human being needs about .5 to 1.5 gallons of drinking water - which weighs from 4.5 to 11 lbs - per person per day to maintain health. Imagine carrying enough water to meet your family’s needs every day.


• Did you know the average girl/woman in Nicaragua spends 6 hours a day obtaining water? By bringing water to her household, 10 years of her life (6 hours day times 365 days times 40 years) can be freed up to be much better spent on other things such as education, economic development, and improving health.


• A third of the Earth’s population lives in “water-stressed” countries and that number is expected to rise dramatically over the next two decades.


• We use an average of nearly 40 gallons of water per person each day in our homes; our great grandparents managed with under 5 gallons.


• Many people in the world exist on 2.5 gallons of water or less each day. Our toilets can use that amount in one flush.

So what can you do??? Here are a few concrete ways you can immediately get involved:

• Join PCI and other organizations to participate in the Walk for Water that will take place in LA, Seattle and NYC on Saturday, March 22.


• Join the Virtual Walk for Water and your name will be included in a symbolic water jug to be carried by a participant in one of the local Walk for Water events.


• Create a Water Advocate page and tell the world why the cause matters to you.

Over one billion people on the planet lack access to clean, safe water. Let’s take this opportunity to effect change and make a positive contribution toward addressing the problem – one family, one village, one community at a time.

A Grandmother Finds WORTH in Zambia

Maweta Tembo sits among her four small grandchildren in the village of Chiwala, part of the Chongwe District outside of Lusaka, Zambia. A 72-year-old widow, Maweta has already raised six children of her own but now must care for her grandchildren, whose parents were killed by AIDS.

Before the PCI-led WORTH program, each day was a struggle for the grandmother. With little money, her grandchildren often went without food and she could not afford the fees required for them to attend school. But now, there is hope for Maweta.
In the Chongwe district, there are currently 5,000 women enrolled in the WORTH program. Combined, these women provide care for 11,550 orphans and vulnerable children. WORTH empowers these women by providing them access to literacy classes and economic training. With help from local organizations, women are encouraged to form self-managed community groups and taught how to manage and save money. The savings are used to create village banks that can provide local women with microenterprise loans.

After attending a WORTH community orientation, Maweta began mobilizing women in her village to form a group. After nine months, Maweta has learned how to read and write and gained basic math and accounting skills.

In January 2007, Maweta sold mangoes and managed to save $60. She used the money to buy school requisites for her grandchildren so they can continue with their education. She also received a loan from the village bank in order to start a business. Maweta is currently buying fast selling food items and re-packaging them into smaller and affordable sizes for her customers. The profit realized from the business goes towards meeting her grandchildren’s basic needs and she no longer feels the worrisome financial burden she once did.
"If WORTH had been launched years back in my area I would have been rich and my own children could have been educated!" Maweta said.

For more information on PCI’s work in Zambia, visit http://www.projectconcern.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Responding_to_the_AIDS_Crisis_in_Zambia.