This post is written by Melanie Brooks, Communications and Media Coordinator for CARE. She is currently in Haiti.

Feb. 7, 2010

Night falls, and one by one, the candles flicker on in the camps — tiny pinpricks of light in a city clad in darkness. As the sun retreats, the muffled cries begin. And the women creep deeper into their flimsy shelters of bed sheets and plastic tarps, praying for the morning to come.

The women here talk of 'mauvais esprits' (bad spirits) stalking the survivors of the devastating earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti Jan. 12. Stories of rape are spreading like wildfire through the camps, where hundreds of thousands of people are huddled together under flimsy shelters, sleeping cheek by jowl.

“It happens at night,” said Hannah, a nurse who sleeps in a makeshift tent in a crowded camp in Pacot, one of the most dangerous spontaneous camps that has sprung up in the city of Port-au-Prince after the quake. She speaks softly, tilting her head so as not to be overheard.

“Young men come with weapons, and rape the women. They haven't reported it, because the services don't exist anymore. The hospitals, the police — everything was destroyed in the earthquake.”

Cases of rape and sexual violence were high even before the earthquake, and rates of violence have increased after previous disasters. Darkened streets due to lack of electricity, crowded makeshift camps and unprotected bathing and toilet areas leave women and girls particularly vulnerable to harassment and sexual violence. Husbands and brothers try to provide protection, and women pass whispered warnings to each other.

But every night as darkness falls, the terror starts anew.

“We cry. We sleep. But it is a half-sleep; we are always waiting for something to happen,” said Hannah. “In my family, there is always someone keeping watch outside while the others sleep. I have a five-year-old daughter, and I'm terrified for her. They have no pity. There are men who rape girls as young as six months old in Haiti.”

In the rural areas around Léogâne, women talk of the added fear of escaped convicts from the collapsed prison roaming the countryside.

“At night, we are afraid. We hear stories of rapes in the camp next to ours,” said 23-year-old Rachelle, casting a furtive look over her shoulder. “There's nothing we can do. There's no protection. Men have started following us to the street to watch us bathe. We are afraid they will come back at night.”

The women have simple requests: tents to be safe, bathing facilities for women in a well-lit area, separate toilets for men and women. CARE is working to meet those needs, but it is a long-term solution to the plague of sexual violence in Haiti that is crucial.

“In the short-term, we need to make confidential clinical services available to treat survivors of rape including psychosocial support and security. Women need to know where they can get these services. At the same time we must do all we can to prevent it. Sexual violence was a problem in Haiti before the earthquake and we know it increases in these types of situations,” said Janet Meyers, CARE's Senior Advisor for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Emergencies. “After the earthquake, everyone is sleeping in camps. They have enough problems, without this fear as well.”

CARE is working to re-establish reporting procedures, and ensuring confidential, quality services, including clinical management of rape, emergency contraception and psychosocial support, are available to treat survivors of rape and sexual violence.

But for women like Hannah and Rachelle, the time needed to make those changes are measured in the slow passing of each dark Haiti night, waiting for the mauvais esprits to pass by their tent.

Names have been changed to protect identities.

via Reuters AlertNet — Bad spirits stalk Haiti camps.

Improving conditions of detention

“Detention visits are the backbone of our operations in the Philippines, a country which has experienced decades of internal armed conflicts,” said Jean-Daniel Tauxe, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Manila. “We have seen that the overcrowding of jails and prisons has serious consequences on detainees’ living conditions and health. Our usual practice of recommending improvements and providing technical support to the detaining authorities was not enough, so we developed a new, complementary strategy. In partnership with government officials and national agencies, we are planning and implementing changes for the benefit of all detainees.”

Throughout 2009, the ICRC carried out 234 visits to over 66,000 detainees held in 139 places of detention. Together with the Philippine National Red Cross, the ICRC facilitated family visits for 312 inmates held far from their homes.

Access to safe water, sanitation, health care and acceptable living conditions is a major problem in overcrowded detention facilities. Last year, the ICRC:

• carried out renovation projects benefiting more than 11,000 inmates in 22 jails;
• supplied medical items and equipment to seven prison infirmaries and provided over 120 detainees needing immediate access to health care with the help they required;
• provided instruction for over 60 people in internationally recognized standards relating to water, sanitation, hygiene and living conditions generally in jails;
• assisted almost 2,000 detainees in four prisons affected by flooding in the aftermath of tropical storm Ondoy.

Another serious concern in overcrowded detention facilities is the spread of tuberculosis (TB). “Worldwide, tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of illness and death among inmates, and this is particularly true in countries with a high TB prevalence,” said Dr Robert Paterson, an ICRC health coordinator. Overcrowding, an unhealthy manner of living and insufficient ventilation are among the factors that spread the disease among inmates. “You cannot keep TB behind bars: it readily escapes to affect the wider community, so controlling TB in jails is fundamental to protecting the general population against the illness.”

Concerns about the spread of TB have prompted the ICRC to help implement the national tuberculosis programme, involving 30,000 inmates in seven pilot jails and prisons, in cooperation with the national agencies concerned and the World Health Organization.

Legal and procedural problems, which delay the processing of cases, are the root cause of overcrowding. Bringing together those who can address these issues is essential to finding durable solutions. A pilot project guided by this principle took place in Manila City Jail at the end of 2009. Representatives of the various agencies involved in processing inmates’ files reviewed the most urgent cases, identified hurdles within the criminal justice system and provided means of overcoming them. As a result, a backlog of 250 cases was cleared. The strategy will expand to other jails in 2010.

The results of several initiatives addressing various aspects of jail congestion as well as suggestions for the future will be discussed at a national conference due to take place in Manila in March. Representatives of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the Bureau of Corrections, the Supreme Court, the Department of Health and other national agencies will be attending.

via Philippines: protecting life and dignity in places of detention.

From USA Today, writer Wendy Koch gives us more details from the study.

“This is a crisis,” says Vicki Escarra, president of Feeding America. “People need to understand that this is America, and we’re seeing this kind of need.” She says the report is her group’s most comprehensive study on emergency food distribution.

It comes as a record number of Americans are receiving food stamps — 33.7 million last year — and as President Obama, who has set a goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015, proposed in his budget Monday to add $1 billion annually to school-based food programs.
…

The Agriculture Department reported in November that 14.6% of households didn’t have enough food at some time in 2008.

Feeding America based its report on 61,000 interviews with people seeking food aid and 37,000 surveys of food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and other programs affiliated with Feeding America food banks.

More than a third of those interviewed said they had to choose between food and other necessities, including rent, utilities and health care. The average monthly income of households seeking help, $940, is below the $1,214 federal poverty level for a two-person household.

“Our system is overburdened,” Escarra says. She says companies, individuals and the federal government have increased donations, but food banks are still struggling to keep up with demand.

Sourced from: Poverty News Blog

Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 9 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls has been featured in Runner's World, Ladies’ Home Journal, National Geographic’s Green Guide, and The New York Times. It has appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, BBC, CNN and thousands of regional news outlets across North America. Soles4Souls is a 501©(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Anyone can join our cause, and we need your help.

More Information

Website: www.soles4souls.org

sources: soles4souls.org

By Michael Ireland

Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

NASHVILLE, TN/ NEW YORK, NY (ANS) — Soles4Souls, the international charity dedicated to distributing new and gently worn shoes to those in need all over the world, will send more than 70,000 pairs of infants and children's shoes to Haiti.

The shoes are in support of Soles4Souls commitment to send more than 1.3 Million pairs of shoes to the devastated region.

They are being donated to Sole4Shoes by BCNY International, a New York-based fashion footwear manufacturer, servicing and supplying the major North American retailers with womens, kids and mens product, and Synclaire Brands, a New York-based company that is the footwear licensee for such brands as Kors Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, Paris Blues, True Jackson, and Garanimals.

Soles4Souls has partnered with other organizations on the ground in Haiti to transport and distribute the aid.

More than 30,000 pairs of shoes, including work boots, rain boots, children’s athletic shoes and clothing items, have already been distributed in Haiti. The shoe charity announced it will continue to send aid to the region throughout 2010 as part of their sustainable efforts to rebuild the country.

“The mission to bring hope to the people of Haiti is well underway,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “With the help of our friends at BCNY International / Synclaire Brands, Haitian’s can begin to rebuild their lives and look forward to a brighter day.”

“As a company and as individuals, we have always been committed to Souls4Soles in all of their global efforts and we will continue to support their generosity around the world in distributing footwear to those in need,” said Evan Cagner, President BCNY International / Synclaire Brands.

“When we saw what happened in Haiti, we knew we had to do something for the children. They are the future of Haiti and hopefully the footwear will help them,” said Bruce Cagner, CEO BCNY International / Synclaire Brands.

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. We distribute these shoes, free of charge, to people in need around the world.

Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 7 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently distributing one pair every 9 seconds). The shoes have been distributed in 125 countries, including Haiti, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls is a 501©(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.

For more information on how to get involved and donate to the victims in Haiti, visit www.giveshoes.org .

via Fashion Shoe Companies Donate More Than 70,000 Pairs of Children’s Shoes to Soles4souls® Inc, The Shoe Charity for Haitian Earthquake Victims.

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution proclaimed that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States.” Though 145 years have passed, slavery continues to flourish and more people are enslaved today than ever before. Nevertheless, Freedom Day honors an important milestone for eradicating slavery and acknowledging the fundamental aberration of the crime. The day also serves as an opportunity for anti-trafficking organizations and activists to revitalize their work.

As President Obama stated in his proclamation “The United States was founded on the principle that all people are born with an unalienable right to freedom — an ideal that has driven the engine of American progress throughout our history. As a Nation, we have known moments of great darkness and greater light; and dim years of chattel slavery illuminated and brought to an end by President Lincoln's actions and a painful Civil War. Yet even today, the darkness and inhumanity of enslavement exists. Millions of people worldwide are held in compelled service, as well as thousands within the United States… [W]e acknowledge that forms of slavery still exist in the modern era, and we recommit ourselves to stopping the human traffickers who ply this horrific trade.”

National Freedom Day is an opportunity to honor and remember the important work to eradicate slavery that has been done and to recommit efforts to deliver on the 13th Ammendment's declaration that slavery shall not exist in the United States, while expanding that promise so that slavery does not exist anywhere in the world.

Picture by Josh Nichols

via The Human Trafficking Project: National Freedom Day 2010.

By Lucia Rodrigues, World Vision Mozambique. Edited by Rachael Dill Boyer, World Vision U.S.

Manuel Andrade’s children enjoy some sweet potatoes, the special root vegetable that helps the family survive the dry season and stay well-nourished.
Photo ©2009 Lucia Rodrigues/World Vision

Editor’s Note: For the Dill family, Christmas dinner — and Thanksgiving, for that matter — wouldn’t be complete without baked yams with butter, brown sugar, real maple syrup, and toasted marshmallows. It’s more like a dessert, but I love it. I am also a huge fan of sweet potato fries. Huge.

I am slightly obsessed with these surprisingly nutritious root vegetables — the orange varieties are full of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, and more. Perhaps that’s why it’s so interesting to me that farmers in Mozambique are feeding and supporting their families by growing drought-resistant varieties of my favorite potato.

Sweet potato farming=drought insurance

Help bring agricultural assistance to hungry children and families, like seeds, tools, training, and more.

At this time of year in Mozambique, most of the farmers’ fields look dry, with some burned spots in preparation for the next season of planting when the rains come. Some families have gloomy faces. They are not sure what will happen: Will the rain be enough to grow crops such as maize, rice, and other basics?

However, Manuel Andrade’s family is having a different experience. He and his wife Emilia look very happy. They are working in their field, cultivating yams, or orange sweet potatoes.

When asked why his mood was so different than the other farmers in the area, Manuel replied: “I am not worried. Until the rains start and we start having new crops, I and my family are fine. I have a farm with orange sweet potatoes. They are right for this season, as there is nothing in the fields, and it is all dry at this time.”

Oddly named, but effective: resisto and gaba-gaba

Manuel proudly displays a set of the sweet potatoes that have helped bring stability and happiness to his family.
Photo ©2009 Lucia Rodrigues/World Vision

“From November to March, the food is very scarce,” Manuel continues. “Since I started farming orange sweet potato, it was in 2007, helped by World Vision, I am having very stable food supply, and I grow two types of [potato]: resisto and gaba-gaba.”

The resisto type of potato grows consistently and flourishes, continuing to be edible long after harvest. Manuel dries the resistos and makes them into flour, so they have food until the other crops come around by mid-March. They also make a juice from the orange sweet potato that the children like because it looks like Fanta.

“Gaga-gaba is less resistant but sweeter,” explains Manuel. “Children eat them cooked and roasted; my kids love them.”

A trail of accomplishments

World Vision started a project in Manuel’s community two years ago to educate local residents on how to farm this valuable root vegetable.
Photo ©2009 Lucia Rodrigues/World Vision

Last year, Manuel harvested three tons of orange sweet potatoes. He sold the surplus, earning more than $1,800 — enough money to build his family a new house and a water pump to irrigate his field.

These blessings are the result of a project that World Vision started two years ago to educate people about techniques for farming, harvesting, and utilizing these miraculous varieties of sweet potatoes. Now, people from Manuel’s village and the surrounding area come to him to buy potato starts so they can grow their own.

“Because of this,” says Manuel, “I am now a contact person for World Vision, and I do help in training other farmers who would like to go into this crop. I do encourage them because I have seen the results and my family is not going hungry.”

Since he began growing the yams in 2007, Manuel’s children have not been malnourished as they were in the past. “I thank World Vision for introducing this type of sweet potato,” he says.

The sweet potato project has come to an end, leaving behind a trail of accomplishments on which the local communities are continuing to build. The miraculous orange sweet potato has impacted thousands of people, including Manuel’s family, improving their health, food security, and quality of life.

Now that’s something to celebrate. Time to pull out those mini-marshmallows!

Sourced from: World Vision Latest News

From this Associated Press article that we found at NPR, we read more about reaction to the Gates Foundation statement.

Gates said the commitment more than doubles the $4.5 billion the foundation has given to vaccine research over the years.

The foundation said up to 7.6 million children under 5 could be saved through 2019 as a result of the donation. It also estimates that an additional 1.1 million kids would be saved if a malaria vaccine can be introduced by 2014. A tuberculosis vaccine would prevent even more deaths.

“Vaccines are a miracle,” said Melinda Gates. “With just a few doses, they can prevent deadly diseases for a lifetime.”

Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, called the Gates contribution unprecedented and urged governments and private donors to add to the initiative.

“An additional two million deaths in children under five years could be prevented by 2015 through widespread use of new vaccines and a 10 percent increase in global vaccination coverage,” said Chan.

John O’Malley Burns has been volunteering selflessly in Haiti for the past four years. His commitment? Working with smallholder mango farmers to ensure they receive more of the value of their crops and are encouraged to plant and nurture more trees.

The fledgling Mouvman Moun Mango (also known as 3M) program was just starting to make progress. Thanks to farmers’ hard work and sales of Fair Trade Certified™ mangoes through Whole Foods Market, farmers throughout five different rural regions in Haiti got a bonus at Christmas time. This was meant to help them hold out for better (Fair Trade!) prices during the harvest season and avoid pre-selling their entire crop to middlemen at very low prices.

But the financial, technical, and organizational capacity of these groups was extremely fragile — even before the earthquake. Now, without help to rebuild infrastructure and train leaders, particularly where there have been casualties, the whole program is at risk of collapse.

John writes to us, describing the aftermath of the earthquake: “Downtown Port-au-Prince has been reduced in population by a third or half. Families are still trying to get in touch and find the one or two unaccounted-for people. Communities are working together to organize their own clean up. Tent cities have sprung up on all available open land and few people have gone back indoors to sleep. They construct shelter made of poles and repurposed wood from the rubble — using quilts, sheets, and cardboard as doors.”

He goes on to reflect “After so many years I continue to be amazed by the resilience of the people dealing with the worst of catastrophes. There is an extraordinary opportunity here to bring this economically and socially fractured country together around the common and uniting goal of rebuilding after the quake. How can we make the coming change a lasting change to get the country back to better than it was?”

If you would like to support the effort to build an equitable, sustainable, mango-tree-filled Haiti, please visit http://www.eco-ventures.org/content/view/108/92/ to make a tax-deductible donation via Eco-Ventures, and please remember to specify donated funds are to be directed to Mouvman Moun Mango or 3M.

Checks should be addressed:

EcoVentures International

c/o Lauren Frederic,

1519 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 200

Washington DC 20036.

Thank you for supporting the rebuilding of Haiti.

Sourced from: Fair Trade Certified ™ Blog

A new United Nations study finds that India’s recent economic growth has been an uneven one. Uneven meaning that some states in India have had poverty numbers reduced while others have increased.

From Headlines India, we find out more of the study’s conclusions.

“In recent years, economic growth has been relatively high in three largest countries in the region, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which recorded annual growth per capita above 5 percent in 2000–2006,” according to “Rethinking Poverty” report of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

“As a result, the sub-region saw the proportion of those living in extreme poverty decline in relative terms, from a high of 59 percent in 1981 to 40 percent in 2005,” it said.

“However, such growth has not been sufficiently inclusive and pro-poor to reduce the absolute numbers of people living in poverty. Income inequalities have grown steadily in India since the 1980s, in borh urban and rural areas.”

Giving some examples, the report says the levels of poverty varied significantly within India where Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu saw the share of poor decline from 18 percent in 1993–94 to 15 percent in 1999–2000.

At the same time, the share of the total number of poor in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal jumped from 57 percent to 63 percent during the same period.

“Therefore, although there has been a steady decline in the incidence of poverty in India, the efforts of the government have not resulted in a uniform impact across regions. There remain regions where poverty is still deep and severe and hence require greater attention.”