I know I’ve been conspicuously absent on my blog for the past few months and there’s been lots of interesting developments since December. For one, I now have an intern onboard! Her name is Evelyn Gathuru (see photo) and I’m going to let her introduce herself here:
“After living in Canada for 5 years, where I completed an undergraduate degree in Human Biology and Sociology from the University of Toronto, I decided to move back home to sunny Kenya. After a brief re-adjustment period (e.g. remembering that Kenyans tend to drive on the left side of the road), I was ready to jump into development work in Kenya. I then decided to pursue a Post-Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management for Development Projects at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, which I completed in October 2009.
After exposure to development issues in Kenya and the rest of Africa, I felt quite disappointed by the approach we were taking to address these issues. It did not seem like the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice were being sufficiently addressed. Rather, it seemed like we were constantly putting out fires. I was (and still am) specifically disappointed with the lack of political goodwill to make significant positive changes in the well-being of the Kenyan population.
My sincere desire to work towards bringing sustainable development and improving the well-being of Kenyans prompted me to join World Vision Ireland. I especially like their child-focused approach. I had finally found an organisation whose developmental approach was in line with my thoughts and feelings regarding development work i.e. one that was committed to working towards tackling the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice in order to secure long-term change.”
Evelyn will be working with me until at least September and she'll be helping out with the blog, so you'll be hearing plenty more from her!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Back to blogging from Kenya
I know I’ve been conspicuously absent on my blog for the past few months and there’s been lots of interesting developments since December. For one, I now have an intern onboard! Her name is Evelyn Gathuru (see photo) and I’m going to let her introduce herself here:
“After living in Canada for 5 years, where I completed an undergraduate degree in Human Biology and Sociology from the University of Toronto, I decided to move back home to sunny Kenya. After a brief re-adjustment period (e.g. remembering that Kenyans tend to drive on the left side of the road), I was ready to jump into development work in Kenya. I then decided to pursue a Post-Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management for Development Projects at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, which I completed in October 2009.
After exposure to development issues in Kenya and the rest of Africa, I felt quite disappointed by the approach we were taking to address these issues. It did not seem like the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice were being sufficiently addressed. Rather, it seemed like we were constantly putting out fires. I was (and still am) specifically disappointed with the lack of political goodwill to make significant positive changes in the well-being of the Kenyan population.
My sincere desire to work towards bringing sustainable development and improving the well-being of Kenyans prompted me to join World Vision Ireland. I especially like their child-focused approach. I had finally found an organisation whose developmental approach was in line with my thoughts and feelings regarding development work i.e. one that was committed to working towards tackling the root causes of poverty, inequality and injustice in order to secure long-term change.”
Evelyn will be working with me until at least September and she'll be helping out with the blog, so you'll be hearing plenty more from her!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Haiti: The challenge of aid work in an urban setting
Guest Blog from Haiti
By John Kisimir
John Kisimir is a World Vision International relief communications expert from Kenya. He is currently based in Haiti.
The Haiti earthquake emergency intervention is proving to be one of the most challenging humanitarian situations in modern times.
Most humanitarian organizations are used to supporting major interventions in rural areas and rural communities do have functional social structures that make it easy to mobilize people thus making the business of giving aid much easier.
Haiti is different. Its city of Port-au-Prince is a fully packaged urban environment – from the suburbs to the sprawling slums of Cité Soleil. Its people are not peasant farmers whose lives have been spanned by a hurricane - some are professionals whose homes and jobs are no more. Some are families who lost a loved one they depended on. Some are folks who abandoned their homes - too scared to live under a concrete roof. Some are criminals who mugged and stole even before the earthquake. You can also count among these prisoners who walked to sweet freedom when the quake brought down some jails. Do not also forget unaffected people who pose as victims who attempt to receive free stuff – sad but true.
Aid agencies & the Military
It is one of those rare moments where aid agencies have embraced the support of the military in providing armed protection at aid distributions - an interesting combination of compassion and hard knuckles.
If you want to know how this combination is working, you should probably meet Dr. Debebe Dawit, a veteran aid worker for World Vision. His experience wraps up massive humanitarian interventions like the Asia Tsunami and others in Pakistan, the Southern Africa food crisis, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Angola, Rwanda and now Haiti.
He comes to Haiti with a heart and expertise to move things fast. Yet he sees the risks behind every makeshift camp in the city. Life is hard and residents are restless for all the suffering they are going through. Anything done wrong can cause distress and possibly a riot.
Today, he woke me up at 5:00 am to visit one camp to provide tents to those who do not have. The plan is to go early and make sure that only those who live in the camp get the help they need.
Working with UN peacekeepers to distribute aid
With a crew of 20 World Vision staff and United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal, we arrived at the sleepy camp. Some residents were sleeping in cars, while those who slept under the stars had started to stir.
As the peacekeepers took positions, World Vision staff swung into action putting a security barrier at the entrance of the camp. Leaders of the camp were quickly located and word was passed out from tent to tent. Sleepy camp residents started to come out holding coupons that were given through their leaders a few days ago. The elderly, the disabled and the sick got into line first. The young and the strong jostled for position at the end of a growing line.
A truck carrying the tents pulled over and the distribution starts. Hawk-eyed Dawit was busy giving instructions to his staff. Every detail in the process matters and no room for mistakes - from security to the recording of names on the register. The soldiers are on guard, stopping those without coupons outside the camp from getting into line. Often there are scuffles and arguments but the tension subsides once the beneficiaries realize that the process of sharing resources is transparent.
Humanitarian aid in Port-au-Prince is given with compassion and sometimes with hard knuckles.
“It is human nature to have conflict when in distress but my job is to make sure that those who deserve help get it. I must also keep the promise of that person who gave a one dollar donation to Haiti,” Dr. Dawit says.
Today’s distribution is over and another one is planned for tomorrow and the weeks and months to come.
Since the earthquake struck, World Vision with the support of the World Food Programme has given food aid to more than 864,000 people. None food items including 2,500 tents, 9,400 blankets, 11,400 cooking sets and 5,200 mosquito nets have reached 65,000 people in the camps to make life just a little bearable.
By John Kisimir
John Kisimir is a World Vision International relief communications expert from Kenya. He is currently based in Haiti.
The Haiti earthquake emergency intervention is proving to be one of the most challenging humanitarian situations in modern times.
Most humanitarian organizations are used to supporting major interventions in rural areas and rural communities do have functional social structures that make it easy to mobilize people thus making the business of giving aid much easier.
Haiti is different. Its city of Port-au-Prince is a fully packaged urban environment – from the suburbs to the sprawling slums of Cité Soleil. Its people are not peasant farmers whose lives have been spanned by a hurricane - some are professionals whose homes and jobs are no more. Some are families who lost a loved one they depended on. Some are folks who abandoned their homes - too scared to live under a concrete roof. Some are criminals who mugged and stole even before the earthquake. You can also count among these prisoners who walked to sweet freedom when the quake brought down some jails. Do not also forget unaffected people who pose as victims who attempt to receive free stuff – sad but true.
Aid agencies & the Military
It is one of those rare moments where aid agencies have embraced the support of the military in providing armed protection at aid distributions - an interesting combination of compassion and hard knuckles.
If you want to know how this combination is working, you should probably meet Dr. Debebe Dawit, a veteran aid worker for World Vision. His experience wraps up massive humanitarian interventions like the Asia Tsunami and others in Pakistan, the Southern Africa food crisis, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Angola, Rwanda and now Haiti.
He comes to Haiti with a heart and expertise to move things fast. Yet he sees the risks behind every makeshift camp in the city. Life is hard and residents are restless for all the suffering they are going through. Anything done wrong can cause distress and possibly a riot.
Today, he woke me up at 5:00 am to visit one camp to provide tents to those who do not have. The plan is to go early and make sure that only those who live in the camp get the help they need.
Working with UN peacekeepers to distribute aid
With a crew of 20 World Vision staff and United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal, we arrived at the sleepy camp. Some residents were sleeping in cars, while those who slept under the stars had started to stir.
As the peacekeepers took positions, World Vision staff swung into action putting a security barrier at the entrance of the camp. Leaders of the camp were quickly located and word was passed out from tent to tent. Sleepy camp residents started to come out holding coupons that were given through their leaders a few days ago. The elderly, the disabled and the sick got into line first. The young and the strong jostled for position at the end of a growing line.
A truck carrying the tents pulled over and the distribution starts. Hawk-eyed Dawit was busy giving instructions to his staff. Every detail in the process matters and no room for mistakes - from security to the recording of names on the register. The soldiers are on guard, stopping those without coupons outside the camp from getting into line. Often there are scuffles and arguments but the tension subsides once the beneficiaries realize that the process of sharing resources is transparent.
Humanitarian aid in Port-au-Prince is given with compassion and sometimes with hard knuckles.
“It is human nature to have conflict when in distress but my job is to make sure that those who deserve help get it. I must also keep the promise of that person who gave a one dollar donation to Haiti,” Dr. Dawit says.
Today’s distribution is over and another one is planned for tomorrow and the weeks and months to come.
Since the earthquake struck, World Vision with the support of the World Food Programme has given food aid to more than 864,000 people. None food items including 2,500 tents, 9,400 blankets, 11,400 cooking sets and 5,200 mosquito nets have reached 65,000 people in the camps to make life just a little bearable.
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