Inside ARC - 11.17.11

Hi jay, Here's what has been happening around ARC the last two weeks. I hope you find this inside look interesting. Let us know if you have any questions.  -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President ************************************************** *Somalia Funding Update* ARC was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to support our relief efforts in helping famine-affected people living in camps in Mogadishu. The grant will fund the following types of activities: purchasing and distributing relief items like water cans, soap, tarps, blankets and cooking utensils; helping restore the purchasing power and recovery of economic assets of displaced people; providing clean water by creating two new wells and treating existing water sources; constructing latrines; and promoting hygienic living conditions through campaigns on proper use of latrines and water transport and storage. We also received a $213,000 grant for Mogadishu from the UN’s Common Humanitarian Fund for cholera prevention and response. Under this grant, ARC will build cholera treatment units and oral rehydration posts, and train providers. ARC will also promote hygiene and distribute hygiene kits. Poor sanitation and limited access to safe water and latrines, combined with the rainy season, has put people at risk of cholera, a potentially deadly disease. *Planting Trees in South Sudan* Derebe Tadesse, senior health coordinator from ARC’s South Sudan program, writes: “I have been in ARC’s Kapoeta field office for the last two weeks. The ARC Kapoeta team involved themselves beyond primary health care programming...into environmental protection! The team grew seedlings and, on Nov. 6, planted 210 trees near the ARC office. UNICEF and delegates from local organizations also participated in the tree-planting ceremony.”  Check out photos of the tree planting: http://on.fb.me/vEK0lo *ARC’s Annual Gala Fundraiser* Last week, ARC hosted Band Together, our annual gala fundraiser. Attendees enjoyed: a live auction and a silent auction with art and craft items – many of which originated in ARC’s country programs worldwide; music by Kenn Wanaku, a refugee from Cameroon, and the band Cloud Cult; a hip-hop dance performance; a spoken word performance by Shirwa Hersi from Poet Nation; and a youth choir performance of the song “Wavin’ Flag” by Somali hip-hop artist K’naan. More than 475 people attended (nearly twice as many people who attended last year’s event).  The event raised more than $170,000 to support the work of the American Refugee Committee. See photos from the event: http://on.fb.me/vOTJg0 *Mural in Rwanda* I AM A STAR – a grassroots platform to take action for Somalia – has arrived in Rwanda. ARC Rwanda Country Director Giorgio Trombatore writes: “We decided to do a painting in the Kiziba Camp on Lake Kivu in Rwanda. The idea was also to put a local Rwandese saying with a positive impact for the refugees. All the staff is there as well, symbolically united with the Somalis in their struggle.” The Rwandese saying incorporated into the mural states: “Put your hands together. The dance will start.” For more information about I AM A STAR, check out Facebook.com/iamastarforsomalia or www.IAMASTAR.org. *2011 Donations*  This year is quickly winding down - just two months left. If you'd like to make a donation that is tax deductible in 2011, you can do so on our website at: www.ARCrelief.org/donate or call us at (612) 872 7060.

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Inside ARC - 11.4.11

Dear jay, I regularly send updates about what's happening around ARC to our staff around the world. Because you’re a supporter of ARC, I wanted to start including you on these emails. I hope you’ll find this inside look interesting. -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President ************************************************** *The Famine in Somalia* Famine continues to claim the lives of innocent children. Our program director in Somalia recently described the conditions there: “Fleeing for their life, many of the families have trekked for days before reaching Mogadishu. They left behind almost all of their household effects. They arrived in waves, populating spontaneously created internally displaced person (IDP) settlements within the city. They hardly come with containers to collect and store water, utensils to cook food, or spare clothes to replace the ones they’ve been wearing for days and weeks. Most of the temporary settlements still lack sanitary facilities. The IDPs who ended up in urban settings faced serious problems in finding proper open space to relieve themselves – in fact, women have to wait until sunset to venture out of the squalid settlements to answer nature’s call. Owing to shortage of water and the absence of latrines, many people are unable to bathe for extended periods of time." “After four months of sustained relief assistance by the international community, the drought and famine continues to ravage southern Somalia – and Mogadishu. Currently, there are more than 300 IDP settlements scattered all over Mogadishu. The conditions of many of these are quite squalid, crowded and with poor hygiene. The conditions are more stabilized in the major camps such as Badbaado, Rajo, and Taribunka (where ARC is working). In the latter two, many households are still without shelter, water, sanitation and food.  Many of the smaller settlements are without shelter and are not benefiting from regular food and water distributions. There is a huge gap between the resources available and the needs prevailing on the ground.” *Registration in the Democratic Republic of Congo* We recently received registration in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a huge step forward in our efforts to build cross-border programming initiatives, help refugees return home and obtain information about and communicate with home villages. It will also strengthen our ability to hire locally in Congo. The American Refugee Committee serves Congolese refugees in three countries – Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan. All together, we assist about 77,000 Congolese refugees in the region. As these refugees begin to think of returning home, we want to ensure they have access to the services and essentials they need. *Addressing Violence in Uganda* The ARC team in Uganda has been building the capacity of community leaders to respond to incidences of gender-based violence. ARC is partnering with implementing agency GWED-G to work with elected and community leaders as well as representatives of the police and health facilities to address the issue. The leaders were encouraged to connect with GWED-G social workers and the gender-based violence “hotline” to promptly report cases. County leader David Ngole indicated that his county will include gender-based violence prevention in their work plan and appoint a point person to ensure this happens.  *2011 Donations* This year is quickly winding down - just two months left. If you'd like to make a donation that is tax deductible in 2011, you can do so on our website at: www.ARCrelief.org/donate or call us at (612) 872 7060.

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