Inside ARC - 1.27.12

Hi jay, Here’s the latest news from our programs around the world. -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President ***********************************************   *American Refugee Committee Listed as Top Charity*    The American Refugee Committee was listed as a Top Charity by the Chicago Tribune, the sixth largest newspaper in the United States. See the listing here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-charity-list-20111221,0,4624350.story.   *Former Refugee Staff Member Honored*    Paw Pree, a former Karen refugee staff member in Thailand, was recently named a “Community Hero” in her new home of Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper awarded her this honor. Each year, the newspaper highlights Cleveland residents who “saw a need and stepped up to answer it.” Pree, 25, was described as “a lifeline for other Southeast Asian refugees being resettled in the Cleveland area.”  Pree added, “I love working with people...I’m the one who can talk to them. I am their voice.” She provides critical translation services and helps newcomers integrate into American life, and she also is a student at a local community college. Regarding her own acclimation to American life, Pree says “You have to have hope. And be willing to work hard.” * Thailand and Rwanda: 16 Days of Activism Events* We recently conducted 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaigns in five refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border and in two refugee camps in Rwanda. The Thailand team hosted events and educational campaigns about topics including domestic violence, rape treatment, reproductive health and other important topics. Thousands of camp residents participated in the activities. Thailand Country Director Gary Dahl reports that “camp residents produced and filmed their own video in Nu Po camp addressing gender-based violence in the family. I attended one of these sessions at a school in the remote Mae Ra Ma Luang camp. Children, teachers and parents were glued to the screen from start to finish. There is no electricity in these camps, and the session demonstrated the power of interesting, informative and entertaining educational video filmed in the camp communities – created by camp residents themselves.” In Rwanda, dozens of fun-filled activities were carried out over the course of the 16 days, including music, dance and drama festivals and a drawing competition for children. The festivities culminated in a highly anticipated and well attended Miss Gihembe contest, which assessed advocates on their overall confidence, ability to address the public and commitment to reach out to young girls and other people in the camp concerning violence. *Training for Journalists in Uganda* The American Refugee Committee and Northern Uganda Media Club have continued to build the capacity of journalists as a way of developing media to promote strong coverage of gender-based violence. Together, we organized the second training for media practitioners from radio, TV and newpaper media houses on “building gender and media campaigns, advocacy strategies and tools.” The mission of the training was to shift the media coverage of gender violence/HIV from that of a sensational news event to an issue of human rights and justice through improved quality and quantity of coverage of gender violence in the media. *Cash-For-Work Program Begins in Somalia* The cash-for-work program in Somalia was officially launched on Jan. 10. The program was recently expanded to cover three more districts, increasing the number of program participants from 320 to 1,280! Our team in Somalia also reports the following updates: Three mobile health clinic teams made scheduled visits to six districts. Each team has an ambulance that is used to ferry serious cases to Banadir Hospital for special health care. Last week, the teams saw a total of 558 patients. The distribution of non-food items (NFIs) continues. Last week, 160 sets were distributed in Badbaado camp to support beneficiaries of the community kitchens program. A set of NFIs for a family includes kitchen items, a sleeping mat, two clean water containers, a tarp and laundry and bath soap. We continue to operate a child-friendly facility at Banadir Hospital, and an average of 45 children are there daily. The facility offers the siblings of critically sick children a safe place to play and learn. The rehabilitation of wells is ongoing in five locations, and four additional wells have been identified for work.   *To Donate*    If you'd like to support the projects mentioned above and the rest of the work of the American Refugee Committee, visit www.ARCrelief.org/donate or call us at (800) 875-7060.

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Inside ARC - 1.12.12

Hi jay, Happy New Year! I hope you had a relaxing holiday season. Our staff around the world is still hard at work helping people access what they need to survive. I hope you enjoy this inside look at what’s been happening at the American Refugee Committee. -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President ***********************************************   *New Conflict-Resolution Program in Darfur*    The Darfur team recently received funding from the United Nations Development Programme to implement a unique project to reduce conflict. The focus of the project is farming families who have recently returned home after being displaced and pastoralist tribes who temporarily settle in the same areas during dry and wet season migrations. We will work to stem livelihood and resource-based conflicts between them. The team will help rehabilitate water points in areas where returning farming households may strain current water sources. We will also construct water troughs for animals around each rehabilitated water source and support local efforts to demarcate livestock routes. In addition, we will help educate community members on observing migration routes, restore markets and support local conflict-prevention and resolution methods. This project will directly benefit 33,250 people.  *Advocating on Remittance Issue*    Members of the Somali diaspora in the U.S. send tens of millions of dollars in remittances to family members living in Somalia each year. For many people living in famine-affected Somalia, these remittances can mean the difference between life and death. Money from family and friends in the diaspora is a critical lifeline – it pays for the food they eat, the homes where they live and the essentials they need to survive.  In December, the largest U.S. bank that sends such remittances back to Somalia announced it would discontinue wiring money to Somalia. Uncertainty now weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of the Somali community. The famine hit areas of southern Somalia hardest – areas that are hard to access. These remittances are the only way to reach people in these locations…the only lifeline keeping people alive. ARC has been helping advocate on this issue in Minnesota and in Washington, D.C.  Due to the possible dire humanitarian implications of this, we have been in constant communication with the bank, money-wiring businesses and U.S. government contacts to help find a possible remedy.  * Haiti Two-Year Anniversary* Today marks the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Since the disaster, we’ve had teams on the ground providing lifesaving aid. From setting up and running a health clinic to offering safe spaces for women and children, we’ve given people what they need to survive. When cholera broke out, we helped open a cholera treatment center where people could go to receive treatment. And we helped prevent the spread of the disease through a series of hygiene and sanitation efforts. Thirty-five hygiene workers and 25 community health workers went door-to-door educating families. They also distributed hygiene kits, soap, water purification tablets and chlorine solutions. Recent efforts include completing 2,000 family shelters – designed to get people out of tents and into safer and more secure homes. About 500 Haitian workers were employed under the program, which provided them wages while allowing them to contribute to the relief efforts. *Combating Anemia in Rwanda* Our Rwanda team reports that the anemia project in Nyabiheke Camp is now in full swing with the arrival of all the testing equipment and supplies to boost nutritional options for anemic refugees. Nearly 300 hens have laid more than 4,103 eggs, 911 of which were used to feed people with anemia. And more than 30 kg of mushrooms were harvested to provide much-needed vitamins, such as iron and folic acid to pregnant women and others vulnerable to anemia.  *To Donate*    If you'd like to support the projects mentioned above and the rest of the work of the American Refugee Committee, visit www.ARCrelief.org/donate or call us at (800) 875-7060.

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Thanks!

Hi jay, Thank you. Thank you for letting the American Refugee Committee be a part of your life.  We can only be as good as the people who support us. Lucky for us, ARC donors, volunteers and advocates are incredible people! Last year, you helped us get nearly 2.5 million people the basics they needed to survive and rebuild their lives. And in December, you and thousands of other generous donors helped us reach our matching gift goal. With your support, we’ll be able to help millions more people around the world take back control of their lives in 2012.    Thank you. And, Happy New Year! Sincerely, -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth President, American Refugee Committee

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