| Hi jay, Here is a round-up of what’s been happening at ARC, including a quick summary of a recent visit I made to a refugee camp in Rwanda. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate... -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President *********************************************** *Leaders Step Forward for Congolese Kids* A few weeks ago we announced ARC had begun the initial phases of a project in eastern Congo – using a social enterprise approach to address the preventable, treatable deaths of children under five years old. One critical aspect of the project is engaging community leaders and officials – from Congo and the global Congolese diaspora – to help lead the project. Last week, we gathered 40 leaders at a reception in Kinshasa, Congo to present the project and gather feedback. Representatives from several government offices and ministries were in attendance. The project was very well received – several leaders stepped forward to lead and to help us establish relationships and connections to help the project succeed. We are looking for lead investors in this initiative. If you are interested in investing in this innovative approach or know someone who might be, let me know and I can send you more information or we can schedule a meeting. I also want to recognize and thank The Mortenson Family Foundation for taking the lead as our first investor. The project is a co-creation of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Cheetah Development, The HealthStore Foundation, ARC and others.
It started with a small wager by a couple of friends in a living room. Seventeen years later, 40 friends, neighbors and coworkers from around the world participate in the annual Oscar’s Contest organized by Deniz Mullis of Panama City, Florida. Each person, contributes a few dollars to the ‘pot’ and submits their predictions for Best Film, Best Actor, etc. The winner at the end of the night then chooses the charity that will benefit from the contest the following year.
Last week, I was given a warm greeting at Nyabiheke refugee camp in Rwanda, which is preparing to welcome 8,000 new refugees who’ve fled recent violence in neighboring Congo. My visit began in ARC’s camp health center, where our lead medical doctor led us through consultation rooms and shared some of the successes of the HIV program. We saw the nutrition program for malnourished children and pregnant and nursing mothers. And I was able to chat with the Income Generation Project team, which is busy providing camp residents with vocational training, helping organize peer loan groups and assisting individuals in setting up small businesses. From there we moved to the part of the camp preparing for new arrivals, where construction crews are on schedule putting up shelters and latrines for new refugee families. Before I left I was also able to visit with the camp committee – representatives selected by the camp population. We discussed, among other topics, their concerns about the camp extension, the prohibitive expense of drugs for chronic diseases, vocational training opportunities and camp infrastructure. Having recently visited their home region (eastern Congo), I was glad to be able to brief the group on the conditions and general situation near their homes.
*Giving*
At the request of readers, I always include these links so they’re easy to find when you need them. Thanks so much.
Become a Sustaining Monthly Donor: http://www.arcrelief.org/monthlygiving Donate Online: http://www.ARCrelief.org/donate
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