The following report comes from our program team detailing the MAP response to the Horn of Africa famine crisis. You can download a printable copy of this report here.

Disaster Overview:

The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years following two consecutive failed rainy seasons (2010- 2011). An estimated 12 million people lack access to food and are unable to meet basic survival needs. Emergency levels of acute malnutrition are widespread. UN officials say that in recent months perhaps tens of thousands of people have already died. The most severely drought affected countries are Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia; though parts of North Eastern Uganda are also under severe stress. (See map.)

Horn of Africa Famine affected areas are:

• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Somalia
• Parts of Northern Kenya
• Parts of North Eastern Uganda

In Uganda:

We already have a Food Security Support program in the Karamoja region of North Eastern Uganda where we are working in partnership with the World Food Programme. Our work is through a food-for-work and nutrition supplementation program, where we are addressing the following:

Short term: making water, food, and nutritional supplements available (this is being done through a food-for-work program). Medium term: using the food-for-work program to plant crops such as maize, sorghum, and other millets so that in 3 months the community will also have a crop to harvest and be less dependent only on food aid. This food-for-work program is also being used to rehabilitate the ‘water holes’ used by the community for their cattle.

Long term: The food-for-work program is also being used for micro watershed development activities for extensively creating soil and water conservation structures and tree plantation that will help improve the environment, increase the critical number of trees in the area and make it more conducive for attracting rain clouds to the area.

In addition we are planning a large scale response to cover a population of around 29,000 people for which we have submitted a proposal to a donor agency and are awaiting funding. When this funding comes through we will be able to expand further and intensify the program above. This program is likely to continue for at least a year (funding required: USD 235,000)

Medicines are locally required for treating diseases such as Malaria, G iardiasis, Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis and supplementing vitamins as required. (funding required: USD 10,000)

In Kenya:

We already work in 4 of the areas in Kenya that are affected (Kilonga, Kagwa, Esonourua and Malindi) helping villagers to be less food insecure. We are waiting for additional support to enhance these activities as well (funding required: USD 200,000)

While MAP does not have a presence in Somalia, Eritrea or Ethiopia, MAP’s Integral Alliance partners are working in these countries and any funds we are able to raise for this will be channeled through the Integral Alliances’ JDMP (Joint Disaster Management Project).

Editor’s Note: Today we have two guest bloggers – students Nathanael Smith and Bethany Cheney. They are students from Houghton College on a program studying MAP’s programs in Ecuador. Here they discuss the difficulties of their journey, as well as the rewards of seeing God move through the MAP staff.

“It is hard to summarize my first intercultural experience in a short blog post. Yes, at 22 years old I had my first truly intercultural experience. I mean I’ve had experiences interacting with other cultures but this is my first experience being immersed in an entirely different culture.

I will spend the next two weeks traveling throughout Ecuador with MAP International and my class, led by Dr. Ndunge Kiiti, on Health Development from Houghton College. Dr. Kiiti has setup this experience to give students exposure to a wide variety of health development situations and solutions. We will see firsthand the work of MAP International, specifically their work in indigenous communities and schools. MAP is focusing on health from a holistic standpoint, aiming to encourage people to achieve healthy growth in all aspects of their lives.

Today my classmates and I visited the MAP Ecuador office in Quito for the first time. We met MAP Ecuador staff and learned the role that MAP plays in the development of the communities they work in. One of the key things we heard during our time at MAP today was facilitation. MAP is focusing on facilitating change in the communities they are working in. They do not wish to go into the communities and overwhelm the communities with their ideas and ways of doing things.

Instead, MAP is focusing on facilitating change by engaging with the community and helping them finding them develop and implement their own solutions. The solutions and resources for change come from the communities themselves, not from MAP.

After that brief introduction of MAP International, we headed out towards Santo Domingo in order to visit communities that are working with MAP. We arrived at Santo Domingo around 7:00pm tonight. Tomorrow we will head off towards the indigenous communities surrounding Santo Domingo. I look forward to seeing what the community is doing and what God is doing in them.”

-Nathanael Smith

“I’m not sure if I am out of breath because of the incredible experience we are having, or because of the altitude. Today we’ve learned all about the programs MAP facilitates in Ecuador, met amazing MAP staff, and driven through the Andes to Santo Domingo, where we are currently staying. That might not sound like a fully loaded day, but it definitely has been! Our morning session at the MAP office taught us much about humility, the workings of an extremely impressive development agency, and the struggles of many Ecuadorians. In the session, we sang (first in Spanish, then in jumbled English) “Lord You have come to the lakeshore”. One of the most striking lines in the song described how God knows what we have as possessions…from our gold to our labor. Most of us did not pack much for our trip, in fact, I’m quite sure no one packed gold. But in our hearts we have had to pack humility, flexibility, and so much faith.

Sitting through lengthy lectures, dealing with culture barriers, and trying to understand how any person or organization can make a positive difference in this world definitely makes these values hard to uphold. I find cynicism, ethnocentrism, and whining awfully appetizing when I’m tired from travel, unsure of plans, and allergic to many of the foods offered to us. But I think in the face of smiling staff, beautiful stories of change and self-empowerment, and amongst the group of friends I am with, God crams faith, humility, and flexibility into me. And by crams, I mean awes. Driving through the Andes, it is impossible to not find all pride sliding out of you. God made those mountains, those clouds, every one of the millions of plants, and they all seem to stretch upward, aspiring after Him. It would be harder, looking at the sincere, faithful work of MAP, and the greatness of God’s work in mere dirt, to uphold pride and doubt. He created all this, and He can move the mountains. I’m excited to see what He will move tomorrow. ”

-Bethany Cheney

We are proud of these students, and wish them the best of luck on the rest of their trip! Nathanael and Bethany will be posting periodic updates on their adventures, so stay tuned!

Every month or so, our programs team provides us with a nice highlights document that lists the high points of each program for the previous month. I always love reading this document because it is a welcome reminder of the tangible good that MAP is doing on a daily basis. Working in an office thousands of miles away from those we serve, it is easy to lose perspective, but this always brings me back. So without further ado:

Key activities of Country Programs

Kenya—The staff facilitated the training of 141 farmers in the Kagwa THV and distributed 60 water filters in the Burangi THV (earned through road construction sweat equity). As part of the Giving Hope Empowerment Methodology project, youth from 20 different youth groups were given their DREAM items, which ranged from sewing machines and water pumps to vocational training. MAP also facilitated training in how to apply for loans and micro-credit and other ways to carry out their dreams.

Indonesia—The Tello Mobile Clinic served 160 people on two islands and facilitated health education for 125 people covering topics like nutrition, TB, immunization, personal hygiene, safe water, and sanitation. In the Lahusa THV cluster, Village Development Committees are in the final stages and community partners have begun to sell surplus crops, providing them with more income. They are continuing to establish partnerships with local NGOs and Heifer International to gain greater expertise in organic farming and animal husbandry.

Bolivia—MAP staff provided 24 hours of training to about 60 people (physicians, nurses, biochemists, and nutritionists) on diagnosis and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. These trainees will carry their knowledge into eight communities. Children in Chilimarca were trained to use computers and given library cards to encourage the development of their skills and their ability to dream and explore. The Health Clinic identified three patients bitten by a dog with rabies. They identified the dog, treated the patients, and then vaccinated 473 dogs and 126 cats in the battle against this disease.

Ghana—Worked with the Dormaa health district to develop a plan for Buruli Ulcer control including the training of health workers and volunteers on prevention, identification, and reporting of BU cases. Carried out follow-up visits to families who had received malaria nets in the THV Tumiamayenko to ensure that the nets were being used effectively.

Honduras—In the Garifuna community, facilitators were trained on proper distribution and usage of the medicated malaria nets. Trained health promoters in Comayagua.

Ecuador—The staff held workshops for 75 health promoters in three regions on HIV/AIDS, diabetes, TB, hypertension, and domestic violence.
Visited 18 community pharmacies in 3 regions where MAP staff, in partnership with health promoters, conducted malnutrition assessments, and provided vitamins and deworming tablets. The staff conducted initial assessments (using the ten seed technique) with the Tambayacu community.

Uganda—In Abala,11 households put in place basic sanitation requirements like a latrine, bathing shelter, drying rack, rubbish pit, and had washing facilities, and now a total of 84 households have latrines. In the Kacheri THV, land is being cleared for the group gardens while seed selection is taking place
The Capacity Building program trained 70 youth groups in responding to health needs, and tested 451 people for HIV, 18 of which were positive. They will be provided with follow-up care.