AFP Blog: Recent News of Note: Impact of Nonprofits - News - Reston Connection - Connection Newspapers

AFP Blog: Recent News of Note: Impact of Nonprofits - News - Reston Connection - Connection Newspapers

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Thanksgiving is a Verb

As Americans sit down to Thanksgiving dinner this week, we should all be grateful for what we have, remember those in need around the planet, including our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua, and share from our abundance.

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Vivian Stromberg of Global Giving discusses “Harvesting Hope: Overcoming Hurricane Felix” on Nov. 19.

• Beneficiaries of Harvesting Hope include over 2,000 Indigenous women and families in the village of Waspam and 104 surrounding communities, as techniques learned in Harvesting Hope trainings are shared with remote communities by project participants. Rose Cunningham, Wangki Tangni’s Director, reports that women from neighboring communities continue to attend Harvesting Hope trainings in record numbers, sometimes walking two or three days to get there, and participants say that the income-generating aspects of the project are helping them come closer to meeting their families’ immediate needs.
  

The Miami Herald issued an opinion on Nov. 16: The death and destruction left in Nicaragua by Hurricane Felix last September is now being compounded by a political disaster: the growing complaints that the Sandinista government is distributing relief aid based on party loyalty.

Laura Werner of Agros International blogs about a project they funded in the Matagalpa region.

MADRE is organizing a trip to the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua on January 5.

The Canadian International Development Agency (or CIDA) will donate $4 million Canadian dollars to the World Food program which in turn will feed school children in Nicaragua for a year.

NicaNet writes Give gifts that keep giving! Fight climate change! Help Nicaragua recover from floods!

The European Commission donated 5 million Euros to hurricane relief in Nicaragua on November 5.

France Donates for Hurricane Relief and Recovery

France is donating $425 million dollars (300 million Euros) for recovery efforts in Nicaragua’s North Atlantic Region, according to La Prensa on Nov. 2. The contribution is for the purchase of 356 tons of rice in the local market. A French official noted "making purchases local of foods (rice in this case) can help stimulate" Nicaragua’s local economy. The rations will be administered by the World Food Programme along with Nicaraguan partner organizations.

Also, a Nicaraguan business, Almacenes Alejandría, donated 5,500 articles of clothing and shoes according to this press release, to help people in the region affected by Hurricane Felix.

Report from Dákura

Word and Deed has a Nov. 1 blog posting which chronicles the damage in Dakura (on the coast about 1 ½ hours north of Puerto Cabezas):

• Dákura had 400 houses, literally all of which were completely destroyed. The residents have used fallen trees and limbs to make makeshift shelters and have been provided plastic by various government related agencies to cover the roofs. But the heavy November winds will undoubtedly blow those “tarps” away in several weeks.



• The school and three churches completely destroyed.



• Thirteen people were killed in this community alone, 8 of which were family members of one of the MINTS students who is a pastor. He was in Dákura at the time of the hurricane and buried his family members before returning to Puerto Cabezas.



• They are about 500 metres from the ocean. Waves and water came through the village as high as the neck, washing away everything in sight.



• Many Bibles, books were damaged and/or washed away as well as their clothes.



• Some have started rebuilding their homes with whatever materials they could find. It was encouraging to see the initiative some were taking. Others are very depressed and have no idea how to proceed from here.



• The soil has been contaminated by the salt water that came in from the ocean during the hurricane.

Felix Aftermath and New Flooding

The El Paso Times on Oct. 28 noted that Ortega is warning of the possibility of disease and on Oct. 29 the Times-Union reported that a waterborne disease called Leptospirosis has spread through animal urine has killed nine people and sickened more than 1,600 in storm-stricken Nicaragua, health officials said Monday.

The New Security Beat blog has a good summary posting called An (Un)Natural Disaster in Nicaragua dated Oct. 26.

The United Nations response to flood victims is detailed in an Oct. 25 release.

NicaNet on Oct. 23 quotes officials from SINAPRED (the Nicaraguan Disaster Relief Management Agency) with the following damage from heavy rains in October: In summary, damages during the last 47 days are as follows: 216,000 people (37,287 families) directly affected, 109 dead and 135 missing, 22,000 houses partially or totally destroyed, 150 public buildings (schools, health centers and churches) destroyed, 255,000 acres of crops lost, 45,000 cattle lost, 1.7 million acres of forest destroyed, 9 bridges destroyed and 1,864 miles of road damaged.

ClimateArk on Oct. 24 writes about the hurricane and heavy October rains and the impact on crops and the Nicaraguan economy in an essay entitled Of Forests, Floods, Fatalities and Famine. “This is worse than Mitch,” says President Ortega, referring to the 1998 hurricane.

Oct. 14-19 Updates

On Oct. 18, the blog Gringos in Nicaland recounted a presentation by the director of Accion Medica Cristiana about the relief effort. According to the blogger:

“After the hurricane struck, the government was unable to provide the necessary aid, and developed no effective venue to coordinate private and public efforts. As a result, food and water shipments arrived in some localities two and three times, and in others not at all. Many smaller and more recent developments got no aid because no one even knew they existed. For ten days after the hurricane thousands of people were stranded without shelter, potable water and food.”

An Oct. 17 Military.com article noted the contributions of U.S. Naval Forces:

“The devastating effects of Hurricane Felix along the coast of Nicaragua Sept. 4 created a need for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to thousands. USS Wasp (LHD 1), which was participating in the exercise PANAMAX 07, left Panama Sept. 5 to help deliver relief supplies to the Nicaraguan hurricane victims. Samuel B. Roberts relieved Wasp Sept. 9 and continued the delivery of supplies those in need. The embarked helicopter squadrons on Wasp and Samuel B. Roberts provided valuable assistance, conducting 34 medical evacuations of critically injured victims and airlifting 125,000 pounds of relief supplies to shore.”

Mission Network News reports on Oct. 16 that Nicaragua's hurricane survivors are still in need of aid and that World Vision has sponsorship program areas in northern Nicaragua. Last week, World Vision's Nicaragua staff sent an additional 64 tons of aid. 1,600 families will receive a week's worth of emergency supplies, including kitchen utensils, blankets, and personal hygiene kits.

On Oct. 15, the Mennonite Central Committee reported that is shipping canned meat and relief supplies worth more than $180,000 to communities devastated by Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua. Also, check out this 5-minute audio podcast from MCC.

York University of Canada, and staff from the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) are mounting a fundraising campaign to help people in the area of Nicaragua devastated by Hurricane Felix. Support will be given through Rights Action. The same appeal points to these links:

• Flattened by hurricane, Mosquito Coast faces hunger and disease


• UN to launch $17-million appeal to feed 100,000 Nicaraguan hurricane victims


• Naciones Unidas reforzará Comité de Emergencias de la RAAN


• “Más de 300 muertos reportan comunidades”


• Uraccan Update 1


• Uraccan Update 2
  

Oct. 9-13 Updates

I strongly recommend listening to this interview with the Rev. Norman Bent, a retired leader of the Moravian Church in Nicargua. (2 minutes, 30 seconds from CEPAD's website). He speaks about the impact of Hurricane Felix and poses a challenge to North American Christians to take action to help their Nicaraguan brothers and sisters in light of the emergency. (This video would be good to play for a group when conducting an appeal.)

Church World Service had a Oct. 10 update noting the response of its Nicaraguan-based partners to assist 21 communities in the affected areas of Tasba Pri, Llano Norte de Puerto Cabezas and Tasba Raya with the supply of food, personal hygienic kits and safe water. They will also rehabilitate roofs, support planting trees and vegetables and provide psychosocial care. The members will also support the communities in measures of disaster preparedness. All efforts are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, 2008. Also, see Accion Medica Cristiana's Sept. 18 report and CEPAD's report from Sept. 26.

El Nuevo Diario on Oct. 13 reported on the environmental devastation -- with half of the forest of the region having been wiped out by the hurricane. The damage will take years to resolve and will have a devastating impact on land and marine wildlife.

The Economist ran a brief article about President Ortega and noted this about US relief efforts: The United States ambassador openly campaigned against Mr Ortega's election. Since then, relations have been correct. The Americans donated $1.4m in aid after Hurricane Felix ravaged Nicaragua's Atlantic coast in September, and American troops shuttled in supplies by helicopter and aeroplane. Although the American embassy protested when the government seized tanks from a local subsidiary of Exxon Mobil to store Venezuelan petrol, the dispute has been settled.

Groups in Manchester, England are sponsoring a benefit on Oct. 29.

Although not directly related to hurricane relief, the World Bank announced $240 Million in assistance to Nicaragua over the next five years. A week earlier, the International Monetary Fund approved $111.

The Nicaragua Resource Network-North Dakota is raising funds and sending groups to provide assistance according to this Oct. 13 blog entry.

The Nica Times ran an Oct. 11 article, Autonomy Incomplete After 20 years.

Oct. 1-8 Updates

An Oct. 9 La Prensa article notes that plans are developing to improve the distribution of aid in Puerto Cabezas and the RAAN.

An Oct. 3 El Nuevo Diario article describes the aftermath of Hurricane Felix – the destruction of crops and the ensuing hunger – profiling the communities of La Esparanza and Santa Clara. Oxfam is mentioned as providing some relief and developing a plan to distribute seeds for the next crop.

USAID reported that it has contributed $1.5 million in relief to Nicaragua including In addition, USAID airlifted 940 rolls of plastic sheeting, 3,552 hygiene kits, 3,875 blankets, 13,000 ten-liter water containers, and other essential supplies to Puerto Cabezas. (Earlier video about US relief added to YouTube on Oct. 6.)

Action by Churches Together International writes on Oct. 5: “The ACT members Christian Medical Action (AMC), Interchurch Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS), Council of Evangelical Churches (CEPAD), the Nicaraguan Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILFE) have assessed the damages in three zones of the affected region: Tasba Pri, Llano Norte de Puerto Cabezas and Tasba Raya. The loss of lives is particularly high in Tasba Pri where more than 60 people were reported killed, 423 missing and 123 wounded. The damages to housing and agriculture are tremendous, with up to 80% of the total infrastructure and harvests devastated. The very poor communities are cut off from roads. The population has no access to clean water and is threatened with water borne diseases.”

Oxfam posted this video on Sept. 30.

Here’s a heartfelt video on YouTube of some of the devastated areas. The author notes, “I put this video together in the hopes that it would generate some interest by various groups to help rebuild villages that were devastated by Felix. I am hoping some rich folks will see this and adopt a village. The video quality is poor, but it's the best I could do until I learn more about posting videos on the web. use your pause button to read the info on the slides. visit my website at: http://crosscountry4jesus.com/.”

The Wisconsin Coordinating Council on Nicaragua sponsored a fundraiser concert on Oct. 4 for victims of Hurricane Felix.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society noted that it had dispatched a medical team which was treating patients in Sandy Bay.

Report from Leimus, Nicaragua

La Prensa ran an October 2 article which describes the hardships in the community of Leimus (near Waspam). Check out this helpful map by the World Food Programme.

The needs described by the victims include:

• Mosquito nettings


• Plastic covering for temporary shelters


• Clothes


• Food


• Equipment to dig new wells


• Chain saws

In addition, my opinion: donations of money to a reputable relief and recovery organization may be the best contribution -- money is the most flexible, and a local organization may be able to procure some items locally thus avoiding the costs of transport and stimulating the local economy.

Updates from Relief Organizations (Sept. 21-29)

A September 29 La Prensa article describes a hunger crisis in 13 communities in the Rio Coco region, including Klampa, Bun, Kiwastara, Auyapura, Rayapura and Lwis Cris. "They are dying of hunger," according to the Mayor of Waspam, Cornelio Tebas in the La Prensa article.



Alert.net (Reuters) had a September 29 article noting that 300 children were orphaned by Hurricane Felix.

Shakira announced Sept. 29 that she will donate $40 million through the Latin America for Solidarity Foundation to relief and recovery efforts in Nicaragua and Peru.

CEPAD (The Council of Protestant Churches) describes the official damage assessment:

• 27,281 families affected, or a total of 162,373


• 149 deaths, although the number may be much higher


• 19,202 houses affected. Of these, 10,145 are totally destroyed and 9,057 now without roofs


• 84 villages hard-hit; of these, some sources estimate that approximately 27 have not yet received any aid


• 400,000 hectares (988,420 acres) of forests destroyed in the Bosawas Biosphere reserve - the largest reserve in Central America.

Telecoms Sans Frontieres helped more than 1,000 families benefit and 20 organizations in Nicaragua. (Sept. 26 press release)

A Guardian 3-minute podcast (audio) from the affected area notes, "They have no way to rebuild their homes, or to feed themselves." (Sept. 26)

Oxfam is providing 250 tons of food to more than 7,400 people in Waspam who lost their harvest in the hurricane. Oxfam has also installed two clean water tanks in the communities of Sisin and Santa Marta, providing 10,000 people with clean water daily. (Sept. 24 press release)

Israel sends $25,000 of medical supplies (Sept. 23 press release).

The Mennonite Central Committee has provided $42,000 for a five-day supply of groceries and basic items such as water purification tablets and plastic sheeting to about 3,000 people. (Sept. 21 press release)

A Sept. 23 Nuevo Diaro article described a meeting of 150 pastors from Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) with Nicaraguan relief officials It noted that Rev. Stedman Bent, the Moravian Church's delegate, called on all churches to work together to do what needs to be done in the region.


On Sept. 21, the Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church writes, "Crews Prepare for Nicaragua"

Hurricane Felix Recovery Volunteers
In the wake of Hurricane Felix there are approximately 150,000 people in Nicaragua left with no roof over their heads and little to no hope of having one anytime soon. Tarps are being supplied as fast as they can but it will take many more days to reach everyone in such a vast area. Food and water are being dropped to the villages by helicopter as soon as it reaches the airport in Puerto Cabezas. We are currently working to deliver portable saw mills and chainsaws to Nicaragua in hope to start cutting the trees that have been blown over by the storm. This lumber will be used to rebuild and repair homes, schools and churches. We will work with our sisters and brothers to train and support them as they learn to use this equipment.

This is where we will need to step up and send as many volunteers from North America as we can, to work in partnership with our sisters and brothers. This will be no easy job; it will be hard, dirty work, with no luxuries! You will be asked to live as they are living until housing can be built to accommodate volunteers, tents at best. I understand that these conditions are not for everyone, but I know that a number of you are up to the task! If you feel that you are ready for such a call, please pray and ask God for His will to be done in your life and join us to help restore hope to those we will serve. If you do not have a passport, start the process, don’t wait. If you do have your passport and can go within the next 6 to 8 weeks, please contact me , your Regional Volunteer Coordinator or the Board of World Mission, either office. Email would be the best way to contact our offices and please give some history of your skills and past service. The need for chainsaw operators is a priority at this time!

Please understand that all of the details are not final as yet, and the first few teams will most likely lay the ground work for teams in the future as we work out the “ how things” will proceed. Just know that these people need help now! The first two teams will be hand picked for various reasons so don’t think that we don’t need you if you don’t get a call right away. We WILL call you! All for now, I will be waiting to hear from you and may our Lord bless you to be a blessing as you step out in faith to serve Him and Humanity,

In His service and yours,
Mark Ebert, Director of Volunteer Ministries