Five Easy Pieces (of Advice) for New Grads

Posted on May 3, 2013 | 1 Comment

By Jason Schwartzman, Director of ChildFund’s Program Assessment and Learning Unit

puzzle pieceAs college seniors begin thinking of the job market, we offer five pieces of advice for those interested in not-for-profit work.

1. Look for supervisors you can learn from. You’ll need to respect them, and they’ll need to see supervising you as something worth investing time in.

2. Make sure the organization you work for reflects your values and beliefs; otherwise, your stomach will turn at work too much, your eyes will roll, your colleagues will pick up on it and you won’t get what you need from the experience.

3. Go for basic work and technical skills and get them down. What are basic work skills? Caring about your work and working as part of a team to make that team more productive. What are basic technical skills? Writing – become excellent at written communication of all types, including report writing. Get experience writing or providing necessary inputs to the grants acquisition and management process. A bit of financial budgeting and reporting is also great to have.

4. Be organized and proactive. Seek out regular supervision to get better at basic skills. Early in your career, this is allowed. At some later point, your basic skills are assumed to be in place, and then you are trying to cover up weaknesses.

5. Learn how to nag without alienating, how to not be shy and reluctant, how not to be obnoxious and how to listen and ask questions. Even stupid ones. You have a small window in which to ask what may seem like a stupid question to you, but for the rest of us, it isn’t – we’re covering up and can’t ask it.

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Posted in In the News

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Let’s Keep Women and Girls at Forefront of Global Development Agenda

Posted on May 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Danielle Roth, ChildFund Program Officer

What is it like to be a woman or a girl in today’s world? You might be surprised to know that in in Rwanda, women hold more than 50 percent of the seats in parliament (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2013). Women live and work on agricultural land across the globe, yet in developing countries women possess less than one quarter of agricultural land holdings (FAO, 2013). In Africa, enrollment in lower secondary school (equivalent to our middle school) has increased from 28 to 43 percent, yet the enrollment of girls is only 39 percent compared to 48 percent for boys (UNESCO, 2011).

Globally, the statistics on women’s health, access to secondary education and realization of justice (among other subjects) are alarming. However, they also hold promise for what the world could be when girls and women are empowered to realize their rights and make the best decisions for themselves, their children, their partners and the community.

There is no shortage of data on the well-being of women and girls globally. The Women’s Stats Project is a comprehensive database on the status of the world’s women. The project’s maps provide a visual depiction of topics as diverse as women’s physical security and discrepancy in secondary education.

map showing countries where education access is difficult for girls

Credit: Women’s Stats Project

Additionally, the United Nations publishes a report every five years on the status of the world’s women and girls, along with biennial publication on the progress of women and girls on a particular theme. The most recent edition of the Progress of the World’s Women looks at access to justice.

Information about the obstacles facing adolescent girls, and their potential, can be found on Girl Effect. Ultimately, the information available about the state of the world’s women and girls is vast and deep, thanks to the efforts of researchers and non-governmental organizations like ChildFund who recognize the value of this investment.

The 50 Days Campaign for Women and Girls reminds us that the time is now to encourage the U.S. government to continue to direct financial and human resources to women and girls issues globally. Former Secretary of State Clinton made huge investments to these ends, creating national actions plans around women, peace and security, mobilizing to prevent and respond to violence against women, and developing a Vision for Action to end child marriage.

Now we want to assure that Secretary of State Kerry continues down this same path. Please continue to follow us on our blog, Facebook and Twitter to learn how ChildFund is supporting this global campaign and more about our work with women and girls.

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Posted in ChildFund International

Talking Circles Help With Cultural Restoration in ChildFund’s U.S. Programs

Posted on May 1, 2013 | 2 Comments

Dr. Paul Dauphinais is a psychologist for Turtle Mountain Community Schools in Belcourt, N.D. He wrote this letter earlier this year after attending a tribal outreach gathering for American Indian youth, part of the work ChildFund supports in the United States. Here’s an excerpt.

children in gym

Children and youth enjoy themselves at Club Night in Belcourt, N.D., which is within the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.

I had an experience last week that was very moving and gave me great hope for the future of our youth and community. It was a Wednesday in the early evening. I was invited to go to the gym at Dunseith High School. When I arrived, there were children, youth and some of the outreach staff gathered near picnic tables. One of the tables had food that the staff had prepared. I was observing and enjoying the true friendships that the staff and youth showed. A couple of the girls then spontaneously began to serve the youth and staff. They assumed that responsibility without any adult coaxing. It was a pleasant experience.

The gathering really demonstrated to me that each person there genuinely cared for one another, making sure that everyone was served food and satisfied. The children and youth were respectful of each other and it was clearly evident that each one was welcome.

children on floor

The centerpiece of Club Night is the Talking Circle.

After the meal, several of the team leaders gathered youth in a large circle for the main part of the gathering, the Talking Circle. [Talking Circles are an important component of ChildFund’s cultural restoration initiatives.] The adult leader then began with an introduction of himself and his family in the language of the Anishnabe; he gave an explanation of respect in our cultural world. After this, Paco, a stuffed animal, was handed from person to person to say what respect meant to them and who and what they were respectful of in their lives.

When each youth had finished with their explanations, the rest of the circle applauded, showing respect and acknowledgement of the other person’s perspective. Each person in the circle was offered a turn. The insight that youth demonstrated in their speaking was a pleasure to hear, no matter their age. We have such great leaders-to-be who will be able to have insights into their daily lives and what it means to be Anishnabe/Mitchif. I was very proud to be a part of that group that night. [ChildFund believes that engaging children and youth in initiatives that connect them to positive Lakota values, practices and beliefs strengthens their cultural identity and their resiliency against inherent risks in their environment.]

All week, this past week, I wondered how these youth developed into such respectful and insightful beings; what is this process of growth? Who were they before they became involved with what is called Club Night? How do children mature in this manner – to become so respectful of each other and confident to speak about how one of the gifts of the grandfathers is part of their lives in the presence of others?

Club Night has been happening for many years through the leadership of Claudette McLeod and Turtle Mountain Outreach, and the staff of the Tribal JTPA, Turtle Mountain Youth & Family Center and tribal youth programs.

After the Talking Circle, the youth and staff played a group activity where there was not any bickering about rules or other negative behaviors. Everyone seemed to truly enjoy each other’s companionship, regardless of gender or age. At the end of the evening, the staff remains to assure that each youth has a ride home and that, if someone wants to talk about a concern or share a recent event, they are there.

I just wanted to jump in and be a part!

I thank the group for allowing me to be a part of the group that night.

Club Night will continue to be a part of program services and the dedicated staff will continue to be supportive to the youth. And I thank them for providing this opportunity for our youth.

With help comes hope.

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Posted in In the Field, Youth in Action

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Humanitarian Sector Faces Extensive Challenges

Posted on April 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Cynthia Price, ChildFund Director of Communications

The next two to three decades will be challenging for those working in the humanitarian sector, and the players aren’t entirely prepared for what is to come.

António Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, shared his perspective yesterday during the opening session of the InterAction Forum in Arlington, Va.

two men on panel discussion

He noted that the international community has lost part of its ability to prevent conflict, and, as a result, “unpredictability has become the name of the game.”

Challenges include population growth, climate change and food and water scarcity. “These are all influencing each other,” Guterres said.

Because there is not consensus on these mega trends, Guterres said, “In the absence of collective answers to these problems, they will continue to get worse.”

He also is concerned because financial resources are shrinking. “Humanitarian aid budgets are not growing proportionately with humanitarian needs,” he said. “We will be called to do more and more with less and less.”

Another concern is the difficulty in making people understand at all levels the need to preserve humanitarian principles.

two men on discussion panel

(l to r) António Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and Sam Worthington, president & CEO, InterAction in Washington, D.C.

To effectively respond, Guterres said, non-government organizations (NGOs) must be prepared to do so with limited resources and recognizing that humanitarian principles will not always be fully followed.

Guterres painted a stark picture and said for humanitarian efforts and the world to move forward, “it will not be enough to see people dying, it will not be enough to see people fleeing….” Only when the security of people is at risk will they be “motivated to act.”

However, he said, there has been progress in the ability of NGOs to respond to crises. Partnership and coordination has improved. “The most effective delivery organizations are NGOs,” Guterres told the sold-out crowd. “I am not really worried about your capacity to deliver and to be effective.”

NGOs and political systems must adapt to the new environments, including using all the tools that technology has to offer. He also stressed the need to do more advocacy, not only for fundraising, but also to promote values, such as protection.

“We are not doing enough to invest in the civil societies of the countries where we operate,” Guterres said. “We need to invest much more in strong, independent NGOs. We need to give them space and help them build themselves, even if it means a reduction in our own business.”

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Posted in In the News

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A Frightening Brush With Malaria

Posted on April 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Silvia Ximenes, ChildFund Timor-Leste

Cristina Moniz was busy as usual one morning three years ago, getting her children up for school and preparing breakfast for them and her husband, Joaquim Lopez, a police officer in the Timor-Leste district of Covalima. She passed by her 7-year-old son Deonizio’s room, and to her surprise, he was still in bed asleep.

Approaching his bed, Cristina discovered that Deonizio had a fever.

mother and sons

Cristina and Deonizio (with his youngest brother) spend time at their home in the Covalima district.

“I felt not well at all, got headaches and vomited all the time,” Deonizio recalls today. “With all those conditions, it prevented me from going out; I couldn’t go to school or play around with my friends.”

It turned out that Deonizio had malaria, one of the deadliest diseases in the developing world, especially for children. He and Cristina first went to the village health post, Salele Community Health Center, which referred Deonizio to the hospital, where he had a blood test analyzed.

Cristina was shocked that her son had malaria, but the health center’s staff advised her to give Deonizio anti-malarial medication on time and keep the home clean and mosquito-free. This isn’t an easy task for Cristina, who now has five children and many duties. But insecticide-treated bed nets that arrived from ChildFund in 2011 have helped.

“Before getting the bed nets, there were many mosquitoes around the house,” Cristina says. “We are happy because there are no more mosquitoes, no more sickness.  Now, my family and I can sleep safely away from mosquitoes. No more malaria in our family. Deonizio can go to school any time,” she notes.

boy and baby on bed

Deonizio and his baby brother are protected by a mosquito net.

“I feel sure that mosquito will no longer bite me when I sleep under the bed net,” adds Deonizio, who is 10 now. “I’ll be freely doing my daily activities as usual, going to school, playing with friends.”

Having recognized World Malaria Day recently, we’ve learned about how many children are at risk of contracting this preventable disease in developing countries like Timor-Leste. Malaria kills 200,000 children worldwide each year, and many more become sick. However, the gift of a medicated mosquito net can mean good health, education and fulfilled potential for children in need like Deonizio and his brothers.

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Posted in Gifts of Love and Hope, Health, In the Field, World Malaria Day

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Malaria’s Threat to Children

Posted on April 25, 2013 | 1 Comment

By Meg Carter, ChildFund Sponsorship Communication Specialist

IWorld Malaria Day logomagine a world without mosquitos. Some scientists believe we could eradicate them without disrupting the ecosystem, and experiments to that end are underway.

Why? Because every minute, malaria takes the life of an African child. That’s an important fact to remember as we mark World Malaria Day.

How Malaria Spreads
A parasitic illness spread by female Anopheles mosquitos, malaria is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 in Africa. Every year, malaria kills 10,000 women and 200,000 infants worldwide. It’s especially dangerous during a woman’s first and second pregnancies. Infants become vulnerable again at 3 months, when the natural immunity they shared with their mother begins to wane.

Mosquitos bite mainly between dusk and dawn, and they carry four different parasites. The most lethal — and most common — malarial parasite is Plasmodium falciparum. Anopheles mosquitos in Africa have long lifespans and prefer to bite humans rather than animals. As a result, 90 percent of all malaria deaths occur in Africa, although India also has a significant problem. The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone, all countries served by ChildFund, have the highest occurrence rates in the world.

Rainfall patterns, temperature and humidity affect mosquitos, so malaria infections peak during and immediately after rainy seasons. Epidemics occur when climate conditions change or when seasonal workers, immigrants or refugees lacking immunity move into malarial areas.

216 million annual cases of malaria Approximately half of the world’s population is at risk of catching malaria. In endemic areas, adults develop partial immunity through many years of exposure and illness, so most deaths occur in young children. In regions with lower infection rates, a sudden epidemic can decimate the population.

Links to HIV and Poverty
Mozambique and Zambia have high rates of cerebral malaria — which virtually guarantees death — as well as co-infection with HIV. More than 90 percent of their populations are at ongoing risk for malaria, and more than 10 percent have AIDS.

Existing HIV infection increases the risk of malaria and also the severity and complexity of the illness; HIV infection also interferes with the medications used to treat malaria, making death more likely. Malaria also increases the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Malaria is endemic in 27 of the 31 countries where ChildFund works.Malaria is closely linked to poverty: The lower a country’s gross national income, the higher its malaria mortality rate. For children under 5, parasite prevalence is worst in poverty-stricken, rural communities, where lack of access to health facilities, effective diagnostics and treatment options is commonplace. Poor-quality housing offers little protection against mosquitoes, and the cost of insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying with insecticides is challenging for those living on less than $1.25 a day.

To avoid malaria, families need to sleep under insecticide-treated nets nightly, and houses must be sprayed every three to six months. ChildFund is working to combat the spread of malaria in Guinea, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Uganda and Zambia, and you can help by purchasing bed nets for children and families.

On World Malaria Day, let’s strike back against this threat to children.

View a video to hear a mother in Guinea describe how her children’s health has improved with treated bed nets.

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Posted in Health, Programs

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Creating a Safe, Child-Friendly School in Indonesia

Posted on April 24, 2013 | Leave a comment

By Sagita Adesywi, ChildFund Indonesia

students walking to class

Students exclaim over their new school.

Dina, a sixth-grader in Lampung, Indonesia, loves her school now. “It looks clean and nice,” she explains. “It used to be dirty and was full of trash. The walls were cracking everywhere, and we didn’t have many trees either. I feel the teachers care more about the school and us too now. When they see us littering, they remind us not to do so. I even helped clean the school by picking up trash.”

school campus

The school is ready for opening day.

After undergoing renovations and program changes with the help of ChildFund and its local partner, LPMAS, Karangsari 2 Elementary School earned the child-friendly school designation. The project, which started last September, benefits 216 students and 16 teachers.

The child-friendly school model aims to help schools become safe, healthy and protective environments for children; eliminates gender stereotypes; and encourages child participation in all aspects of school life. Teachers attended a workshop to learn more about the model and how to integrate it into their instructional approach.

“I love children and want to dedicate my life to them,” says Lukiati, the school’s principal. “When children feel happy and secure in school, I feel really happy. I know now that a school must further the interest and strengths of the child, not just teach.

“When we used to call children to come to us, they used to run away. That is because we were just delivering lessons,” she adds. Now, children come to us, even when we don’t call them and happily greet us with Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you). I learned that when we teach children, we need to do it from our heart.”

teachers sitting in classroom

Teachers attend training sessions on child-friendly school model.

As a result of the workshops, Lukiati and the teachers are now more aware of the importance of a creating a conducive learning environment for children. They now understand that children are influenced by what happens inside as well as outside the classroom.

“A child-friendly school benefits both children and teachers alike. This is the first time I have felt that I am really a teacher,” says Kartiyah, a sixth-grade teacher. “I used to just teach the children in class and then go home. Now, I feel the school is really ours — the children and the teachers.”

With the support of ChildFund, Lukiati submitted a proposal to Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and received a grant to renovate the school. The walls had cracks, and the space near the school had been used as a garbage dump for years. Dramatic changes were needed.

Men and women dig trench around school

Parents help renovate the school.

With the help of the community, a transformation began. Twelve truckloads of garbage were removed from the backyard, and 6,000 baby catfish from the Indonesian Food Security Agency were released into the pond. The community agreed to feed the fish and use the funds from their sale to fund further improvements in the school. The school received 1,500 bamboo seeds from the Pringsewu Environmental Agency and also created a vegetable garden. Proceeds from selling vegetables enable the school to purchase educational materials and organize excursions for the children.

“The school looks so clean, and I like how we display our writings or drawings on the wall now,” says Zainal, a fifth-grader.

boys arranging chairs

Zainal (left) and Wisnu (right) help set up the classroom.

Through the child-friendly school model, ChildFund and its partners have built strong partnerships with the government and community. More improvements to Karangsari 2 are still needed to ensure a quality education for students. However, the local government has stated its commitment to continue supporting the school.

a group of children sitting

Children gather for opening-day ceremony.

“We will continue to support this initiative, since education is essential to child development,” says Sujadi Saddat, the district’s head. “With a solid partnership among ChildFund, the community and local government, we can promote a safe, healthy and protective environment that enables children to achieve their full potential.”

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