Segal Family Foundation

2012-01-12T14:16:00.001-05:00

Community Development

Posted on Thursday, January 5th, 2012 at 8:20 pm from Mezimbite.com

The Segal Family Foundation is a young organization that has a common sense approach toward making a difference in the lives and communities of people in Sub Saharan Africa.

We did not begin with an elaborate development strategy and none of us have a development background: My dad, Barry, who started the foundation, wanted to donate a portion of the money he had earned throughout his life toward an area of the world where there was the most need, and then figure out a way to make the most impact.

Sub Saharan Africa seemed a natural place to focus his time, his energies and his philanthropy. In SSA, funds go a lot further than many places. For the past year and a half the core team – executive director Andy Bryant, board member Antoine Chiquet and myself, along with family members Janis Simon, Rich Segal and our founder Barry Segal, have been going around a learning curve to make a sustainable difference in our work.

It has been an adventure and in the past 18 months I have traveled several times to several countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Malawi.

Since we have a business background, we adopted a business-like approach to funding and empowering grassroots organizations that have strong skill sets and objectives but may be lacking in certain strengths. We try to invest in smart people and smart ideas and get out of the way- we are listening to those who are more knowledgeable than we are.

We stay within a general mission of supporting basic needs like food and agriculture, health, education, alternative energy and family planning at the community level. The common denominators across projects are dynamic leadership, roots in stable communities, and remote, underserved locales. We also have select partnerships with larger organizations likePlanned Parenthood, BRAC and Habitat for Humanity when we feel these larger entities will lend their technical expertise to our grassroots partners.

We try to invest in smart people and smart ideas and get out of the way- we are listening to those who are more knowledgeable than we are.

One lesson we learned early on is that many of these grassroots efforts work independently and don’t do a great job communicating with each other although they may have overlapping skills and needs.

We realized that we can add value by serving as a network facilitator amongst these fragmented efforts to help them develop a more cohesive strategy and become more interdependent. In practical terms, this means that, for example, if a health clinic needs electricity, we will fund that need with a solar power suitcase from another organization that specializes in solar power. Or perhaps when an organization specializing in school food security needs partners, we will link them with our education partners for joint projects.

Segal Family Foundation core team - Antoine, me, Andy

One of the advantages of having a business background is that we are sometimes willing to take informed and calculated risks. We receive a lot of proposals all the time on social media like Facebook.

One time, we had a group of pastors in eastern Uganda ask us for some money, we worked with them on their proposal and decided to give them a few thousand dollars. It was site unseen, and yes, it was a risk.

On a subsequent trip to Uganda, my team and I were gratified to see what these pastors had turned our funding into: they had built an orphanage and a school both of which were thriving! So, it’s a learning curve: you try things, you make informed decisions, you take sensible risks and sometimes, the unexpected happens.

We have found a common sense approach that works well for us and we are looking in the future to build on this. Last year, we worked with about 130 different grassroots organizations within several Sub Saharan countries. We invited about 90 different representatives to our annual meeting in New York, and this year, we expect representatives from 120 partners. Slowly but surely, we are expanding our network, strengthening our impact in communities on the ground, and learning valuable lessons along the way.

2012-01-04T12:01:00.001-05:00

“Nous devons cultiver notre jardin.” – Voltaire

Antoine Chiquet, SFF Board Member and co-founder of the Komo Learning Centres was recently interviewed by The Mezimbite Forest Centre, a community-based organization with a sustainable design, forest management and training program. According to Antoine, what is needed for successful development in Africa is nothing “fancy” or overly complicated, “Just basic common sense. Just one step at a time.”

2012-01-04T11:57:00.002-05:00

We are so happy to see two of our partners - WE CARE Solar and Amani Global Works- working together to save lives in DRC.

(Photo from WE CARE Solar)

2012-01-04T11:54:00.001-05:00

Nyaka, “A model school for holistic excellence”

A very memorable trip to Uganda began with a visit to the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project. An SFF partner since 2008, the Nyaka School uses a community-based approach and provides free education to nearly 450 primary students. During our visit, we saw the Nyaka library where computer training and preparation for the PLE exam takes place. We also took a look at the health clinic and Desire farm (a big part of Nyaka’s vocational training program). Thanks to Nyaka for a great visit & for your partnership.

2011-12-07T10:44:00.001-05:00

The Impact of Inflation and Changing Exchange Rates in East Africa

If you are doing work in Sub Saharan Africa it should not be a surprise that inflation is on the rise, causing construction projects and operating expenses to come in over budget.

We made an attempt to quantify the increase in inflation and also the increase in the exchange rate in US currency to Kenyan, Ugandan, Tanzanian and Rwanda’s currency.

Just a quick synopsis, Uganda’s inflation rate is trending at 30% per year, while the currency versus the US dollar has depreciated about 20% since April. If you are doing work in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania your purchasing power has substantially decreased according to above graphs.

We are not economists but it looks like this trend is going to continue and you should plan for high inflation in your 2012 budget. It can also be good conversation with your donors, as you will have to increase fundraising to account for higher inflation.

Efforts can also be made to purchase products quickly as they will likely be more expensive in the future. This is just a snapshot of countries in Sub Saharan Africa but other countries are likely facing similar challenges.

Rwanda continues to be incredibly stable.

2011-10-27T09:40:00.000-04:00

Barbara Bush, our new SFF Board Member, speaks about the power of young people in solving global health problems at the Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit:

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/10/14/barbara-bush

SFF visit to GMF girl's school

2011-10-20T13:14:00.004-04:00

The Georges Malaika Foundation describes a recent visit from SFF to its girls’ school in the Democratic Republic of Congo in its latest newsletter:

Latest News from GMF; Issue 39, October 2011

Tiyatien Health in Liberia

2011-10-07T15:48:00.008-04:00

Tiyatien Health is pioneering a new model of health outreach in the most remote, marginalized corners of post-conflict Liberia. Their Frontline Health Workers assist the ailing where no services existed prior. SFF has committed to helping Tiyatien train more FLWs and to develop it’s monitoring & evaluation systems.

For more info visit: http://www.tiyatienhealth.org

Janice Lathen meets with Tanzanian President

2011-10-05T11:08:00.001-04:00

President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania met with Janice Lathen of Powering Potential to hear more about solar-powered computer labs for rural Tanzania secondary schools. Janice will be implementing labs at two additional schools in the coming months.

Please visit: http://poweringpotential.org

2011 CGI

2011-09-30T15:32:00.002-04:00

The members of Segal Family Foundation just wrapped up another successful Clinton Global Initiative meeting alongside global economic, political and social leaders.

Two Educate! alums have won prestigious African Leadership Academy prizes

2011-09-30T15:26:00.000-04:00

Educate!’s talented alumni are already transforming their communities, using the entrepreneurship & leadership lessons learned at one of SFF’s favorite innovative partners.

Two Educate! alums have won prestigious African Leadership Academy prizes.

SFF Welcomes New Board Member Larry Seruma

2011-09-23T16:57:00.004-04:00

We just wanted to give another warm welcome our new board member - Larry Seruma

Please click on the link to view Mr. Seruma's bio

SFF Welcomes New Board Member-Barbara Bush

2011-09-16T15:49:00.003-04:00

We just wanted to give a warm welcome our newest board member - Barbara Bush.

Please click on the link to view Ms. Bush's bio

Visit by the President!

2011-09-02T10:11:00.002-04:00

Village Health Works, SFF’s sole Burundian partner, was recently visited by the Burundian President, Pierre Nkurunziza, as well as US Ambassador to Burundi, Pamela Slutz. VHW is setting the standard for thoughtful & efficient healthcare for remote communities.

http://villagehealthworks.org/a-presidential-visit

Congrats to Kadiatou of ACFA & her team on completing SFF matching challenge!

2011-08-29T13:58:00.001-04:00

A Child for All, our sole partner in Mali, has successfully completed a Segal Family Matching Challenge. By raising over $7,500 in individual donations from approximately 50 new donors, they will receive an additional $7,500 to be used for care of orphans & vulnerable children in Bamako, Mali. Congratulations to Kadiatou & her team!

http://acfacorp.org

Great news! Lwala Community Alliance’s success has led to their invite to 2011 Clinton Global Initiative

2011-08-25T12:55:00.001-04:00

Lwala’s Executive Director James Nardella announced yesterday:

“Due to the success of our maternal and child health programs, we have been invited back to the Clinton Global Initiative, with a free invitation to attend the $25,000 per person event. This is certainly a result of our SFF grant. Specifically, we have been invited back as a featured project because we fulfilled the 2009 commitment to expand access to maternal and child health programs in Kenya.”

This is fantastic news and we’re very proud to be associated with Lwala’s Success!

Our first partner in the Democratic Republic of Congo!

2011-08-11T14:50:00.001-04:00

The Segal Family Foundation is proud to announce our first partner in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Georges Malaika Foundation (GMF). GMF is opening an all-girls school in the Katanga Province of the DRC in September, sponsoring 104 girls, providing them with a tuition free learning environment, school uniforms, supplies, and two meals per day. To learn more about GMF Founder, Noella Coursaris, watch CNN's African Voices and for more on the organization, visit the foundations website at www.gmfafrica.org. Welcome to the SFF Family!

African Innovation Prize: Supporting Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Rwanda.

2011-07-25T15:03:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to SFF partner, African Innovation Prize on the upcoming launch of the first Rwanda Entrepreneurship Week! We are so proud to be supporting the outstanding initiatives of the organization to educate the future leaders and entrepreneurs of Rwanda!

Congratulations to the Global Health Corps Team & Fellows!

2011-07-21T10:14:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to the Global Health Corps Fellows for 2011-2012! As they embark on their fellowships this upcoming week, SFF wants to wish all of the fellows the best of luck. We are confident that the fellows will improve and increase the impact of SFF partner organizations Face AIDS, Gardens for Health International, Generation Rwanda, Mpoma Community HIV/AIDS Initiative, Sustainable Health Enterprises, and Village Health Works. Also, congratulations to the Global Health Corps Team for choosing such an amazing group of talented individuals and change-makers who are committed to the core values of GHC and whose talents will benefit both the partner organizations and the communities they will serve. Best of luck!

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!

2011-07-18T14:37:00.001-04:00

Today we wish a very Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela! The former President of South Africa remains an inspiration for many individuals, leaders, and groups working to make the world a more tolerant and peaceful place. In the words of Mandela himself “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference”.

Spark MicroGrants in Forbes!

2011-07-12T12:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Segal Family Foundation partner, Spark MicroGrants, for their recent feature in the Forbes blog! The inspiring work of the organization coupled with their dynamic leadership has helped to change the lives of thousands in villages and towns in Uganda and Rwanda through identifying local needs and implementing local, community led solutions. Sasha, Neal, and Svoronos, thanks for the shoutout to the Segal Family Foundation, we are proud to call Spark MicroGrants our partner.

Independence for the Republic of Southern Sudan!

2011-07-11T16:51:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the citizens of the Republic of South Sudan on their independence! As the newest nation in Africa, there’s no doubt that the new nation-state will face challenges in the future, but as articulated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “peace is possible if people are willing to make hard choices and stand by them”.

World Population Day

2011-07-11T16:46:00.003-04:00

Today, July 11 marks “World Population Day”, a UNDP established event that seeks to inspire change and promote awareness of the dangerously expanding world population. By October of 2011, it is predicted that the global population will hit 7 billion, with the ballooning population remaining an extremely serious issue on the African continent. In an IPS article, author Thalif Deen explains:

“A new study titled "Africa's Demographic Multiplication", released last month and commissioned by the Washington-based Globalist Research Center, points out that Africa's population has more than tripled during the second half of the 20th century, growing from 230 million to 811 million. As a result, Africa has become more populous than Europe. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country at 158 million, is expected to grow to 730 million by century's end, making it larger than Europe's projected population of 675 million. Nigeria is currently the only African country with a population exceeding 100 million. But 10 other countries in the African continent are expected to join that club before the close of the century: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.”

The Segal Family Foundation remains committed to family planning and the issue of overpopulation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Overpopulation in Africa: A Crisis

2011-07-07T15:08:00.001-04:00

In a new article published on Nature.com, Josh Ruxin and Antoinette Habinshuti discuss the pressures of population growth on underdeveloped and impoverished nations in Africa. Accurately titled “Crowd control in Rwanda”, the commentary explores the initiatives being implemented in Rwanda, the most densely populated landlocked nation in Africa with the 15th highest fertility rate in the world. With the global population estimated to increase to 9 billion by 2050, the issue of family planning is one of extreme importance and one the Segal Family Foundation is committed to. As stated in the article, “The choices are stark: restrict population growth or remain in poverty.”

BEADS for Education

2011-06-30T12:06:00.002-04:00

Below is a must read story from a student, Yiapoyo Masikonte, enrolled in the BEADS program in Kenya. BEADS is a Segal Family Foundation partner organization led by Debbie Rooney. For more information visit: www.beadsforeducation.org

IF IT WERE NOT FOR BEADS

I am so glad of beads because of the far they have brought to me. When I got into the Beads organization, I was in class seven. I was in Olgulului Primary School. In that school pupils were not performing well and my dad was not able to take me to a good school because he had not enough money to take me to a performing school. So I stayed in that school until God sent Beads to rescue me from that world of not performing.

So beautiful Beads brought me to Top Ride Academy, which is the best performing school. After completing my primary education, I went to high school where I am sure that my dad couldn’t have been able to pay for me (secondary fee). My dad could have given me out to a husband because my older sisters have been married and they already had four children. My dad did this because he had not enough money to pay for our school fees. Now after my sister completed her primary education (8th grade), she was married, after someone paid her dowry. The dowry was cows which is a sign of wealth in our community. So my dad was happy because of that.

Primary education in our country, it is free so pupils will just read or learn until class eight then those who their parents couldn’t pay for their secondary education fee, they will be married (mostly girls and some boys marry). So I am sure if it were not for Beads my dad could have given me out to a husband for him to get more cows for selling. Surely if it was not for Beads, I could have been a mother of 3 children or more than three because I have a friend who completed primary education with me and now she is a mother of five kids and she is married to an old man of about 72 years and she is around 19 years old.

I do appreciate a lot Beads and grant my thanks Beads organization and my sponsor who is paying for my school fees. May god expand your boundaries as Beads organization and add more years for the Bead organization. And now I know I will complete my dream of going to college and help my family and community. Thanks Beads.

Testimonies like these express the achievement of BEADS in their work educating and empowering girls to become successful members of their families, communities and hopefully, the future leaders of Kenya. SFF is proud to call BEADS our partner.

Powering Potential Makes the Front Page!

2011-06-28T14:41:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Powering Potential, one of our partners working to increase Tanzanian student’s access to technology. The organization recently received recognition on the front page of the Daily News. The news outlet is Tanzania’s oldest newspaper, established in the 1930s, prized for its integrity while remaining widely read and regarded by diplomats, government officials, business people, and academicians. We are extremely proud of Powering Potential and their ongoing effort to enrich, educate, and empower students in Tanzania!

Welcome Komaza

2011-05-19T11:26:00.004-04:00

The Foundation welcomes Komaza to its family of partners. Komaza helps Kenyan farmers plant trees as a long-term source of income in conjunction with cultivation of food crops. SFF’s support will help Komaza increase the number of beneficiaries and expand geographically.

www.komaza.org

for more Komaza pictures visit us on facebook

Isaiah Washington on Access Hollywood

2011-05-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

Isaiah Washington on Access Hollywood speaks about his new book "A Man From Another Land" and a possible return to "Grey's Anatomy"! Isaiah, thanks for the shout out to Barry Segal and The Segal Family Foundation!

click for video

"Don't Let 'Three Cups of Tea' Controversy Discourage Giving"

2011-04-27T16:42:00.001-04:00

The Three Cups of Tea scandal has called into question the basic tenets of philanthropy. SFF board member - Jenna Arnold recently penned her thoughts about it all for the Huffington Post...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-arnold

Doing Good is Hard Work...

2011-04-26T10:11:00.001-04:00

Not sure what to make of the "Three Cups of Tea" Fiasco. I do like Josh Ruxin's article. The view that you you can not just mean well but must be effective in what you do resonates with the core beliefs of the Segal Family Foundation.

click here to read full article

Invisible Children's Break the Silence Event

2011-04-25T11:11:00.002-04:00

We recently funded 40 scholarships for women university students in Uganda with Invisible Children. Today they are hosting a big event to raise awareness of the issue of child soldiers in Northern Uganda and the Congo. If you missed them on Oprah last week you can click this link to check out their newest campaign and participate in their event online.

http://www2.invisiblechildren.com/videos?album=748616

ACFA's Matching Challenge...

2011-04-13T15:57:00.002-04:00

A Child for All is the sole SFF partner operating in landlocked Mali, one of the poorest nations in the world. Led by native-Malian, Kadiatou Sidibe, ACFA is now home to 8 orphans and growing carefully. ACFA has a Matching Challenge commitment from the Foundation: for every donation between $100-750, SFF will match it 100%.

Visit them at http://acfacorp.org

Congratulations Twesigye on the Heifer recognition

2011-04-13T15:41:00.001-04:00

"We chose to work with these women because they are the ones left behind to care for the orphaned generation," Jackson Kaguri said.

"They care for and love these children no matter what, and we had to step in and reassure these grannies that even if they passed away today, their children would be okay."

Congratulations Twesigye on the Heifer recognition!

RIP Geraldine Ferraro...

2011-03-30T11:23:00.006-04:00

Geraldine was one of our first friends at CGI. She helped to get us started and pointed us in the right direction.

A very classy lady - We will miss her...

Lwala Newsletter Spring 2011

2011-03-23T11:45:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Lwala's team on opening their medical maternity and clinical care wing.

Our support of their efforts is mentioned in their most recent newsletter...

Visit to ASYV

2011-03-11T16:08:00.001-05:00

Next stop on our trip was the The Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. It could easily be one of the finest schools for orphans and high school students in East Africa. The village was founded in 2006 and still run buy Anne Heyman. It is a first class operation modeled off of a traditional Israeli kibbutz. Currently the school boards 250 students and should be up to 500 shortly.

Click here for pictures

A new place to call home

2011-03-10T15:26:00.004-05:00

SFF partner, the Liberty Community School in Kenya, has moved to a permanent plot of land and constructed new classrooms with the Foundation’s help. Facing eviction from a no-longer sympathetic landlord, the Liberty leadership scrambled to mobilize funds and their own community members to help relocate an entire school to a piece of land donated to them. Even the students pitched in to lay foundation stones. Now safely ensconced in a place they can truly call their own, the next set of challenges begin…

Barry Segal's Lifetime Achievement Award

2011-03-10T14:00:00.008-05:00

Click on the link below to watch a video on Barry Segal's Lifetime Achievement Award:

http://macdellacooper.org/LAfricanaNightVideos/BarryVideo.mov

Spark Microgrants

2011-03-04T10:56:00.001-05:00

Spark Microgrants facilitates small grant-based projects among communities in Rwanda & Uganda. While the dollars involved are few, the impact is great due to the thoughtful collaboration with all members of the community.

Click here for pictures

CNN Article on Kenya's Mentally Challenged

2011-02-28T12:20:00.003-05:00

Of all the basic education, health and development challenges in Africa few of us think about mental health issues. Check out this CNN article about the forgotten mentally handicapped in Kenya.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/25/kenya.forgotten.health/index.html

Nibakure Village

2011-02-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Our next stop was Nibakure's Children Village in Rwanda. Floriane started from scratch a few years ago and built this village which will eventually house many orphaned children. Children start arriving in April.

We had a great time hanging our with the local kids.

MCF Honors Barry Segal

2011-02-21T12:35:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Macdella Cooper for hosting the L’Africana Night Fashion Week last week for the benefit of the Macdella Cooper Foundation, and thank you for honoring our founder Barry Segal. We all had a great time!

www.examiner.com

Article on Kip Keino & Barry Segal

2011-02-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Check out this article on Kip Keino and our founder Barry Segal. The article was published in the month's "Roofing Contractor" magazine and highlights both Kip's and Barry's contributions to building world class organizations. Thanks to our board member David Harrison for writing the article.

Please scroll to pg. 28 to begin reading.

Rwanda

2011-02-11T15:03:00.003-05:00

Next stop on our trip was Rwanda. We snuck off for half a day to visit the countryside, hike and check out the gorillas. From these pictures you can see Rwanda's spectacular landscape and the gorillas were awsone to see up close!

visit our page for pictures: facebook page

Pictures from Komo Autism Centre

2011-02-08T10:17:00.001-05:00

To view pictures from Komo Autism Centre, Uganda - please visit our facebook page

Interesting Article by Josh Ruxin

2011-02-04T14:13:00.001-05:00

This is an interesting article about the importance of maternal health, wirtten by Josh Ruxin, one of our grantees.

Saving One Mother at a Time

Ketume Health Center

2011-02-04T11:56:00.001-05:00

To view pictures from our visit to Ketume Health Center visit out facebook page

Visit to Johnson Nkosi School

2011-01-25T14:35:00.003-05:00

To view pictures from our visit at the Johnson Nkosi School please visit our facebook page

Maddona's Malawian Project Update

2011-01-17T16:16:00.010-05:00

According to this local Malawian newspaper, Maddona's multi-million dollar project will not be getting off the ground.

Plagued by problems - it appears that Madonna realized that she can do more good by supporting many existing schools in Malawi.

Click here to read the full article

Congrats To MCF-They Did It!

2011-01-14T15:02:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to The MacDella Cooper Foundation. I can't believe how quickly MacDella built her school in Liberia. The kids and school look great!

Congratulations to Educate!

2010-12-21T10:51:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Educate - one of our newest partners that develops social entrepreneurship curriculums and programs in Uganda's Schools. They just got selected by the Government or Uganda and the United Nation's Labour Organisation (ILO) to role out their curriculum in all of Uganda's High Schools. For more information please check out the press release:

http://www.experienceeducate.org/press-releases

A Heartwarming Hello from a Rwandan Student...

2010-12-14T16:21:00.001-05:00

12/14/2010

Hello Segal Family Foundation,

My name is Sylvere Mwizerwa. I am a student at the National University of Rwanda, majoring in Business Management and Accounting. in addition, I am a Generation Rwanda scholar.

I have gone through all you literature on the internet and I found that it is really a great Idea of you. thank you for choosing sub-saharan Africa region because it is the only one that left behind and away of modernization.

On my point of view Rwanda if fit to gain this significant project because it needs more institutions and development as quick as possible.

I am sure Rwanda will be a role model of all the country in Africa

Thank you.

Warm regards
MWIZERWA SYLVERE

Malawi Schools...

2010-12-07T16:02:00.007-05:00

We are pleased to announce the construction of two schools we funded in Malawi through Save the Children should be completed this month.

The schools were based on the design created by the respected architectural firm John McAslan+Partners. The design is great and the schools are made with local materials at a total constructed cost of about $25,000 each. The completion of these two schools will be the third school we helped complete in Malawi.
***
Introduction
Save the Children is grateful for the Segal Family Foundation’s generous grant of $50,000, which is being used to construct two primary schools in impoverished rural communities in the Zomba District of Malawi. Children in Malawi face considerable difficulties in learning, given crumbling schools, unsanitary conditions, and limited learning materials. Your funds are being used to construct additional classrooms and latrines for girls and boys in the communities of Ntangantanga and Namalombe. At the suggestion of the Segal Family Foundation, Save the Children is partnering with John McAslan+Partners to use their award-winning school designs. As a result of your support, Save the Children will be able to improve the quality of education for thousands of children in the target communities. We are pleased to report on our progress to date and next steps for the project.

Need for Funding
In 1994, the government of Malawi passed a law that required all children to attend primary school. As a result, more than one million additional pupils joined the primary education system during the first year of the new policy. Unfortunately, without the funds necessary to invest in school infrastructure, teacher training, and materials, the quality of education has seriously deteriorated. Schools are overcrowded and in poor repair, classes are being taught by temporary teachers with limited training, and far too few children have access to books, desks, or even basic amenities such as latrines or clean water in their schools. In Namalombe School, none of the five classrooms have walls and the roof is in bad shape. At Ntangatanga School, the two classroom blocks are insufficient to accommodate all of the children enrolled, so the remaining students use an abandoned house as a classroom. These poor learning conditions have contributed to increased student drop out rates and low levels of academic achievement.

Project Planning
Beginning in spring 2010, Save the Children began discussions with John McAslan + Partners to use their successful school model in Malawi. The McAslan model has been able to address a number of the challenges faced by local schools, including safety concerns, extreme temperatures, and limited local building materials. After meeting with McAslan + Partners, engineering and consulting firm Arup, the Ministry of Education, and the Education Infrastructure Management Unit, we conducted a site visit to Zomba to determine how the McAslan model could be adapted to our target communities.
Save the Children has existing child sponsorship programs in Zomba and strong relationships with the local communities. Community mobilization is an essential part of Save the Children’s approach to get the local population oriented and involved in new projects. Prior to the start of construction, we spent time consulting with local leaders, teachers, and parents to gain their support and input for the new schools.

The McAslan school model requires the use of Soil Stabilized Blocks for building, which are made from special moulds which Save the Children did not have on hand. We purchased these moulds using funds from child sponsorship programs in the area, since education is a critical priority in Zomba. Community members volunteered their time to help create the blocks and provide free labor. We hired a Project Consultant and two Contractors who are working with our Malawi Country Office staff on the project. The contractors were deployed in July to survey the site.

Project Implementation
In August, community members began creating the blocks and we started construction. In Namalombe, progress has been remarkably swift. The foundation is finished and the Contractor has now started working on the superstructure. In Ntangantanga, the foundation is finished but progress in building the walls has been a bit slower since there are two other construction projects underway that require the time of community members. These other projects focus on building a teacher’s house and an early childhood development center. Until mid-September, community labor was split between these projects, but as the other projects wrap up, we are making greater progress on building the school in Ntangantanga. The resulting schools will be spacious, offer a communal space for gathering, separate latrines for boys and girls, better ventilation in the summer and insulation in the winter, improved light, and the structures will be safer and more durable than the current schools.

Timeline for Completion
It is evident from progress made hitherto that the two schools are at different levels of completion. We anticipate that construction of the primary school in at Namalombe will be completed by end of November and the school in Ntangantanga will be done by mid- December. Both schools will be ready for use by learners at the beginning of second term of the next school year. Once the work is finished, we will submit a final report to the Segal Family Foundation. Until then, please know that we are truly grateful for your support, which is helping children with very few opportunities in life. By improving the learning conditions for children, we can improve attendance and keep children in school.

Reflection on 2010 Rankings of Human Development Index

2010-11-18T10:28:00.005-05:00

Here is a break-out of the human development index 2010 rankings by country. As you can see many African countries have a low human development showing a substantial missed opportunity. Together we would like to work to elevate the African countries on this list...

Segal Station

2010-11-03T16:01:00.007-04:00

If you are ever in Rwanda, check out the Segal Station - a milk collection plant built by Rwanda Works in which we invested in. For more information visit:

http://www.rwandaworks.com/prosperitybusiness.php

Continued Progress in Rwanda

2010-11-03T09:40:00.012-04:00

Check out Josh Ruxin's of Rwanda Works latest article on the continued progress in Rwanda:

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/rwandas-road-of-progress/

NY Times Article Featuring Elizabeth Scharpf

2010-10-26T13:55:00.008-04:00

This article by Nicholas Kristof is a good read featuring our board member Elizabeth Scharpf:

"Like so many highly trained young women these days, Elizabeth Scharpf has choices. She could be working in a Manhattan office tower with her Harvard Business School classmates, soaring through the ranks as a banker or business executive and aspiring to become a senator or a C.E.O. someday.

After all, there’s no question that women around the world enjoy opportunities that simply didn’t exist a few decades ago. Yet the women exerting the greatest pressure for change often aren’t the presidents and tycoons but those toiling further down the pyramid, driven by a passion to create a better world. And in particular, a better world for women.

That’s Scharpf’s choice. Now 33, Scharpf was interning in the summer of 2005 for the World Bank in Mozambique, helping local entrepreneurs, when she encountered a business impediment that she had never heard of. It was unmentionable, and thus unmentioned. It was menstruation.

A female boss griped to Scharpf about absenteeism caused by women reluctant to come to work during their menstrual periods. “It was because pads were too expensive,” Scharpf recalls. “I was trying to figure out why I had never heard of this before. This was causing productivity rates to go down.”

Scharpf began asking around, and everybody told her — in whispers — that, yes, of course menstruation was keeping women and girls from jobs. Back at Harvard, where she was pursuing joint degrees at the business school and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, she began asking friends from Bangladesh, Nicaragua and other countries if they were aware of this problem. Of course, they said. “This spoke to me,” Scharpf recalled. “Hasn’t every girl or woman experienced the inconvenience, the disadvantage and the embarrassment in her life, when her period strikes at the ‘wrong’ time? I think half the world can relate to that. What really struck me was that this was a global issue that seemingly had significant costs. From back-of-the-envelope calculations, it had huge costs. And it could have a simple solution.” She paused and smiled tightly. “I was a little naïve there.”

Scharpf is a mild-mannered policy wonk, but the more she thought about it, the more indignant she became. Girls were missing school because they couldn’t afford sanitary pads? Women couldn’t go to work for lack of pads? And all this was taboo to discuss? Scharpf began to scheme.

And so Scharpf joined a revolution, so far unnamed because it is just beginning. It’s all about what might be called Do-It-Yourself Foreign Aid, because it starts with the proposition that it’s not only presidents and United Nations officials who chip away at global challenges. Passionate individuals with great ideas can do the same, especially in the age of the Internet and social media."

Congratulations Elizabeth!

British Constuction Industry awards John McAslan's Malawi Project

2010-10-18T15:46:00.005-04:00

John McAslan's Malawi Schools project was highly commended at the British Construction Industry Awards in London last Thursday.

This is a terrific accolade for what is a modestly scaled project.

Congratulations to our Grantee and Board Member-Elizabeth Sharpf (SHE)!

2010-10-15T15:07:00.007-04:00

Join us in congratulating Elizabeth Sharpf of SHE on winning this year's Curry Stone Design Prize.

Keep up the good work Elizabeth!

http://currystonedesignprize.com

Congratulations to Indego Africa on Winning Fair Trade Award!

2010-10-08T13:17:00.005-04:00

Join us in congratulating Indego on winning this presigious award!

On Sept. 19, 2010, Indego Africa won the coveted Fair Trade Federation (FTF) award for “Most Positive Change in a Producer Community.”
“Indego Africa stood out among the six nominees for this particular award,” remarked Carmen K. Iezzi, the Executive Director of the FTF. “Their innovative business and education model creates a broad, deep, and sustainable impact on the artisans’ lives.”

Another Successful Computer Instalation for Janice!

2010-10-06T16:35:00.004-04:00

From Janice's recent blog entry:

Sunday, October 3, 2010
Maasai Magic in Monduli

Two and a half hours!

That's all the time it took to install four computers at the Noonkodin School for Maasai students in the Monduli district on Saturday, Oct. 2. I had a great team of Tanzanian professionals working with me and as per my request they all arrived at the E'Manyatta Lodge in Monduli town at 9am sharp. Do you know how rare that is in Tanzania?...where people don't "go with time." I was so happily surprised. So at 9am we started the trek up the mountain, across the plains, into the valley, along winding roads, well not roads really, more like trails and 45 minutes later arrived at a school in the middle of nowhere. Hilary, our hardware expert, remarked "You like to work in rural areas!"

After we arrived, the headmaster asked me to address the boarding students who were assembled to greet us and then we went to work. The solar fundi (skilled person) wired up the computers; Albin and the computer fundis unpacked the equipment, assembled the computers, installed the software, connected the wireless router and printer, made a few changes to the settings and we were done. (We also tested a solution to give them affordable Internet access and it worked :) so when they are ready they can get up online. The headmaster, teachers and students are SO excited to have computers, especially shiny new modern ones!

Tomorrow, Monday, Albin begins a one-week training course for the teachers. Stay tuned...

This has been made possible by the contributions of the generous Patrons of Powering Potential!

US Embassy Press Release on Powering Potential

2010-09-28T16:04:00.004-04:00

On Sept. 26th Janice Lathen shared with us the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arusha, Tanzania — Monday, 27 September 2010

CONTACT
Janice Lathen, Founding Executive Director
Powering Potential
poweringpotential@gmail.com
USA: 1-212-595-3549
TZ cell: +255 783389843

SATELLITE INTERNET ARRIVES AT RURAL SCHOOL IN TANZANIA

A secondary school in Karatu, Tanzania is accessing the Internet via satellite as of this month. Powering Potential, a division of ICSEE, a US-based, Tanzania-registered NGO is working with Corporate ISP company SimbaNet to provide the service.

Three years ago Powering Potential began implementing The Technology Tent - a solar-powered
modern computer lab with training. The satellite Internet program, Up Online, will expand the
technology program allowing the school's staff and students to access current information and
communicate with people from around the world.

Up Online was introduced to the Banjika school community at the high school graduation ceremony by Janice Lathen, the Founding Executive Director of Powering Potential.

Justine Joseph, the headmaster explains, “The Internet will give chances for the teachers to have
teaching materials from Internet and use them in the classrooms. Students will also have access
to current local news and websites such as wikipedia.com that have topics relevant to the syllabi
– geography, biology, physics. The technology program at Banjika is attracting young people to
the school from around the district.”

In the words of a Banjika teacher:

It is the truth which can not be hidden that, Technology Tent has been like a light to the kids at Banjika. It makes the kids feel that, they are able to face the challenges which are being brought by science and technology. Before Janice came to our school, no one knew any thing about the Computer. They did not know even how it looked like. It is amazing that, now the kids are able to type some thing in the Computer and print with their own hands. These are great Changes. --- Meshack Myinga
###

Hope in the HIV battle

2010-08-05T09:59:00.012-04:00

From "The Week" magazine:

HIV-positive women in Cameroon

"Of the 33 million people worldwide living with HIV, two-thirds are in Africa, and most of the new infections there occur among women and schoolgirls. But a newly tested vaginal gel finally offers hope against the scourge, says the Los Angeles Times. The colorless, odorless, inexpensive gel contains tenofovir, a medication widely used to treat AIDS. A two-year clinical trial in South Africa found that among women who used the gel at least 80 percent of the time, the number of HIV infections was cut by more than half. It’s the first time a gel containing a microbicide has been found to work against HIV, and its success means that women no longer need to rely solely on men to wear a condom. “It can be controlled by women, and put in 12 hours earlier, and that is empowering,” says Michael Sidibé, executive director of the United Nations’ AIDS-fighting unit. “They do not have to ask the man for permission to use it.” In a separate study sponsored by the World Bank, researchers found that giving small cash payments—a few dollars a month—to the families of poor schoolgirls offered enough economic freedom that the girls had sex later, less often, and with fewer partners. After 18 months, those girls in turn were 60 percent less likely to become infected by HIV."

Notes from the CGI's Mid-Year Meeting

2010-05-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

"Women as the next green frontier
70% of farmers in the world are women and they are producing about 50% of the total food production, earning 10% and owning 5% of the land
Land rights are closely tied to food security, an important issue that was raised by Secretary Clinton at CGI’s 2009 Closing Plenary, 100 million people are hungry every year"

Our New Project: Village Health Works...

2010-05-26T15:41:00.000-04:00

Dolly & I had lunch with Deo (originally from Burundi) this past Monday. The book written about him is a great read.

Why Burundi?

Burundi, the lesser known neighbor to Rwanda, has had its most crucial infrastructure - health and education - devastated by more than 12 years of civil war. In 2005, the World Bank ranked it the poorest country in the planet.

1 in 16 women die of pregnancy related complications
1 in 5 children die before their 5th birthday
63% of the country is under-nourished
80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day...

Facts on Women in Sub-Saharan Africa...

2010-05-26T15:28:00.000-04:00

"In 2007, of the 22.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, a staggering 61% were women. More than two-thirds (68%) of all people infected with HIV and more than three-quarters (76%) of all AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Women are dying in vastly disproportionate numbers: Young women aged 15-24 in sub-Saharan Africa are between two and six times more likely to be HIV-positive than men in the same age bracket. When the mothers die, the children are often left without a means of supporting themselves. Grandmothers are the ones who often step and raise the children."

Another African Problem

2010-03-24T13:34:00.000-04:00

Africa suffers more than 24% of the global burden of disease but has access to only 3% of health workers. Average of only 2 doctors per 10,000 people. There is a great need to facilitate communication within the health care industry and to share best practices and refer patients. Despite the poverty, Africans have an amazing access to cell phones.

A Step Forward...

2010-03-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

We received the below press release from Gondobay Manga Foundation:

"FORMER NATIONAL COORDINATOR SCHOOL FEEDING PROJECT CONVICTED

David Lewis Walker, former National Coordinator of the School Feeding Project in the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, was on Tuesday 2nd March 2010, convicted by the High Court of Sierra Leone presided over by Justice Mary Sey on thirty three counts (33) of misappropriation of public funds contrary to section 12(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2000 (as amended.)

Mr. David Lewis Walker was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each count to run concurrently or to pay a cumulative fine of Le33,000,000.00 (thirty three million Leones) which is to be paid within a period of two months.

In passing judgment, Hon. Mary Sey said the Accused, Mr. David Lewis Walker, knew that to misappropriate public funds was wrong and that the prosecution proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt.

It could be recalled that the Accused person Mr. David Lewis Walker was on Friday 30th May 2008 arraigned at the Freetown High Court presided over by Justice Sey for the misappropriation of public funds totaling Le 57,350,000.00 (Fifty Seven Million, Three Hundred & Fifty Thousand Leone). The case involved an alleged misuse of funds jointly provided by the Government of Sierra Leone and the World Food Programme in the School Feeding Project. The allegations included inter-alia encashment of cheques of the project account for Mr. Walker’s private use, as well as the false representation of certain persons as members of staff of the School Feeding Project."

Bill Clinton on Global Philanthrophy

2010-03-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

"I've been thinking about Rwanda. Look at what [Rwandan President] Paul Kagame has done. Yes, they've done a great job of getting investments, and, yes, they're the best users of NGOs I've ever seen. But the most important thing they have done is to build a genocide memorial, which grippingly chronicles what happened. It's on top of the most massive crypt in the world; it has the bones of 300,000 of those who were killed. Kagame said, "We're going to do all this. We're going to tell the truth and face the truth, and that's all we're going to do. And then we're going to let it go." And so he creates these reconciliation villages. You get a free plot of land for a house, but you have to agree to live next to someone of the opposite ethnic group. And they run all these co-ops where women from different ethnic groups are making baskets or whatever and selling them all over the world. Every person—without regard to their ethnic group—every adult male goes out and spends one whole day once a month on a Saturday cleaning the streets, from the richest to the poorest, and it's all designed to say, "Hey, this happened to us and it was horrible, and the only way for it not to happen again is for us to let it go, to focus on what we have in common." It's a metaphor for what the world has to do."

Fun Fact to Know...

2010-03-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

Comments on SFF

2010-03-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

Last week Dolly & went to a business convention in New Orleans. Here is a comment from one of the attendees who visited our website:

"Nice to see you and Dolly this week. I did take the time to view your website, wow I can see you are very passionate about what you are doing. Best of luck in your efforts, I can see Tikun Olam is important to you, to leave the world a better place than you found it. Best of luck.
Peter "

Haiti Needs Our Help!

2010-01-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

I saw the President Bill Clinton on T.V. this morning. He's doing great - although it's not our focus, I wanted to do something for Haiti.

Barry

Satellite Internet Access at Powering Potential

2010-01-11T12:50:00.000-05:00

"I am working now to provide satellite internet access for the Banjika students so they can avoid the following experience :)

This cartoon was sent to me by one of our Patrons. Regards, Janice".

Kristof's mention of Elizabeth Sharpf & BRAC in his NY Times article

2010-01-11T12:40:00.000-05:00

"....perhaps it's time to try a different kind of gift. After all, nothing says "happy holidays" like donating in Aunt Tilda's name to build a composting toilet in Haiti or to deworm kids in Kenya. And a deworming pill will never be regifted! This time of year I'm always barraged with inquiries about well-run charitable groups doing effective work. So let me tell you about some of the organizations that I've encountered that tackle global poverty in innovative ways.

In this column, I'm putting aside the larger, well-known aid organizations like CARE, Save the Children, Mercy Corps and Heifer International. They all do fabulous work, but today I want to bring to show-and-tell some organizations laboring in obscurity. These groups are also a reminder that the gap in savvy, creativity and effectiveness between the business world and the nonprofit sector is narrowing - in some cases vanishing. So here's my quirky holiday list of nifty, unknown charities:

• BRAC, http://www.brac.net/, is a Bangladeshi antipoverty organization that has had huge success serving tens of millions of people there and is now branching out to Afghanistan and Africa. It emphasizes organizing village women and promoting education, health and microfinance. One of BRAC's strengths is its ability to turn impoverished women into agents of change for the entire community.... One aim is to improve sanitation and public health. Another is to compost waste so that it can be safely used as fertilizer to boost agricultural production.

• Sustainable Health Enterprises, http://www.sheinnovates.com/, is a new effort to help women and girls in poor countries to manage menstruation, so that they miss less school and work. S.H.E. is trying to help African women start their own businesses based on making and distributing low-cost sanitary pads. Although one Nepal study found contrary evidence, education experts increasingly believe that a cost-effective way to keep high school girls from dropping out in poor countries is to help provide them with sanitary products and perhaps ibuprofen for cramps....."

BRAC-Breaking News on Fazle Hasan Abed!

2010-01-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

"As 2009 draws to a close, I am taking a moment to pause, reflect and give thanks for the many blessings, friendships and the part you play in our life and in the BRAC family. Let me share some good news: BRAC’s founder and Chairperson, Fazle Hasan Abed, is to be knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services in tackling poverty and empowering the poor in Bangladesh and globally. Abed’s name was included in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List just released today. He is the first person of Bangladesh origin to be honoured with a knighthood by the British Crown since 1947. Abed receives his knighthood for his work spanning four decades in education, health, human rights and social development and for bringing financial services to the doorstep of millions of the poor in an effort to eradicate poverty in Bangladesh and countries in Asia and Africa."

Japan's support for Kip Keino

2009-12-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

"As mentioned in our last communication, last week our group had some activities lined up with the key one being signing of a grant between the government of Japan and ourselves.

Am glad to inform that the government of Japan, through the local ambassador, gave us a grant of $71,000 as their contribution towards the construction of the school.

The money will go towards completion and equipping of the computer and bilogy laboratories.

The computers procured with these funds shall be in addition to the ones earlier donated by you and shall all be allocated to the computer laboratory.

Ian"

Great News from Lwala Community Alliance

2009-12-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

"I also have some very exciting news to report. We are beginning to get some more serious grants. I think your confidence in us has helped as has the exposure we have gotten lately. Last week Ronald McDonald House Charities (essentially McDonalds) gave us a $315,000 grant for our work next year. That should allow us to move on the Maternal and Child Health programing that Milton and I told you about. Thank you for being an early partner at CGI so we could leverage our assets. Lift a glass to that when you get a chance.

Happy Holidays! James Nardella"

Eric Musa, a young man who took the initiative to look for help

2009-12-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

Assisting the Poor- Eric Musa, a young man who took the initiative to look for help:

"The situation here forced me to search for help through google. In this case, I came across Segal Family Foundation. Thanks for responding. Am not with any organization or foundation as I am one of the people who need help. I was trying to find aid to improve the living stye of destitute children and orphans in my community. Water and education is what can mostly change the lives of people. Advice me what you would like me to do to qualifiy for the benefit and i promise to be transparent in everything i do. Right now, the only thing I can do once I get the money is to buy food for the people whose situation is worse. I live in Mombasa and my home place is Machakos near Nairobi will use the money for fare to travel to Machakos to distribute the food."

Foundation Support:
Thus far the foundation sent him $400.00 to feed the poor and help his family.

The Journey
24/9/2009
I withdrew Kshs14,000/-from my account. Receipt attached
26/9/2009
We left for Machakos which is 450km.fare fort two people to & from Machakos. On arrival, i bought two eveready batteries at kshs.45/-& film,at Kshs.99. We took a taxi from Machakos town to the village for a charge of Kshs.400/-
27/9/2009
I could not purchase the food as it was on a Sunday and nearly all the shops were closed.
28/9/2009
We took a taxi to town costing kshs.400/-to buy food. I bought 9 bundles of safari flour each costing Kshs.870/-each containing 12 packets or 2 kg per bundle. The total cost was Kshs.7,830/-receipt attached Transporting food from town to the village costed Kshs.600/
29/9/2009
I distributed the food at 10:00 am& by half and hour everything was over. People appreciated it so much saying it was a miracle for they have never seen before. News went all over & people kept coming only to be told they were late. I enjoyed it very much and thankful that i was apart of it all.
The photographs costed Kshs.632/-. The remaining amount we used for our expenditures for those days Thank you for making this possible, Eric Muasa

Eric's Bio-his education and experience seem similar to many people we talked to in Africa i am 21 yrs old. I stay in Mombasa at a place called Kisauni with my family. Am the youngest of 6 children.

"Growing up, i've encountered so many obstacles in my life since my dad lost his job in the year 1994 when i was in nursery school. The company he worked for collapsed.

This move caused some of us including me to drop out of school for 2 yrs due to lack of fees. I also went through difficult situations such as being forced to move out of our house as we could not pay rent and all our belongings were auctioned, causing us to sleep in other people's corridors. In a situation like this, it was difficult to get food and if we got, we had one meal a day which was not consistent.
From there, my mum who used to stitch as a hobby was forced to do it as a full time job. She struggled with us making sure that we got the basic needs.

We went to four different primary schools whereby in every school we went, we could not finish a year due to lack of fees. In the fourth school, 4 of us were offered free education and lunch that the school was offering because the headmistress who was also the owner of the school, understood our situation.

Through the help of my mum and her friends whom she stitched for, my elder siblings were able to complete their high school education and support the rest of us.

Currently my 3 elder siblings are still studying while struggling to support us. I am a part time student in Mombasa Aviation College pursuing a Diploma in Customs Clearing and Forwarding and my exams are due in March. I do not have a job."

Tanzanian Children's Fund-Exciting Development

2009-12-04T13:07:00.000-05:00

This is from our recent correspondence with TCF Founder-India:

"Dear Barry,

I just wanted to share some news that I think will be of special interest. I have now confirmed a two week women’s health and family planning clinic for January of 2010. A Candian team of OB/GYN docs will work with Tanzanian mid wives to provide check-ups and family planning counseling. This is the first such clinic to ever be held in the area so the District powers are very excited and supportive of this effort.

In a similar vein I will be meeting with the director of a local NGO next week to set up a family planning seminar for our young adult secondary students. Can’t start this stuff too early in life!! She works with a Tanzanian acting troop that gets the message across through skits and music. Not to worry – I will be snapping away with my camera for both events!

Aside from this life here has been extremely busy around here. Last week we hosted the second annual field day and then the Closing Ceremony at the school. Our kids stole the show taking most of the awards. Abdul and Riziki received the leadership awards for the school which made me burst with pride. Then they both gave speeches thanking the teachers for a great year. I was blown away by how poised, articulate and confident they both were standing in front of 450 students, teachers and volunteers! I can’t ever imagine having that level of confidence at that age. It was a moment to think “I guess we really are making a difference”.

Now on to Christmas! The kids are already hounding me to put up the tree and hang the stockings as if this will make the big day get here faster. Meanwhile I am gathering strength to face the monumental task of unpacking, sorting and assigning gifts for each of our 69 kids, 20 KLR kids, 50 secondary students, 75 staff kids and the staff. Nano tells me that you have helped to make a BIG dent in this job with all the goodies you brought to her. Bless you! Tracie will be bringing those gifts back with her this Saturday so I will begin the sorting next week. I really can’t complain about this job as in the end it is great fun to play “Santa” AND I have the whole volunteer team primed and ready to help with wrapping!

Cheers
India"

Kenyan Orphanage Corruption

2009-11-30T14:11:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately this is all too common in Sub-Saharan Africa:

"November 2, 2009
KOP DISCONTINUES ITS FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE JUBILEE CHILDREN’S CENTER AND TERMINATES ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILD OF DESTINY - AND ITS FOUNDERS - JOE MWANGI SYMMON AND ALYCEJO MWANGI.After supporting the operation of the Jubilee Center since January 2003, the Kenya Orphanage Project Board of Directors decided in August 2009 to terminate the financial contributions and monthly transfers of funds to Kenya. This was motivated by Joe Mwangi Symmon and AlyceJo Mwangi - founders of Child of Destiny – refusing to disclose - and back up by audited statements - how the financial support they are receiving through Child of Destiny in the US is being used in Kenya.
In September 2009, 12 children were expelled from Jubilee, some of them with nothing but their flip-flops. A KOP representative was sent to Nairobi and with the Kenyan government’s authorization, relocated 10 of these children to new boarding schools. KOP is supporting these 10 children financially and paying for their school tuition.

Several government agencies were sent to inspect Jubilee. Many irregularities were discovered: The Jubilee Children’s Center has been operating illegally and is lacking the proper certifications and authorizations to house and school orphans."

Kagame's article forwarded to us by Steve Wasira

2009-11-25T14:07:00.000-05:00

"Why Africa welcomes the Chinese
Africa must attract broad investment, not rely on handouts, if we are to sustain development阅
Paul Kagame
guardian.co.uk, Monday 2 November 2009 22.00 GMT

There is a debate among geopolitical and economic commentators about the merits of Chinese versus western involvement with Africa. One argument is that Chinese investment is exploitative and undermines the development of democracy and human rights on the continent. Others view the matter in terms of competition, arguing that China is encroaching on the decades-long monopoly of the west over Africa's natural resources.
Neither of these viewpoints addresses the core issues. First, major players in global investment and development are discussing Africa without engaging its people as equal partners. Second, Africans are not seen to be proactive in setting their own priorities and terms of engagement.
Development aid, fashioned on this skewed relationship, has long been a key source of income for the continent. While helpful, aid has not delivered sustainable development. It is clear that trade and investment bring greater opportunity for wealth creation. Africa welcomes investment, from the east and west, north and south, and Rwanda is no exception. We want investment that offers skills and jobs, encourages entrepreneurship, and provides the opportunity to improve millions of lives.
This call for investment and trade rather than traditional aid does not mean the latter's contribution to addressing poverty is not recognised. However, the fundamental problem with the current development aid practice is the danger countries face as they become perpetually reliant on handouts.
So what should those who give aid, and those who receive it, focus on? The primary purpose of aid should ultimately be to work itself out, leaving a positive legacy behind. Aid should also be used to create opportunities for trade, enhance self-sufficiency and assist with the development of a robust private sector to attract investment. In many countries, for example, aid offers resources such as fertilisers for free. The intention is good but this often prevents local businesses from being able to provide these goods competitively. Given the choice, people would prefer to work and provide for themselves, rather than receive charity. Africans want self-determination and dignity.
Our continent, like others, requires investment to further its development. Efforts to pursue this need not be seen as a threat to the strengthening of democracy. Of course, African leaders should take good governance and human rights seriously – and most do. This is not – and should not be – because anybody else tells us to, or in return for investment, but because it is the right thing to do. The presence of Chinese investment in Africa does not discharge governments of their responsibilities any more than its presence in the EU or US should erode human rights there.
In Rwanda, we have worked hard to tackle the root causes of corruption and ensure there is a strong case for attracting investment. This programme of reform is yielding results and has been recognised by the World Bank's 2010 Doing Business Index, which saw Rwanda jump from 143rd to 67th position in one year, making it the world's leading reformer. In 2008, Rwanda's GDP grew at 11.2%, and despite the global financial crisis our 2009 projections give us cause for optimism. Wages in key export sectors have grown more than 20% annually over the last eight years, and all these developments have occurred while the percentage of our national budget funded by aid has been reduced by half since 2001.
Ultimately, Africa's relationship with its international counterparts should be redefined. For too long, we have not been able to trade fairly with Europe and the US; trade barriers and subsidies, particularly in agriculture, have protected external markets from African products, hindering our ability to trade as equals. Investment and trade with willing countries, including intra-African trade, helps the continent to build a much-needed culture of entrepreneurship and development.
All would benefit if the world focused on increasing investment in Africa, and if Rwanda and the rest of the continent worked to establish more equitable international partnerships. A trade relationship built on this new approach would be more helpful in reaching what should be our common goal: sustainable development, mutual prosperity and respect."

Nov. 10th Life Project for Africa Benefit-An Evening to Remember....

2009-11-17T12:36:00.000-05:00

The November 10th benefit for Life Project for Africa was a success and organized very well. As per the below pictures - all attendees enjoyed the evening to help and support a great cause...For more info on the event please visit: http://lifeprojectafrica.org/fall09-postevent/default.asp

Barry Segal and Miss Tanzania-Flaviana Francis Matata

Dolly Segal, Melissa Segal, and Russell Simmons

Rwandan Statistics from Maryundo Educational Magazine

2009-11-06T15:20:00.001-05:00

"According to the GPI (Global Peace Index), Rwanda has been ranked second most peaceful country in the region behind Tanzania in this year 2009.

Last year, Rwanda had been ranked 11th out of 30 countries in Africa, and 76th worldwide out of 140 countries analyzed in 2008.

This year 2009, Rwanda is ranked 13th peaceful country in Africa, and 86th in the world. Only beaten by Tanzania in the Region, this country has youth determined to keep its peace, untiy, and security througout all its provinces.

Regionally, and in 2009, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Burundi are respectively ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th."

Interesting Article frowarded by Sue Davis of BRAC

2009-11-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Ibrahim Committee Decides Not to Award Prize

In a snub to recent ex-presidents and heads of state, organizers of a multimillion-dollar prize that celebrates good governance on the African continent have decided not to bestow the award this year, the Associated Press reports.
Created in 2007 by the London-based Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership honors a former African head of state who has demonstrated leadership that improves the prospects of people on the continent. Recipients of the prize, who receive $5 million over ten years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter, must be democratically elected and have left office within the past three years. The first two recipients of the prize were former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano and Botswana's former president, Festus Gontebanye Mogae.
According to Ibrahim Foundation board member and former Botswana president Ketumile Masire, the committee considered "some credible candidates" for this year's prize but could not settle on a winner. While unable to discuss the committee's deliberations, Masire said the foundation "noted the progress made with governance in some African countries, while noting with concern recent setbacks in other countries." Politicians who met the award criteria this year include former South African president Thabo Mbeki, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, and ex-Ghanaian president John Kufuor.
Although Mo Ibrahim, who founded the African telecommunications company Celtel International, noted that he intended for there to be years when a winner is not chosen, the move surprised some experts, who said the award should be used as an encouragement to good governance. Others saw the decision as a wake-up call.
"We're seeing in places from Senegal to Libya attempts to pass power from father to son, and it's been a year of coups in places like Madagascar and Mauritania and Guinea," said Reed Brody, a legal counselor for Human Rights Watch. "It hasn't been a great year for democracy in Africa. Maybe that's what they were trying to say."
Watt, Louise. “No Winner for $5 Million African Leadership Prize.” Associated Press 10/19/09.

Planned Parenthood-Sucess One Step at a Time...

2009-10-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

We get quarterly updates from organizations receiving funds from The Segal Family Foundation. It lets us know how the program is progressing, whether it is sucessfull, and more importantly how the funds are budgeted and how it aligns with our goals. The following is from the Planned Parenthood:

"PPFA's work continues to positively impact the lives of adolescents and young people by empowering them to make informed decisions about their lives and choices. The quotes below, from adolescents and youth in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya who have benefited from our program, highlight this:

"I couldn't have completed my national certificate course in education if I did not receive family planning counseling. The staff sent me to a nurse in their clinic who helped me."

-Zaki Bian in Nigeria

"I would not like [to become pregnant] and that is why I have decided to use pills to prevent unwanted pregnancy."

-Semeng Gabria, 18 year-old student in Ethiopia

"It is challenging to work as a peer youth educator since there is a lot of peer pressure, but I really love helping my fellow youth."

-Youth peer educator in Kibera, Kenya

We are extremly grateful for the generous support of Segal Family Foundation. The sucess stories bring to life the importance of the support SFF is providing."

2009 Clinton Global Initiative Meeting

2009-10-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

For Dolly and me, each year of CGI gets better. An amazing amount of the people we work with were there, John McAslan, Milton Ocieng-Lwala, Jennifer Thomson-Nyaka, Sue Davis-BRAC, Jonathan Reckford-Habitat and of course having Heidi and MacDella, as evening guests livened up the party. Majora not only made a commitment but spoke with this Pitt guy, who is active in New Orleans. The guy didn’t even shave for the event.

Maathai was great on a panel she wrote “Challenge for Africa” we are going to donate to her new project that John McAslan designed.

At our last plenary, (we had to get back to the office and missed Hillary). James Dimon of J.P. Morgan claimed there were 1,800,000 ngo’s and they should try and meet and share best practices.

"Barry's Angels" at the meeting.

July 25th MCC Academy Fundraiser

2009-08-03T15:48:00.001-04:00

We attended MacDella Cooper's fundraising event in the Hamptons on July 25th. It was a wonderful evening and we enjoyed learning more about MCC academy project. For more info you may visit http://www.macdellacooper.org/

Below: Heidi Albertsen, Dolly & Barry Segal, and MacDella Cooper.

Heidi Albertsen & Life Project for Africa

2009-08-03T15:35:00.000-04:00

We've recently come in contact with Heidi Albertsen of Life Project for Africa http://www.lifeprojectafrica.org/. They focus on the following areas:

·In 2002, 1.1 billion people lacked access to improved water sources, which represented 17% of the global population
·In sub-Saharan Africa sanitation coverage is a mere 36%.
·In sub-Saharan Africa, 42% of the population is still without improved water
·Many poor people, children and women in particular, die without ever accessing a health facility
·Eight out of ten children, who get infections, die at home and six of them without any contact with formal health services
·Almost 90% of all child deaths are due to preventable causes - malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, malnutrition and complications of low birth weight
·Approximately 28.6% of Tanzanians cannot read and write in any language

Darren's First Week of School

2009-07-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

Darren's first impressions of African school system are very similar to our experience:

"Friday, July 10, 2009 Start of School

I have finished a week of school.......I am working at Gulu High with three other U.S. teachers. The experience has been mixed so far. The school is a boarding school for high school aged kids both boys and girls. They also have many teachers who live on campus. In comparison to the other schools I have seen and visited this one is very nice. However it is still very basic, they have classrooms with only a chalk board and desks and a dirt floor. They do not have a cafeteria and must eat in the dorms. The dorms are large rooms filled with bunk beds where the students sleep. There are no bathrooms except for latrines which are comparable to outhouses.The teachers work a college like schedule, they only teach a couple hours a day and spend the rest of the day planning. For example I work with my teacher 80 minutes a day in the classroom four days a week and the rest of the time is spent planning. However planning for most teachers is hanging out in the staff room. My teacher is not one of those thankfully, he is very good so far and I am learning a lot from him. But mostly the teachers have a very light load. They watch tv in the staff room or go home during the school day. Some skip class or come late or if they do come they are unprepared. The lessons they give are mostly lecture which can be tiring for eighty minutes. My teacher does things a little differenlty, he will do group work, presenations and we are going to introduce drama into our classroom. The children all have uniforms and behave very well atleast in my experience....So far so Good
Posted by darren at 5:29 AM "

From the trip to Africa.

2009-07-08T12:38:00.000-04:00

Told you a lot about our trip. Forgot the best beer:

Barry

Darren of "Invisible Children" & His trip to Gulu

2009-07-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Darren is keeping a daily blog (http://darrenuganda09.blogspot.com/) from his teacher exchange this summer. Below is one of his entries before the trip:

***

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
segalfamilyfoundation.org

Before I leave on my excursion,I must thank the Segal Family Foundation for sponsoring my trip. They are a great organization that assists orphanages and schools in Uganda and Rwanda along with numerous other African countries. They have worked with such people as Bill Clinton, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Paul Kagme, the current president of Rwanda. Check out their website at segalfamilyfoundation.org

Posted by darren at 3:31 PM 0 comments

"War Child" & Dr. Samanha Nutt

2009-06-15T15:49:00.000-04:00

I recently had a phone conversation with Dr. Samantha Nutt of War Child (http://www.warchild.ca/ or http://www.warchild.us/). Below is a meaningful quote from her bio:

"The mainstream media has already endorsed this approach, coming out in favour of "aid consolidation" and the "rational use of resources." In other words, so the thinking goes, better to help a few people a lot than to help a lot of people just a little. Frankly, on a purely instinctive level, I’ve always found such arguments to be rather inane: what ever happened to measures of need? That’s not to say that Peru, Bolivia and the like are not deserving of assistance, but in the race to the top of the worldwide misery scale – barring a few notable exceptions – Africa wins, hands down. Twenty-eight of the bottom 30 countries in the UN Human Development Index are situated in Africa. On top of this, several African countries to recently emerge from protracted conflict – Sierra Leone, Liberia and, arguably, the Democratic Republic of Congo – have, for the first time in more than a decade, a fighting chance at peace and security, but not without a genuine investment in their development and good governance. If Afghanistan has taught us anything, it’s that abject poverty, isolationism and injustice anywhere – combined with a brooding tendency towards youth militancy – is a recipe for global insecurity".

From MacDella Cooper's Inverview with Naomi Hirabayashi

2009-06-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

This is exactly what inspired Dolly & my efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa:

"It wasn't until my first visit to Liberia in Dec. of 2005 that I noticed the number of unwanted children in Liberia. There were thousands of children roaming the streets of Monrovia without parents or anyone to take care of them. That brought me to tears. I could not understand why nobody wanted them. NOBODY WANTED THEM. They were beautiful children. I visited a few orphanages and saw more unwanted children. There were too many unwanted children in the country. I knew i had to do somehting to save as many as I could".

MacDella Cooper

Planned Parenthood involvement in “Global Gag Rule”:

2009-05-28T16:48:00.000-04:00

Not everyone agrees with Dambisa:

2009-05-19T18:23:00.000-04:00

Learn More About Planned Parenthood

2009-05-02T22:34:00.000-04:00

Planned Parenthood is especially important to us. Children deserve better, an opportunity for education and advancement.

Click on the links in “Sub-Saharan Africa” bottom section of our website to see the statistics and to find the birth rates. These numbers are actually a distortion as the city birth rate is smaller and the rural much higher.

In Support of Dikembe Mutombo

2009-04-30T18:49:00.000-04:00

This article was in April’s Sports Illustrated. Below is correspondence between us on a tennis game. (click to enlarge)
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1155046/index.htm

If Dikembe wants to do a tennis lesson and dinner, I’ll donate an additional $10,000 (first lesson only). Preet, if you want a tennis lesson my usual fee is $8.60 per hour, but for you I’ll do it for $4.00. Thanks again for the gift. I will treasure it.”
*****
Dear Barry,

Preet just told me about your contribution to our foundation. Thank you so much. I know you have a lot of information about our foundation, so you know we are trying to make a big difference. We can only do it with the support of people like you. I will be done playing this summer and I want to meet you. I don’t know anything about tennis but I can ask my brother about all the rules and we can play. Thank you very much.

Truly Yours,

Dikembe Mutombo

*****
Dikembe,

Thanks for the e-mail. Don’t worry about the tennis, you don’t have to know the rules. We won’t play competitively. I’ve started a lot of people on tennis with light instruction – I thought it might be fun to do with you, but it’s not a necessity. Hope to see you soon.

Barry

Government Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa

2009-04-30T18:19:00.000-04:00

Africa hinges on its ability to create stable governments that support and protect the general populous. Current boundaries do not necessarily support cultural/ethnic diversity and should be open for modification by the African leadership. Afro-pessimism and "Donor Fatigue" require the advent of Africa solutions.

Despite disease and famine the population is growing by 2.3% annually, the highest in the world and is expected to double in 20 years. The median age is plummeting. One half the population is 15 years or younger.

The military is frustrated with the African leadership and the lack of appreciation for past efforts, (e.g. relief workers killed and brutalized).

An analogy to provide a frame of reference would be to imagine the U.S. today with no federal authority and each of its 50 states trying to form new governments independent of one another. The prospect for failure is enormous, and the issue is further complicated by reasons inherent to the African culture.

The unique action of the Sub Sahara is that nations rarely fight against one another.

"Brain Drain" effect when educated citizens move to other countries in search of better economic prospects.

A Note From the Clinton Global Initiative

2009-04-30T18:15:00.000-04:00

Dear Barry,

I returned from California last week and received your packet of documents on Friday, thank you very much for sending it our way, they are very helpful in understanding the background of your foundation, your mission and the work you've supported thus far.

First off, kudos to you and Dolly for the tremendous support that you've shown to some very deserving NGOs thus far. You are truly getting "bang for your buck" as you suggest by helping some of the smaller orgs accomplish their work on the ground in Sub-Saharan Africa. It's also great to see that so many of your relationships have emerged out of meetings at CGI.

I've shared your website draft with my colleagues on the commitments team, who were thrilled to read some of the stories you provided. This detailed info is useful to us as we update your partnership information on our website and in our internal records.

I know that you seem to do just fine meeting the right people at the meeting each year, but if there is anything we can do to ensure that you come across NGOs that do work in East Africa, we'd be happy to provide suggestions and/or set up meetings for you. Let's keep in touch, and feel free to call us at anytime. I'd be happy to look within our membership pool for commitments that meet your interests whenever you need.

Warmly,
Amanda
_____________________________________
Amanda Chen
Commitments Portfolio Senior Associate
C L I N T O N G L O B A L I N I T I A T I V E

The Trouble With Improving Life in Sub-Saharan Africa

2009-04-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

We subscribe to the magazine “The Week” – it’s a resume of articles appearing in different papers. This one on Johannesburg is different and kind of illustrates the problems with improving the life in Sub-Sahara, Africa.

Click Here for Details