ADRA

Haiti: ADRA Commences Second Phase of Mass Food Distribution

9 Mar 2010 at 7:14pm

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

Donate to Haiti Earthquake Response Fund
Online: http://www.adra.org/haiti
Mobile: 85944, Text the word “ADRA”, reply “YES”
Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

SILVER SPRING, Md. — On Monday, March 8, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) began a second large-scale food distribution that, by its completion, will feed an estimated 300,000 people in the neighborhood of Carrefour, outside of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

At the end of the first large-scale food distribution, ADRA and its partners reached nearly 3 million people with emergency food assistance. Another 2 million will receive food aid, during the current distribution, which is scheduled to end March 30.

ADRA is one of 10 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP) in this phase of food distribution, which is benefiting 300,000 families across the Port-au-Prince region. ADRA has the second largest allocation from WFP, and will distribute 17 percent of the food provided by WFP.

"ADRA has been working with WFP around the world for many years, and is pleased to have this opportunity to continue to work with WFP here in Haiti," said Andrew Lucas, program director for ADRA’s Emergency Response Center in Haiti.

According to agency officials, ADRA will distribute emergency food baskets for an estimated 2,500 families a day, with each family receiving a basket of food containing rice, corn-soy blend, beans, vegetable oil, and salt, totaling 54 kilograms. Approximately 1,296 metric tons of food will be distributed across nine zones in Carrefour, by the project’s completion, with an estimated 50,000 households receiving emergency food supplies.

"Several of the zones targeted are in the foothills and mountains of Carrefour, and will receive food aid for the first time, since the earthquake hit," added Lucas.

To engage the leadership skills and local expertise of community members in the disaster response, the Haitian government implemented a system of committees in the Carrefour region. The committee consists of the mayor of Carrefour, a member of the local civil society organization, ADRA, and a representative of the national government in Carrefour.

Food distribution points and beneficiaries were selected by these committees, with priority given to those most vulnerable, such as families with children under the age of five, and those living in internally displaced persons camps, or on the streets.

During the first phase of the project, ADRA distributed food for more than 10,000 beneficiaries a day over a 15-day period. The project is part of a massive operation implemented by the Haitian government, in collaboration with the U.N. Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the WFP and other partners, to meet the needs of survivors throughout the quake-affected region.

To learn more about what it takes for one food ration to arrive in the hands of a beneficiary, click here.

If you would like to support ADRA’s relief efforts, give to the Haiti Earthquake Response Fund at www.adra.org/haiti, or by phone at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372).

To donate through a mobile phone, text the word "ADRA" to 85944, reply "YES" and donate a one-time $10 gift to ADRA's Haiti response.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

 

 

 

[ALERT]Chile: As Foreign Governments Pledge Support, ADRA Continues Response

4 Mar 2010 at 8:45am

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

Donate to ADRA’s Chile Earthquake Response Fund
Mobile: 27138, Text the word “CHILE”, add a space followed by the donation amount (e.g. “CHILE 50”).  You will receive a call to process your credit card donation.
Online: www.adra.org 

Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

 

 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chilean President-elect Sebastian Piñera pose for a photo with ADRA Chile volunteers during ADRA's relief activities at Santiago's international airport, Tuesday, March 2. (Photo Credit: ADRA Chile)

SILVER SPRING, Md. —In response to the devastating earthquake in Chile, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to provide assistance for survivors, with the distribution of emergency food supplies in the quake-affected region.

Part of these relief activities were caught on tape by Chilean television news station, TV Nacional, during their coverage of Tuesday morning’s news conference held by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at Santiago’s international airport.  During the conference, ADRA volunteers can be seen packing food items for survivors to assist the Chilean National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI).

ADRA was contacted by ONEMI immediately after the disaster hit Saturday morning, and asked to assist with distribution of food and water supplies for earthquake survivors. As part of that response, Saturday afternoon, ADRA dispatched a truckload of water to provide clean water for affected persons in the cities of Talca and Concepción, which according to disaster officials are desperately in need of clean drinking water. ADRA is also collecting other emergency supplies, such as mattresses, blankets, and other necessities.

To view TV Nacional’s clip of the news conference, as well as ADRA’s relief activities there, click here.

Within hours following the quake, ADRA began assessing the needs of survivors in the region in preparation for an initial response worth at least $105,000. Funders of that response include ADRA International, the South American Regional office, the Adventist Church in Chile, and ADRA Canada.

More information about ADRA’s response to the recent earthquake will be released as it becomes available.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Chile Earthquake Response Fund at www.adra.org, or contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372). To donate via mobile phone in the U.S. text the word “CHILE” to 27138, add a space followed by the amount you want to give (e.g. “CHILE 50). You will receive a call shortly to process your credit card donation.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

Progress for All: On International Women's Day, ADRA Highlights Importance of...

3 Mar 2010 at 9:42am

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

To donate to ADRA go to:
Online: www.adra.org
Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

SILVER SPRING, Md.—Nearly a century after International Women’s Day (IWD) was first observed in March of 1911, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) recommits its work to empower women, recognizing the importance of gender equality in helping communities achieve their development goals.

“In recent years, the distance that many countries have traveled to accept the importance of gender rights and women’s empowerment has truly been amazing,” said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA International.  “However, for women around the world to truly achieve equality, much more must be done.”

In October of 2009, in partnership with the Women’s Ministries department of the Adventist Church, ADRA launched a global awareness campaign called enditnow™ to encourage communities to bring an end to gender-based violence and other oppressive practices aimed at women and girls worldwide.

“Through this campaign, we want to make it clear that violence against women and girls can not and will not be tolerated in any form, and motivate others to do the same,” continued Sandefur.

The campaign encourages millions of people to stand up against gender-based violence.  Currently ADRA and Women’s Ministries are collecting a total of 1 million signatures from more than 200 countries around the world, which will be presented to the United Nations to advocate for new policies to protect women and girls.

Through this ongoing campaign and the many other projects currently running around the world, ADRA is working to build lasting social change in the lives of women and girls providing beneficiaries with valuable skills to improve their household incomes, and standard of living, strengthen their voices within their communities, build their confidence, and give them the strength they need to resist harmful practices, including violence, abuse, and exploitation.

To learn more about the enditnow™ campaign, click here.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 60 percent of the world’s poorest people are women and girls. Two-thirds of children who are currently out of school are girls, and at least one out of every three girls worldwide have been victims of some form of gender-based violence.

“Where we see progress towards [development] lacking the most is where the needs of women and girls are not given enough attention or prioritization,” said Helen Clark, administrator for the UNDP in a recent speech.  “Achieving gender equality is a prerequisite for meeting [our development goals].”

Other projects that ADRA is utilizing to empower women include a microfinance project in Peru for low-income women in Peru, and various development projects that improve the quality of life for Roma women in Bulgaria.

The microfinance project currently being implemented in Peru helps beneficiaries to fund their dreams, through the project’s Community Banking Program.  As members of the project, Community Associations consisting of between 15 and 40 women receive loans that can be used to start and operate personal businesses, which range from baking, and tailoring to candy shops, grocery stores, and hairdressing salons.

“This promotes the continued growth of the beneficiaries’ families and communities,” said Indira Melgar, director for the ADRA Peru Microfinance project. “At the same time, it encourages the economic independence of the participants, fostering collective and individual saving habits.”

In Eastern Europe, ADRA has been working for many years with Roma communities in Bulgaria, placing special priority on the needs of Roma women. Over the years, ADRA these projects have provided them with improved health education, medical attention, vocational training, and information on family planning and budgeting. ADRA also encourages them to be more active participants within their own communities.

“Through these activities, the [participating] women’s capacity to contribute to the development of their society has improved,” added Velinova. “This has increased the power they hold as community members, directly impacting issues such as the education of their children, and their chances to have a better life.”

To learn more about other projects that ADRA is involved in to empower and protect women and girls, visit us at www.adra.org.

International Women’s Day is commemorated every year on March 8, as part of a global celebration of women’s past, present, and future achievements.  Although organizations are free to choose different themes each year, for 2010, the United Nations theme is “Equal rights, equal opportunities:  Progress for all”.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

Historic Flooding in Perú: ADRA Responds

3 Mar 2010 at 9:40am

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

Donate to ADRA’s Emergency Response Fund
Online: www.adra.org 

Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

 

 

(Photo Credit: REUTERS/ Andina Agency/Handout (PERU), courtesy www.alertnet.org)

SILVER SPRING, Md. —Beginning in mid-January, torrential rainfall has caused widespread flooding and mudslides in south central Perú, inundating rivers, damaging homes, roads and croplands, and affecting more than 60,000 people throughout the country, reported the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

In the mountainous region of Cusco, one of the areas most severely affected by the continual rainfall, an estimated 30,000 people have been affected, with nearly 5,000 homes destroyed, and another 7,000 damaged, according to a report by the Peruvian Civil Defense Regional Committee of Cusco. 

“Some people are saying that this is the worst rains that we have had in 20 years,” said Walter Britton, country director for ADRA Perú.

In response, ADRA began providing immediate emergency assistance for survivors of the recent rains within the department of Cusco, through the distribution of food and hygiene kits to 500 families in the Zurite district, located in the western province of Anta.

By the project’s completion, each family will receive one food kit packed with rice, sugar, oil, salt, lentils, beans, milk and tuna.  They will also receive one hygiene kit, packed with basic essentials such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent, and feminine products.

The response is coordinated with the National Institute of Civil Defense, local government officials, and Emergency Operations Centers in the Cusco region to avoid duplication of aid.  ADRA International, the ADRA regional office for South America and ADRA Perú, fund this response with an estimated value of $15,000.

ADRA has been active in Perú since 1965 providing aid in agricultural development, infrastructure development, basic education, microfinance, health, and disaster prevention.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

To send your contribution to ADRA’s Emergency Response Fund, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill

 

ADRA Post Trauma Program Helps Young Haitian Survivors Deal with Disaster

2 Mar 2010 at 7:26pm

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

Donate to Haiti Earthquake Response Fund
Online: http://www.adra.org/haiti
Mobile: 85944, Text the word “ADRA”, reply “YES”
Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

Children attending ADRA's post trauma center participate in educational activities. (Photo Credit: Hearly G. Mayr, ADRA International)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—“The children are traumatized. We want to help them go back to being the way they were before the earthquake,” says Edna François, a staff member of the Post Trauma Program that the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) launched in a camp for displaced Haitians in Port-au-Prince.

In a less frequented corner of the 20,000-person camp, ADRA set-up a child friendly space to provide children a place to play and interact safely with each other. The program, which is currently assisting approximately 1,200 children, has focused on the camp’s youngest residents, as most have received no post trauma assistance since the disaster and limited access to educational activities.

“They were like ants,” says Elcy Delly, a Haitian teacher working with ADRA, referring to the number of unattended children that were in the camp before the program began. “Because parents are busy during the day finding food, they lose track of their children. We’re trying to reintegrate them.”

At 8 o’clock in the morning from Monday to Thursday, children arrive from all over the camp to participate in the activities. In the camp itself there are more than 2,400 children between the ages of three to seventeen. Promptly, trained personnel—16 teachers and eight assistants—organize them in small groups of approximately 30, then guide each group through four interactive areas, including recreation, art, reading, and health education. The activities, which take place in two shifts of two hours each, include on average 250 children each morning.

In the reading area, a teacher shows the children an image from a book and asks, “How many legs does the wolf have?” She turns the pages and talks to the children to ensure she has their full attention. They also discuss the human body; she teaches them about the different parts through a song. “La bouche, voici la bouche. Le nez, voici le nez—The mouth, here’s the mouth. The nose, here’s the nose,” they sing in French, pointing with their fingers to their mouths and noses.

“This develops their minds,” says François, who has nine years of experience teaching kindergarten students.

While the program has only been in operation for a few days, the impact on children is starting to be noted.

“Now they’re beginning to speak,” adds Delly. “The first day they were stressed; they didn’t want to speak. It was as if they were fearful of something.”

One of those children is Lhynn, an 8-year-old girl who came to live in the camp with her mother just hours after the earthquake struck and partially damaged their house. The January 12 quake came to her as a second blow in just as many months. One morning in November her father went jogging in the neighborhood and didn’t come back. When her mother went looking for him, she found him sitting on the ground near the house, dying.

“Because she suddenly lost her father, I brought her here to be with other children to share her grief,” says Lhynn’s mother. “That will help her deal with the loss, not completely, but it will help.” She adds, “She was very close to her father.”

The combination of her father’s death and, two months later, the deadly earthquake caused great anxiety to Lhynn. She didn’t understand why he would die so meaninglessly while they could survive such a terrible disaster unharmed.

“After the death of her father,” says her mother, “I told her that he’s sleeping in the arms of Jesus. I told her that only God knows why he left first.”

Lhynn also didn’t want to sit idly, especially since school had been closed indefinitely. She asked her mother for help.

“I want to read and do activities,” her mother recalls Lhynn saying. So she accompanied her daughter to the program.

“It is very important for the children who have suffered the effects of the seism to be able to have a space where they can express themselves, socialize, and develop the values that will help in their healing,” says Patricia Müller, coordinator of ADRA’s Post Trauma Program.

Since its launch, the program has become very popular in the camp and among the children.

“They make a lot of friends here,” adds François. “Some children say, ‘I want to return to the tent.’ They find that this is a safe place.”

The activities have also helped provide a way for teachers to be hopeful and stay busy, as they have not been able to return to work because schools have been destroyed or remain closed.

“I was also stressed. My heart was sad,” says Delly, “but working with the children I was able to relax. I found my place again.”

If you would like to support ADRA’s relief efforts, give to the Haiti Earthquake Response Fund at www.adra.org/haiti, or by phone at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372).

To donate through a mobile phone, text the word "ADRA" to 85944, reply "YES" and donate a one-time $10 gift to ADRA's Haiti response.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Hearly Mayr

 

 

 

ADRA Coordinates with Chilean Government to Provide Aid

2 Mar 2010 at 7:15pm

John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

Donate to ADRA’s Emergency Response Fund
Mobile: 27138, Text the word “CHILE”, add a space followed by the donation amount (e.g. “CHILE 50”).  You will receive a call to process your credit card donation.
Online: www.adra.org 

Phone: 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)

 

 

Women cry next to a destroyed building in Talca some 300 km (186 miles) south of Santiago February 27, 2010.(Photo Credit: REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Caballero, courtesy www.alertnet.org)

SILVER SPRING, Md. —Following a deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest ever recorded, the extent of the humanitarian crisis in some of the worse hit areas in south-central Chile is becoming apparent, reports the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), which is coordinating with disaster response authorities to provide assistance.

The Chilean National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI) has called ADRA to assist immediately with food and water distribution. Agency officials have already met with ONEMI to coordinate the aid. As a result, ADRA dispatched a truckload of water, which left Saturday afternoon from the capital Santiago on its way to Talca and Concepción, two cities close to the quake’s epicenter. Mattresses, blankets, and other basic necessities are also being procured for distribution.

Meanwhile, residents in affected areas, including the cities of Curicó, Chillán, Talca, Concepción, and Los Angeles, remain jittery as aftershocks continue to occur. So far, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded more than 105 aftershocks stronger than 5.0 magnitude since the quake happened Saturday at 3:34 a.m. local time (1:34 a.m. EST / 6:34 UTC).

“People are out of their homes, and many are thinking of sleeping outside for fear of the aftershocks,” said Jorge Alé, country director for ADRA Chile.

According to ONEMI, which continues to survey the affected areas with the support of the Army and the National Police, the human death toll has risen to more than 700, an estimated 500,000 homes have been destroyed and 1.5 million others have suffered various degrees of damage.

"The number of victims could get higher," said President-Elect Sebastian Piñera, who will take office in March.

The cities of Curicó, Talca, Chillán, Concepción, and Los Ángeles, which suffered the brunt of the quake’s force, remain without access to clean drinking water, according to disaster officials. In addition, approximately two million people have been directly affected, President Michelle Bachellet announced during a televised interview Saturday.

"The forces of nature have badly affected our country," said Ms. Bachelet.

The quake, ranked seventh in recorded history and the strongest since the 2004 quake that triggered the Asian tsunami, caused widespread fear among residents. It was the most powerful earthquake to strike Chile since the 9.5-magnitude 1960 earthquake.

“The ground was moving like ocean waves,” said Nancy Roa Vidal, an ADRA supporter from Santiago. “[The earthquake] lasted approximately two minutes. We’re in a state of catastrophe.”

Within hours following the quake, ADRA began assessing the needs of survivors in the region in preparation for an initial response worth at least $105,000. Funders include ADRA International, the South American Regional office, the Adventist Church in Chile, and ADRA Canada.

More information about ADRA’s response will be released as it becomes available.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Chile Earthquake Response Fund at www.adra.org, or contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372). To donate via mobile phone in the U.S. text the word “CHILE” to 27138, add a space followed by the amount you want to give (e.g. “CHILE 50). You will receive a call shortly to process your credit card donation.

Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Hearly Mayr

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