Monthly Archives: November 2011

Travel notes from Kenya

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Travel notes from Kenya | World Vision blog
World Vision’s Rachael Boyer is in Kenya this week, visiting our water and sanitation projects in a part of Africa long affected by drought and lack of access to clean, safe water for families and communities. Today, she shares her experiences from her first day in the field. Look for more of Rachael’s trip notes on the blog later this week. *    *    * I flew with a group of World Vision U.S. staff members and donors from Uganda into Kenya via Eldoret. Then, we traveled to Marich Pass, located in Kenya’s Rift Valley, to see a particularly successful clean water project. Previously, poor access to clean water in the area contributed to early marriages and school dropouts...
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Malaria in the Congo: The ever-present scourge (PHOTO BLOG)

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Malaria in the Congo | World Vision blog
Here in the United States, malaria is often merely thought of as an exotic, foreign disease that was eradicated from our nation in 1951. But when asked to describe malaria in one word, a nurse at Karawa General Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had this to say: “Killer.” The hospital administrator said that 80 percent of the local population carries the disease. My assignment last week was to document the needs of children in the region, because World Vision is considering working in the Karawa area. Malaria dominated almost every situation I covered. Here is a glimpse of what it looks and feels like....
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Covering Somalia: Are we doing enough?

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Covering Somalia: Are we doing enough? | World Vision blog
Over the weekend, I read a memoir of the life of Ahmed Ali Haile, a great Somali whom I was blessed to meet earlier at Daystar University in Kenya, where I attended my undergraduate studies. Haile taught a course I took on understanding Islam — a course that would positively influence my relations with the Somalis with whom I work. In his memoir, Haile narrates his experience of famine in 1965, as a 12-year-old boy in central Somalia. His family and community had coping mechanisms that they practiced. But the continued conflict there has clearly cut off this pattern — and the consequences are devastating. Since I started working for World Vision three years ago, I have met many malnourished...
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Dear G20: Remember the real 99%

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Dear G20: Remember the 99% | World Vision blog
Cannes, France, is world-renowned for its glamor, beauty, and opulence. This week, the playground destination for the rich and famous is filled with politicians, media, and NGO representatives, as the leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies gather for the annual G20 Summit. And as the Eurozone crisis deepens and the U.S. economy remains unsteady, the stakes couldn’t be much higher. These issues must be discussed, and the G20 is a crucial forum to have these discussions. But there’s much more to this story. Right now, in cities around the world, there is a growing protest movement putting the issue of inequality squarely on the public agenda. Regardless how you feel about the movement, I believe there is another 99...
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Food for thought: Giving children the best start in the first 1,000 days

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Giving children the best start in the first 1000 days | World Vision blog
You’ve got to respect the tenacity of a babe in arms to hold up his head, focus his eyes, and grasp a grownup’s finger. An enormous amount of mental heavy lifting is going on behind those eyes, and a lot of high-quality fuel is needed to build the muscle and brain cells at work. Mom’s milk is the perfect fuel, and it’s all that’s needed for the first six months of life. But a new report from World Vision called “The Best Start” makes clear that other simple and inexpensive measures can help ensure that millions more children get a healthy start toward a full life. Why? Because: Undernourishment is a child’s worst enemy. Around 2.5  million children die each...
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