Emergency supplies being unloaded in Nadi

On Sunday the 8th of April all GVI Volunteers and Staff returned to the mainland to take part in disaster relief efforts following the recent flooding disaster in the western district of Viti Levu. A temporary base was currently set up in Martintar near Nadi Town and we have been deploying volunteers to the field with the Red Cross for the past week to perform disaster damage assessments and to distribute aid packs. GVIs partnership with the Red Cross has enabled us to provide much needed human resources in response to what has been Fiji’s most widespread and devastating flood. The Yasawa Trust Foundation were hugely supportive and provided both the Red Cross and GVI with transport solutions throughout the program here on the mainland.

Over the past 5 days our volunteers have visited dozens of different areas and assessed the needs of hundreds of families. Dr Mohammed Yunush, the president of Nadi Red Cross asked GVI directors to accept his sincere appreciation for the ongoing support and invited resident staff to join the Red Cross as permanent members. Our blue t-shirts branded with bold red crosses were seen all over Nadi this week from the rural southern settlements to the outer urban areas. SUV’s, trucks, vans, and buses unloaded our teams at various drop points in a military fashion. Houses were surveyed, villagers interviewed, and data collected. In other areas hundreds of boxes were loaded and unloaded. Water sanitation packs from Unicef, hygiene packs from AusAid, clothing, cookware, tarpaulins – were hand distributed to each assessed family.

The damage to personal property and homes has been extensive. The experience of visiting these areas and assessing the damage has been very moving for all involved as we have seen first hand the losses of individuals. In a country where people have very little and live in homes that are extremely vulnerable, in an area still recovering from the January floods, this most recent flood has taken a serious toll on the people of the western district. Please help us fund-raise to ensure that those affected by this disaster have the support they need to recover. Please follow this link for further information on how to give to this cause: http://www.gvi.org/disaster-recovery-fiji

Flood waters in Nadi, Fiji

On Friday the 30th of March 2012, the Western Division of Fiji experienced some of the worse flooding in recent history. Today over 11,000 people are living in basic evacuation centres, their homes destroyed by flood waters. Thousands are without electricity and running water. Many people lost their livelihoods and homes in a matter of hours without warning. Supply chains have been disrupted, buildings destroyed and infrastructure damaged, and there are fears that water born diseases will result in a health crisis.

Thousands of Fijians have been affected by the floods; many have been forced from their homes or have lost their livelihoods and the education of tens of thousands of children is under threat. When the waters finally recede, people will return to their homes and communities, where they will face a long, slow rebuilding process. The number of people at evacuation centres continues to increase, and health authorities in the Western Division have expressed concern that overcrowding and unsanitary practices could lead to an outbreak of disease.

GVI Charitable Trust has hence hence launched a disaster recovery campaign, to raise money to help fund:

-       Health initiatives to help reduce the opportunities for the development of water born diseases

-       Support the Evacuation Centre support in distribution of food and logistics

-       Support of both young and elderly community memebers

-       Village clean up crews

-       Rebuilding of schools and community centers

-       Business recovery support

Anyone interested in donating or seeking more information should visit the project page for me details: http://www.gvi.org/disaster-recovery-fiji

Each sponsored novice was selected by the Abbot of the temple who considered the qualities of a hard working student and their disadvantaged background. The beneficiaries of the sponsorship come from families who would not be able to fund the cost of further education for their sons leaving them at a disadvantage.

English language is an important requisite for further education opening future opportunities for gainful employment. As such these funds will make a tangible difference for these monks and their families.

In addition, recent donations have been used to tile the floors of classrooms at the centre, a request from our partners. This simple improvement will create a much comfortable environment in which to learn.

On our project Alternative livelihoods for Ex Poachers in Kenya, donations to the GVI Charitable Trust funded a Posho mill as part of a food security initiative for the community of Mahandakini. Posho Mills are used to grind maize into flour, the main food staple in Kenya.

The aim was that the Posho Mill would bring down food costs for local people and then act as a source of income through the sale of flour. Julie Dawson, GVI Tsavo West Sustainable Development Officer shares this  update from the field:

‘The posho mill has now been operating on a daily basis since May 2011. GVI volunteers and staff have been teaching the The Mahandikini Network for Animal Rights how to keep and analyse operational and financial records. This is to insure the group maximise their profits and maintain good accounting standards and transparency in their books.

Lately the Mahandikini group have been focusing on building up a larger client base. At the moment their profit margin is high but the number of customers is low. This is in part, due to the current high cost of Maize in the area. They have started to  advertise the Mill and Grainstore by placing signage on the road from Taveta to Nairobi which passes the Mill and also using the members to spread the word through local churches and other community groups.’

Upcoming events include:

Ecuador Cotopaxi Volcano Challenge February 2012
Guatemala Sierra De Las Minas Trek Challenge February 2012
Guatemala Rio Dulce Kayak Challenge March 2012
Australia Mount Difficult Challenge March 2012

In addition many of our supporters are getting involved in and organising amazing events to support our work. GVI Charitable Trust fundraisers are running the London and Brighton marathons, cycling from London to Paris, organising Salsa dance competitions and more!

Best of luck to all of our supporters with their training, organising and fundraising and thank you so much for your support! We look forward to sharing news from our projects to show how you are making an impact.

India project manager Ridhi Patel explains:

The donation money has been used for purchasing items that will be beneficial to the school and the children in the long term. The sports equipment is essential so the children have the right kit to play with. The sports coach is also important for the school to provide some structure to sports lessons. In the long term we hope to help the students become more active and confident, practise sports and participate in competitions, all of which is important for their development and growth. There are also a lot of talented children who need the right guidance and given the equipment they could grow up to be successful sportsmen/women.’

Funds also enabled us to construct a fence around the sports field. The area in the corner of the sports field had been used to dispose of rubbish bringing a dangerous and unhygienic situation for children playing in the field. Often the ball would roll into the area where rubbish was dumped meaning that the children would be exposed to it. Fencing off the area helps to contain the game on the field and separate the children from this danger.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project.

GVI Kenya Country Director Tessa Doogue explains:

‘The impact of this donation cannot be overstated. Since it’s inception in 2001, Olive Rehabilitation Centre’s goal has been to somehow hold on to their students to the end of standard 8. Standard 8 is a significant year because at the completion of the year, students are eligible to sit their Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KPCE). Without this basic qualification, it is extremely difficult to enter into the most basic paid work roles after school (for instance unskilled labour, house cleaning or the hospitality/tourism industry). Up until now, at the end of standard 7 students had to leave ORC due to a lack of space to hold another classroom. For the first time in ORC history, they will now have a full class of 20 students sitting (and hopefully obtaining) this qualification. In the words of Principal Michael Nyundo, this is “truly a dream realised”. Upon obtaining their KPCE, it will also set these students up as ideal candidates for high school sponsorship, something which has been extremely difficult to achieve without their KPCE qualification’

This really is an incredible step for GVI and our partners, thank you to everyone who has supported this project to make this possible.

Maldonado was practically bouncing on its foundations from all of the dancing the kids were doing…not to mention the free for all scramble when candy came showering down on them from teachers and volunteers alike!  Triunfo was covered wall to wall in streamers, balloons, and glittery posters!  The kids from Triunfo put on a choreographed traditional dance that was the absolute highlight of the party.

Congratulations to everyone at both schools and everyone who has supported us along the way to make this possible.

Our educational projects in Mombasa have a very focussed goal in working towards long term sustainability. Donations to the GVI Charitable Trust help us to establish important initiatives which in the long run will help our local partners become sustainable and secure complete education for all future generations of their children.

Areas supported by the GVI Charitable Trust include feeding programs, educational materials, construction, income generation initiatives, scholarships and teachers wages.

Previously the local teachers had shown regular attendance and commitment at the schools without regular pay however with pressing needs to support their families regular pay is of course essential. In line with securing teachers wages we have also been able to fund teacher training courses helping the teachers to develop their skills to meet the demands of the children as they progress to higher levels of education.

Whilst GVI volunteers work in the schools and provide much needed assistance and tuition in the classes it is critical for our long term goals that local teachers play their role.

Recent GVI project manager Louise Elard explains: ‘Having local teachers at the schools is invaluable to the successful running of the schools. It provides stability and continuity for the children, something that is not as easy to achieve with the arrivals and departures of volunteers. ‘

GVI Charitable Trust donations really do make a huge difference in Kenya and all of our project locations. 2011 has been a great year for us thanks to your amazing support and we look forward to what 2012 may bring.

Happy new year from all of us at GVI.

Thanks to your hard work and generous support 2011 has been a record year for the GVI Charitable Trust when most organisations have been facing real challenges.

Many of you who believe in our work have given generously and we are committed to sending news from the field to show how you have made an impact on our programs.

Many other have worked hard to fundraise for us, from gruelling fundraising challenges in our project locations, running, hiking and cycling events, garden parties and skydives. We can’t thank you enough for efforts, you’re all superstars!

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for the year ahead.

Cheers!