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Earth Council Geneva Supports International Medical Corps to Deliver Improved Sanitation & Hygiene in Ethiopia
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November 6, 2014 – Los Angeles, Calif. – International Medical Corps will deliver a new program in sanitation marketing in the Wolayta Zone in Ethiopia with collaborative funding from Earth Council Geneva. Through this program, International Medical Corps will promote the construction of sustainable, affordable and safe latrines and hand washing facilities and deliver hygiene education for vulnerable communities.
“Earth Council Geneva’s timely and generous award will allow International Medical Corps to reach vulnerable communities plagued by chronic food insecurity and a lack of access to sanitation facilities and hygiene education, potentially saving countless lives,” said Rabih Torbay, Senior Vice President of International Medical Corps. “We are grateful to Earth Council Geneva for its support and collaboration to improve the health and well-being of these communities by focusing on sanitation and hygiene.”
Since 2011, with support from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection unit (ECHO), International Medical Corps has integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) into its programs in the region to bring communities access to clean water while curtailing open defecation through the construction of latrines and promoting safe hygiene practices. However, many latrines in the area remain in poor condition, are unsafe to use and are only functional for a short period of time. Education to improve latrine construction and increase knowledge on proper use and maintenance is crucial to the sustainable sanitation and hygiene of local families.
Through funding from Earth Council Geneva, International Medical Corps will promote an improved household latrine prototype and organize local builders to learn construction techniques. International Medical Corps will also produce promotional materials to distribute to households, coordinate with government partners to ensure sustainability and train local health workers and community members.
This program expands and complements work completed earlier this summer (August 2014) in Wolayta by DOW Chemical’s Leadership in Action (LIA) program and IBM’s Corporate Service Corps which together with International Medical Corps developed sanitation marketing activities and methodologies that can measure the effectiveness of its resilience building programs in the region.
“Earth Council Geneva is pleased to partner with International Medical Corps to build upon the effective marketing strategies and measurement tools developed in partnership with DOW Chemical and IBM to promote healthy hygiene and sanitation practices. This is an important step to creating sustainable solutions for sanitation in Ethiopia, a project replicable in other countries. We are proud of our partnership since 2009 with International Medical Corps and the many projects we could support during these years in several countries. It is particularly pleasing to see NGO’s and large corporations work together to make life better for people in need.” said Reto Braun, Chairman of the Board, Earth Council Geneva.
Since 2003, International Medical Corps has operated a diversified program in Ethiopia, providing training and services in WASH, livelihoods, prevention of gender-based violence, nutrition, mental health, sexual reproductive health, primary health care, HIV/AIDS and other essential needs. The organization’s programs in Ethiopia focus on rural, urban and refugee settings and are designed to be sustainable through full community participation.
About International Medical Corps
Since its inception 30 years ago, International Medical Corps’ mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster, and disease, by delivering vital health care services and sustainable development projects that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org. Also see us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Projects
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With the generous support of Earth Council Geneva, International Medical Corps will intervene in the village of Bait al Gadabi and provide ceramic water filters and training on their use to each of the approximately 220 households in the village. These ceramic water filters are designed to sterilize the water for a 7 member family for a period of 3 – 4 years (depending on water quality), and are an effective and cost-effective method of assuring access to clean water for the community. International Medical Corps has notable experience distributing these types of ceramic water filters and training recipients in their use, and this intervention will have an immediate benefit in terms of increased access to clean water while also helping make these households more resilient to future environmental shocks.
Syrian Project Aids Refugees
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Dear Friends,
The Earth Council Geneva is well and alive… thank you for your support! TOGETHER WE SAVE LIVES.
This is a report of one of the many projects we have with our partner International Medical Corps (IMC). It is a good example of how Earth Council Foundation funds are well and spent and carefully monitored.
IMC is an excellent partner organization with over 4,750 people (mostly volunteers). Over 90 cents of each dollar donated go directly to help the people in need. More on (www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org).
The project is in line with the strategy the Earth Council Board has established: Hygiene with focus on water management for needy children.
During the past 10 years, hundreds of lives have been saved through the efforts and the participation of the Earth Council Geneva, a not insignificant accomplishment.
I hope to see you in the not too distant future.
Sincerely,
Chairman Earth Council Geneva
Reto Braun
Project Summary - Over the last year, the influx of Syrian refugees has put increasing pressure on tented settlements in the Bekaa Valley and the North of Lebanon, which have little to no humanitarian support. These settlements lack adequate access to basic needs such as health care, clean water, food, and sanitation. The most common diseases faced by the Syrian refugees in these tented settlements are exacerbated by lack of water and soap, poor environmental conditions, high population densities combined with a lack of hygiene knowledge, and few resources to treat the diseases. International Medical Corps staff have been heavily involved in the emergency response in the area, and are providing support to the health facilities serving the population, distributing hygiene kits to families, and providing mental health screening, psychosocial support, and consultations.
With quick and generous support from Earth Council Geneva, International Medical Corps responded to improve the situation through the procurement and distribution of hygiene kits and materials, along with health education, which benefitted nearly 9,000 Syrian refugee children and families.
Earth Council Geneva helping Phillipine victims
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EARTH COUNCIL GENEVA is helping to provide fresh water to needy people in the Philippines through our partner, IMC.
IMC has sent an Emergency Response Team, with medical staff and water and sanitation experts, to the remote island of Guiuan. They were met by hundreds of people waiting for food, water, and medical care. The devastation is extensive.
IMC doctors started treating patients as soon as they stepped off the airplane, treating people lining the tarmac waiting for assistance at the airport. They treated infected cuts and injuries caused by flying debris. The team is already reporting cases of diarrheal disease due to a lack of clean water, and expect to see an increase in dengue fever, tetanus and measles as well.
The team is making their way to villages on the island where no one has yet sent help, in order to tend to the sick and injured. They will drive as far as then can and then walk.
Syrian Refugee Camps to Receive Aid
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Earth Council Geneva has embarked on another venture with the International Medical Corps. There is a significant and urgent need to address some major water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs in informal tented settlements in the Bekaa and North of Lebanon. The influx of Syrian refugees (more than 70,000 registered per month, though many choose not to register with the United Nations) has put increasing pressure on these informal settlements and the people are facing numerous health concerns, specifically related to sanitation and hygiene issues. Intervention is urgently needed. Many of these tented settlements have received no support to date.
· In a tented settlement in Miniara in the north sewage has contaminated large areas of the community and the area has since been invaded by a large number of flies. The community has yet to receive any hygiene kits and many of the residents have lice and scabies. International Medical Corps is coordinating with WASH organizations to address the sewage issues.
· In Menieh there is a new tented settlement in the north (100 tents, 300 families), and there are approximately 300 cases of lice and scabies that have not received any medication to address these issues. As the settlement is new they have not received any aid. International Medical Corps has completed health education sessions and is coordinating with UNHCR to address sewage and latrine issues.
· In Dedeh, International Medical Corps health educators visited Al Waha shelter, which is new and has 140 families (935 people). They found 685 children under the age of 15, 250 elderly, and 17 pregnant women. There were 250 cases of scabies infections and it is believed that all residents have lice. International Medical Corps is providing health education and working with WASH actors to address infrastructure issues.
Based on this assessment and others like it from IMC health educators, it is estimated that there are 4,000 new cases of lice and scabies in one area of the north and another 2,000 cases in Baalbek. There is an urgent need to procure more lice and scabies medications as well as hygiene kits to help address these issues. All of these supplies (with ECG’s recent support) will now be provided to communities. First will come thorough explanations on how to use the medications and kits, as well as sessions addressing hygiene issues to prevent further infections. Other topics, including women and children’s health, breastfeeding, etc., will be explained as well. This should a tremendous benefit to the refugees in such dire trouble.