2009 Annual Report-Descriptive: S.ASIA

ROSE CHARITIES 2009 ANNUAL REPORT - DESCRIPTIVE

SOUTH ASIA SECTION

Introduction.

Rose Charities International has had another productive year in S.Asia With one or two exceptions most of the projects and initiatives have either expanded or maintained their 2008 levels of operation.

Activities and projects are divided geographically.


SRI LANKA

The CIDA funding program came to an end mid 2009 and as no new funding had been offered (the CIDA grant was for post-tsunami reconstruction and hence not part of a continuing program), many of the original elements had to be run-down or discontinued. The main casualty was the counseling program but the others, namely Sports for Peace, and Education were significantly reduced pending restructure.

Earlier in the year Sports for Peace particularly had achieved some notable successes with two of its participants being selected for the national team.  Rose Charities has established communication with the Sport for Peace Foundation Monacco  www.peace-sport.org/  who have expressed interest in the progam and kindly invited Rose Charities to send a representative to their annual conference.

In October 2009 a major European Philanthropic Organization awarded substantial 3 year a grant for  ‘Young Woman and Child Education’  The planned program extends from ECCE/D  (Early Childhood Care and Education / Development ) through to women targeted higher education. Elements of sporting activities are also included and special needs children also. Young women are targeted through direct grants as well as women’s group activities at community level as well as targeted vocational training  Pre-program activities started December 2009 with view to full commencement January 2010..

In order to assist in monitoring this and other Sri Lanka programs and to create a ‘think-tank’, advisory steering, and fund-raising function a Rose Charities Canada, Sri Lanka Projects Sub-committee was formed.

Other programs (additional to the grant program) which continue include…
The University/College support program (formerly UniversiTea) which runs in conjunction with the Education Generation Organization (www.educationgeneration.org) and has now assisted around 80 students, some of whom have now successfully graduated in several disciplines and have obtained jobs

The Rose Charities Sri Lanka Microcredit program. This, very successful program is monitored and assisted by the RoseMicroCredit Committee of Rose Charities Canada which runs its own fund raising program as well as website. www.RoseMicroCredit.org  Around 1000 persons have now been assisted in individual or shared micro-credit initiatives of all types.

Eye Clinic.  A small eye clinic was founded, with aim initially to provide simple examination and advice,  but gradually to expand to refraction and glasses preparation services, more complicate medical treatments and possibly eventually cataract treatment. Speed of progress will depend on resources and ability to integrate into the current health systems

‘K-2-K (Kid to Kid), formerly ‘Edu-twin’ program.  This program designed to twin children  and families in industrialized countries with those needing schooling assistance in Sri Lanka . Several donors have already started contributing. However before the formal inauguration of this program there had been at least one generous individual sponsorship which effectively piloted the program


PAKISTAN.

Rose Charities continues to support Frontier Primary Health Care (FPHC) Pakistan through the Hillman Medical Education Fund  www.srpc.ca/Pakistanproject.html    or  www.hmef.blogspot.com   This program is a Pakistani non-governmental organization (NGO), providing primary health care services to more than 150,000 people in the Charsadda, Mardan and Swabi districts of Northwestern Frontier Province. The Hillman support has helped to train women village health assistants in midwifery.


NEPAL.

The RIC-Rose  www.roserehab.org  drug-alcohol rehabilitation and anti trafficking program suffered some contraction during 2009 which lead to a dormant planning and reassessment phase at the end of the year.  Whether the program will be redeveloped is currently unclear.

Rose Charities New Zealand, which has major focus in ophthalmology,  however commenced support  for the Lumbini Eye Institutes program in training village female community eye workers  www.lei.org.np/communout.html  to screed for eye disease. Early detection of conditions such as glaucoma or trachoma is essential to prevent blindness.

Rose Charities New Zealand www.rose-charities.org also sponsored a visit by Dr Basant Raj Sharma - current Vice President of Rose Charities Intenational and Senior Ophthalmologist (and founder of several of their programs) at Lumbini Eye Institute to Visit New Zealand.

AMDA-Canada / Rose Charities Canada report on disaster activities Oct-Nov 2009

In October and November 2009 multiple natural disasters struck in a number of part of the world. These included

1) Typhoon induced floods in the Philippines - extreme
2) Typhoon induced floods in the Hue area, Vietnam - severe
3) Typhoon induced floods in Cambodia - serious
4) Major earthquake in Sumatra
5) Tsunami in Samoa (and Tonga) - extreme

AMDA Canada is a relatively small Chapter of AMDA International.  Its role is to support AMDA HQ efforts in disaster relief and/or seek to help directly where possible with or without the assistance of other organizations.  AMDA Canada is the recipient of the local Vancouver Rose Charities resource raising efforts relating to international humanitarian disasters.

The organizers of AMDA Canada are aware that they are generally , on their own, not able to help with immediate relief to counties where there is no field involvement. However its linkage with other organizations often means that it has direct links to areas where the disaster may have stuck. In this there were connections to the Hue area in Vietnam (though the Rose Charities Sia Blind Center project), to Cambodia, (via AMDA Cambodia links ) and also through New Zealand (though AMDA and Rose Charities New Zealand) to Samoa.   It was thus considered that focus of assistance for AMDA Canada should be in these areas and to the other disasters  (Sumatra, Philippines) by giving support if possible to AMDA HQ efforts.  Emergency funds were duly forwarded and a specific concert fundraiser for Vietnam relief organized in Vancouver where there is a big expatriate Vietnamese community.

Very strong links with NZ (New Zealand), the main aid-activity country for Samoa coupled with considerable post tsunami experience of AMDA Canada gleaned following the 2004 Asia tsunami in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka and Acheh,  made our organization aware that while direct relief is initially needed, very soon after, there is a considerable need for both support materials (medications etc as local supplies tend to run out) and also for traumatic stress counseling.  AMDA Canada, AMDA NZ and Rose Charities both have small networks of counselors experienced in this area and it was ascertained that  Ms Liese Groot Alberts would be able to go.  Contact had been made with a local Samoan grassroots organization (Women for Business Development  - WIBDI) through the Christchurch Branch of Rose Charities NZ and Ms Adi their Director was from that moment on, hugely helpful in providing all information as to what was needed, where it was needed and in forwarding updates.   AMDA HQ provided its usual speedy and substantial response to the request to send medical materials.  Within hours two coordinators had been dispatched from Japan to liaise with AMDA NZ who started immediately looking into obtaining the required medications / drugs for transport to Apia, Samoa. It was noteworthy that AMDA NZ was able to obtain the drugs over the weekend when these events were happening.

The AMDA team consisting of  Ms Lisa Groot-Alberts, Mr Nithian and another AMDA HQ coordinator and many thousands of dollars worth of drugs and medications traveled from Auckland to Apia together.  On arrival they immediately went into action coordinated by Ms Adi of WBD.  Drugs and medications were distributed  and Ms Alberts both carried out  multiple workshops to train local relief workers in post traumatic stress management as well as directly assisting those who had borne significant loss. The team worked tirelessly and were able to achieve a huge amount in a relatively shot time.

The main coordinating relief agencies in Samoa were the NZ Govt Relief Agency and Oxfam NZ. It is notable that almost as soon as the need for post-traumatic counseling had been identified AMDA had flown in a highly experienced international expert (Ms Groot-Alberts) and this was commented on very favorably.  Oxfam NZ has since engaged Ms Groot-Alberts to return to Samoa to continue and expand her work.

Throughout all the disasters of October 2009, AMDA Canada was able to contribute to all in varying degrees either through supply of funds or coordinating other assistance.  This came about almost entirely from maintaining good networking links as well as enjoying (and appreciating) rapid and excellent communication response from AMDA HQ.   The organizers of AMDA Canada believe strongly in the AMDA philosophy of ‘open-door-cooperation’ with any and all groups who are working for the same goals of assistance within the coordinates of a purely humanitarian focus.   Responses to these recent disasters proved yet again that such an open policy of   ‘Sogo Fugo’ spirit  is able to achieve considerably more than that of maintaining closed ‘territorial’  organizational barriers.


Will Grut MD.  Vice Chairman AMDA Canada
Nov 2009

Rose Charities Malaysia 2009 end year report

Rose Charities Malaysia Annual Report 2009

1)  We carried out another Orang Asli ( natives ) community project involving over 350 families in Simpang Pulai ,Perak   recently . Rose distributed food,beverages etc to the families .Also ,our medical team screened the children for   de-worming and the adults on general health screening . This community based welfare project was jointly   co-ordinated by the lions clubs from perak,the district health office ,the health ministry ,the penang senior citizens    association members and Rose volunteers . It was a very meaningful and significant project in terms of combined   team spirits and efforts by various service groups participating in the event .

2) .Another health expo jointly with the state family planning ,women and development ministry  was carried out at the   Bukit Berapit community centre in Bukit Mertajam district across the mainland from penang . We screened over 1,000   people during the two day event showcasing various health screening tests for the public .

3).Over 1,000 women from all walks of life participated in the National Seniors Line Dance Carnival held at the Han   Chiang school hall , a joint project with the senior citizens and supported by Rose .   This programme is aimed at fostering and encouraging women 's involvment and participation in healthy lifestyle

exercises.

4) 29th Nov.2009 the Governor of Penang and his consort will lead over 600 participants from   all walks of life including the handicapped ,the blind ,the deaf ,people with special abilities and the orphans from  various charitable homes, on the CHARITY WALK WITH TYT ( TYT stands for His Excellency the Governor ) down  memory lane at the lower loop of the Botanic Garden in Penang .    The event, jointly organised  by Rose and the Senior Citizens with the support from the Penang State Government,    is to raise funds for the State Government's very poor programme under the "Partners Against Poverty "    Programme . ( Rose is a partner of the State Council on  Poverty  ) Participant taking part will pay $l0 malaysian towards the cost of pack snack food, a souvenir T shirt, a goodie bag (consisting various sample health and other products ) and morning breakfast cereal from Nestle . On top of that,each participant is entitled to a lucky draw...  comprising of 5 top prizes of complimentary air tickets  to medan,bali,phuket ,subang and acheh plus several other prizes.

On the Coming events for next year ....2010 .. we are going to kick start the new year with a big bang ....the launching  on oour new premises at the State Government's caring society complex in western road next to the Governor's    Residency .

   

On 12 and 13 Dec 2009 ,Rose is organising the biggest health Expo in Penang  at the International sports arena showcasing over 60 health care providers and their products together with free  health screening tests provided by Gribbles and the fedeal and state health departments involved in the two day  event .   The State Consumer minister Abdul Malik will launch the event  involving over 50,000 people during the two day health expo . This is the 3rd year we are involved in  the joint project with the state government and the private sector .

Rose Charities Madagascar - New school

Cheryl-Anne writes "Our school has grown yet again. We now have 199 students, 11 teachers and 3 support staff (not all are full time). Bina and the Mahatsara Parent's Association have built another school building as well as a smaller building (both located on the hill above the first school building)."

Samoa post-tsunami relief - Counseling and Medical Supplies

SAMOA OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2009. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA AND GRIEF ON THE AFFECTED POPULATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 29/09 TSUNAMI IN SAMOA.

On October 8th I received an email from Dr. William Grut, director of AMDA Canada and RoseCharities New Zealand and Canada with the initial question whether I would be available to respond to a request from the Samoan government for counselors to come to Samoa to assist in the aftermath of the tsunami. William had been corresponding with Ms. Adimaimalaga Tufuna'i, Executive Director of Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI) based in Apia, Samoa. From there on communication started with AMDA Headquarters Tokyo and Dr. Rasalingam from AMDA New Zealand.

On Thursday October 15th I met Mr. Nithian Veeravagu from AMDA headquarters and Reverend Kyosuke Hirano at the Airport in Auckland NZ. They were delivering a huge amount of medical supplies to Samoa. Air New Zealand at the check in counter generously waived all fees for excess baggage. Two women from WIBDI picked us up from the airport in Apia. From thereon the team of WIBDI has gone out of their way to accommodate me and their commitment to their work is incredible.

On Thursday 15th October Nithian, Hirano and myself were taken to the disaster zone by Tina from WIBDI. The devastation is huge and has left enormous scars in the landscape. The people of the villages affected by the tsunami have all moved to higher ground along the Plantation Roads where we witnessed firsthand the impact of the tsunami on the families in their temporary shelters.

The emergency relief agencies have been working very hard providing shelter, food and sanitation etc. I was struck by the expression on some of the faces, several times I witnessed the expression-less flat affect associated with shock and trauma.

The next 3 days- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, were filled with one on one counseling sessions at the request of Women in Business Development Inc. WIBDI. Most of the people who equested session time were staff of WIBDI and staff of Faataua le Ola(FLO) the lifeline counseling service in Samoa.

Since the tsunami the staff of these organisations have been working overtime in the disaster area assisting survivors and providing support to families. It became very clear that these professional carers have been affected both personally in their own families as well as are being vicariously traumatised by working constantly with, witnessing and hearing the suffering of families and individuals in deep shock and grief.

I conducted the sessions where-ever people felt comfortable or as safe as possible and we worked together in a home or office setting or in the special counseling room at the FLO office.

From these three days of hearing the stories of these people working in the fieldwork it has become quite clear to me that there is a strong need for ongoing follow up debriefing, support and training of professional staff in order for them to function well and be able to continue their field work effectively.

I was asked to conduct a workshop on the Monday for staff of the NGO,s mentioned above. FLO generously provided the workshop space. The topics were training in basic counseling skills and recognising the effects of trauma, grief and loss. The participants were all working professionally in the field in one form or another, eg. social work, counseling, pastoral care, fieldwork and management of NGO's. We covered topics like listening skills, gaining trust, recognizing signs of stress, what blocks trust and open communication etc.

Halfway through the workshop there was another earthquake. I witnessed firsthand the trauma reaction in the group. After every-one had checked whether family was ok and heard there was no tsunami warning, this amazing group of people came back together in the workshop and the rest of the time was spent in a talking circle where they shared some of their traumatic experiences.

I want to express my heartfelt thank you to this group for trusting me with their stories of loss and grief as well as showing their incredible resilience and courage.

From sitting with some of the Samoan people and hearing their trauma and grief, I would strongly recommend regular ongoing training workshops, debriefing and support. Not only for the families affected, but also particularly for the health-care professionals. The impact of this disaster will continue to be experienced over a long time, years rather then weeks or months.

Finally I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to William Grut from RoseCharities New Zealand, Nithian Veeravagu Dr. Rasalingam and Reverend Kyosuke Hirano from AMDA, Ms. Adimaimalaga Tufuna'I and her wonderful staff from WIBDI for generously giving me this opportunity to work in Samoa. Your care and attention has been wonderful.

Liese Groot-Alberts
Grief-Therapist MNZAC
Cairnhill Medical Centre
95 Mountain Road
Epsom, Auckland 1023
New Zealand.

Rose Charities Microcredit: October 2009

Rose Micro-Credit has been in operation for three years and has successfully grown to include 1000 members in 10 communities around the township of Kalmunai, on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

It's goal is to raise $CDN1m by 2010 and put this effectively to use in needy communities around Sri Lanka, all affected by the tsunami and civil war, and then to other parts of Asia where Rose Charities already has a presence.

Our experience & research has shown us that communities with 1000 active micro-credit members are able to operate its project at a sustainable level, while communities of 10,000 active micro-credit members are able to create enough surpluses that they are able to support other community needs such as education, skills training, health & welfare initiatives, so much so that they may no longer require outside support.

Rose Micro-Credit's aim is to create self sufficient communities able to operate their own community bank or credit union and Kalmunai is on course to reach this by 2014.

Rose Micro-Credit was founded by Rose Charities Canada which is based in Vancouver, BC. RCC initiated relief and community projects in Kalmunai immediately following the tsunami in 2004, offering emergency relief to refugee camps and establishing a specialised children's ward at Kalmauni Hospital. Services were added to provide trauma counselling and counselling training, education and 'sports for peace' for children, university scholarships, skills training and English programs over the last three years and most continue today. Rose Micro-Credit is one of them.

As a result Rose Charities is well entrenched & respected in this community as it provides support at many levels to families: health, education and economic development.

Rose Charities Canada supports community-based projects in eight other developing countries.

Rose Charities has received funding and support from such organizations as the Government of Canada (through its CIDA projects), Global Agents for Change, Shaughnessy Heights United Church, The Ron Burkle Foundation & Drew Katz's Infinite Possibilities Foundation in the USA, Vancouver's Gordon Keep. Very recently it has become a partner of a major Swiss philanthropic organization for its child development, education and its womens education and empowerment programs.

Rose Charities Canada is part of a larger international network of over 16 countries that is based on providing mostly medical & emergency relief support. www.RoseCharities.org

For future financial and news updates please go to our website at www.rosemicrocredit.org

Growth rates should continue with funding from the Vancouver Board of Trade bringing membership numbers to a sustainable 1000 by year end.

Substantial funding to other related Rose Charity projects in Kalmunai means that some expenses can be shared, creating greater disbursement for loans.

Rose Charities New Zealand Aug 2009 Newsletter

New Zealand:

September/October:

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Rose Charities NZ sponsored the Nepali eye surgeon Dr Basant Sharma, a consultant ophthalmologist and Chief of the eye plastic surgery unit at the Lumbini Eye Institute, Nepal, to spend three weeks in New Zealand. Basant stayed with chairperson Trish Gribben in Auckland and observed surgical techniques with doctors at the Eye Institute, Auckland, every day. Basant, who trained in Kathmandu and did post doctoral fellowship work in Vancouver where he met Dr William Grut, the international secretary of Rose Charities, and at the Rose Eye Clinic at Phnom Penh, was recently awarded the prestigious Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Distinguished Service Award.

An evening with the award-winning cookbook writer Alexa Johnson, who taught Basant to make Nepali momos in Trish Gribben’s kitchen, sent Basant home with $US600 to fund cataract eye operations for Nepali villagers, mostly women, who are unable to afford the operation. By August, about 20 operations had been performed.

October:

A night-to-remember with an exuberant farewell to our Trustee, Dr David Sabiston, was held in the Hawkes Bay Club, Napier. About 100 friends gathered, many of whom have been very generous supporters of David’s work for Rose Charities NZ at the Rose eye clinic in Phnom Penh.

A continuous slide show and brief talks by Dr William Grut, secretary of Rose International, Trustee Mike Webber, “Sabo” himself and our visitor from Nepal, Dr Basant Sharma, led many people to say they had gained a much better understanding of the Rose Charities work that helps literally thousands of people gain better sight.

“Without vision the people perish” is the slogan writ large on the walls of the Napier airport. This is literally true for so many people, both young and old, in Cambodia and Nepal and our evening at the Hawkes Bay club left us all in no doubt about the value of our Rose contribution.

Palliative care and grief therapy:
Once again, Rose Charities has helped Liese Groot-Alberts, the psychotherapist who has an international reputation as a palliative care educator and grief therapist, to give workshops in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Poonga:
The Tamil Community Education Group, which supports students from pre-school to high school in Auckland, has received $1200 to buy a laptop to co-ordinate their activities. The group meets in different halls and caters to a wide range of families. As chairperson of Rose Charities NZ, Trish Gribben wrote to Auckland City Council supporting the Poonga Group’s search for a permanent place to meet.

Ak Refugee Community Coalition:
Rose Charities NZ has been approached by the chairman of this coalition, for help with setting up a Trust to aid family reunification. The Auckland Trust would be modeled on a very successful Wellington Trust which, over the last seven years, has raised $500,000 and helped more than 135 families to reunite. The Trust particularly needs the skills of financial management and legal governance. Anyone interested in being involved should contact Trish Gribben, at: trishgribben@xtra.co.nz
Or the Chairman of the Auckland Refugee Community Coaliition, Kafeba Mundele at : P. O. Box 27 157, Mt Roskill, Auckland, 1440; aucklandrefugeecoalition@hotmail.com. Or kafeba96@hotmail.com


Nepal:
Training of volunteer female health workers

After discussions with Basant, Rose Charities NZ decided to support an educational training project as an outreach from the Lumbini Eye Institute in Nepal. Female volunteer health workers are to be trained in basic eye-care education, preventive work and early detection of eye problems. As well, they will help identify candidates for eye surgery or glasses before surgical outreach camps arrive in their villages. Eye problems occur with distressing frequency, even in the very young, in Nepali populations.

Generosity: The budget prepared at the Lumbini Eye Institute, where Dr Basant Sharma is a medical director, came to $9,000.
As a result of Basant’s stories and impressive professional status, a very generous Rose benefactor couple gave $2500 for the project in Nepal.

The rest of the money was raised quickly, thanks to the PIF Foundation who contributed $5000 and three Auckland donors who each gave $500.

Reports have been received from Basant, naming all the women who have received surgery or training. This makes the Rose philosophy of “People helping people” seem very real. There have been delays due to political problems, curfews and monsoon flood but by August more than 360 women had been enlisted and given basic training.

Basant says: “Politically Nepal is still in a state of conflict. It’s been nearly two years since we became a Republic but we neither have a new constitution nor a parliament yet. The country is being run by a caretaker government formed from a Constituent Assembly so there is constant civil unrest.

“This makes outreach work difficult but we are hoping to finish by the end of this year. At least the fighting has stopped and we can hope for a better future.

“Thank you all for your kindness and generosity. We look forward to future co-operation with Rose Charities.

Cambodia:

Our Trustee Mike Webber visited the Cambodian clinic in April and was able to host our patron Dame Silvia Cartwright for a visit to the clinic on Anzac Day.

Dame Silvia wrote: “I want to say how much I admire your commitment and want to thank you for the invaluable work you are doing to support the clinic.
“We both know that Cambodia is one of the most deprived countries in the world and anything we westerners who are so privileged can do will be of assistance. So many of us however, do little to make a difference. You and others in Rose Charities are the ones who do."



The Medical Director of the clinic, Dr Hang Vra, was been furthering his training, thanks to generous support from the PIF Foundation. It is paying his fees of $US900 a year for three years. It also paid for $NZ3500 worth of instruments for the clinic.

Mike Webber also visited the National Refraction Training Centre in Phonm Penh, which he was instrumental in having set up. The delivery of refraction training (the making of glasses) is considered to be one of the best ways of helping poor people with eye defects in Cambodia.





International:

Rose Charities originated in Canada and now has branches working with a wide variety of projects in the U.S. , U.K., Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Malaysia and Australia, as well as the Cambodian and Nepali programmes that are the focus of Rose Charities NZ.

Looking ahead:

Next year Rose NZ plans to develop local projects that support our refugee communities.

Some Rose Charities NZ Trustees will be visiting Cambodia in June next year and Nepal in late November. If anyone is interested in joining a group, please let Trish Gribben know. (All travel will be at personal expense.)