The New Global Citizen - Spring 2015
-
Upload
new-global-citizen -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The New Global Citizen - Spring 2015
-
Individual Action for Collective Impact
4 CommentCAN THE SDGS ACHIEVE UTOPIA BY 2030? Deirdre White
18 Around the World JIVA LEADS TRANSFORMATION IN RURAL INDIA Virendar Khatana
22 Around the WorldWEST AFRICA IN THE WAKE OF EBOLA Alicia Bonner Ness
50 Enterprise HOW OIL & GAS IS DRIVING GROWTH IN GHANA Kuralai Kunz
Spring 2015
-
Editor in ChiEfAlicia Bonner Ness
ExECutivE PublishErAmanda MacArthur
dEsign & PubliCation ManagEr
Melissa Mattoon
PUBLISHED DAILY AT: www.newglobalcitizen.com
CONTACT:
(202) 719-0656
@BeNewGlobal
facebook.com/BeNewGlobal
Todays world demands individuals and organizations prepared to thrive in a globally interconnected network of challenges and op-
portunities. Greater social awareness and innovative approaches have allowed us to cross borders and cultural boundaries to create
shared value and understanding. The New Global Citizen chronicles the stories, strategies, and impact of innovative leadership and global engagement around the world. This publication seeks to capture the ground-level impact of these approaches, providing an
avenue through which beneficiaries and implementers alike can showcase their impact.
Todays transformed and increasingly interconnected world has spurred a revolution, ushering in collaborative approaches that address
complex challenges. The New Global Citizen elevates the ways in which individuals, corporations, and social enterprises champion a better future for our world.
THIS IS THE WORLD OF THE NEW GLOBAL CITIZEN.
THIS IS YOUR WORLD.
S p r i n g 2 0 1 5ContributorsDeirdre White CEO, PYXERA Global
Daniel Elliott Key Client Manager, PYXERA Global
Pam Williams President, Fine Chocolate Industry Association
Virendar Khatana Director, Joint Initiative for Village Advancement
Daniel Hill Co-founder and President, Green Impact Campaign
Laura Asiala Vice President, Public Affairs, PYXERA Global
Rainer Stern Global Sales Leadership Programs, SAP
Kuralai Kunz Director, Enterprise and Community Development, PYXERA Global
Matt Clark Program Manager, The Center for Citizen Diplomacy
-
You Are the Change You Wish to See
Already, the events of 2015 have underscored the power of in-dividuals to change the world. Yet, all too often, the news is rife with the hateful acts such individuals
commit. Militant fighters within the Islamic
State have escalated and expanded their
offensive into Libya, massacring 21 Coptic
Christians and undertaking massive suicide
bombing campaigns. In France, Paris was
brought to its knees by two men, so angry
and aggrieved, they silenced forever those
whose freedom of expression provoked
their actions. The assassination of Boris
Nemtsov, a former Russian deputy prime
minister who spoke out against the cor-
ruption of the Russian government, under-
scores the ability of individuals to not only
commit hateful acts, but to incite them.
Under such circumstances, it is easy to
forget just how much positive change so
many individuals create every day. Human
beings, the worlds greatest source of trans-
formation, have the power to change the
world for good with both words and action.
This issue champions the efforts of a
diverse range of characters and their indi-
vidual contributions to collective change
in their communities. Cacao farmers in
Ecuador work to preserve the industrys
heirloom varietals. Welders in Ghana build
the countrys oil and gas supply-chain to
foster economic growth. Health workers in
Liberia and Sierra Leone repair their coun-
tries social fabric after the devastation of
war with an invisible enemy.
And, people are not just making change
in their communities. Many are crossing
borders to build bridges instead of walls,
to foster social impact where it is needed
most. Whether its pro bono corporate
consultants in Colombia addressing the
countrys agricultural value chain, SAP ex-
ecutives in Uganda working to save the
lives of the countrys AIDS orphans, or the
more than 6,000 individuals who volunteer
with the United Nations each year, the op-
portunity to make a positive change in
the world is enabling people to find new
meaning and focus in our ever-frantic lives.
In 2015, the United Nations will set forth
17 sustainable development goals to focus
world attention and efforts on the critical
challenges we face. In these pages, Deirdre
White challenges their feasibility as real
goals as opposed to aspirational targets. In
the context of global progress and equality,
one thing is certain. Whether or not the
SDGs reach their lofty, though laudable,
objectives, over the next decade, or cen-
tury, or millennium, nothing will exceed
the effect of the women, men, and children
who make it their mission to build a better
future for the world.
Alicia Bonner Ness
Editor in Chief
INSIDE THE ISSUE
It is easy to forget just how much positive change so many individuals create every day. Human beings, the worlds greatest source of transformation, have the power to change the world for good with both words and action. This issue champions the efforts of a diverse range of characters and their individual contributions to collective change in their communities. I cannot deny my practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year timeline is short.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 52NGC
-
INSIDE THE ISSUEAN INNOVATION IN ENERGY AUDITING FOSTERS SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTHDanie l Hi l l
BUILDING FAMILIES ACROSS BORDERSLaura Asia la
WHAT I LEARNED IN COLOMBIA CHANGED MY CAREERRainer Stern
FOR GHANAIAN ENTREPRENEURS, OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS BUT OPENING THE DOOR IS NOT SO EASYKurala i Kunz
COMMENTARE 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT? Deirdre White
BOOK REVIEWWORKING WORLD: CAREERS IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, EXCHANGE, AND DEVELOPMENTMatt C lark
HAPPENINGSCAN GLOBAL BUSINESS FEED THE WORLD?2014 Net Impact Conference
HAPPENINGSTHE UN EMBRACES THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING WITH IMPACT 2030Impact 2030
FEATURES
38
50
4
34
46
BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR UGANDAS FORGOTTEN STREET CHILDRENDanie l E l l iot t
IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT CHOCOLATEPam Wi l l iams
AROUND THE WORLD
54
VOICES FROM THE FIELD Virendar Khatana
AT WAR WITH AN INVISIBLE ENEMYAlic ia Bonner Ness
8
14
18
22
42
30
22
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 3
-
Are 17 Sustainable Development Goals a Sustainable Approach to Development?IN 2015, THE UN MUST BALANCE EFFORT AND ASPIRATION TO RATIFY THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
COMMENT
Deirdre White
As a year, 2015 holds great promise for the global engage-ment community. We can celebrate the sunset of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and also look forward to the ratification of the Sustainable Develop-ment Goals (SDGs), which will set a vision for the next 15 years.
The MDGs, though flawed, were revolutionary. Drafted in 2000,
they provided common understanding of the worlds most egre-
gious social problems. They laid out eight goals, including pov-
erty reduction, improved maternal health, and universal primary
education. Further, they set a timeline for improvement, calling
for significant advancements by 2015.
Over the past year, many important international leaders,
from the heads of USAID and DfID to Bill Gates and Bill Clinton,
have celebrated the progress that has been made. And it is true:
a great deal has been accomplished.
At the same time, two key challenges constrained the MDGs
impact. First, the goals were hatched by a handful of people in
a back room. While they were endorsed by the United Nations in
2001, the limited perspectives taken into account in their forma-
tion resulted in a lack of strategy and cohesion in terms of how
to move forward. This lack of cohesion was only compounded by
the UNs assumption that people and institutions would come
together organically to move toward those goals.
Second, the goals did not lay out strategies for effective moni-
toring, evaluation, and impact measurement. At first glance, MDG
reports suggest that a great deal has been achieved: the number
of people living on less than $1.25 a day was halved, exponentially
more children have access to primary schooling across the globe,
and the incidence and mortality of HIV/AIDs and malaria have been
significantly reduced. Yet, few people realize that the baseline
data for most goals is 1990, not 2000. Without this knowledge,
it is easy to be impressed with all that has been achieved, but
such progress took place over 25 years, not the 15 generally cited.
These results also encompass the significant eco-
nomic transformation that has taken place in
China and India during this time period, due
not to donor intervention, but to enterprise
and technology-driven economic change. A
burgeoning middle class in both of those
countries necessarily skews the overall
progress indicators on poverty, health,
and education. Those boasting success
do not take into account progress that was
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 54NGC
-
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable
agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization
and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation
and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for
sustainable development
The MillenNium Sustainable Development Goals
-
well underway by the early 2000s and not necessarily related to
the goals. In fact, there has been no formal analysis of whether
the MDGs contributed in any way toward these positive trends.
In short, while the MDGs were an important innovation in
development planning, we must address their shortcomings in
order to achieve more over the next 15 years.
It is in the context of this history that the UN has put forward
the Sustainable Development Goals. Currently in draft form, these
goals are expected to be ratified in September by the UN General
Assembly. One clear lesson learned from the MDGs was that the
goals for the next 15 years cannot be created by a small number
of people without external consultation. Thus, the UN launched a
Goal 2End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and
promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 5 Achieve gender equality
and empower all women and girls
Goal 7 Ensure access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
Goal 11 Make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable
Goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
*the UNs goal numbering is maintained here for clarity
PYXERA Global Targets: Nine Sustainable Development Goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable development
(Goal 17)
Methodology and Approach
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 56NGC
-
highly-inclusive process, inviting input from the public, private,
and social sectors. Everyday citizens had an opportunity for com-
ment through an online tool. The result of this broad consultation
is the Open Working Group proposal that can be found on the UN
website today.
The inclusive process that led to this draft proposal was surely
important. However, openness to broad input has had a social
price. The 17yes, 17proposed goals (along with 169 associated
targets) seek to effectively address and overcome every challenge
known to humankind. The goals as currently stated are heady
ones, envisioning a 2030 world with no poverty, no inequality,
nor injustice where, on a sustainably-maintained planet, no man,
woman, or child is hungry, ill, uneducated, or unemployed. My
inner idealist embraces this glorious vision, but I cannot deny my
practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year
timeline is short.
Until recently, looking at the list of 17, I felt certain I was re-
viewing an early draft. That was until the World Economic Forum
in January 2015, when I had the opportunity to participate in
a roundtable on the SDGs and how public-private-social sector
partnerships can contribute to their successful achievement. The
two UN Ambassadors charged with finalizing the goals were also
participants and their message was clear: the current proposal
is, in fact, the one that will be voted on by the General As-
sembly later this year.
What is the value in setting goals that are unachievable,
I wondered. His Excellency Macharia Kamau, the UN Ambas-
sador from Kenya, succinctly answered my question. We are at
a level of ambition that has never been seen in human history,
and that level is achievable. He further challenged, How shall
we embrace it? How could I not be inspired to climb on board?
But these are not realistic 15-year goals. The totality of change
envisioned requires the destruction of long-held social structures,
the demolition of broken institutions, the provision of an unfath-
omable volume of services, and the development of unimaginable
infrastructure. Fifteen years is not enough time to complete this
extensive laundry list. In fact, a recent report from the Overseas
Development Institute (ODI) states, rather bleakly, that without
overhauling development practices across the board, the better
world we seek might not exist even by 2100, let alone 2030. Ac-
cording to ODI, it will take 76 years for all Ghanaian women to
have access to skilled care during childbirth. Kenya will not have
sanitation for all its residents for another 150 years. We are more
than six decades from sub-Saharan Africa achieving equal access
to education for boys and girls.
Based on my experience executing meaningful partnerships
over the past quarter century, I strongly believe that the United
Nations should pare down the list, and revisit the broad nature of
some of the goals. Yet, this is unlikely to happen. If the SDGs stand
as currently drafted, each organization and individual committed
to global engagement and social impact must evaluate the list and
see how best each of us can have a real and meaningful impact
over the coming years. Even without the ability to erase history
and its effects, there is still a great deal that can be achieved.
I remain hopeful that the United Nations will revisit its decision
to endorse the full list of 17 SDGs; however I am prepared to con-
centrate the work of PYXERA Global and out partners on nine goals,
for which we will develop our own sober targets and indicators.
A tenth goal, regarding partnership for sustainable development,
is for PYXERA Global a methodology at the core of our approach,
how different players can make meaningful contributions, not
an end goal in and of itself. I encourage other organizations and
individuals struggling with the SDGs to do the same. Select the
areas where you can contribute, define the real impact you can
effect, then put together the right partnerships to do so.
I believe the nine goals seen in the picture at left represent
the most purposeful objectives we can pursue within a 15-year
timeframe. Certainly, we are unable to address each of these goals
in every geographic and political context; rather we will rely on
our 25 years of experience and our deep relationships around the
globe to determine where we can best focus our energies and
those of our partners.
The worlds biggest challenges will not be resolved by any
one sector alone. To effectively move the needle on any of these
objectives, the global engagement community must learn how
to better create, maintain, and capitalize on strong partnerships
across sectors. This journey from the aspiration of the SDGs to
their achievement will require focus and collaboration. While the
SDGs are overly ambitious and may be ill-advised on a 15-year
timeframe, their pursuit is valiant. Moving in partnership pro-
vides the global communitys best chance at achieving such an
aspirational vision.
The goals as currently stated are heady ones, envisioning a 2030 world with no poverty, no
inequality, nor injustice where, on a sustainably-maintained planet, no man, woman, or child is hungry, ill, uneducated, or unemployed. My
inner idealist embraces this glorious vision, but I cannot deny my practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year timeline is short.
This journey from the aspiration of the SDGs to their
achievement will require focus and collaboration.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 7
-
AROUND THE WORLD
Do not bring anything valuable, Viera said. No money, no phones, no watches or jewelry. I patted my pockets to confirm I had taken everything out. Standing in the hotel courtyard as the Ugandan dusk began to creep overhead, I felt the weighty absence of my wallet and mobile phone.My group stood nervously around as Viera gave instruction, each more ominous
than the last. A ubiquitous, burning odor hung in the air, mingling with the smell
of garbage and cow manure. Pop music wafted over from an outdoor common area
where local children were dancing on stage for no one in particular. Przemek, a Polish
national living in Dubai, took a long, last drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out.
Viera eyed our group calmly. Once we get out of the van, stay close to me and
do everything I say. If I say turn right, turn right. If I say step back, step back. If
I say run, run.
Almost everyone on my team was in Africa for the first time. Many were anx-
ious, even afraid, of what lay ahead. Over the course of my career, I have traveled
to more than 70 countries, including post-conflict and post-disaster environments
like Iraq and Haiti. But even I, under the continued warnings, felt a little nervous.
When the children approach you, do not give them anything, Viera said. If we
start to attract attention, just listen to my instructions and do exactly as I say. Any
questions?
How long does it take to get there? someone asked.
Depending on traffic, it should be about two hours, maybe more. We will stay
until around 10 pm and then return.
Should I take off my wedding band? I asked.
You should never take off your wedding band, Viera said. Not until you die.
Which could be tonight, Przemek added helpfully.
With that, we boarded the van and began our journey to downtown Kampala.
In a country of just under 40 million people, UNICEF estimates that Uganda is
home to two million orphans, more than half of whom were orphaned by Africas
BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR UGANDAS FORGOTTEN STREET CHILDRENDaniel El l iott
In a country of just under 40 million people,
UNICEF estimates that Uganda is home to two million orphans; where
more than half were orphaned by Africas AIDS
epidemic.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 58NGC
-
SAP AND THE GOOD FUTURE AND HOPE FOUNDATION PROVIDE FOR
UGANDAN ORPHANS
AIDS epidemic. The Ugandan government estimates that more
than 10,000 of these children live on the streets of Kampala, the
countrys capital.
Viera Liebe is the Executive Director of The Good Future and
Hope Foundation, an organization that focuses on getting orphans
off the streets, providing them with warm beds, healthy meals,
and an education. A Slovakian national married to a German, she
and her husband Hannes split their time between Dubai, Uganda,
and Myanmar, the location of the other orphanage they run. They
are making plans to establish orphanages that cater to street
children in other countries as well. I was part of a small group of
people who wanted to see the Foundations work firsthand and
determine how to leverage SAPs global pro bono programs to
further their goals.
Located a few hours outside Kampala, the orphanage is a bliss-
ful oasis compared to the rough and dusty streets of the capital.
Tucked away off a side road, lush vegetation and scattered farm
houses line the dirt trail that leads to the still-under-construction
entrance gate. As the van pulled up, all of the orphans dressed in
their Sunday best greeted us with a chorus of songs, welcoming
us into their homes. One bright teenager proudly led us through
each of the houses in the compound, showing us where each
child sleeps, the cabinets where they keep their clothes, and the
common area where they share meals and study. She did not
-
fail to mention that the boys living quarters are
always messier than the girls.
Each house is equipped with running water,
a kitchen, and separate living quarters for the
house mother, a full-time, live-in adult who looks
after the children in each house. Many of the
house mothers are widows or single mothers who
can bring their own children to live with them in
the orphanage in exchange for their work, a model
used successfully by other orphanages in the re-
gion. They are responsible for the daily upkeep and
order of their houses, and they take great pride
in their maintenance. None of the children know
exactly how old they are, so ages are approxima-
tions. The Foundation hosts one big birthday party
for all the children in August, where they celebrate
with cake and presents.
During my visit, I sat with Viera at the din-
ing table in one of the compounds newer build-
ings, discussing the orphanages origins. I could
hear the children running around outside, playing
with some of the toys the group had brought. In
2011, rising world food prices and shrinking sup-
ply brought severe famine to many countries in
East Africa. Like many Europeans, Viera and her
husband were blissfully unaware of the crisis.
They had been planning a vacation to Israel. Then,
a flyer raising money for victims of the famine
caught their attention.
We thought, what if we just cancel our vaca-
tion and go to East Africa and help there? she
said. We of course didnt know anyone there, or
anything about Africa, but we thought to ask the
organization that was passing around the flyer to
put us in touch with whoever they knew on the
ground.
When they arrived, they visited one of the local
organizations attempting to support children in
need. Viera continued with her story, the passion
SAP SOCIAL SABBATICAL EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS WORK WITH THE GOOD FUTURE AND HOPE FOUNDATION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON GETTING UGANDAN ORPHANS OFF THE STREETS.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 510NGC
-
and dedication she has for her Foundation
and the children they foster apparent in
each word.
There was one place specifically where
we entered and it was Viera paused,
controlling the surge of emotions that came
with the recollection. I cant even call it
an orphanage.
Viera described what passed for an
orphanagea run-down house rented by
a school teacher and his wife that provided
minimal care to as many children as pos-
sible. They were not able to send them
to school or anything, she said. They
just had a possibility of a place to stay
at night.
This chance encounter with the school
teacher and his wife running a bare-bones
orphanage for street children proved to be
fateful. Upon entering the house, Hannes
was overwhelmed by the level of poverty
around him. The childrens distended bel-
lies and visibly infected skin were a signal
of the dire absence of sufficient medical
care and food. Hannes realized that he and
his wife faced a fight-or-flight moment.
As soon as I stepped into the orphanage,
I looked at my wife, horrified by the reali-
ties we saw around us, he said. I knew
if we didnt leave then, we would be com-
mitting our lives to helping these children.
Lets just give them $1,000 and get out of
here, I said.
But Viera wouldnt have it. Its too
late, she said. In that moment, they de-
cided to make the orphaned children of
Uganda a cornerstone of their lifes work.
They found a local doctor who came to
treat the childrens various ailments, and
made a deal with the local water company
to reconnect the house to the water sup-
ply. They went to a local store and bought
enough food for three months. They also
visited several other orphanages for com-
parison. To their relief, they were better
managed. So they focused their assistance
on that one that was most in need. After
three weeks, they returned to Europe to de-
termine the path forward. Viera and Hannes
knew it would be impossible to continue
with their former life. Viera, then a success-
ful management consultant, completed her
ongoing projects then let her employees
go. She planned to completely dedicate
herself to the launch and operation of the
Foundation.
Hannes began making plans, too. I sat
down with my computer and said, Okay,
lets plan this whole thing out, he remem-
bered. He began to speak to colleagues and
friends about what they had witnessed in
Uganda, and people began to offer financial
support for their efforts.
In 2012, the couple bought land out in
the countryside and started to build proper
facilities. Today, the orphanage houses 44
children, with plans to expand its capacity
to 360 over the coming years.
The drive to Kampala was slow. The
main road to the capital took us through
several villages, where both sides of the
street were flooded with an amorphous
mass of souls, sounds, and smells. Count-
less sellers hawked their wares; varied col-
lections of shoes, bed frames, electronics,
and other sundry items lined the streets.
The more robust retail establishments
had a blanket under their merchandise;
some even had a few pieces of ill-fitting
wood supporting a corrugated tin roof and
small kerosene lanterns illuminating the
goods inside. Others had LED lamps. With
no street lights, these small luminescent
globes were all that brought shapes and
faces out of the shadows.
For most of the ride, no one spoke,
each of us consumed with the uncertainty
that lay ahead. Were we really going to
walk around downtown Kampala at night?
The driver popped in a CD of songs per-
formed by a chorus of children from the
orphanage. Before Viera and Hannes came
to Uganda, selling music was a primary
source of income to support the orphanage;
one of their songs had actually been a hit
on Ugandan radio.
When we finally arrived, I jumped out
of the van into the streets of Kampala, ex-
hilarated. The smell of car exhaust and dust
filled my nose. Even at eight in the evening,
the streets were crowded and vendors were
out in force, hoping for one last sale. The
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 11
-
congested traffic flowed with relative ease.
Though our group of foreigners stood out,
we attracted no more than a few curious
glances. After an uneventful walk from the
van to the nearest street corner up the
road, I relaxed slightly.
The first child we walked by could not
have been older than four. She or heI
couldnt tell whichsat cross-legged in the
middle of the sidewalk, hands held up to
form a cup. A dirty ragged shirt hung off
the childs shoulders. Too dark to make out
a face, we passed by like everyone else.
The next child was similarly sprawled
out on the sidewalk, no more than 20 feet
from the first. This one caught Vieras at-
tention. She told us to stand back while
she spoke to the girl. From a distance, we
watched Viera kneel down. Viera smiled
and the child smiled back. Then she put
up her hand and gave Viera a high-five.
Passersby, if they bothered to notice at all,
glanced briefly at the strange sight then
continued on. Most people just flowed by
like a river around rocks. Viera acted as a
big boulder shielding the small child from
the passing current. I nervously scanned
around to see if anyone was looking at
us, or them, with more than just passing
interest. No one seemed to care.
As I glanced back to Viera, tears sud-
denly formed in my eyes. I thought about
the incredible difference The Good Future
and Hope Foundation is making in the lives
of so many children. For Viera, this was an
average night, driving around the streets
of Kampala looking for orphans. I thought
about what I did most nights back in the
United States and a pang of shame shot
through my stomach.
Your wife is a saint, I said to Hannes.
He smiled and looked down.
I thought about the incredibly fortu-
nate children the Foundation saved from
their lives on the streets, and about the
countless others in Kampala, in Uganda,
on the continent of Africa, and around the
world that would never be so lucky. Like
washed up starfish on a moonlit beach,
those children would never to be picked up
and thrown back into the ocean. I thought
about the good fortune of my two-year-old
son, nestled safely in his bed at home.
Viera chatted with the small girl for
a few more minutes, then got up and
walked back toward us. Thats Esther,
Viera said. I have been looking for her
since December. A few weeks prior, Es-
ther had been picked up by the bus, a
government vehicle that makes a sweep
through the city every few months, picking
up street children and dropping them off
several hours outside the city in a loosely
guarded holding pen. Most children try to
make their way back to the city to the only
life they know. Some die in the process.
The Kampala Capital City Authority has
several programs in place to help street
children and foster youth development, but
the scale of the task is monumental. And
like any other local government authority
in the world, resources and time are in
short supply.
Are we going to take her? I asked.
No, we cant just take her, Viera said.
We will have to come back during the
day and have her say in front of the near-
est police station that she wants to come
with us.
Is it easy to get them to come with
you?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It
usually takes a couple of times talking to
them. The only thing these kids have is the
relationship with the street and the other
kids. No matter how abusive or negative
that relationship is, it is the only thing they
have. Getting them to a point where they
can trust us and have enough confidence
to break the only bond they know is really
difficult.
What did you ask Esther?
If she remembered me, Viera said
quietly. She said yes. Then I asked if she
remembered what I had taught her, and
thats when she gave me the high-five.
We were walking briskly now, up a
steep hill towards another area of the city
where street children often congregate.
We passed a guard slouching in a plastic
lawn chair with an AK-47 across his lap. I
couldnt tell exactly what he was guard-
ingthe locked gate behind him had no
sign. I ducked, just barely avoiding hitting
In 2012, Viera and Hannes left Europe to start The Good Future and Hope Foundat ion. Today, the orphanage in the Ugandan countrys ide houses 44 chi ldren, with plans to expand i ts capaci ty to 360.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 512NGC
-
my head on a sign advertising assistance
for applying for American visas.
Musungu, a man said as he walked
by me. White person.
Do you think she will come to the
orphanage?
I dont know, Viera said. I hope so.
Every trip to Kampala is a journey down
this tenuous path, the promise of a chance
meeting that could result in one more child
leaving their life of homelessness for a
brighter future. As we got back on the bus,
the group reflected on everything that we
had seen. Almost everyone noted that the
streets of Kampala at night were not nearly
as frightening as they had expected.
The Foundations future plans are am-
bitious. Currently, the compound has four
houses in a circular layout that will even-
tually hold eight, mirroring how Ugandan
society lives. The shared space provides
community; the house mothers provide the
children a sense of belonging to a family
with their adopted brothers and sisters.
Viera and Hannes are also building a school
and housing for teachers, a computer lab,
and a medical clinic. The foundations for
the school buildings are already in place. If
all goes according to plan, the school will
be open in time for registration this spring.
Yet, in order to attract local parents to
send their children, and more importantly,
pay the school fees, the school needs a
communications strategy. Additionally,
the computer lab is overdue for a needs
assessment to decide what hardware to
request from potential donors. To fill these
gaps, the CSR department for SAPs Europe,
Middle East and Africa Division will send
a team of seven communications and IT
experts to Uganda this year, leveraging
their professional expertise to establish a
communications strategy and assess the
IT requirements for the Foundation. The
company has also started a fundraising
drive to engage the SAP EMEA employee
community to support the Foundation.
This project is a byproduct of SAPs
growing commitment to making a differ-
ence in international development. Along
with SAPs Social Sabbatical and Engaging
for Local Impact (ELI) programs, the com-
pany is putting their talented employees at
the forefront of meaningful global engage-
ment projects.
Two years ago, the SAP CSR team start-
ed with a donation matching program,
Viera said. It was a fantastic first inter-
action with an international corporation.
Then, the senior management of the EMEA
region came to Uganda to really see what
is happening here. I think thats the most
mind-changing thing, when you just come
on the ground and see. They said, we want
to help you on a bigger scale.
The day after our evening excursion,
we milled around the village square area
in the central part of the orphanage. The
afternoon rain had just passed and a glori-
ous golden sun washed over the landscape.
Kathryn from Germany and Miro from
Slovakia continued helping the children
with some drawings they were doing for
a fundraiser in London. Claire from France
was shooting a few more photographs that
shed share with her own children back in
Paris. The cows noisily made their way back
from the fields, and some of the orphans
took turns pushing each other on a small,
metal scooter.
As I prepared to return home, I felt en-
ergized and proud of the small part I would
play in helping these children. Orphanages
funded and managed by generous hearts
like Hannes and Viera, however, will never
clear the beach of all the starfish. Signifi-
cant changes in the lives of all orphans will
require institutional and foundational shifts
in how society addresses the challenges
they facethe lack of educational oppor-
tunities, medical care, and nourishment
required to lead healthy and productive
lives. But for Hannes and Viera, and the
children at The Good Future and Hope Foun-
dation, their lives have been transformed
for the better.
I asked Viera what she would tell her-
self if she could reach into the past, be-
fore she began this journeyan unexpected
phone call to warn herself about what was
to come.
I wouldnt make that call! she ex-
claimed. That Viera would get so scared
she would never have started this project.
But sometimes I am very thankful that I was
not aware of the magnitude of the task. You
know the saying, Even an elephant has to
be eaten one bite at a time.
Significant changes in the lives of all orphans will require institutional and foundational shifts in how society addresses the challenges they facethe lack of educational opportunities, medical care, and nourishment required to lead healthy and productive lives.
o f the count ry s two mi l l i on orphans l i ve on the streets of Kampala.
10,000The Ugandan government est imates that more than
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 13
-
IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT
CHOCOLATE
AROUND THE WORLD
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 514NGC
-
THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRYS FIGHT TO PRESERVE THE TASTE AND HERITAGE OF HEIRLOOM CACAO
An eight-seat van rumbled along the lightly graded road from Quito, Ecuador, to Quevedo, one of the countrys leading agricultural centers. Our group of chocolatiers and chocolate makers from the United States, Brazil, Belgium, and Canada was on its way to learn
more about the countrys cacao, an increasingly rare commod-
ity. Along the way, I was struck by the contrasts: spectacularly
beautiful countryside sat alongside abject poverty. We passed
lacy waterfalls plunging down steep mountainsides next to
half-built cinder-block shanties where TVs flickered behind
empty doors and window frames.
The Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative
Fifteen years ago, most people had one frame of reference
for unsweetened chocolatethe bitter brick of baking chocolate
our mothers used in recipes. On its own, it tasted terrible.
Over the past decade and a half, this has changed dramati-
cally. Today, unique varietals of single-origin chocolate are
available at high-end chocolate stores everywhere and people
savor the flavor the way they would a fine wine. The demand
Pam Wil l iams
Photo: Ever Jean | CC BY-SA 2.0
The demand for cacao is expected to grow by 30 percent by 2020.
%30
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 15
-
for cacao is expected to grow by 30 percent by 2020, which has
gained international notice.
But for many in the fine chocolate industry, the loss of cacao
biodiversity, especially of older traditional and fine-flavor cacao
varieties, is even more alarming. Chocolate is poised to go the
way of conventional tomatoes and
strawberries; it may look the same
on the outside, but inside, the fla-
vor and character will have dis-
appeared. Over the last 20 years,
breeding programs focused on dis-
ease resistance and yield have not
just supplemented the traditional
cacao orchards, but replaced them.
In countries like Ecuador, this has
led to the loss of hundreds of
acres of flavorful cacao.
In 2010, Santiago Peralta, Presi-
dent of Pacari Chocolate in Ecuador and member of the Fine
Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) went actively searching for
fine-flavor cacao. When he finally located heirloom groves, they
were ripping out the trees to plant a more productiveand thus
profitablevariety. Those kinds of stories led Dr. Lyndel Meinhardt,
research leader for the Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory at
the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), to suggest that the
FCIA work to save fine-flavor cacao by matching flavors (deter-
mined by actual human tastebuds) to genetics.
A significant amount of scientific research has focused on
disease resistance and improved yield. However, flavor is a very
complex trait and therefore not
normally considered. Fortunately,
in 2011 the FCIA created the Heir-
loom Cacao Preservation (HCP)
Initiative in partnership with the
USDA ARS. The HCP is important
in preserving the diversity of cocoa
flavor, Dr. Meinhardt said at the
FCIA meeting in June 2014. For
the first time, we can understand
and identify tree varieties that are
really unique in flavor, he said.
It allows us to take information
to the next level where we can analyze it to tease out what con-
tributes to flavor. This is all being done at the USDA Agricultural
Research Service laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, with research
geneticist Dr. Dapeng Zhang, one of the worlds leading experts
in cacao genetic diversity.
Cocoa flavor is not something that just exists, it is something that is influenced
every day, all year long by everything from genetics, farming practices, and post-
harvest practices, to roasting and refining. Each step is importantyou must do the
right things the right way.
Photo: Ever Jean | CC BY-SA 2.0
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 516NGC
-
Exploring and Savoring the Fine Flavors of Ecuadorian Cacao
Ask any serious chocolate maker or
chocolate connoisseur to name their fa-
vorite cacao from anywhere in the world,
and invariably they will extol the virtues of
Ecuadorian chocolate. The regions rich soil
and unique climate bring out deep flavors,
as do the cultivation practices of families
who have been nurturing their cacao with
traditional methods for over a century.
It is sad to see this precious cacao
disappearing and bulk cacao seemingly
encroaching everywhere. Along the high-
way as we come into the agricultural Los
Rios province, we start to see vast or-
chards: banana, oil palm, passion fruit,
coffee bean, and cacao. Most of the cacao
orchards along the highway are growing
bulk cacao, mostly CCN51, a hybrid vari-
ety developed for its high yield and large
pods. While some growers have tweaked
the post-harvest processes to improve the
flavor, CCN51 has a bland taste spectrum
and requires high amounts of fertilizer.
Undeterred, we continue our hunt for
authentic, indigenous flavors. We stop at
Hacienda Limon owned by Samuel Von Rutte
whose trees have received the Heirloom
Cacao designation from the HCP because
of their fine flavor. Von Rutte has lived and
worked in the Ecuadorian chocolate indus-
try for more than 25 years and is now out
on his own. While his trees are technically
hybrids, they contain a percentage of the
old Ecuadorian Nacional cacao blood line.
While the resulting flavor is different from
a traditional Nacional, it is fabulous.
The trees in his orchards are well man-
aged, pruned to a workable height for har-
vest and to optimize sun exposure, and he
has developed a pre-fermentation drying
process that he feels improves not only the
fermentation process itself but the flavor of
his cacao beans. Von Ruttes commitment
to his practices is clear. Cocoa flavor is
not something that just exists, it is some-
thing that is influenced every day, all year
long by everything from genetics, farming
practices, and post-harvest practices, to
roasting and refining, he said. Each step
is importantyou must do the right things
the right way.
Defending the Future of Chocolate
The loss of flavor and cacao biodiver-
sity became the underlying theme of our
travels across Ecuador. After visiting three
other orchards in Los Rios, our next stop
was Mindo where Americans Jose Meza and
Barbara Wilson of Mindo Chocolate Mak-
ers have established a chocolate-making
operation to support local cacao farmers
in Mezas home region of Pichincha. They
search out traditional cacao orchards and
pay the farmers a premium directly for
their beans, bypassing the middlemen and
collection centers.
They have also brought in cacao ex-
perts to improve the post-harvest pro-
cesses so that the beans reach their full
flavor potential. Wilson has begun to see
how valuing high quality, flavorful beans
changes the farmers perspective. There
has been a big transformation in the way
that cacao farmers think about their beans.
They are proud of their Nacional beans and
want to sell a high-quality product, she
said. When we first started making choco-
late, farmers were not rewarded in any
way for higher quality, and would sell any
variety of beans all mixed together in one
bag. When we asked them to separate out
only the highest quality beans, they began
to understand the importance of the qual-
ity of their beans for the reputation and
demand for Ecuadorian cacao.
Most farmers are willing to improve
their husbandry practices to continue grow-
ing the cacao that their families have al-
ways grown (instead of tearing it out and
planting higher production hybrids or other
crops) if its economically realistic for them
to do so. They understand and appreciate
the quality of what they have. A premium
price makes all the difference.
Throughout our travels in Ecuador, we
saw firsthand how quickly a precious re-
source is disappearing. Though they may
not realize it, consumers have enormous
power to influence how the chocolate in-
dustry evolves and whether heirloom cacao
survives. Those who appreciate taste, qual-
ity, and environmentally sustainable initia-
tives can make a difference by supporting
members of the Fine Chocolate Industry
Association, who are leading this effort to
save heirloom cacao. Each bite of chocolate
ultimately impacts a farmer somewhere in
the world. The chocolate people choose
to consume now will have an impact for
generations to come. Help us save the good
stuff.
Photo Rog01 | CC BY-SA 2.0
-
THE JOINT INITIATIVE FOR VILLAGE ADVANCEMENT LOOKS BEYOND THE NUMBERS Virendar Khatana
In 2011, Sam Allen, Deere & Companys Chairman and CEO, led a team from John Deere on a week-long corporate service experience in Rajasthan, India. Following this engagement, the John Deere Foundation decided to fund a five-year com-munity development project in three rural villages. Focused on
three key areasagriculture and income security, education, and
infrastructurethe project, created in partnership with PYXERA
Global, seeks to foster economic growth and improve the quality
of life for those residing in these villages.
Following a needs assessment in the fall of 2012, the Joint
Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA) was up and running by
January 2013. The projects multipronged approach includes reno-
vating schools, training farmers in new agricultural practices, and
increasing opportunities for children to stay and perform better in
school. In less than two years, the results have been extraordinary:
100 percent of all drop-outs are enrolled in JIVAs after-
school tutoring program
More than 80 percent of students enrolled in the program
showed improved school exam scores
More than 120 percent increase in students passing the
Class 10 Open Exam from 2013 to 2014
More than 70 percent of participating farmers have ad-
opted some improved agricultural practice
Close to 15 percent of all farmers have adopted a diversi-
fied cropping system with higher-value crops
138 farmers have increased profits by more than $2,800
collectively
Two village schools have been fully renovated, including new
toilets fitted with solar pumps for the supply of water, new water
purifier systems for safe drinking water, kitchens and dining
halls, external repairs, and classroom refurbishing. Villagers have
contributed more than $7,000 USD to school infrastructure im-
provements.
The projects robust monitoring and evaluation strategy has
allowed it to adapt and realign plans to meet on-the-ground
realities. Its early successes can be attributed to this participa-
tory approach that recognizes that people make decisions based
on what they think is best given their circumstances. Taking the
opportunity to ask What? and Why? before How? is a dif-
ferentiation sometimes overlooked in development, but necessary
for achieving impact and sustainability in any intervention.
In the two years since its launch, the projects impact has
gone far beyond the quantifiable statistics reflected above. The
people in JIVA communities are driving change. There are a number
of individuals whose success is worth sharing. The following are
just two case studies that show JIVAs impact beyond planned
outcomes.
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
Photo Ana Raquel S. Hernandes | CC BY-SA 2.0
-
AROUND THE WORLD
The first time Bansi heard about JIVA was in February 2013 when a neighbor recalled interviewing with a team from John Deere, PYXERA Global, and local NGO Jatan Sansthan,
for a needs assessment a few months prior. He, too, had
participated in those meetings and was eager to learn the
outcome of the study and what the project would be doing
in his village. There was a village meeting to discuss the
upcoming agricultural activities scheduled later that week.
Bansi left that first JIVA meeting interested though some-
what skeptical of the demonstration plot trainings they
would be offering to farmers. Fellow farmer, Nanu Ram,
offered to be a demonstration plot farmer for the next two
seasons. Out of curiosity, Bansi started working with Nanu
Ram from time to time and attended trainings to see what
would happen to his crops.
The following year, Bansi ploughed his land prior to the
Kharif season (a practice he knew was beneficial, but often
opted not to do during the hot season), tested his soil and
water supply, and sowed his wheat in rows as per JIVA
recommendations. He used a bio-pesticide and constructed
a vermi-compost pit as an alternative to the traditional
method of applying dried cattle dung as fertilizer.
Bansi became worried when the JIVA Agriculture Special-
ist advised him to skip his usual second pesticide applica-
tion; however, as the cotton began to grow, Bansi quickly
realized this was going to be a good season for him. Farmers
visiting his field also noted the height of his plants, already
a foot taller than they usually were this time of year. In
December, Bansi calculated that his cotton recorded an
increase in yield of 11 percent, resulting in an additional
profit of 1,840 Indian Rupees (or $31) per bigha (0.16 hectare).
In addition to helping farmers increase their production and
profitability of existing crops, JIVA planned to rotate demonstration
plot farmers in year two and select farmers interested in installing
net-houses to grow fruit and vegetable seedlings to sell to other
farmers in the village. This time, Bansi didnt hesitate to volunteer.
He used his nursery under JIVAs guidance to grow papaya and
pomegranate seedlings supplied by JIVA. Soon, Bansis neighbors
were lining up to purchase his seedlings. That summer, Bansi
sold seedlings worth 6,400 Indian Rupees (or $103 U.S. Dollars)
and recovered about 90 percent of the total cost of the net-house
installation. He also planted 100 papaya and 600 pomegranate
seedlings on his own plot.
Mr. Bansi Lal AhirFarmer, Madara Village
As he calculated his earnings, Bansi began making plans for
the following year. He expanded his nursery to include tomato
cultivation and installed a subsidized drip irrigation system with
JIVAs guidance. He has already planted bottle gourd, watermelon,
cluster beans, and amaranth for market. In 2015, he plans to
invest more of his profits in additional livestock, and by 2016 he
will be ready to start a home delivery business with his son. His
additional yields and profits will help him turn his farm into a
delivery service, providing fresh produce to villagers directly to
save them the lengthy and costly trips to and from the market.
These days, JIVA brings other farmers to Bansis field on a regular
basis to demonstrate the value of crop diversification, and Bansi
offers them advice on ways they, too, can turn their fields into
more lucrative businesses.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 19
-
Shyari Bagariya was excited to learn that she was hired as a teacher for JIVAs new Education Resource Center (ERC) in Morra beginning in May 2013. There would be two centers in the
villageone for children of the Bagariya community, where she is
from, and one for everyone else. She would provide tutoring in
all subjects to children during the afternoon hours, although none
of the Bagariya children were enrolled in school.
The Bagariya tribe, often landless, is considered a low caste
in India. In Morra village, Bagariyas live in a small settlement on
the outskirts of the village, and migrate for four to seven months
each year to sell brooms and beg on the streets of busy cities like
Mumbai and Chandigarh. Historically ostracized by the rest of the
village, Bagariyas are not allowed to purchase anything from the
stores in Morra and must travel three kilometers to Railmagra to
purchase everyday items and food. Few Bagariya children attend
school, and those that do sit apart from their peers in class and
are often behind in studies as they cannot attend regularly due
to their families migration.
JIVA had been meeting with the parents for several weeks prior
to the center opening, and their initial commitment to the program
was promising. When the ERC classes began that May, Shayari was
surprised to see that all 13 children from the community were
coming regularly. Bagariya homes are usually small huts, so most
classes were held outside on a mat. Because all 13 children had
previously dropped out of school, they were not used to sitting in
class for hours at a time. To keep their interest, Shayari worked
with the JIVA Community Education Officer to develop curriculum
that incorporated various learning aids and games.
By July, all 13 children re-enrolled in the village Government
school. However, when October came around, seven of the children
left to migrate to other cities with their families. They would not
return until spring, just before exams. Although this was discourag-
ing, Shayari felt they had also made a small step forward
because the families of the other five children left them
behind with extended family to continue their studies.
When school let out for the summer, children contin-
ued to go to the JIVA ERC in the afternoons. Enrollment
was growing steadily at the main ERC and there was a
demand for a second center. JIVA decided to move the
Bagariya center to the nearby Anganwadi (pre-school)
located within the village boundaries. Shayari was unsure
about the change at first, but was surprised to see how
quickly the children adapted. Children from the rest
of the village would not come to the ERC in my locality.
But Bagariya and children from other castes have started
studying together after the ERC was moved to the Angan-
wadi. Gradually, change has happened and children have
started calling me teacher. They even take water from
me now. People from other castes do not like to take
things from the hands of Bagariyas. Earlier they would
not even talk to us. Now they sit together like brothers
and sisters in the ERC.
Earlier, the Bagariya children faced teasing and bullying at
school, but gradually the other students started to accept them.
During a visit to the school with the JIVA Community Education
Officer, Shayari noticed that the Bagariya children were sitting side-
by-side with other children, particularly in the younger classes
something she never thought she would see.
When school started again in the fall of 2014, all thirteen chil-
dren were enrolled in school. Level performance testing showed
significant improvement in school exam scores, particularly among
the five students that didnt migrate that year. A couple now
ranked among the top five performers in their class at school.
Shayari is working diligently to ensure they will pass their upcom-
ing exams in spring 2015. When she looks back over the last two
years, she continues to be surprised by the remarkable progress
made. Shayari has always been an exception to the rule in her
community, but now she is an integral part in ensuring others
have the opportunity to follow her lead in receiving a quality
education.
Ms. Shyari BagariyaTeacher, Morra Village
Gradually, change has happened and children have started calling me teacher. They even take water from me now. People from other castes do not like to take things from the hands of
Bagariyas. Earlier they would not even talk to us. Now they sit together like brothers and
sisters in the ERC.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 520NGC
-
Sp
on
so
red
Co
nte
nt
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II), led by the Public Health Institute (PHI), improves the effectiveness of US Agency for International Developments (USAID) population, health and nutrition programs overseas by developing and increasing the capacity of health professionals in all stages of their careers, including those making transitions into the global health field. GHFP-II helps USAID address its immediate and emerging human capital needs by developing a diverse group of global health professionals to support and sustain the effectiveness of USAIDs current and future health programs. PHI is proud to partner with PYXERA Global through GHFP-II to bring talented corporate staff into direct implementation work, arranging pro bono volunteer placements in developing countries as part of our work to cultivate and support the next generation of global health practitioners. Through these mutually beneficial partnerships, corporations extend their knowledge and range, volunteers gain invaluable developing country experience, and the non-profit placement agencies gain access to an unprecedented level of technical expertise.
DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS THROUGH GLOBAL PRO BONO
LEARN MORE:www.ghfp.net | www.phi.org | www.pyxeraglobal.org | @GHFPII
-
This isnt 15,000 incidents of eating bushmeat, Dr. Paul Farmer said. Its weak public health systems.Prior to his remark, I thought that contracting Ebola was a death sentence, but Farmer corrected my assump-tions. Dont believe anyone who tells you that case fatality is
higher than 10 percent, he insisted. These are people dying of
untreated shock. That means its a supply-chain problem.
I have admired Farmers leadership in public health for more
than a decade, but this was the first time I had the chance to
hear him speak firsthand. Just off the plane from the hot zone,
The Search for Stabi l i ty in the Wake of Ebola
AT WAR WITH ANINVISIBLE ENEMY
Alicia Bonner Ness
-
AROUND THE WORLDa day-long event that sought to improve
the private sectors response to the Ebola
epidemic. Representatives from General
Electric, Western Union, UPS, GSK, IBM, and
others were in attendance, as well as key
leaders of public sector institutions, includ-
ing Ron Klain, White House Ebola Response
Coordinator, and others from The World
Bank and U.S. Department of State. The
event was convened by a group of non-
profit stakeholders that included Points of
Light, CECP, PSI, CollaborateUp, and PYXERA
Global.
The day before the event, the number
of people infected with Ebola surpassed
17,000; the fatalities totaled just over 6,000.
Moussa Abbo, a Cameroon native and PSIs
Senior Regional Director of West and Central
Africa, spoke on behalf of those on the
continent. We at PSI believe the private
sector plays a key role in addressing press-
ing issues in the world, he said. This
Ebola outbreak has shown how vulnerable
we are. Abbo called on those convened
to take a long view. We need to share
our knowledge and resources across the
world. When this crisis is over, we need to
continue working together, not to chase this
issue, but to address it from the roots.
David Barash, the Chief Medical Officer
and Executive Director of Global Health Pro-
grams at the GE Foundation, is an emer-
gency physician by training who still works
in his local ER one shift a week. He shared
Abbos excitement for the potential for col-
laboration. I havent seen a private sec-
tor group come together like Ive seen it
around Ebola, he said. Lets think about
how we can do this in the long term.
I left the event that day overwhelmed
by both the substantial commitment of
the private sector to respond to the dis-
ease and the short-sighted nature of the
response. Many organizations were ex-
tremely motivatedand rightly soto sup-
port the immediate need for personnel and
resources, but few had a clear picture of
the road to recovery.
Today, the number of cases of Ebola in
Liberia has dropped almost to zero, and the
case load in Sierra Leone and Guinea is con-
tinuing to decline every day. Soon, the im-
mediate effects of the Ebola epidemic will
be forgotten, disappeared from the head-
lines once the disease is fully contained.
Yet, in many ways, this simply marks the
beginning of a much longer effort to rebuild
after the onslaught. Though it may seem
the fight is over, the road to recovery has
only just begun. Supporting the economic
resilience of the countries most affected
will require a sustained commitment well
into the next decade. The details of how
bears further examination.
Fighting Ebola from the Ground Up
It has been more than a year since
Emile Ouamouno, a 2-year-old boy epide-
miologists identify as Patient Zero, con-
tracted and died from the latest outbreak
of the Ebola virus. Since then, more than
23,000 people have contracted Ebola, and
over 9,300 have died. Hundreds of millions
of dollars have been spent to respond to
the disease, and many millions more are
earmarked for the future.
I considered Farmers insistence that
the disease is a problem of supply-chain
management. In much of Guinea, Liberia,
and Sierra Leone, high-speed roads, ve-
hicles, sterile needles, saline, blood banks,
doctors, and otherwise well-resourced fa-
cilities are in short supply, handicapping
the countries ability to effectively contain
and treat the disease. I also investigated
how Ebola kills. The disease attacks the im-
mune system, using our own immune cells
to attack the bodys defenses. The bodys
last-ditch response to this attack leads to
organ failure. Intravenous fluids and blood
transfusions, two simple interventions eas-
ily administered in every ICU in America,
Anthony Banbury, Spec ia l
Representat ive of the
Secretary General and
Head of the United Nat ions
Miss ion for Emergency Ebola
Response, v is i ts the PST1
Ebola Treatment Unit run by
the S ierra Leone Ministry of
Health and the S ierra Leone
Armed Forces.
Farmer presents as an affable uncle, but
the issues he describes are deadly serious.
This is not the first zoonosis to jump from
animals into humans and then go global,
he remarked, gesturing at past outbreaks
of SARS, avian flu, mad cow disease, and
swine flu. Ebola, he said, is a public health
crisis, driven by the absence of strong pub-
lic health infrastructure.
On December 3, 2014, Farmer spoke to
a group of more than 100 stakeholders at
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 23
-
can dramatically improve a patients ability to survive, providing
vital reinforcement to the bodys natural immune response, and
staving off a lethal immunological storm. With the right reinforce-
ment, the body continues to fight the virus slowly, to survival. In
essence, a persons life depends on their prompt diagnosis and
rapid treatment, the two critical supply-chain breaking points.
Unfortunately, health systems in many parts of West Africa
prior to the outbreak were already notoriously weak. While pri-
vate clinics offered some care for treatable ailments, according
to World Bank data, mortality from all ailments is higher than in
more developed markets.
These countries also lacked sufficient doctors and public health
workers. According to Farmer, Liberia had fewer than 50 physicians
practicing in the domain of public health prior to the outbreak.
As the disease began to spread more rapidly in the summer
of 2014, the situation became increasingly dire. Unprepared to
A man has his temperature checked on arr iva l to a community heal th center. Photo: UN/Martine Perret
-
handle a highly contagious disease, many
private healthcare facilities closed their
doors. Afraid of contracting Ebola from col-
leagues and neighbors, many small busi-
nesses folded. In Sierra Leone, the two
preeminent mining corporations, London
Mining and African Minerals, shuttered their
operations, stalling the countrys primary
economic driver. Worse still, the interna-
tional community was slow to respond. A
coordinated international response didnt
crystalize until the U.S. Africa Leaders Sum-
mit in Washington D.C. in early August 2014,
nearly eight months after the first fatality.
Collateral Damage and the Domino Effect
The catastrophic effects of the Ebola epi-
demic are both complex and intertwined. To
fully understand the extent of the resulting
challenges, I asked healthcare professionals
in West Africa and the United States, as well
as investors and economists attuned to the
fiscal and economic realities. With limited
information available on the epidemic in
Guinea, the bulk of my research focused
on Liberia and Sierra Leone.
I spoke with two African medical profes-
sionals directly affected by the epidemic.
Dr. Stephen Dzisi, a Ghanaian doctor who
received his post-medical school training
in Germany, has been serving as a Public
Health Institute Global Health Fellow with
USAID in Monrovia, Liberia, for the past
two-and-a-half years. When Dzisi arrived
in Liberia in 2012, he was shocked that the
consequences of a 14-year civil war still
plagued the country. Even though Liberia
was dedicating 10 percent of its annual bud-
get to public health, the countrys health
system was inherently fragile. One case
of Ebola crossing the border from Guinea,
the entire system crumbled because of the
fundamental weakness, Dzisi said.
At the height of the epidemic, more
than 80 percent of community clinics in
Liberia closed down due to fear among
health workers and community distrust.
The countrys health system was not pre-
pared to handle the onslaught of a highly
contagious and deadly disease. While
health resources in Guinea, Sierra Leone,
and Liberia have focused on the neediest
patientsthose suffering from Ebolathe
rest of the population has suffered from
common ailments that have gone untreated
as a result.
Two critical statistics help quantify the
epidemics effect on the health of non-
Ebola patients. In Liberia, immunization
has dropped significantly for children under
Workers d is infect homes and ambulances with chlor inated water where pat ients with Ebola were treated in Freetown, S ierra Leone.
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
Experts like Dr. Dzisi help USAID address immediate and emerging needs around the world through the Global Health Fel-lows Program II, an innovative approach administered by the Public Health Institute (PHI). This diverse group of global health professionals support and sustain the effec-tiveness of the Agencys current and future health programs, and provide increased ability to respond quickly to threats.
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 25
-
the age of one. Prior to the outbreak, Dzisi
said, 88 percent of children in Liberia under
one had received the vaccine that protects
against diphtheria, whooping cough, and
tetanus. By December 2014, he said, this
number had dropped to 49 percent. In ma-
ternal health, the landscape is equally grim.
According to Dzisi, incidence of maternal fistula more than doubled
between January and December of 2014.
Dr. Abdullah Daniel Sesay, a Sierra Leonian doctor, is also a
member of the countrys parliament. When I spoke to Sesay, or
Doctor A-B-D as he is known to friends and colleagues, he
was quarantined in his home after returning from a session of
parliament to find that someone in his neighborhood had likely
been exposed.
Prior to the outbreak, Sesay ran a small community clinic
with 44 beds in Makeni, one of Sierra Leones larger cities. As the
epidemic started to escalate, the clinic closed due to insufficient
resources to effectively diagnose and treat Ebola, as did most
private clinics in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
As a member of parliament, Sesay is well-versed in the eco-
nomic challenges the epidemic has wrought. To break the chain
of dead, the government had to create traveling restrictions, he
said. At the end of the day, this had a negative economic impact.
According to Sesay, prior to the epidemic, Sierra Leone funded 72
percent of its national budget from domestic revenue. Today, the
collapse of the mining industry and overwhelming job losses have
forced the country to revert to an economy that is largely donor
driven. People are dying of hunger because of the harvesting
restrictions, he said. Thousands of orphans have nowhere to
go. The debilitating economic environment makes it that much
harder to defeat the disease.
Sesay summarized the bleak conditions simply: What has
happened with Ebola, he said, is just as bad as the civil war.
This summer, as the epidemic grew more threatening, a team
of World Bank economists were asked to estimate the epidemics
likely economic impact on the most affected countries and on
the continent more broadly. The most recent
study, based on a combination of cell phone
survey data in Liberia and Sierra Leone and
other macroeconomic indicators, was released
in January 2015.
The news was better than expectedthe
economic impact across the continent was
largely muted by effective geographic contain-
ment. Fewer than 30 cases in Senegal, Mali, and
Nigeria were quickly diagnosed and contained,
staving off major ripple effects. But in the most
affected countries, the consequences have been
even worse than predicted.
Based on the cell phone survey data, World
Bank research suggests that nearly half of male
heads of households [46 percent] in Liberia that
were working prior to the epidemic remain un-
employed, and even more [60 percent] of female
household heads are out of work. The implica-
tions of this are twofold. First, the countrys
primary productivity has been cut in half, as
has the governments income tax base. Sierra
Leones survey results, though different, suggest
other equally calamitous problems. In Sierra
Leone, small enterprises have been going out of business at much
higher rates than they did previously. For businesses that are still
operating, revenues are down 40 percent, said David Evans, a
senior economist on The World Bank research team.
In both countries, a large majority of people are hungry and
rationing food. According to Evans, three quarters of households
in Liberia are reporting significant food insecurity. This isnt be-
cause of prices but because income has fallen. Another problem
is that domestic food harvests are lower than past years. Harvest-
ing, typically done in large groups, has been less productive as
communal activity has been discouraged or banned for fear of
spreading the disease.
Job losses and food insecurity have had measurable mac-
roeconomic effects as well. In Sierra Leone, rapid growth in the
first half of the year quickly turned to contraction. Prior to the
outbreak, Sierra Leone expected 11.3 percent growth, which fell
to 4 percent over the second half of 2014. Evans and his team
expect a contraction of 2 percent in 2015, a profound reversal
in economic progress. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, falling commod-
UNICEF conducts door-to-door campaigns to map act ive cases of Ebola in Tewor d istr ict , L iber ia . To keep track of the homes v is i ted, the team writes detai ls on the wal ls of the houses.
Repairing the damage to the economies of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone will require a multi-dimensional approach; eliminating the disease will only serve to stop the bleeding. Overcoming the diseases ripple effects will require rebuilding and reinforcing health systems and developing a plan for fiscal and economic recovery.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 526NGC
-
Yet, such reinforcement can be easier to promise than to
deliver. In August, the GE Foundation deployed a $2 million grant
to support Farmers Partners in Health in Liberia with Last Mile
Health and Sierra Leone with Well Body Alliance. The funds were
used to train 500 clinical health workers and 800 community
health workers, to educate communities about sanitation and
post-mortem practices to stem the spread of the disease. This
infusion of newly trained talent staffed 47 health centers and one
Ebola Treatment Unit with 50 beds.
While Barash is happy with what the GE Foundation funding
could accomplish, he acknowledged that the grant was hardly
enough to stop the bleeding. So he also formed a business re-
sponse team within GE to determine how the company could best
provide meaningful long-term help. At the December event, he
announced that GE would contribute substantial in-kind support
that will include healthcare equipment, water and power systems,
and important software solutions.
The goal is that the in-kind assets will shore up medical sys-
tems after the crisis passes. Ultimately all the equipment we
are donating will go towards systems strengthening more than
towards the immediate response, which he argues, has a greater
impact. The epidemic provided an opportunity for the Foundation
to meet a broader mandate to support systems strengthening in
West Africa.
Most epidemiologists recognize that, while this outbreak of
Ebola was especially severe, it is unlikely to be the last. For Barash,
there are two challenges that must be addressed to ensure an
epidemic of this magnitude is preventable in the future. The first
imperative is to build a strong public health foundation, putting
a public health infrastructure together that prevents outbreaks, or
allows people to respond to outbreaks quickly, he said.
But infrastructure alone is not enough. Success and failure in
an outbreak scenario depends deeply on the people in charge.
Barash noted that management training for health professionals
in emerging markets is in great demand. Our experience is that
in developing countries there is a gap in terms of leadership and
management skills and theres a big role that we can play in
making that sustainable, he said. During his first trip to Africa in
ity prices of iron ore, copper, and cotton have directly reduced
government revenues, causing, Evans said, a double-whammy.
Mykay Kamara, a Sierra Leonian businessman who currently
lives in London, has seen this effect firsthand. Prior to the outbreak,
he split his time between Liberia and Sierra Leone, supporting
business startup and operations management in the energy and
mining sectors. The mining sector has been seriously disrupted,
he said. London Mining defaulted, African Minerals Limited have
had to mothball their operations. The countrys largest taxpay-
ers, both companies also provided a significant portion of Sierra
Leones formal employment. Kamara commented on how restric-
tions of movement have had a significant downgrading effect on
both agriculture and trade. Investors who had planned to spend
arent spending anymore, he said.
Kamara, who has visited Sierra Leone since the outbreak, be-
lieves that peoples reactions have had the most significant nega-
tive effect. People are hysterical and fearful about the disease.
Going to War with the Disease
Repairing the damage to the economies of Liberia, Guinea, and
Sierra Leone will require a multi-dimensional approach; eliminat-
ing the disease will only serve to stop the bleeding. Overcoming
the diseases ripple effects will require rebuilding and reinforcing
health systems and developing a plan for fiscal and economic
recovery.
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
-
November 2014, he heard this articulated by hospital administra-
tors in Kenya and Rwanda.
To address this, the GE Foundation currently underwrites the
Ministerial Leadership in Health Program, jointly administered
by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard
School of Public Health. This program provides leadership training
to African ministerial leaders in health and finance. In the future,
he hopes to expand such training and support to the community
level, where the need is also critical. What we really want to
do is support hospital leaders and the people who are actually
on the ground doing the hardest day-to-day work, Barash said.
Treating the Symptoms and the Ailment
While companies like GE and organizations like Partners in
Health have focused on strengthening the countrys health systems
and infrastructure, the economic view is still bleak. In mid-January,
Kamara traveled to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to participate in the
governments efforts to craft a 2015 post-Ebola economic recovery
plan. In his view, his countrys effective recovery will require three
key points of reinforcement.
First, we need to bolster the financial services sector, he
said. Capitalization and liquidity have suffered under the financial
strain. Currently, Kamara says, a third of the countrys debts are
not being paid.
The country also must address the dramatic reduction in in-
dustry that has shrunk its tax base. You need budgetary support
to the government, because of the shortfalls coming from the
companies that have reduced their profits, he said.
Lastly, multinational corporations must begin to consider how
to re-engage as investors, especially in tourism, agriculture, and
mining, where the economy has been the hardest hit.
In addition to these key economic drivers, Kamara noted the
significant handicap small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must
overcome to maintain their operations. You need a lot of support
for SMEs, who need technical assistance to help them, he said.
According to Evans, the World Bank is doing just that, financ-
ing a program of about $1 billion to contain the epidemic and to
address its economic effects. The investment has two partsit is
providing $500 million in support for health workers, as well as
a platform that helps foreign health workers enter the affected
areas quickly and effectively. On the economic side, the Inter-
national Finance Corporation has a $450 million project that is
providing support to small and medium enterprises across the
three countries.
Evans estimates the fiscal gap across the three countries is
about half a billion dollars, or close to five percent of their com-
bined GDP. That large fiscal gap will likely have a dramatic effect
on non-health related infrastructure. Sierra Leone and Liberia in
particular will require significant budget support to overcome the
fiscal shortfall caused by declining tax revenue and an inordinate
level of expenditure both countries directed to-
wards Ebola response.
Kamara is disheartened by the return to a
donor-funded economy after so much sustained
growth. We are back to an economy that is
less private-sector run and more donor-funding
run, which is similar to what we had during the
war, he said. Its not the right kind of economic
growth.
Of course, the best antidote to a donor-driven
economy is private-sector growth. Evans urged
companies to invest bullishly sooner rather than
later. Organizations that are considering invest-
ment may be hesitant in the wake of the epi-
demic, but I would encourage them to be bold
in the face of uncertainty, he said.
To that end, Barash hopes to help the Ebola
Private Sector Mobilization Grou