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    <title>Mercy Corps Latest Articles</title>
    <link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk</link>
    <description>The Latest Mercy Corps Content</description>
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    <copyright>(c) 2007 Mercy Corps</copyright>
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	<title>Mercy Corps Launches Food Crisis Response</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/aboutus/pressoffice/2731/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Global international development and relief agency, Mercy Corps, is this week launching a global food crisis response across two continents in five countries.  The global project is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and will be officially launched at a summit at St. Colm International House in Edinburgh from 11 to 14 November.

The aim of Mercy Corps' global food crisis response is to focus on immediate and emergency responses to the lack of food available, as well as long term solutions to help desperately poor communities access food. 

The conference will be attended by Mercy Corps staff from the key response countries - Central African Republic (CAR), Nepal, Niger, Somalia, and Sri Lanka. The five countries were chosen to benefit because of their desperate need, reliance on agriculture and lack of donor support.

Mervyn Lee, Executive Director of Mercy Corps European Headquarters said, &quot;The impact of the global food crisis can be seen across the world and as ever, it is the most vulnerable communities that suffer the most. The launch summit this week is a vital opportunity to bring together experts from around the world to drive this project forward and insure that Mercy Corps makes a lasting impact on this urgent global emergency.&quot;

Mercy Corps' global food crisis response started on 1 September 2008 and will run for 18 months.  
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	<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:28:39 -0800</pubDate>
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	<title>Artemis Does It Again!</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/getinvolved/companies/2128/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[You can also read about who the quadrathlon supports and get help with fundraising.

For the sixth successive year, fund management company Artemis are sponsoring the Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon 2009.

The 2008 event raised over £175,000 for projects in Nepal that will improve the incomes of impoverished cardamom farmers and raise awareness among communities vulnerable to natural disasters.
The Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon is recognised as one of the toughest one day events in Scotland. The event involves a one mile swim across Loch Tay, a 15 mile climb over 7 Munroe, an 8 mile kayak back up the Loch followed by a 34 mile cycle around the entire Loch. 
Lindsay Whitelaw of Artemis said &quot;We are delighted to be the sponsors of this unique and eccentric event. Artemis employees have previously taken part in other Events and Activities challenges, and we jumped at the chance to support Mercy Corps again. The GKQ is a fun event and the quadrathlete's will be raising funds for a very worthwhile and motivating cause.&quot;
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	<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:00:44 -0800</pubDate>
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	<title>Mercy Corps Aid Worker Killed in Somalia</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/aboutus/pressoffice/2730/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[A Mercy Corps staff member in Jamame, Somalia, was shot and killed while walking in town on Saturday evening local time. Mohamed Osman, age 44, was a Somali national and a principal program officer for Mercy Corps' work in southern Somalia.

Mercy Corps is saddened by this tragic incident. We are mourning the loss of Mohamed, who worked tirelessly to build a better future for his country, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Local authorities are investigating the incident. It appears that the motive was criminal and there is no indication that Mohamed was targeted because he worked for Mercy Corps or more generally for an international aid group. Mercy Corps' Crisis Management Team, made up of the most senior executives in the agency, is monitoring the investigation.

All other staff members in Jamame are unharmed, and maintaining their safety is our most important responsibility. Mercy Corps' work in Somalia will continue uninterrupted.

We remain unequivocally devoted to helping the people of Somalia. Since 2005, we have been helping communities in the north and the south to build the foundation for long-term recovery, peace and economic development. Our South Somalia Livelihoods Recovery Program, which Mohamed managed, enables people to earn more while building vital infrastructure for their communities.
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	<pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:21:35 -0800</pubDate>
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	<title>DR Congo: Civilians Under Attack Need Urgent Protection</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/aboutus/pressoffice/2729/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[EU and Other UN Member States Should Send More Peacekeepers ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:10:00 -0800</pubDate>
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	<title>Thousands Flee Fighting in Eastern Congo</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/congo/2725/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Amid the uncertainties of peace negotiations on the heels of ferocious fighting in eastern Congo, Mercy Corps is supplying more than 100,000 displaced people with the most critical resource of all: clean, fresh water.

Your support can help us ensure that supplies and basic services continue to reach families caught somewhere in between overflowing displacement camps and the home villages they had to flee in the face of violence.

Mercy Corps is playing a key role in emergency response efforts by providing lifesaving water, sanitation and other services to those forced from their villages and homes.

We've been providing more than 400,000 liters of potable water per day to people living in displacement camps in and around the city of Goma. In addition, we're building latrines and working with camp residents to prevent cholera.

Mercy Corps has also been working to minimize the environmental strain of the displaced by distributing thousands of fuel efficient stoves and firewood. The stoves use less than one-half of the firewood that conventional open-flame cooking methods require. As a result, deforestation normally associated with large displacement camps is significantly lessened. In addition, security is improved because women do not have to collect wood as frequently, a process that often exposes them to risk of assault.

Even with current negotiations between rebel forces, the government of Congo and the international community, thousands of families are unsure of where to go and what to do. This situation is complicating the already-difficult task of providing for the needs of one million displaced people.

&quot;In my three-and-a-half years in Congo, I've never seen circumstances so dire,&quot; says Luke King, Mercy Corps' Country Director in Congo. &quot;The population here had already reached its coping capacity before recent events, and now they are in dire need of support from the international community. Without resources for continued services, we expect a steep increase in malnutrition and diarrhea-related diseases. Nevertheless, we'll continue to make strong efforts to respond to the needs of the population&quot;.

p&gt;&quot;In my three-and-a-half years in Congo, I've never seen circumstances so dire. The population here had already reached its coping capacity before recent events, and now they are in dire need of support from the international community. Without resources for continued services, we expect a steep increase in malnutrition and diarrhea-related diseases,&quot; said Luke King, Mercy Corps' Country Director here in Congo. &quot;Nevertheless, we'll continue to make strong efforts to respond to the needs of the population&quot;.

Families in this part of Congo, who have endured the deadliest conflict since World War II, have already lost homes and loved ones. They are now trapped in communities and camps with no idea if &amp;mdash; or when &amp;mdash; the violence will resume. Please help us speed water and other critical supplies to them in their time of greatest need.


Your donations are needed to save lives, prevent worsening disease and build hope in a devastated environment.
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	<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:18:03 -0800</pubDate>
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	<title>Mercy Corps responds to earthquake in Pakistan</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/aboutus/pressoffice/2727/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[In response to the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Balochistan, Pakistan on 29 October, International relief and development agency Mercy Corps is coordinating an immediate response from its regional office in Quetta.

Two Mercy Corps ambulances with doctors and paramedics were dispatched from Quetta the morning of 29 October and went directly to the villages most severely hit by earthquake. Each Mercy Corps ambulance was equipped with essential medical supplies, water and dry food rations. 

Mercy Corps has also established a 10 bed emergency health post in Kawas, Ziharat district, the most affected area. Treatment of the injured began immediately, while aftershocks were still hitting the area and causing several landslides.

After setting up base in Kawas, Mercy Corps sent two mobile teams to other affected villages where no assistance had been provided.

Joanna Walshe, Mercy Corps Country Director in Pakistan said, &quot;We are responding to the earthquake as quickly as possible to meet the desperate needs of the affected communities. Temperatures are very low in the region so emergency medical assistance is crucial at this stage. Basic supplied such as blankets, warm clothes and tents are also urgently required to keep people as warm and sheltered as possible.&quot;

Mercy Corps will continue its emergency operation and assess the population's ongoing needs. Medical and non medical Mercy Corps staff are currently travelling to the affected area to support the operation and remain in close communication with local and national authorities to ensure the response is well coordinated.

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	<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:54:57 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Death Toll Rises from Pakistan Quake</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/pakistan/2728/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps has provided medical aid and emergency supplies to isolated villages affected by the October 29th earthquake in western Pakistan, which killed at least 215 people and left about 120,000 people homeless in the remote province of Balochistanp&gt;

Our staff on the ground in affected areas report urgent needs for blankets, tents and continuing medical assistance. Your help is essential to speed more medicine and medical staff to treat families recovering from the quake.

The 6.4-magnitude tremor hit Balochistan early on the morning of October 29, triggering landslides that instantly buried hundreds of homes. The initial earthquake has been followed by at least 20 aftershocks — some as large as 6.2-magnitude tremors — causing even more damage.

Treatment of the injured population began almost immediately after the earthquake struck at the Mercy Corps emergency health post Mercy Corps set up in the town of Kawas, situated among mountains in the most affected area. We've established our regional emergency response center in Kawas, while deploying two mobile teams to other affected villages where no assistance has been provided so far.

Temperatures are very low in the region — and even more extreme temperatures are expected as winter approaches — so the primary material needs reported are blankets, warm clothes and sturdy tents.

Mercy Corps will continue and expand emergency assistance while further assessing the population's needs. Additional medical and emergency support staff is on its way to the affected area to strengthen the operation. Your support is critical as we focus our efforts in some of Pakistan's poorest and most isolated areas.

Your gift to our Pakistan Earthquake Crisis Fund will help us rush relief to families in need.

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	<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:57:55 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Refusing to be pushed around</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/india/2726/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Life isn't easy for tea labourers in northeast India's Darjeeling District. Workers scale the unbelievably steep slopes of famed tea estates for eight hours a day, hauling huge baskets brimming with plucked tea leaves. But, at the end of their hard day, they have barely enough money to live on — and due to the seasonal nature of the job, a steady income throughout the year is almost impossible. 
This has been the case in Darjeeling for at least 150 years. But today, with help from Mercy Corps, this system is being transformed as former tea labourers are creating a new technique of their own —involving their own tea fields and wages that can support their families. 
This new scheme is called Organic Ekta. The word &quot;ekta&quot; means &quot;unity&quot; in the Nepali language — and it is the unity that is transforming the way of life for small tea farmers in Darjeeling's lofty hills. 
Organic Ekta is supporting over 150 small farmers through a tough process that once completed means that they are registered farmers. This is vital because it allows them to sell crops directly to tea estates for the first time. As well as this the project provides trainings on organic farming techniques that increase quantity and quality and allow farmers to double their incomes. 
One of the projects most active tea farmers is 45-year-old Sushila Chhettri, a firebrand with a jade-green bindi on her forehead and a wild red streak in her hair. She welcomes visitors and is proud to show off her tea field, situated down a steep, shoulder-wide dirt path. 
Sushila has picked tea for the last 25 years in local estates and often felt marginalised by management. She can remember a few occasions when she and other tea workers were forced to a different part of the estate when foreigners visited; she thinks this was because management wanted to hide the grim realities of daily work on the estates. 
This new type of farmer is not ruling anything out; they're even thinking about building and opening their own factory for export-quality Darjeeling tea that they can sell directly to tea connoisseurs around the world. 
Organic Ekta's undeniable spirit and unity is shaking up the status quo — and promising a better life for those who've had to live far too long on just £1 a day.
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	<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:14:44 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Q&amp;A with Dominic Graham - Mercy Corps' County Director for Mongolia</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/mongolia/2722/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[1.	What is the biggest difference between living in Britain and Mongolia??
Mongolia is a unique country with a strong cultural identity that makes it different from anywhere else in the world. The Mongolian language is spoken across the country and the country also has its own foods, style of clothing, music, arts and sports.
While all of these combine to make Mongolia a fascinating place to live and work, the single biggest difference between Mongolia and Britain is the sheer sense of space that comes with living in a vast and sparsely populated country with few fences, walls, roads or other contructions to limit the horizon. Particularly in the countryside, the lack of physical boundaries gives you a strong feeling of freedom that it is easy to get used to!

2.	What is the best thing about your role as Mercy Corps' Country Director??
Mercy Corps has a really strong team of local staff working in Mongolia. Mercy Corps has been working here for over a decade now and over those years the organisation has not only built a strong reputation for the quality of its work, but has also grown internally. Many of the projects we run today are only possible because of the depth of experience, talent and enthusiasm that we have within our team and I find working in that environment very rewarding.


3.	And the worst??
The pluses far outweigh the minuses, but a job like this is not without its frustrations. Before Mercy Corps begins any new project or activity, we first engage in a careful assessment of local challenges, opportunities and possible solutions. The process is extremely valuable because it not only gives us a chance to talk with people firsthand and to support them in the most appropriate ways, but it also helps us to understand the context in which we work. Many of these assessments uncover more challenges than we can meet within the financial or operational terms of our projects so we have to work with people to prioritise them and leave some for another time, which can require some difficult decisions.


4.	What is life like for rural communities in Mongolia and what are the biggest challenges they face them??
Life in rural Mongolia is hard, particularly because of the harsh environment. Summer is generally a very pleasant time to visit the country, but in winter temperatures plunge to well below -30C for months on end. The climate is also very dry, with low rainfall, making many forms of agriculture risky.

Apart from the environment, Mongolia is a huge country with shaky infrastructure that makes communications difficult. There are few good roads and, though the network is spreading, many places still lack 24-hour electricity. Travel times are long and many social services are only available in large cities, reducing people's access to them.
It is because rural communities are so isolated, and face these additional challenges, that Mercy Corps has concentrated its work with them. In many areas it can be difficult to identify opportunities for individuals, families and communities to pull themselves out of poverty, but time and time again people have demonstrated that with resilience, creativity, hard work and a little support sustainable solutions to local challenges are both possible and achieveable.


5.	How will money raised from the Mongol Rally be spent by Mercy Corps in Mongolia??
Mercy Corps uses money raised by the Mongol Rally to fund projects and activities being run by local charities and voluntary groups across the country. Every year we invite these groups to send us their ideas and proposals; we then work with them to make sure they have the necessary skills and tools they need to manage the funds in an accountable way and to organise their activities effectively.

These small projects not only enable local groups to pursue the initiatives that they believe are most relevant to their communities, but they also help to generate stronger local communities and to reduce the sense of isolation that many rural groups feel.


6.	What is it like seeing the Mongol Rally teams arriving into Ulaanbaatar and how do local communities react??
Frankly, seeing the Mongol Rally teams limp into Ulaanbaatar after a long journey in vehicles that are often held together with little more than gaffer tape, the most common reaction you find among locals is spellbound disbelief.

The teams pass through many countries - and communities - on their way to the finish line and interacting with each is part of the fun of taking part in the Rally. All along the route, communities respond in a very friendly way to the teams as they pass through and I am sure this is one of the things that makes the Mongol Rally so special.


7.	What is the strangest sight or story you have heard from a Mongol Rally Team??
Every team I have spoken with has accumulated a collection of &quot;war stories&quot; to tell by the time they reach the finish line in Ulaanbaatar. Some of these stories can give a very revealing insight into the nature of the Mongolian people.

One team told me that their car broke down in the middle of the Gobi Desert. I'm not a mechanic, though most Rally team members are by the time I meet them, so I cannot remember the problem - but in any case their diagnosis was &quot;terminal&quot;. They decided to thumb a ride to the nearest town and, after a few hours, a lorry rumbled into sight. The driver stopped his lorry, climbed out and took a look at their car. He then got back in his lorry and drove off. Not sure what to do, the team pitched their tents and camped the night.

Just after dawn the following morning, they were woken by loud noises outside their tent. The unzipped the tent and looked out to find that the lorry driver had come back - with his wife and children - and was already under their car working away with a toolkit and spares. A few hours and several mugs of tea later the car was back in working order. The lorry driver guided them to the nearest blacktop road, showed them the way to Ulaanbaatar and left them. They arrived safe and well two days later.


8.	Are Mongol Rally teams able to visit Mercy Corps programmes in Mongolia if they have spare time during or after the Rally??
Of course! Mongol Rally teams are positively encouraged to visit Mercy Corps projects while they are in Mongolia. All of our projects are out in the countryisde, so it is possible to even visit them on the way to Ulaanbaatar. Last year, several teams visited projects, meeting the local Mercy Corps teams and talking with community members. One team even stayed on in Mongolia after the Rally had ended to help us record a 3-day county fair we were organizing by taking photographs and interviewing some of the stall-holders.

The Mongol Rally is a terrific event and it is very motivating for us, and the communities with whom we work, to be able to demonstrate to the teams firsthand some of the work that is done with funds they raise.
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	<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:10:37 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Priya: Projecting Hope</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/india/2723/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[A Darjeeling is famously known throughout the world for production of exquisite tea. However, there is also a much darker side to the Indian region that is often not publicised - the increasing rise of HIVIDS.  

Thanks to funding from the Rickshaw Run, Mercy Corps has partnered with a local Indian charity called The Shanker Foundation and together we are fighting to increase awareness and provide care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in the area. 

One woman receiving help from the project is called Priya - a petite lady with a ready smile that lights up any room. However, her eyes tell of a troubled past.  
Growing up in a poor family Priya had a difficult childhood and married very young hoping for a better life. Shortly after marrying she had children but then discovered her husband had HIV/AIDS. Terrified of being infected Priya refused to get tested, and instead became her husband's carer and her young family's sole breadwinner.  
In Darjeeling word quickly spread about her situation. She was discriminated against at work and life became incredibly hard for her. It was then that she was first approached by The Shanker Foundation offering help and advice but, scared and in denial, Priya always refused.  
In 2007 life took a turn for the worse when her husband became increasingly ill and the burden of caring for him and her family finally took its toll. Feeling lonely and desperate Priya approached The Shanker Foundation. With their help and advice Priya began to learn about HIV/AIDS and her fear slowly started to disappear. Eventually Priya was tested and discovered that she was HIV positive. Weeks later she lost her husband. 
The devastating news that she was HIV positive could have left Priya feeling even more isolated but instead it completely changed her life. Priya now works as a Peer Educator for the Foundation and raises awareness of HIV/AIDS by running workshops in rural and urban Darjeeling. Priya not only provides information  but she also shares her own story and discusses her HIV/AIDS status with others. Her courage to speak out is helping change attitudes and challenge the stigma for people living with the virus. 
Thanks to the money raised from the Rickshaw Run, Mercy Corps and The Shankar Foundation is able to reach out to more people and make a real difference to men and women living in fear of HIV/AIDs in Darjeeling. Priya, is now a confident and articulate woman. She is positive about her future and is determined that her HIV status will not stop her living a good and happy life. 
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	<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:33:43 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>A Skilled Trade to Last a Lifetime</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/india/2724/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas is the small village of Upper Lingten. Life in this community can be tough as many of its residents are unemployed and live in very basic conditions.
Until last year this was the case for 24 year old Sharmila Gurung. She was uneducated and unemployed and every day was a struggle. 
In October 2007 life changed for Sharmila thanks to a new handmade paper factory, initiated by Mercy Corps, which offered new job opportunities for the local community. On opening Sharmila worked with seven others, manufacturing sheets of handcrafted paper to package Darjeeling's famous teas. 
For this group of eight, including Sharmila, employment from the factory was a chance of a lifetime. 
After receiving the job, Sharmila was sent on a ten-day training course at the only other paper factory in the vicinity, in the hilltop city of Kalimpong. There, she and her co-workers learned various techniques from a master papermaker with 15 years experience.  
&quot;My favourite part of the papermaking in Kalimpong was learning how to press things like tea leaves, ferns and flowers into the wet paper to make it more decorative,&quot; she said. &quot;There was really something magical about seeing the finished product for the first time.&quot; 
Today, Sharmila and her co-workers produce an average of 4,400 pounds of handmade paper each month. With all the steps involved this is no easy task: stripping the bark, boiling the bark into a pulp, placing the pulp into a shredder, adding organic plant dyes and, finally, pressing the pulp into sheets of paper that are hung to dry. 
From finding the local materials that will go into the paper, to packing the dried sheets for shipping, they rely on teamwork to get the job done and already it has paid off  They recently received an order from the Makaibari Tea Estate for 24,000 sheets of paper at 20 Indian rupees (about 25 pence) per sheet. When the order was completed, the co-workers shared revenues of 312,000 Indian rupees — about £4,045 - a startling amount considering that for a full day of work tea pickers only earn approximately 64p.   
The booming business has enabled the factory the factory to employ a further twelve people, and this looks like it will continue to increase. Upper Lingten is beginning to transform, dozens of community residents are now growing argeli, the local plant used for making the paper, and this is providing a much needed increase in household income. The factory has helped to turn life around for the community and youth like Sharmila Gurung. She has not only found a skilled trade to last a lifetime but, thanks to hard work alongside committed colleagues; she now has peace of mind and hope for her future as well.
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	<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:56:24 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Honduras Under Water</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/honduras/2720/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is distributing food, blankets and tarps to families in Honduras who've been forced from their homes by landslides and floods caused by days of nonstop rains.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:38:17 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Become a Hero Against Hunger</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/hungernutrition/2707/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[The end of hunger starts with each of us taking action to stop hunger in its tracks.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:21:33 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>A Man on a Gardening Mission</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/mongolia/2703/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Damba Chuluun from Mandalgobi has been named a &quot;social entrepreneur&quot; by his community. Damba received a grant from funds raised from the Mongol Rally, which he used to build a greenhouse to train secondary school children and local community residents in how to garden.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 06:39:46 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>The Dulwich Dons</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/mongolia/2704/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[For two brave teachers from London, Kieron Norris and David Lewis, the Mongol Rally was a fantastic excuse to have one big adventure.  Calling themselves the &quot;Dulwich Dons&quot; they travelled all the way to Mongolia in a £175 Fiat Uno they bought off eBay and lived to tell the tale. 

Check out their photo highlights below


&amp;nbsp;



2. In Kiev where there is no blue skies 





3.	Camping with all the gear 




4.	Inspection ramp- the first of many! 




5.	One of a number of beautiful sunsets 




6.	Tea anyone? The Ukraine border 




7.	Mother Russia. Amazing! 




8.	We got ourselves a convoy! 




9.	The roads start to deteriorate


 

10.	The Sun downers 




11.	Sand Everywhere 




12.	The Dons vehicle starts to look a little worse for wear



 
13.	A crack in the fuel tank 




14.	The boys… 5 hours for £50


 

15.	Freezing. Swimming not advised 




16.	It fits! 




17.	Ulaanbaatar- 9500 miles 




18.	Home for the night… no we bottled it! 




19.	The arrival home again! 
]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:37:12 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Water for the Fourth District</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/mongolia/2701/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[A year ago in a district of Mongolia's Kherlen region, life was extremely tough for the 4000 members of the community. For them, water did not flow through a kitchen tap or an outdoor pump. The only way that families could reach this basic survival need was to trek three kilometres through subzero temperatures to the nearest water source- a well of a local prison.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:21:04 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Housing Quake Survivors</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/emergencies/2706/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps is helping house families left homeless after an Oct. 5 earthquake struck Kyrgyzstan's mountainous Alai Region.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:25:27 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Job Skills in Mongolia</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/mongolia/2702/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[In March 2008 the Mongol Rally helped to set up the ‘Job Skills in Batnorov' project. The goal of the project was to increase employment opportunities to reduce the rural poverty within the area. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:32:39 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Celebrating Peace with Soccer</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/countries/colombia/2655/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Mercy Corps organized soccer matches in more than a half-dozen countries to celebrate the Sept. 21 International Day of Peace.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:22:16 -0700</pubDate>
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	<title>Laying the Groundwork for Peace in Iraq</title>
	<link>http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/topics/sports/2690/</link>
	<description><![CDATA[On International Day of Peace in Iraq, Mercy Corps celebrated by holding a soccer match between two groups of people who don't always play for the same team.]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:14:43 -0700</pubDate>
</item>
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