Conflict & War
Blog Post: Posted August 11, 2010, 7:24 am by Mary Tam
VIDEO: But you don't have to take MY word for it!
Country: Kyrgyzstan
The decision process that goes into making a charitable contribution is different for each person. Still, most responsible donors have one thing in common — they want to know that their money is being used to help the intended recipients and that the programmes being provided are beneficial.
Organisations can talk up a good storm about the scientific studies projects are based on, or the philosophical theory behind specific programmes. However, concerns often come down to one simple question, “But, is it working?”
Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed when violence broke out in southern Kyrgyzstan in June. Photo: Mary Tam/Mercy Corps
The same question can (and should) be asked of the equity grants that Mercy Corps is issuing to micro-entrepreneurs who lost their businesses due to the recent violence in southern Kyrgyzstan. “Provide start-up capital to help people get back to work” — sounds great, real catchy. But, is it working?
When I first arrived in Kyrgyzstan, I was eager to put my Mercy Corps elevator speech to the test. Today, I can say I have seen our work first hand and can answer the question posed above with confidence. Today, I want to personally vouch for the people who desperately want to be in control of their lives and for the programme I believe will help them do this.
Yes, it’s working.
How do we know? Mercy Corps is conducting follow up progress assessments with equity grant recipients. For example, Mamashakir is an equity grant recipient whose magazin (a corner store business) and home were badly damaged in June due to burning and looting.
In his interview he was asked, “What are the first few purchases you’ll make with the money?” He responded that he would buy a refrigerator and inventory. When a follow-up assessment was conducted less than two weeks later, Mamashakir had done exactly what he had planned to and was back in business.
I was inspired to create a fundraising page to support people like Mamashakir. However, I realize my “street cred” only extends so far. As LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow always said, “But you don’t have to take MY word for it!”
This short video explains how equity grants work logistically and demonstrates what Mamashakir was able to do with the help of Mercy Corps and Kompanion.
Blog Post: Posted August 4, 2010, 2:06 pm by Tara Noronha
In northern Uganda, hope springs eternal
Country: Uganda
As the brutal twenty-year civil war in Uganda has unofficially ended, many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have exited Pader — a district in the country’s northern Acholiland — which was for many years at the epicenter of atrocities committed by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Pastoralist warriors fomenting tensions in Uganda’s eastern Karamoja region now beckon many aid efforts, as do protracted conflicts in neighboring Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But while the days of abduction and murder at the hands of the LRA have ended in “post-conflict” Pader, a long and arduous road to recovery remains. Land disputes between returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have replaced battles between Ugandan forces and LRA rebels. The teacher-to-student ratio in Pader schools often hovers at 1:100. Additionally, northern Ugandans face unprecedented unemployment numbers, as well as few prospects for income generation.
These issues acutely affect youth. A staggering 83 percent of young people in Uganda are currently unemployed— a devastating figure which brands the country with the highest youth unemployment rate in the world. Yet, despite all of these seemingly insurmountable obstacles to economic and social stability, hope remains.
Just ask Akello.
Akello with her daughter in northern Uganda's Pader district. Photo: Tara Noronha/Mercy Corps
She is a soft-spoken twenty-year-old living in the Lira Palwo sub-county of Pader district. Akello is an entrepreneur, the mother of three young children and a child soldier once abducted and pressed into service by the LRA.
She is also a participant in Mercy Corps’ Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP), which operates in Pader with support from the W. Glen Boyd Charitable Foundation. Through YEP, Akello received a small grant to help grow her fish business. She’s also involved in the programme’s Life Skills training, which engages youth in dialogue on topics such as HIV/AIDS, the dangers of early marriage and the importance of effective communication.
Although reserved, Akello is not shy when vocalizing the ways in which the grant from Mercy Corps has allowed her to expand her enterprise. She now buys her fish in bulk and has diversified her business by selling both small and medium-sized fish. She is also devising plans to begin another small enterprise.
This is no tiny feat in a district where 75 percent of individuals report no cash income. Her husband, a farmer, is supportive of her entrepreneurial drive. “My husband is very happy,” Akello told me, smiling. “And he’s proud of our new income.”
Mercy Corps believes in the power and potential of youth, particularly those transitioning from conflict to post-conflict environments. Because of this, our doors have remained open since our Pader office began work in 2006.
Akello is just one of more than 1,000 youth (ages 14-30) benefitting from YEP, a programme which aims to ensure that war-affected youth in northern Uganda are empowered economically, through an increased ability to earn an income, and personally, through an increased ability to make critical life decisions and healthier choices. Yes, Mercy Corps also has teams working in Karamoja (as well as Sudan and Congo), but we continue to work with vulnerable youth in Acholiland, recognizing that these young individuals have the capacity to transform their society and bolster the economy.
Through resilience and courage, and with a little guidance and support, Akello is just one of many young individuals leading the way.
Blog Post: Posted August 1, 2010, 8:12 pm by Brad Myers
A day spent assessing the damage in Osh
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Topics: Emergencies, Conflict & War
Tanzilia Iliasova fills out a grant application with the help of a Kompanion loan officer on the burnt remains of her oven, which is now used to dry tomatoes. Photo: Brad Myers/Mercy Corps
I was feeling the heat by mid-morning in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second largest city. I took refuge from the sun under a slice of metal roofing. Less than a minute passed before a firm grip on my forearm gently escorted me away from my prized spot of shade.
Manzura Rasulova guided me back into the sun toward what she wanted me to see. She gestured to structural damage caused by the fire which destroyed her home. Her business and home account for two of an estimated 2,500 buildings destroyed during the June 11th clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan.
By lunchtime, we had visited half a dozen families — including Manzura's — who filled out grant applications with Mercy Corps, which is the first step in obtaining funding to rebuild homes and/or businesses. I was spending the day with Mercy Corps and Kompanion staff as they continue to compile names of potential equity grant recipients. Although undertones of fear and distrust remain in many neighborhoods, those we met expressed an eagerness to rebuild their communities.
Mercy Corps and Kompanion teams visit those who have had their businesses and/or homes destroyed by the clashes on June 11th. This gentleman holds up metal covering for a senior loan officer who was documenting the damage. Photo: Brad Myers/Mercy Corps
Late afternoon sunlight stretched across this once-thriving Silk Road stopover as we collected more applications. Powerful sights and sounds took hold with each damage assessment. The snap of debris underfoot, the leaden handshakes, tears absorbed by subtle dabs from a headscarf, and the lasting image of goodbye — a hand reverently placed over the heart.
At the dinner table sat an all-star collection of Mercy Corps and Kompanion staff. A small table was dominated by a platter piled high with plov, a traditional Central Asian rice dish. Armed with giant spoons, we dedicated ourselves to reaching the bottom but managed to exchange plenty of stories, ideas and concerns about our day between spoonfuls.
By nightfall, silence and a cool breeze greeted the 10:00 p.m. citywide curfew. It was the end of a full day crisscrossing a town in turmoil. Many residents were grateful to learn about Mercy Corps’ equity grants but balanced their optimism with concerns about the coming months. The slow encroachment of winter’s return only adds to the growing sense of urgency to restore livelihoods as soon as possible.
A group of Uzbek women standing with curiosity at the sight that was created when Kompanion and Mercy Corps staff arrived on the scene and began their assessments. Photo: Brad Myers/Mercy Corps
Blog Post: Posted July 30, 2010, 5:39 am by Mary Tam
VIDEO: Bleeding hearts and pragmatic minds
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Topics: Displacement, Conflict & War
Ainash Mamatova and her husband had just finished remodeling their home earlier this year; it had taken them many years to save up enough money to do this. Ainash had worked at the bazaar for 16 years, mainly selling shoes. In June — when violence broke out in southern Kyrgyzstan — the two containers that served as both her warehouse and place of business were looted and one was badly burned, and her home was completely destroyed.
Ainash in her burned-out home. Photo: Mary Tam/Mercy Corps
Ainash broke into soft sobs as she explained that her children are now staying at two different locations, and she rotates between friends and family so as not to inconvenience anyone for too long. Ainash’s husband described how, at first, they did not want to run away and thought it was best to stay in their apartment. The second day of the violence, they witnessed their seven-year-old neighbour get shot in the chest from her balcony. It was then that he and Ainash decided they needed to leave, for the safety of their children.
In their absence, some sort of grenade or bomb was thrown in through their window. The entire apartment was decimated. We had to take careful steps to avoid wreckage and broken glass as they showed us the remains of their home, which was charred from floor to ceiling. Bullet holes decorated the walls. It smelled of cinders and sadness. Almost symbolically, the sound of a slow, ghostly drip came from what used to be the bathroom — a broken home’s tears creating dull splatters before being absorbed into ash.
Ainash wiped away her tears, saying she has many loyal customers who have come to her for years. But how does one restart a business with no resources? She has applied for a Mercy Corps equity grant so that she can purchase inventory and pay for a new space. With the money, she plans to buy goods from the wholesale market and sell from a location she has found at a different bazaar.
Some people are even worse off than Ainash’s family — those that were beaten or violated during the violence, or were left with dead or missing relatives. It is a disturbing moment when you realize those who have lost their home, business and life savings can be considered lucky by some standard. My throat and nose stung a bit as I held back tears leaving Ainash and her husband. I didn’t want to be one of those “soft” development workers who can’t keep it together out in the field — and besides, they were not my tears to shed.
What I have to remind myself is that although we cannot help everyone, that doesn’t mean I should dismiss those we can help. Right now Mercy Corps has limited funds to issue these equity grants. There are thousands of people here who are out of work following the recent clashes. Not because they are lazy. Not because they are inept. Simply because they have lost everything and lack the resources to resume business operations.
What we need are more people with bleeding hearts and pragmatic minds. Those who will recognize the value and functionality of the equity grant programme. Those who do not need to be thanked, but will be happy enough knowing their contribution will make a meaningful difference for some stranger they will never meet.
Here's a short video I made during my visit with Ainash:
Blog Post: Posted July 21, 2010, 7:16 am by Lisa Inks
After the bombings in Kampala, learning from survival
Country: Uganda
Topics: Peaceful Change, Conflict & War
When I prepared to come to Uganda this summer to do a peacebuilding evaluation with Mercy Corps, I prepared for danger. I was going to the northeastern region of Karamoja, where armed warriors raid cattle and ambush vehicles in a conflict punctuated by extreme poverty and marginalisation. Some colleagues clucked their tongues when I told them where I was headed: “Be careful,” they said. “Always wear shoes you can run in.”
After five weeks conducting an assessment in Karamoja without incident, I came back to Kampala to write my report. I took a break from work to meet friends at a restaurant on July 11, where we settled in to watch the World Cup final alongside dozens of other exuberant football fans.
Right at halftime, a huge blast knocked me out of my chair. I was running without thinking, through a spray of particles and smoke, my eardrums throbbing to a shrill pitch. Before reaching the exit, I turned back. Where people had been laughing and cheering one minute earlier, they were sprawled on the ground or in their chairs, dead, nearly dead, or screaming.
I began to feel the burden of luck — I was completely unscathed but for several bruises — even as we checked bodies for pulses and carried out a man clinging to life through spasmodic gasps for air.
Kampala was supposed to be a respite from danger, a peaceful city far from the violence that has sown terror in the north of the country. But after the bombings, Ugandans started speaking of a new era. Barely catching its breath from a brutal 20-year conflict in the north with the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, Uganda is wrestling with the newest manifestation of another old conflict.
The particular conflict I came to examine — where tribal warriors wielding AK-47s rustle cattle and goats, burn homes and abduct villagers — seems like a far cry from terrorist attacks in the capital city. But I can’t say that they don’t somehow share commonalities: both destroy the lives of innocent people, both bring trauma to those who should be free to live without fear.
In Karamoja, our team assessed the level of insecurity to see whether “no-go” areas had decreased since the start of Mercy Corps’ Building Bridges to Peace programme. We found that people in Karamoja are freer to move about, during the day and the night, than they were one year ago. Indeed, community members can use farmland and forestland they once avoided, they can walk down roads that were once “death zones.” Things are changing, it seems, for the better.
In Kampala, however, the “no-go” areas just expanded exponentially. Fewer people venture out late at night. We are advised to stay away from crowded places. Kampala now feels like a battlefield.
In order to make people more secure, Mercy Corps goes to the places that are most insecure. That’s what makes Mercy Corps effective. And in Karamoja, I can see positive effects of a comprehensive peace programme that improves livelihoods for communities that have been in conflict for decades, where Mercy Corps staff members have been dedicating their energy for years.
When I started interning with Mercy Corps in the Cambridge office last January, the Conflict Management Group fastidiously pieced together theories of change, indicators, and survey questions, trying to pinpoint causes of conflict and map out a road for peace.
Truthfully, I have scant more intellectual insight now than I did sitting in that office. As peacebuilders, we can point to factors that lead people to commit violent acts, and sometimes we get close to telling the story of conflict. But there is still a gap between knowledge and understanding, and never have I appreciated that gap as fully as I did when I was looking at the half-blown out face of a man in shock. The old adage is true: the more you learn, the less you seem to know. But there’s more still. One experience can call everything you learned into question.
What insight I have gained, however, comes in the form of a heightened emotional consciousness, a bit more dogged determination, and, ultimately, a stronger belief in the work we are doing.
Blog Post: Posted July 15, 2010, 6:26 am by Brad Myers
A fund in Kyrgyzstan to rebuild micro-enterprises
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Nadira Abdusatarova has been a Kompanion client since September 2009. Her seamstress business was completely destroyed during clashes in Osh on June 11th. She is a mother of five and provided the main source of income for her family. Photo: Mercy Corps Kyrgyzstan
In a quiet Osh neighborhood there stands a torched shop with no roof. The hot afternoon sun shines over what little remains of Nadira Abdusatarova’s once-thriving seamstress business.
Before the violent and destructive events of June 11th reduced her business to charred ruins, Nadira employed five apprentices and one staff member. With a solemn look of disbelief, she stood motionless, seemingly lost in a flood of opposing images.
She has memories of beautifully-mended clothes stacked neatly next to spools of thread, apprentices sharing light-hearted conversation and the faint hum of sewing machines in motion. But now, her memories are a painful contrast to the lifeless layer of rubble scattered across the floor.
Having already received a loan from Kompanion to expand her business before it was destroyed, Nadira now struggles to imagine how she will afford to rebuild her primary source of income. She also worries about her devoted apprentices and what they will do without employment.
But a new equity fund created by Mercy Corps has been established to do just that — get Nadira, and many other microentrepreneurs, back to business. The Fund for Rebuilding Communities through Microenterprise (FRCM) will provide small amounts of start-up capital, necessary to rebuild the countless micro businesses destroyed by the clashes in Osh and Jalal-Abad.
Mercy Corps is in a unique position to help small business owners rebuild because its microfinance company Kompanion has a large network of offices and staff already in place. With this new fund, microentrepreneurs like Nadira are one step closer to rebuilding their businesses and regaining their livelihoods.
Blog Post: Posted July 10, 2010, 9:56 am by Mary Tam
There vs. Here
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Topics: Conflict & War
There: I rode the N-Judah to work, which could take anywhere from 20-50 minutes depending on SF Muni's mood.
Here: My flatmate and I walk to work, playing “Frogger” as we cross the streets (jaywalking is standard here, but that doesn't mean drivers slow down).
There: I was cold. Cold getting out of bed, cold waiting for the N, cold in restaurants. I know, San Francisco is not the Arctic and you'd think after living in the Bay Area for nearly seven years I would have become acclimated. Not so.
Here: I am on sensory overload, in the best of ways. I'm constantly absorbing the city layout, while periodically hopping or sidestepping to avoid substantial potholes. It is warm and the air is dense. Some trees emit the scent of over-ripe, tropical fruit although they bear none.
There: I would read about civil conflict and atrocities occurring in far off places and wonder how accurate the information was.
Here: I solicit input from those around me regarding the recent conflict – curious about their perspective on the situation and how they are personally affected by it. I ask about the referendum and whether or not they voted. I have not yet had the chance to visit Osh or Jalalabad to see and hear with my own eyes and ears how people are feeling and reacting to the situation. When and if the opportunity presents itself, I will jump.
There: I've been meaning to put together an emergency kit – water, flash light, non-perishable food and all that jazz – in the event of a natural disaster. This would serve to hold me over until the assistance I assume would come, came.
Here: I try to imagine what I would do if my neighborhood were attacked by armed groups. If my friends, family and I were forced to flee rather than risk death, rape or other injury. Would I take refuge in a school? A church? A trusted community removed from the violence?
There: I was (ok, still am) rather self-righteous and sensitive to situations that seem unfair. Perhaps this has something to do with being a Libra and a middle child? I recall how angry I was when USPS didn't process my Change of Address request, which meant I didn't receive my monthly bus pass on time and was forced to purchase another one. After a month of stalking the post office and providing documentation of the situation, USPS finally cut me a check for £27
Here: I’m left feeling angry at the injustice of it all. But I cannot simply write a letter and expect to receive just compensation.
There: Unfortunately, now that the supply of bloody and fiery photos has subsided, so has the media coverage on Kyrgyzstan.
Here: Despite the fact that Kyrgyzstan is quickly falling off the world's radar, Mercy Corps, Kompanion and other organisations are undertaking the arduous and complex challenge of assisting those who have been deeply affected by the violence in the south. Sadly, the topic of recovery activity, here and elsewhere, deserves so much more attention than it will ever receive.
Blog Post: Posted June 29, 2010, 9:54 am by Mirjam Hendrikse
VIDEO: For the Children of Gaza
Country: West Bank/Gaza
Since February 2009, immediately after Operation Cast Lead, Mercy Corps in Gaza has been implementing a comprehensive psychosocial programme funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). The programme provided emergency psychosocial assistance to over 20,000 children, youth, and family members across the Gaza Strip.
During the final months of the programme, the Mercy Corps psychosocial team expressed an eagerness to show a larger public the activities that were being implemented and the impact that these activities were having on (the behaviour of) children and families affected by the Gaza War. At the same time, Maurice Jacobsen, an American independent filmmaker, walked into our Gaza office and asked if we were interested in working together to make sure that stories about people’s life in Gaza were shared with the rest of the world.
Our partnership resulted in a 25-minute video following five children as they participate in our programme and go through the journey of self-discovery and healing.
Here is the 6-minute abbreviated version, posted on our YouTube site:
And here is the 25-minute version, posted on a free video site that contains ads:
The story is told through the eyes of Roba, Soad, Abeer, Monzer and Hala. They are young Gazans, between the ages of 12 and 15, who live with their families in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Using the Comfort for Kids (C4K) workbook as a focal point, the children all share information about their lives with us. While they are telling their story, their homes are visited, their parents or neighbours interviewed, their participation in the psychosocial support sessions shown.
The psychosocial programme ended successfully in March 2010. But the video illustrates the continuous need for our activities. It illustrates the importance of the programme, as well as its impact and effectiveness.
Blog Post: Posted June 25, 2010, 3:37 pm by Mirjam Hendrikse
'I wish I was like the rest of the children in the world'
Country: West Bank/Gaza
Topics: Children, Conflict & War
Roba wants to be an English teacher. Soad a lawyer. Abeer a psychological therapist, and Monzer a doctor. Hala has not yet decided what she wants to do in the future, but for now is determined to achieve the highest scores in school.
Although Roba, Soad, Abeer, Monzer and Hala have very different aspirations for the future, they have many things in common as well. They are young Gazans, between the ages of 12 and 15, and live with their families in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Their daily lives have been profoundly affected by the Israeli military blockade. Through the restrictions on import of basic goods into Gaza, for example. Or the travel restrictions, as people are only able to leave Gaza if they obtain rare medical or religious permission.
Making conditions even more difficult in Gaza, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has over the years lead to many fatalities (including children). A large number of homes and schools was destroyed. Roba, Soad, Abeer, Monzer and Hala have all been exposed to violence and injury. They grew up deprived of the basic requirements needed for life.
And there is something else that Roba, Soad, Abeer, Monzer and Hala have in common. They all participated in Mercy Corps psychosocial programme, attending guided psychosocial sessions over a period of at least six months.
Evaluation results show that the programme played a significant, and overwhelmingly positive, role in the children’s lives. Parents reported that their children demonstrated significantly fewer behavioural problems, and more positive behaviours, at the end of the programme than they did at the beginning. This enabled Roba, Soad, Abeer, Monzer and Hala to focus more on the future again, instead of remembering past events.
Roba wants to travel. She wants to study abroad and become the best English teacher there is. She also wants the border crossings to open “so that all the injured people in Gaza can receive the necessary treatment. I want them to be cured and come back to Gaza feeling happy.”
Abeer was inspired by the psychosocial programme and wants to follow in the footsteps of Mercy Corps staff. “I want to help children so that they can express themselves more easily. I want to help eliminate some of their psychosocial problems. Children should not have any worries on their mind.”
Hala wants the old days to come back, “when all the crossings were still open and people could go wherever they wanted to go. Including me. I want to travel and see beautiful places.”
Monzer is eager to help the people who are injured. “I want to make sure that families are not losing their loved ones. I want to reduce the pain that people feel and see smiles on their faces instead.”
Soad is dreaming of being a lawyer, so she can achieve justice in her society. “We are different from people in other countries, but I wish I was like the rest of the children in the world. I want to see other countries, be free to travel like everybody else.”
If you want to find out more about the lives of Roba, Abeer, Hala, Monzer and Soad, please watch our documentary For the Children of Gaza.
Blog Post: Posted June 25, 2010, 5:08 am by Mary Tam
Responding to needs in displacement camps and host communities
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Mercy Corps is providing humanitarian aid to families displaced by the conflict in the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan. Members of various communities have fled their homes due to the recent violence.
As of June 25, an assessment carried out by Mercy Corps staff indicated that there are about 4,000 refugees from Osh city, 800 of which are children, now living in Suratash village of Karasuu Rayon. Additionally, roughly 446 local families comprised of 3,500 people have taken refugees into their homes. There is no exact number as the flow of refugees is constantly fluctuating. Staff also reported on a tent camp of about 500 residents, 80 families, located on the outskirts of Osh. This camp – one of many in the surrounding area – is made up of those who left their homes in Suratash.
Mercy Corps has procured £10,200 worth of emergency food and non-food items that are being delivered to these displacement camps and host communities. These items include jarred and ready made baby food, soap and detergent, towels and bedding, sanitary napkins and diaper cloth, utensils and salt.
The current focus is to get food, shelter and hygiene supplies to those severely affected by recent events. Mercy Corps also specializes in transitioning from immediate relief – the distribution of essential food, water and supplies – to early recovery activities such as cash and voucher programmes that facilitate economic and market based solutions. Mercy Corps has worked in Kyrgyzstan since 1994. The organisation is committed to supporting families and communities through this crisis and continuing to build healthy, financially stable communities based on civil society principles.
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