“WHEN I GROW UP I WOULD LIKE TO BE A TEACHER” Your support is helping girls like Zeinab change their lives for good
Issue 11 Spring 2017
Thank you!
2
We’d like to say a very big thank you to our supporters for raising an incredible £430,000 this Christmas. However you supported ActionAid in 2016, you’re making a huge difference to women and girls all over the world.
actionaid.org.uk
ActionAidUK
@ActionAidUK www.actionaid.org.uk
Photo: Steve Forrest/ActionAid
@ActionAidUK
Girish Menon Chief Executive ActionAid UK
Follow me on Twitter @GirishMenonAAUK
At a time when the world feels more divided than ever, I’m heartened by the extraordinary strength of people around the world From the women rebuilding communities in Haiti, to mothers feeding their children against the odds, I’m inspired by the people we work with and their determination in the face of the immense challenges of poverty and injustice. In this issue you can meet Nimah, a women’s rights activist in Somaliland who protects domestic violence survivors – sometimes at risk to her own life. I was also moved by Theo’s story, a former sponsored child who started at a school without desks but now works for an ActionAid partner in Ghana. These people embody the spirit of ActionAid – standing up for each other, speaking out against injustice and working together to promote the values of tolerance, justice and equality. So I’d like to say a huge thank you for your continued and invaluable support. You, our supporters, enable us to stand with women and girls who are survivors of violence, for the rights of children, for those devastated by disasters. I am so proud of the work we do together. Thank you. Girish Menon P.S. There have been some important changes to our privacy policy and we would love your feedback. Read more on pages 18 and 19. supportercontact@actionaid.org 01460 238 000 www.actionaid.org.uk ActionAid is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales (Company number 01295174). England and Wales charity number 274467, Scottish charity number SC045476. Registered office 33-39 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0BJ. Cover: 10-year-old Zeinab is a sponsored child in Zanzibar, Tanzania. She was featured in our Safe from Harm appeal this Christmas. Photo: Rachel Palmer/ActionAid. Left: Children play in the sunshine at Gandali primary school, Malawi. Photo: Pier Giulio Caivano/ActionAid.
Spring 2017
3
“Our village transformed before my eyes” As a boy Theophilus M. Kwasi Attah – or Theo to his friends – was sponsored through ActionAid. Here he explains how sponsorship changed his life for good
4
I
was born in the village of Nsuobri in southern Ghana. Most people in my village work as farmers and they don’t earn much. When I went to school there weren’t any desks or chairs. We had to carry chairs from our houses to the school, then return them after the lesson. When we needed water we fetched it from the stream, which wasn’t clean. I became a sponsored child in 2001, when I was 12 years old. I loved reading the letters my sponsor sent me. My twin brother actionaid.org.uk
Today Theo works for an ActionAid partner supporting women’s rights
ally In his job, Theo is especi ng passionate about ensuri land local women can inherit
“After just three years of child sponsorship, our village looked very different.” was also part of the sponsorship programme. We had clean water from a new borehole which local people built with ActionAid funding. Local ActionAid staff set up a training centre for women where they could learn skills like making bread and tie-dye cloth. In these ways, my parents were able to make enough money to keep me at school and Spring 2017
provide me and my brother with books and uniforms. Throughout school I was always top of my class. Any free time I got, I played football. I was part of the school team – in my final year we won the regional trophy! Because of ActionAid, I was able to finish school and learn important leadership skills. Now I work for an ActionAid partner
who supports women and young people. I really enjoy building their confidence and empowering women to have a say in local decisions like land inheritance. Where I live in Ghana, 70% of food is grown by women. But most of them don’t own land. I am very proud to support women claim the land they farm as their own. I am grateful to my ActionAid sponsor for helping me to finish my education and become who I am today – a happy, fulfilled man. ● 5
Photos: ActionAid
Theo revisits his primary school. Local children are still benefitting from sponsorship
“I don’t have to wait for a man or superior to say ‘Joanna, let’s go!’” 6
actionaid.org.uk
BORN WITH AN INNER STRENGTH From everyday heroes like Joanna to skilled professionals like Ismene, women are leading the way in Haiti’s recovery
W
hen Hurricane Matthew hit their homeland, the women of Haiti demonstrated extraordinary strength and courage. Our women-led teams had already received disaster relief training, meaning they were able to quickly assess what people needed and fairly distribute emergency supplies including clean water, food, and cholera prevention kits. With their incredible help – and yours – we’ve now reached over 36,000 people with emergency supplies and support to rebuild their lives. Twenty-eight year old Joanna Moise explains how
ActionAid training prepared her to lead people to safety after the crisis: “It helped me realise that I don’t have to wait for a man or superior to say ‘Joanna, let’s go!’ I can take the reins all on my own. The leadership training helped me learn that while I should protect myself in an emergency, I can also protect others in need.” And when the hurricane struck, the mother of two got straight to work. “I received a phone call before the hurricane, urging me to see how the people evacuated to communal shelters were doing.
●3 6,000 people received emergency food, shelter, cholera and hygiene kits in the aftermath of the hurricane
●O ur cash for work programme is now providing 16,640 days of paid work to local people
Photo: Dylan Roberts/FreeSociety/ActionAid
OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN HAITI
●W e’ve built four women’s centres where women are learning new skills and supporting each other to recover from trauma
Thank you! We had just over 4,000 donations to our Haiti appeal, raising an incredible £530,000
7
not the only one in this awful situation. That gave me strength to collect myself.” In the weeks that followed, Joanna continued to put others first: “I urged people to share with one another, share a little bit of soap, share a few oral rehydration tablets – because by doing so we not only protect our neighbours, we also protect ourselves.” TIME TO REBUILD As a passionate advocate for women’s rights, civil engineer and social worker Ismene Garconnet is also lending her unique skills to help communities reeling from the devastation. “After a catastrophe like the hurricane there is often more violence and discrimination against women. Women need to know how to behave and
respond,” Ismene explains. Ismene used her specialist training in disaster-proof construction to build four safe, womenfriendly spaces designed to withstand future disasters. Here women can seek safety, get emergency supplies, receive counselling and learn how to protect themselves from violence. “I know that my skills are useful. Haiti is my country, so it’s my responsibility,” she says. Right across Haiti, inspiring women like Joanna and Ismene are supporting each other and their communities. They refuse to be beaten by disasters like Hurricane Matthew and, thanks to our supporters, they have the skills, funds and confidence to help get their country back on its feet again. ●
Engineer Ismene supervises the build of a new women’s centre
8
actionaid.org.uk
Photo: ActionAid
On the way home from the third shelter, I explained to everyone I could that the hurricane had the potential to be a really big disaster. They needed to be extremely vigilant, so that if at any moment they needed to evacuate they could. “I stayed awake the entire night trying to stay updated and keeping in touch with others via my cell phone. The wind was so violent that my sister-in-law rushed from her room to mine. We lay on the bed and every time the wind blew we embraced one another tightly. The wind blew harder, the house shook faster and we knew we had to evacuate.” Once Joanna and her family were safe, she wasted no time in helping others: “I started looking around and it made me realise I was
Q&A
Yolette Etienne, ActionAid Haiti’s Country Director
When the hurricane struck, what were your immediate priorities? In the first few days it was a race against time. We urgently needed to reach isolated communities like Jacquet in Grand Anse. The hurricane destroyed everything in this remote village. Families were sheltering in the local school – the only structure still standing. Our first job was to make sure they had food, water and shelter. But we also needed to find longer-term solutions. All the crops had been washed away so we provided seeds to plant straight away, meaning the villagers will have their own food supply in a few months. It feels good to help people become selfsufficient again. Spring 2017
Photo: ActionAid
Last October, a powerful hurricane swept through Haiti, killing hundreds and destroying the lives of many more. Six months after the catastrophe, Yolette Etienne explains how ActionAid prepared women to play a key role in their country’s recovery
Why do women play such an important role in responding to an emergency like Hurricane Matthew? When an emergency happens, everyone needs to be ready to act – not just men. That’s why we train women in disaster-prone areas across the country to be emergency leaders (see photo above). When the hurricane hit, the women knew what their community needed and made sure essential supplies were distributed fairly. And thanks to their specialist training,
our emergency leaders understand that women face an increased risk of violence following an emergency. By working together we can make sure women and girls stay as safe as possible. Can you tell us your proudest moment? In Haiti we are born with an inner strength – something which is especially true of Haitian women. But at times like these that strength is tested. My proudest moment was seeing the look on a mother’s face
when she brought her children into their new home. The family of five were living in a temporary shelter made of corrugated iron and tarpaulins. We asked the community what they needed to rebuild and they told us that metal sheets were more important than wood, as they could salvage wood from collapsed houses. So ActionAid provided cash vouchers which local families could exchange for metal sheets, boosting the local economy while helping people rebuild their homes. 9
HOW A GIFT IN YOUR WILL COULD CHANGE LIVES
“Now I pick fruit from the trees to feed my children” Leaving a gift in your Will enables ActionAid to invest in long-term change for women and girls in some of the world’s poorest places
L
iving in one of the most flood-prone regions of Bangladesh, Nazma struggled every day to care for her children. When the riverbanks overflowed, her rented shack provided no protection
10
and she feared her small children would fall into the water and drown. Nazma suffered from polio as a child and relies on crutches to walk. “I was so scared because I couldn’t move fast so if my children fell, it would not be easy for me to lift them out.” Around 50 children die from drowning in Bangladesh every day. With no land to grow crops or raise livestock on, Nazma found it impossible actionaid.org.uk
Photo: Mahmud /MAP/ActionAid
“I feel very strongly about ActionAid because the money goes towards people who really need it. I trust ActionAid to put my legacy to the best Jill Drysdale, ActionAid possible use.” supporter since 1984
to give her young family the nutritious food they needed. “Sometimes we managed to eat two meals a day but that was a struggle. We mainly just ate rice.” In Faridpur, where Nazma lives, many families can only afford to live on low-lying land which is constantly flooded. These are some of the most vulnerable people in the world. As part of an innovative project, ActionAid worked with the community to Spring 2017
build a flood-proof village here with houses constructed on plinths two-and-a-half feet above the highest recorded flood level. Each family received a house, a plot of land and a boat for monsoon season. Since moving into her new home, Nazma no longer worries about the safety of her children. ActionAid have also provided her with a cow so she can feed her beloved children all year round. “Before I had to have money to buy food but now I can just pick fruit from my trees and feed my children. The cow has changed our fortunes! I sell her milk and use the money to cover our daily needs and save for the future,” she smiles. To Nazma, the raised village is more than just a home. It’s a chance to give her children a better life, to see them grow up safe and healthy. By leaving a gift to ActionAid, you can continue to transform the lives of women like Nazma and her children, for generations to come. ●
If you’d like to leave a gift in your Will or simply want to find out more, please call our friendly team on 01460 238000 or email legacies@actionaid.org You can also find more information on our website www.actionaid.org.uk/legacies 11
FEARLESS CAMPAIGN
“When I help a woman I feel proud, because she is a human being just like me” For nearly a decade, Nimah Osmail has been fighting for women’s rights
Photo: Jennifer Huxta/ActionAid
A
s a volunteer for a local ActionAid partner in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nimah has supported hundreds of women and girls who have experienced violence. “There was a woman who was deliberately blinded by her husband. We paid for her to go to hospital and helped her escape the marriage. Now she lives in Ethiopia and she’s set up a good business. We stay in touch,” says Nimah. Nimah and her network of volunteers provide women with everything from a room in a safe house to legal support or training in a profitable skill. They also lobby the government for better laws to protect women, and train local police officers to take domestic violence seriously. Nimah has faced death threats for her work – but she 12
won’t give up. “When I see a man beating his wife, I feel like he is beating me,” she explains. “I can’t tolerate it if a woman is beaten.” In 2015, 200 countries signed up to the sustainable development goal to achieve gender equality by 2030. ActionAid research has shown that the work of grassroots organisations like Nimah’s is the most effective way to make gender equality a reality. But frontline groups like this are critically underfunded, receiving less than 1% of total UK aid allocated to gender equality. ActionAid works with partner organisations in Somaliland to train women to be community leaders, support women’s cooperatives and lobby for laws to protect girls against FGM and violence. In November 2016, Nimah was one of three women’s
rights campaigners who wrote a letter to International Development minister Priti Patel calling for more funding for women’s groups in developing countries. The letter was co-signed by 11,224 Fearless campaign supporters. Thanks to our determined campaign, the UK government announced an extra £6 million for frontline women’s organisations later that month. ●
actionaid.org.uk
Spring 2017
13
SUPER SUPPORTER
Going the extra mile to help us change lives for good
Anya has supported ActionAid for half her life… and she’s only nine-years-old. Here, Anya tells us about her amazing fundraising efforts and why she chose to support ActionAid
W
“I really don’t mind not getting presents”
hen I was nearly five I saw a programme about poverty in other countries on TV. There were children who couldn’t afford food. I wanted to help. I asked my mum what I could do and she told me all about ActionAid. On my 5th birthday I invited all my friends to my birthday party but asked them to give me donations instead of presents. I was then able to donate all the money to ActionAid. My mum and dad made a donation too. Sometimes my friends still give me little presents as actionaid.org.uk
Anya enjoys a hike in the sunshine with some of her friends who gave donations instead of birthday presents
“On my 10th birthday I will ask for donations instead of presents again. I want to do it until I’m 65.” I love animals, especially my two dogs Teddy and Spike, and when I am older I want to work in an animal rescue centre. In my spare time I will still raise as much money as I can to help other children around the world.”
Anya has definitely reached super-supporter status – making an amazing contribution at such a young age to support ActionAid and our work with children all over the world. Thanks Anya! ●
To find out more about celebrating your birthday, wedding or other special occasion with ActionAid visit: www.actionaid.org.uk/celebrate Spring 2017
15
Photo: Deanna Edwards/Anya Humphries
well, but I really don’t mind not getting presents. I like to be able to help. One year my teacher told the Head of the school and she got me up on stage at assembly. I was a bit embarrassed but also pleased. Maybe what I am doing will inspire other children to support charities. A newspaper also wrote an article about it.
Get involved…
Choose your challenge As your New Year’s resolutions become a distant memory, why not set yourself a new challenge with straightforward targets and all the support you can shake an unused gym pass at?
T
his year, there are all sorts of opportunities to get active with ActionAid – walking, running, cycling… even crawling through mud. Join the ActionAid team, set a personal goal, take on a physical challenge, and raise money for the world’s poorest
women and girls. Don’t worry; we’re there every step, stride or turn of the wheel. We support you with an ActionAid top, fundraising tips to get the pounds rolling in, and a cheering squad to get you through the tough bits and congratulate you when you finish.●
“I can’t not mention how amazing ActionAid’s support was throughout the fundraising and the day, cheering us on in the freezing cold!” 16
Lulu and her colleagues tackled the challenge of Tough Mudder to raise funds for ActionAid
actionaid.org.uk
CYCLING
RIDELONDON-SURREY 100 Sunday 30 July London, Surrey £25 Registration fee £400 Fundraising target
RUNNING
ROYAL PARKS HALF MARATHON Sunday 8 October London £25 Registration fee £350 Fundraising target
OBSTACLES
TOUGH MUDDER Various dates Locations throughout UK £29 Registration fee £300 Fundraising target
For details of these, and many more challenge events across the UK visit www.actionaid. org.uk/fundraise
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UK WHO TOOK PART IN BIG ME!
Photos: ActionAid
We hope you enjoyed dressing up, dreaming big and exploring your aspirations. Your amazing fundraising will help change lives, for good. Watch this space for Big Me Week in 2017! Spring 2017
17
OUR SUPPORTER PROMISE TO YOU
I
Helen McEachern, ActionAid’s UK Fundraising Director on our Supporter Promise
’m very pleased to introduce our refreshed Supporter Promise – a commitment to you as a supporter of ActionAid. We are sharing our Supporter Promise as a demonstration of our commitment to hold ourselves to the highest standards, across every area of our work. We know that you expect nothing less. These principles are at the core of ActionAid UK. We work in partnership with the world’s poorest women and girls, and we take this same approach with our supporters. In the spirit of partnership, we welcome your feedback to help us maintain our high standards. If we ever fall short of this promise to you, please do let us know, and we will do everything we can to put it right. You’ll see that part of this promise involves a privacy policy, which we have refreshed. We want to be very clear about how your personal information is being used – so we want to highlight this policy which is written to protect your personal data. We would especially value your feedback to us on this. Please be in touch at any time if there is anything that is concerning so we can take your comments on board. ●
If you wish to speak with us about this, or have any feedback, please get in touch with our Supporter Contact team: supportercontact@actionaid.org or 01460 238000. If you’d like to write to me directly, you can email me at hmceachern@actionaid.org
Taniya lives in Happy Homes, a safe space for homeless girls supported by ActionAid in Dhaka, Bangladesh
We aspire to always: BE TRANSPARENT AND OPEN ● We are accountable to our supporters as well as our staff, partners, the UK government and, most importantly, to the women and children living in poverty who we support ● We will keep you informed about what you have helped us achieve and where your money goes ● We will be clear about who we are and what we do MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS IN OUR FUNDRAISING ● We chose to register with the Fundraising Regulator and adhere to their Code of Fundraising Practice and we make sure that all fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds do so as well ● We have policies in place to protect individuals who may be in vulnerable circumstances PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY AND PERSONAL DATA ● Your information is safe with us. We will always treat it in a safe, secure, sensitive and confidential way ● We will never share or sell your personal information to third parties for the purpose of marketing or fundraising ● Read our full Privacy Policy at www.actionaid.org.uk/privacy BE FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE ● You have control over how we contact you and we will always provide you with a number of options for updating your communication preferences ● When a humanitarian crisis occurs we will provide information on how we are responding and give you the opportunity to donate
Please take a look at the full version of the promise at www.actionaid.org.uk/supporterpromise. Read our full privacy policy at www.actionaid.org.uk/privacy (we are happy to send you a copy by post it you prefer)
Photo: G.M.B. Akash/Panos/ActionAid
BE RESPECTFUL ● We will always listen to what you have to say. If we have made a mistake we will apologise. If we need to make changes we will ● We have a procedure for dealing with complaints, and should you ever need to make a complaint or give us feedback we will listen, respond and take action ● We have a dedicated Supporter Contact team who will respond to all queries in an honest, friendly, professional and efficient way
ActionAid worker Renu distributes emergency aid in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquakes
Save lives today Can you support the ActionAid Emergency Action Fund and provide life-saving support in times of crisis? When disaster strikes, it’s the poorest and most excluded people who are the most vulnerable. And with the largest loss of life occurring in the first 72 hours of disaster, we need to act fast to save lives. The Emergency Action Fund allows us to release immediate funds for life-saving supplies such as food, water and shelter in times of crisis. It also enables
us to empower people to rebuild their lives and be prepared should emergency strike again. From high-profile disasters such as Hurricane Matthew in Haiti to ‘silent’ emergencies like three years of persistent drought in Somaliland, the Emergency Action Fund ensures we can reach the people who need it most. ●
20
32190_MAG
actionaid.org.uk
Photo: ActionAid
To donate to ActionAid’s Emergency Action Fund today, simply send a donation in the post or visit www.actionaid.org.uk/ emergencyfund. You can also call our Supporter Contact team on 01460 238000