Medair
Encyclopedia
Medair is an international non-governmental organization NGO of humanitarian aid
with a stated mission, "to seek out and serve the most vulnerable people affected by crises." Medair’s core competencies are emergency relief and rehabilitation. Medair lists its values as: hope, compassion, dignity, accountability, integrity, and faith.
Medair’s statutes were registered in 1989 with the Registre du Commerce of the state of Vaud, Switzerland. Its international and operational headquarters are based in Switzerland. In 22 years, Medair has been active in 27 countries, working in some of the most remote, hard-to-reach places in the world. It is independent of any political, economic, or social authority. As a signatory of the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, the organization provides aid to the most vulnerable, irrespective of race, gender, religion, age, or nationality.
Medair has approximately 1,100 employees worldwide, many with years of humanitarian experience. Medair’s annual operating income in 2010 was USD 42.1 million. Its programs served 2.2 million beneficiaries in 2010.
The organization currently has programs running in Sudan
, South Sudan
, Haiti
, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar
, Afghanistan
, Somalia
/Somaliland
, and Zimbabwe
. Recent programs have been run in Albania
, Angola
, Armenia
, Bangladesh
, Chad
, Chechnya
, India
, Indonesia
, Ingushetia
, Iraq
, Iran
, Kenya
, Kosovo
, Liberia
, Mozambique
, Ossetia
, Rwanda
, Somalia
, Sri Lanka
, Pakistan
, Uganda
, and Zimbabwe
.
(MAF), and Youth with a Mission
(YWAM). Their objective was to form an organization that could respond more quickly to crises than their own organizations could. This first project provided support for displaced people as they resettled into towns that lacked essential services.
By 1991, Medair was running 3 programs at the same time in Sudan, Liberia, and Iraq. Over the next decade, Medair’s operational capacity expanded until, by 2003, Medair began running as many as 9 country programs at one time in countries like D.R. Congo, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Somalia.
Throughout 1994 and 1995, Medair underwent major restructuring and became independent of its three founding organizations. Medair continues to partner with MAF to this day, since many of Medair’s activities require traveling to hard-to-reach places. The independent Medair formed with an International Board of Trustees and an Executive Committee to assist the CEO. In 2003, Erik Volkmar, who had been with the organization since its inception, stepped down after 15 years as CEO.
, a graduate of Lancaster University’s MBA program
, became CEO. Zindler had held a number of corporate positions with companies like Credit Suisse and Swissair before becoming CEO of Medair.
In his first year as CEO, Zindler mobilized Medair’s response to the Asian tsunami. Over the following few years, Medair developed a long-term vision and, following a major organizational review, clarified its identity as: “we bring life-saving relief and rehabilitation in disasters, conflict areas, and other crises by working alongside the most vulnerable.”
In 2010, Randall Zindler began a transitional plan for his departure from Medair, leaving officially in January 2011. In 2011, Medair's Board of Trustees appointed Jim Ingram, Medair's Finance Director as the new CEO of Medair.
In an interview with The Guardian
, Claire Skinner, a manager of Medair’s food aid project in Afghanistan, spoke about her experiences working for Medair. She acknowledged a range of challenges, from the isolation to the logistics of bringing in tools and supplies by donkey, but she is quoted as saying, “I love the rugged terrain and knowing we are helping some of the poorest communities in the country.”
Prospective Medair staff participate in a Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC). This eight-day course takes place three times a year and aims to evaluate and train participants before they go to the field.
, USAID
, the SDC
, Swiss Solidarity
, and United Nations
funding, such as UNICEF. The remainder comes from private donors, foundations, NGO partnerships, and gifts-in-kind. In 2010, Medair spent 87.6% of its global consolidated funds on humanitarian aid.
, the hardest hit area of Sri Lanka, within five days. After a rapid needs assessment, Medair established that the priorities were water, sanitation, food, and shelter. Working with Bushproof, a company specializing in water technologies for difficult environments, Medair secured emergency drinking water supplies for people living in displacement camps.
Over the next year, Medair’s Sri Lanka projects included shelter construction, restoring the livelihoods of the fishing community through the distribution of boats and nets, and improving public health through latrine construction, well cleaning, and hygiene education.
Medair’s health services programs in South Sudan have been noted for their role in building local capacity. Working with local institutions and traditional authorities, Medair invests in the education and training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants. Providing supports and resources to the State Ministry of Health has enabled primary health care services to be brought to communities that formerly lacked even the most basic health care. Numerous clinics and health centres are now staffed with knowledgeable health care providers responding to disease outbreaks, nutritional emergencies, obstetric needs, and routine out-patient care. Sudanese doctors have participated directly in WASH programs.
concluded that the region had the highest rates of maternal mortality ever recorded (6,507 per 100,000).
In 2003, Medair helped develop the first emergency obstetric care facility in the area. At that time, there were hardly any health clinics there, but by 2009, Medair had supported the establishment of 7 health facilities and 55 health posts. Medair also ran a safe motherhood program that focused on community midwifery training.
struck Madagascar in 2004, Medair conducted a rapid assessment and implemented an emergency WASH project to clean and disinfect 1,400 existing wells in a little over a week. The initially skeptical local residents quickly became impressed by Medair’s work, and started calling the Medair team, NGO “No Bla-bla.” These projects included significant beneficiary participation, with local residents assisting in all aspects. Medair also trained local residents in well and latrine construction and maintenance.
and the surrounding area. The transitional shelters are designed to be built into permanent homes in the future. On Friday, November 5, Emma Le Beau of Medair spoke on CTV News about the preparations for Hurricane Tomas (2010). She explained that these transitional shelters had housed 8,500 people so far. In January 2011, Medair reported that 11,622 people had now been housed.
in 1994, Medair provided emergency relief to the region of Bugesera
, which had lost 80% of its population to the genocide
. Medair worked to get medical centers running again and provided reconciliation seminars. Medair brought in psychiatrists to provide trauma counseling for both Hutu
s and Tutsi
s. Workshops brought together mixed ethnic groups to share their stories.
, Medair teams focused on distributing shelter kits, as winter was approaching. Once families had completed the construction of their semi-permanent homes, they received a wood stove, mattresses, blankets, and hygienic supplies. Medair’s rehabilitation program included livestock and seed distribution, and reconstruction work in a remote mountainous region.
s (IDPs) at the height of the crisis. Later, Medair helped these people resettle into their villages of origin.
, which revealed high rates of malnutrition in Akobo, South Sudan. With a Global Acute Malnutrition
(GAM) level of 45.7% and a severe acute malnutrition (SAM) level of 15.5%, Akobo’s rates were three times higher than emergency malnutrition thresholds. Both organizations responded quickly with a therapeutic feeding program.
Beneficiary accountability is an important tenet to Medair’s operations. Medair was the first member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
(HAP-I). Other members include CARE International, Oxfam
, World Vision
, and Save the Children
.
In 2006, the Humanitarian Exchange Magazine published an assessment of beneficiary accountability in humanitarian aid. In the report, many relief organizations are examined for their approaches to implementing beneficiary accountability. Medair’s work in Darfur
was highlighted for its use of surveys, interviews, and polls to obtain beneficiary input and feedback. “Beneficiaries appreciated being asked their opinions, and Medair observed that this contributed to restoring their dignity,” states the report, which was commissioned by the Humanitarian Practice Network and the Overseas Development Institute
(ODI).
Medair is also a member of EU-CORD, a network of European Christian humanitarian organizations that work cooperatively. Medair’s office in Switzerland has also received the ZEWO seal of approval. ZEWO is a Swiss label that identifies non-profit organizations which spend funds responsibly.
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
with a stated mission, "to seek out and serve the most vulnerable people affected by crises." Medair’s core competencies are emergency relief and rehabilitation. Medair lists its values as: hope, compassion, dignity, accountability, integrity, and faith.
Medair’s statutes were registered in 1989 with the Registre du Commerce of the state of Vaud, Switzerland. Its international and operational headquarters are based in Switzerland. In 22 years, Medair has been active in 27 countries, working in some of the most remote, hard-to-reach places in the world. It is independent of any political, economic, or social authority. As a signatory of the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, the organization provides aid to the most vulnerable, irrespective of race, gender, religion, age, or nationality.
Medair has approximately 1,100 employees worldwide, many with years of humanitarian experience. Medair’s annual operating income in 2010 was USD 42.1 million. Its programs served 2.2 million beneficiaries in 2010.
The organization currently has programs running in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
/Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. Recent programs have been run in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Ossetia
Ossetia
Ossetia Ossetic: Ир, Ирыстон Ir, Iryston; Russian: Осетия, Osetiya; Georgian: ოსეთი, Oset'i) is an ethnolinguistic region located on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. The Ossetian language is part of the Eastern Iranian branch of the Indo-European...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
First Operation
In 1988, a small group of eight volunteers, led by Drs. Erik and Josianne Volkmar, traveled to conflict-affected Soroti, Uganda, with the support of three partner organizations: Medicaments pour L’Afrique (MEDAF), Mission Aviation FellowshipMission Aviation Fellowship
Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas...
(MAF), and Youth with a Mission
Youth With A Mission
Youth With A Mission is an international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization...
(YWAM). Their objective was to form an organization that could respond more quickly to crises than their own organizations could. This first project provided support for displaced people as they resettled into towns that lacked essential services.
The First Years: 1989–2003
Upon their return to Switzerland in 1989, Medair was registered as a not-for-profit organization. In 1990, members of this original group conducted an assessment for a second project in Akobo, Sudan. From 1991 to 1992, Medair’s Sudan program established medical care, safe water supply, food, and agricultural assistance for internally displaced persons.By 1991, Medair was running 3 programs at the same time in Sudan, Liberia, and Iraq. Over the next decade, Medair’s operational capacity expanded until, by 2003, Medair began running as many as 9 country programs at one time in countries like D.R. Congo, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Somalia.
Throughout 1994 and 1995, Medair underwent major restructuring and became independent of its three founding organizations. Medair continues to partner with MAF to this day, since many of Medair’s activities require traveling to hard-to-reach places. The independent Medair formed with an International Board of Trustees and an Executive Committee to assist the CEO. In 2003, Erik Volkmar, who had been with the organization since its inception, stepped down after 15 years as CEO.
New Leader: 2004–present
In 2004, Randall ZindlerRandall Zindler
-Personal History:Upon graduating from Minnesota State University after doing a bachelors in Geography; Randall Zindler has held positions in Food for the Hungry International and Gate Gourmet.He completed his MBA from Lancaster University Management School in 1999...
, a graduate of Lancaster University’s MBA program
Lancaster University Management School
Lancaster University Management School in Lancaster, England, is the business school of Lancaster University. The School was established in 1964. A full range of subjects are taught, ranging from undergraduate degrees to postgraduate degrees including MBAs, PhDs and post-experience executive...
, became CEO. Zindler had held a number of corporate positions with companies like Credit Suisse and Swissair before becoming CEO of Medair.
In his first year as CEO, Zindler mobilized Medair’s response to the Asian tsunami. Over the following few years, Medair developed a long-term vision and, following a major organizational review, clarified its identity as: “we bring life-saving relief and rehabilitation in disasters, conflict areas, and other crises by working alongside the most vulnerable.”
In 2010, Randall Zindler began a transitional plan for his departure from Medair, leaving officially in January 2011. In 2011, Medair's Board of Trustees appointed Jim Ingram, Medair's Finance Director as the new CEO of Medair.
Organizational Structure
Medair’s international Board of Trustees governs the Medair organization. Medair’s Board is appointed or elected by members of the Medair Association. The CEO is responsible for the management of Medair, supported by an executive leadership team.Offices
Medair’s operational headquarters is located in Ecublens, Switzerland. Medair has 5 affiliate offices in Germany, the USA, France, the UK, the Netherlands. Each affiliate office has its own Board of Trustees. Medair’s affiliate offices provide communication, fundraising, and recruitment support for Medair; they do not carry out or coordinate relief programs themselves. Medair headquarters establishes bases of operation in the countries where it provides relief work.Field Staff
According to its website, Medair recruits experienced and new relief workers with expertise in project management, health services, nutrition, water, human resources, logistics, and construction. Employees are both internationally recruited staff (IRS) and nationally recruited staff (NRS). Medair employs IRS who are committed Christians and experienced professionals.In an interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Claire Skinner, a manager of Medair’s food aid project in Afghanistan, spoke about her experiences working for Medair. She acknowledged a range of challenges, from the isolation to the logistics of bringing in tools and supplies by donkey, but she is quoted as saying, “I love the rugged terrain and knowing we are helping some of the poorest communities in the country.”
Prospective Medair staff participate in a Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC). This eight-day course takes place three times a year and aims to evaluate and train participants before they go to the field.
Funding
Funding for Medair programs come from a combination of sources. The majority (71% in 2010) comes from governmental support such as ECHOECHO (European Commission)
The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid...
, USAID
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
, the SDC
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is an office-level agency in the federal administration of Switzerland, and a part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs...
, Swiss Solidarity
Swiss Solidarity
According to its statutes, Swiss Solidarity is a Swiss charitable, non-profit organization for social and humanitarian campaigns.-What is Swiss Solidarity?:...
, and United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
funding, such as UNICEF. The remainder comes from private donors, foundations, NGO partnerships, and gifts-in-kind. In 2010, Medair spent 87.6% of its global consolidated funds on humanitarian aid.
Activities
Medair responds to crises with emergency relief and rehabilitation programs that focus on: health and nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion (WASH); and shelter and infrastructure.Emergency Relief
Medair’s stated goal with emergency relief is to mobilize swiftly in response to natural disasters, conflicts, and crises. For example, after the 2004 Asian tsunami, staff were operational in the district of AmparaAmpara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
, the hardest hit area of Sri Lanka, within five days. After a rapid needs assessment, Medair established that the priorities were water, sanitation, food, and shelter. Working with Bushproof, a company specializing in water technologies for difficult environments, Medair secured emergency drinking water supplies for people living in displacement camps.
Over the next year, Medair’s Sri Lanka projects included shelter construction, restoring the livelihoods of the fishing community through the distribution of boats and nets, and improving public health through latrine construction, well cleaning, and hygiene education.
Rehabilitation
Medair runs rehabilitation programs in communities recovering from crises to help provide essential services, boost local capacity, and prevent further crises. These operations often focus on improving the capacity of the community to meet its own needs, with Medair providing strategic coaching, planning, organizing, and financial support.Medair’s health services programs in South Sudan have been noted for their role in building local capacity. Working with local institutions and traditional authorities, Medair invests in the education and training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants. Providing supports and resources to the State Ministry of Health has enabled primary health care services to be brought to communities that formerly lacked even the most basic health care. Numerous clinics and health centres are now staffed with knowledgeable health care providers responding to disease outbreaks, nutritional emergencies, obstetric needs, and routine out-patient care. Sudanese doctors have participated directly in WASH programs.
Health and Nutrition
Medair’s health and nutrition sector focus on responding to the greatest unmet medical needs, from the establishment or support of health clinics to nutrition programs and vaccination campaigns. For example, in the Ragh district of Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan, a 1999–2002 study published in LancetThe Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
concluded that the region had the highest rates of maternal mortality ever recorded (6,507 per 100,000).
In 2003, Medair helped develop the first emergency obstetric care facility in the area. At that time, there were hardly any health clinics there, but by 2009, Medair had supported the establishment of 7 health facilities and 55 health posts. Medair also ran a safe motherhood program that focused on community midwifery training.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Medair’s WASH programs focus on improving access to safe drinking water, latrine construction, and hand-washing and hygiene promotion. For example, after Cyclone GafiloCyclone Gafilo
Cyclone Gafilo was a powerful tropical cyclone which struck Madagascar in March 2004, causing devastating damage. It is the most intense cyclone ever to form in the south-western Indian Ocean.-Meteorological history:...
struck Madagascar in 2004, Medair conducted a rapid assessment and implemented an emergency WASH project to clean and disinfect 1,400 existing wells in a little over a week. The initially skeptical local residents quickly became impressed by Medair’s work, and started calling the Medair team, NGO “No Bla-bla.” These projects included significant beneficiary participation, with local residents assisting in all aspects. Medair also trained local residents in well and latrine construction and maintenance.
Shelter and Infrastructure
Medair lists its shelter and infrastructure projects as: the provision of safe, permanent and semi-permanent shelters, training on construction techniques, and building clinics, roads, and bridges. In 2010, after the Haiti earthquake, Medair provided transitional shelters to people without housing in JacmelJacmel
Jacmel, also known by its indigenous Taíno name of Yaquimel, is a town in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est and has an estimated population of 40,000, while the municipality of Jacmel had a population of 137,966 at the 2003 Census.The buildings are...
and the surrounding area. The transitional shelters are designed to be built into permanent homes in the future. On Friday, November 5, Emma Le Beau of Medair spoke on CTV News about the preparations for Hurricane Tomas (2010). She explained that these transitional shelters had housed 8,500 people so far. In January 2011, Medair reported that 11,622 people had now been housed.
Rwanda
After the Rwandan genocideRwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
in 1994, Medair provided emergency relief to the region of Bugesera
Bugesera
Bugesera is a district in Eastern Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Nyamata.The district is the location of two memorial sites of the Rwandan Genocide: the Ntarama Genocide Memorial Site and the Nyamata Genocide Memorial Site.- Geography :...
, which had lost 80% of its population to the genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. Medair worked to get medical centers running again and provided reconciliation seminars. Medair brought in psychiatrists to provide trauma counseling for both Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
s and Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
s. Workshops brought together mixed ethnic groups to share their stories.
Pakistan
After a massive earthquake in Pakistan in 20052005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
, Medair teams focused on distributing shelter kits, as winter was approaching. Once families had completed the construction of their semi-permanent homes, they received a wood stove, mattresses, blankets, and hygienic supplies. Medair’s rehabilitation program included livestock and seed distribution, and reconstruction work in a remote mountainous region.
Uganda
Medair spent over a decade in Uganda, from 1999 to 2010, making it one of Medair’s longest running programs. During this time, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) terrorized the majority of northern Uganda. Medair worked with some of the most isolated populations living in camps for internally displaced personInternally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s (IDPs) at the height of the crisis. Later, Medair helped these people resettle into their villages of origin.
South Sudan
In February 2010, Medair made headlines for a study conducted with partner NGO, Save the ChildrenSave the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, which revealed high rates of malnutrition in Akobo, South Sudan. With a Global Acute Malnutrition
Global Acute Malnutrition
Global Acute Malnutrition is a measurement of the nutritional status of a population that is often used in protracted refugee situations.Along with the Crude Mortality Rate, it is one of the basic indicators for assessing the severity of a humanitarian crisis.-Definition:To evaluate levels of GAM,...
(GAM) level of 45.7% and a severe acute malnutrition (SAM) level of 15.5%, Akobo’s rates were three times higher than emergency malnutrition thresholds. Both organizations responded quickly with a therapeutic feeding program.
Affiliations, Accreditations, Partnerships
In 2001, Medair became the first European NGO to obtain ISO 9001:2000 worldwide certification. ISO is a family of international quality management standards and guidelines, normally applied to industry. Medair explains that ISO certification represents Medair’s aim to be accountable to beneficiaries for the quality of goods and services provided in the same way industry is accountable to consumers.Beneficiary accountability is an important tenet to Medair’s operations. Medair was the first member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International is the humanitarian sector's first international self-regulatory body, working towards the promotion of "Humanitarian Accountability"...
(HAP-I). Other members include CARE International, Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
, World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
, and Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
.
In 2006, the Humanitarian Exchange Magazine published an assessment of beneficiary accountability in humanitarian aid. In the report, many relief organizations are examined for their approaches to implementing beneficiary accountability. Medair’s work in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
was highlighted for its use of surveys, interviews, and polls to obtain beneficiary input and feedback. “Beneficiaries appreciated being asked their opinions, and Medair observed that this contributed to restoring their dignity,” states the report, which was commissioned by the Humanitarian Practice Network and the Overseas Development Institute
Overseas Development Institute
The Overseas Development Institute is one of the leading independent think tanks on international development and humanitarian issues. Based in London, its mission is "to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement...
(ODI).
Medair is also a member of EU-CORD, a network of European Christian humanitarian organizations that work cooperatively. Medair’s office in Switzerland has also received the ZEWO seal of approval. ZEWO is a Swiss label that identifies non-profit organizations which spend funds responsibly.