World Vision in the news
Associated Press
Aid group: 24,000 infant deaths preventable dailyNovember 16, 2009
>More than 24,000 infants die daily from preventable diseases in developing countries because governments have failed to spend more on health care, an international aid group said Monday. A report from World Vision said that where governments have shown a high level of political leadership on child health, deaths have fallen. The group cited Liberia as an example: childhood deaths there have dropped by half the last five years.
Associated Press
American charities may not have a happy holidayNovember 15, 2009
The survey commissioned by Federal Way, Wash.-based World Vision indicates they are prudent to not raise their expectations for now. The survey did find, however, that 74 percent of Americans plan to increase their charitable giving once the economy improves. The nation's most successful fundraising organizations expected to see their income decline by an average of 9 percent in 2009, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. […] World Vision saw individual cash donations drop by $33 million this past year, but government grants, corporate donations and staff cuts made up for most of the shortfall. Devin Hermanson, senior director of the nonprofit's gift catalog, has high hopes for the holiday season, despite the fact that the agency's own survey points in the opposite direction. This year's survey found 57 percent of American adults planned to spend less on holiday presents, but that's better than last year's 71 percent.
Miami Herald
Hotelier launches new Hope for HaitiNovember 13, 2009
Grimes, 50, reached out to friends and associates. She also teamed up with World Vision, an international humanitarian organization, and the city of Miami. Operation Hope for Haiti was born… Grimes is helping raise awareness and funds for Haiti's Central Plateau region, where World Vision has been working to create a sustainable village near Hinche, a community of about 52,000… Coming up: MDC honors students are recruiting runners to collect donations for the ING Miami Marathon in January, with pledge money going to Grimes' project and World Vision.
New York Times
A Weaker Storm Devastated El SalvadorNovember 9, 2009
“There’s a gloomy, sad air,” said Laura Mata, a relief worker at World Vision, who described in a telephone interview how roads were blocked by debris and homes were obliterated on the way to San Vicente, where the damage was the worst. “A lot of the homes are made of aluminum or mud. They are now gone,” she said.
Associated Press
Phillies title gear a hit far from World SeriesNovember 5, 2009
Rich Stearns works and lives just outside Seattle. He grew up in New York state. He lived in Philadelphia for 10 years. So he was torn as a fan watching the Yankees and Phillies in the just-completed World Series. He couldn't wait for someone - anyone - to lose. "I just want to make sure someone loses, so others can win," the president of World Vision said.
MLB.com
MLB, World Vision to donate unused gearNovember 4, 2009
The team that loses the World Series may win some new fans abroad. With the Series down to its final days and the outcome still undecided, championship merchandise has already been manufactured for both the Phillies and the Yankees. While the winning team and its fans will proudly sport champion T-shirts, the losing team's apparel will be sent to Indonesia to aid in the nation's recovery from a September earthquake. Major League Baseball is teaming with World Vision, a humanitarian organization, to include the clothing in a shipment of supplies headed to Indonesia late this week.
New York Times
Misery and Illness Persist in Philippine Typhoons' WakeOctober 25, 2009
A month after parts of the Philippines were devastated by successive typhoons, tens of thousands of people remain homeless and more than 150 have been killed by waterborne diseases, officials said. Children are particularly vulnerable, according to Diwa Gacosta, a local representative of World Vision. She said that cramped and unsanitary conditions had caused an increase in these diseases. “The impact of the flood to children’s health is really a problem,” Ms. Gacosta said Sunday.
Associated Press
Typhoon slows; Philippines, Taiwan still waryOctober 21, 2009
"The frequent storms are making it very difficult for relief agencies to help rebuild. Another storm, or any calamity, would be sure to set back their recovery," said Filomena Portales, a spokeswoman for relief agency World Vision.
CNN's Impact Your World
India recovering from floodsOctober 21, 2009
World Vision India’s James Watt is interviewed.
Seattle Times
When military security means insecurity for womenOctober 9, 2009
President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize? Yes, we can celebrate it, but…holding him accountable may also mean changing our ideas of what peace and security actually mean. In Afghanistan, possibly the least peaceful or secure place on earth, it's time for Obama to shift the balance of U.S. troops from soldiers to armies of doctors, midwives, engineers and arborists… an infusion of new troops was supposed to secure control and help pave the way for more "soft power" efforts. But some influential aid groups, including World Vision, have argued that the U.S. should pay more attention to economic development, and separate that work from its military operations.
Agence France Presse
India floods death toll crosses 300: officialsOctober 7, 2009
"The long term impact is what should concern all of us, especially in a year when we were going through a drought," Jayakumar Christian, India director for World Vision, told AFP from Chennai, capital of southern Tamil Nadu state. "Earlier there was migration due to drought and now there is migration due to monsoon," he said.
CNN.com
Typhoon Parma slams into PhilippinesOctober 3, 2009
World Vision, the Christian humanitarian organization, was planning to launch relief operations Saturday evening in Isabela Province, one of the areas slammed by Parma. The group also plans assistance for nearby Cagayan province, whose capital, Tuguegarao, is being hit hard by Parma's strong winds.
Christian Science Monitor
Rescuers scramble to find Indonesia earthquake survivorsOctober 2, 2009
Some rescuers dug by hand, watched by anxious crowds looking for lost friends and family. "They're still trying to rescue people, but I don't know if they will succeed when I look at the [damaged] buildings," says Enda Balina, an aid worker for World Vision, speaking from Padang.
Reuters
Aid trickles in as Indonesia quake toll hits 1,100October 2, 2009
Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, has been struggling with a shortage of clean water and fuel. "There's no electricity, there's no running water," said Enda Balina, emergency communications officer for aid agency World Vision, speaking from the center of Padang.
Wall Street Journal
Aid Groups Learn From Past Asia HavocOctober 2, 2009
Humanitarian aid agency World Vision also dispatched a needs-assessment team to Padang within hours of the earthquake. "Many buildings have collapsed, including a hospital," the agency's emergency communications officer Enda Balina said. "We're afraid many people are trapped inside the rubble." James East, World Vision's Asia-Pacific communications director, said the organization has hundreds of trained staff, based in countries around the region, who are ready to respond to disasters in their own areas. In the Philippines last weekend, when Typhoon Ketsana dumped a month's worth of rain on Manila and the surrounding area in half a day, World Vision and other agencies were able to immediately begin distributing emergency food and water supplies.
Time.com
How Prepared are Countries for a Tsunami?October 1, 2009
People like Brian Carlson, IT director for humanitarian and emergency affairs at World Vision, are working on technology to improve such early-warning infrastructure. Carlson, who traveled to India shortly after the 2004 tsunami, said he noticed two communities just miles apart: one was full of survivors, while the other was wiped out entirely. The reason for that difference was that the surviving village was notified by a family related to a man in Singapore who saw the tsunami warning on TV and called his family. "It was a simple phone call on a cell phone that saved hundreds of people," Carlson says.
King-TV and Associated Press
Local Groups mobilize to aid devastated SamoaOctober 1, 2009
World Vision, a Federal Way-based humanitarian organization, is mobilizing help to the region and will be rallying support in West Seattle Thursday from members of Seattle's Samoan community and local churches. They expect to send a team to the island within days and say help is greatly needed.
LA Times
Hundreds trapped in Indonesian quake rubble; more than 520 deadOctober 1, 2009
"What typically happens is that people become terrified to go back into their homes, especially if damaged, as there will be numerous aftershocks," Jimmy Nadapdap, director of World Vision Indonesia, said on the aid group's website. "Securing alternative shelter will be critical."
Associated Press
Asia readies for next storm as death toll risesOctober 1, 2009
World Vision, a nongovernment agency helping people in all weather-affected countries, said the new storm could hamper aid delivery. "Families are now just starting to pick up what was left of their lives," said Elnora Avarientos, World Vision's chief in the Philippines. "Now, I'm afraid ... Typhoon Parma would make it a lot harder for the affected families to cope and for the relief ... agencies to respond."
New York Times
Typhoon Kills at Least 41 in VietnamSeptember 30, 2009
The floods could reach the historic highs of 1964, said Le Van Duong, a relief and disaster mitigation coordinator for World Vision International, a Christian aid organization.
USA Today
Airlines Have a Tough Call To MakeSeptember 29, 2009
Roger Flessing was on an American Airlines flight to Seattle recently when he began speaking with his son on his iPhone.
CNN.com
Vietnamese premier appeals for relief, rescue after typhoonSeptember 29, 2009
Danang is predicted to be in the eye of the storm. "It's very windy, and trees have already blown down," said Le Van Duong, World Vision's emergency response coordinator in Danang. "We have seen the evacuation of 3,000 families from our project areas to safer places, including schools, and we have already distributed noodle packs to 700 families."
KPLU-FM
Recession Pinches People’s Generous InstinctsSeptember 25, 2009
One in ten responded they've upped their giving, but the headline is the one in three who are donating less. This summer, World Vision had to lay off 50 people from its US staff. It also cut vacant positions. Portland-based Mercy Corps laid off 22 from its stateside staff earlier this year. Lana Reda says her sponsor-a-child programs are holding their own. She attributes that to the "personal connection" donors feel toward the child. But total private donations are down.
New York Magazine
Hugh Jackman on Living GreenSeptember 21, 2009
In celebration of Climate Week, kicking off in New York today, Vulture hero Hugh Jackman took time away from his grueling rehearsal schedule for Broadway's A Steady Rain to speak at a U.N. press conference on green living: "To be fair, as an actor, this is not something I'm very accustomed to, and probably about twelve months ago this kind of event would have maybe overwhelmed me a bit," he told reporters. I started as ambassador for World Vision. I actually started doing the 40 Hour Famine.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NGOs try to give poor a voiceSeptember 18, 2009
Nearly 50 people from organizations such as World Vision and Oxfam America will work their cell phones and write releases on how decisions of the G-20 might affect the poorest of the poor. The government relations arm of World Vision, a major Christian aid agency, has been in conversation with G-20 advisers to discuss how policies impact the poor. "The NGO role at these summits is to be a voice for the poor and to hold leaders accountable to promises they have already made," said Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz, a spokeswoman for World Vision.
New York Times
Lush Land Dries Up, Withering Kenya’s HopesVideo interview with World Vision's Nic Wasunna
September 8, 2009
A devastating drought is sweeping across Kenya, killing livestock, crops and children…The United Nations World Food Program recently said that nearly four million Kenyans — about a tenth of the population — urgently needed food. But donor nations have been slow to respond, and a United Nations-led emergency appeal for $576 million is less than half financed… “At a time like this, we need donor confidence,” said Nicholas Wasunna, a humanitarian adviser for the aid group World Vision.
Washington Times
Rape and Recovery in the CongoSeptember 8, 2009
Women's advocates praise the Congolese government for new laws that seek to punish sexual violence, but note that these laws are rarely enforced. Nonetheless, women have been slowly pressing civil and criminal trials, often with the help of foreign organizations. "There are so many obstacles to women who want to press charges," said Anna Ridout, Congo coordinator for the U.S. relief group World Vision. "There is the embarrassment, of course. But this is not a very legal culture out here, and the courts are not a familiar place for most [rural women]."
CNN
Powerful Earthquake Kills 57 in IndonesiaSeptember 3, 2009
More than a day after a major earthquake jolted Indonesia's Java Island, killing at least 57 people, there is still no word from remote villages along the coast, a relief worker told CNN Thursday. "This earthquake has injured hundreds of people and (destroyed or damaged) thousands of houses," World Vision's Katarina Hardono said.
The Associated Press
Indonesian Quake Kills 57 and Leaves Dozens MissingSeptember 3, 2009
Some rural regions, particularly along West Java's southern coast, could not be reached by telephone and there may be more victims and damage, said Trihadi Saptoadi, who heads the Indonesian branch of the Christian charity World Vision. He was in the district of Pangalengan, one of the province's worst hit areas, where he said five died, 50 were injured and 6,700 houses were destroyed in 13 villages. "There is a soccer field full of tents for about 500-700 people," he said. Electricity was still cut off and there was a shortage of water and food.
Contra Costa Times
From Afghanistan to America: Women Helping Women in the Bay AreaAugust 30, 2009
The voting in Afghanistan is over, but the outcome of last week’s elections is still unknown. Beyond the political debate, another growing concern has emerged: the diminishing rights of Afghan women...In recent months, there has been an accelerated Taliban resurgence in several areas of the country, and many development organizations, like World Vision, are concerned that the strides made in the past few years could be eroded.
Seattle Times
World Vision's Richard Stearns Sets Out To Put An End To Global PovertyAugust 23, 2009
Inside the cavernous Spokane Arena, thousands of women looking on in eager anticipation, Richard Stearns walks onto the stage...Taking a huge pay cut and moving his family across the country, he landed in Federal Way to lead the U.S. branch of World Vision, the largest Christian relief and development organization in the world.
Seattle Times
Local groups say Afghanistan needs non-military development planAugust 20, 2009
While completing peaceful elections would be a positive step, "Afghans I've spoken with don't feel invested in these elections because they're not seeing progress or a viable government in their own communities," said Christine Beasley, country program manager for World Vision, a Federal Way-based group that has worked in Afghanistan since 2001 with a staff of 250 on the ground, mostly local Afghans.
CNN
Afghanistan's untold story: Stability, tourists, miniskirtsAugust 19, 2009
Christine Beasley, the program manager in Afghanistan for World Vision, a Christian humanitarian group, says Afghanistan did modernize in the 1960s and the 1970s. But most of the country's rural areas remained conservative in their practice of Islam and treatment of women. "There was relative stability, but the changes in the '60s and '70s were confined to very small, urban elite, primarily around Kabul," Beasley said.
CNN
Deadly mudslides strike across East AsiaAugust 11, 2009
The wrath of Typhoon Morakot has affected nearly 9 million people across four coastal China provinces and killed dozens in Taiwan, officials said Tuesday..."The most pressing needs now are providing shelter, food and clean water for those who have had to evacuate their homes," said Hank Du, executive director for the humanitarian group World Vision in Taiwan. "We also want to make sure the children are secure and have a safe place where they are cared for."
MSNBC
Devastating TyphoonAugust 11, 2009
At least 70 people are dead and hundreds missing after a powerful typhoon slammed into Taiwan and then battered China’s East coat... Joining us now by phone is Albert Yu of the humanitarian group World Vision.
The Associated Press
Saakashvili slams Russian 'invaders'August 7, 2009
Georgia and the Moscow-backed breakaway province of South Ossetia marked the first anniversary of their conflict Friday with harsh words and quiet, glum ceremony. The five-day war, with Russian troops and tanks backing South Ossetian forces, killed at least 390 people, displaced tens of thousands and left a legacy of animosity between leaders and fears among civilians that more fighting may erupt... About 26,000 people displaced by the conflict are still living in temporary housing in Georgia, many of them on less than $3 a day, according to the international humanitarian organization World Vision.
VOA News
Small Businesses Struggle in Border City of TijuanaJuly 30, 2009
The city of Tijuana, across the U.S.-Mexico border from California, is coping with a recession and drop off in tourism … In another dusty colonia, Maria del Refugio Salazar is part of a woman's cooperative, also set up with small loans from World Vision.
Dallas Morning News
Dallas warehouse that aids needy schools faces testing timesJuly 19, 2009
Audrey Black is feeling the pinch of a tight economy as donations have slowed at the Mountain Creek warehouse she manages. Black oversees The Storehouse, which provides donated items to needy schools and nonprofit organizations...World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization that teams up with communities to fight poverty, operates the Dallas store and eight others ...
Chicago Tribune
Chicago shootings: Austin girl will leave gunfire behind to visit Capitol HillJuly 17, 2009
When 17-year-old Arielle Arzu hears gunfire, she turns off the lights -- if there's time -- and hits the floor.
"It happens so often that it's become a routine," said Arzu, who lives in Chicago's Austin Neighborhood. She rolled her eyes and sighed, "It's gotten to be it's just another thing that I hate to do. We're just so used to it." That is what she would like to tell members of Congress when she goes to Capitol Hill Saturday with the Youth Empowerment Project, which teaches teens to effect change in their neighborhoods. The Youth Empowerment Project is a program of World Vision, a Christian nonprofit organization.
The Associated Press
Survey: Economic downturn leads to gang violenceJuly 16, 2009
SEATTLE—Most people believe the economic downturn has led to more gang violence, according to a new national survey released Thursday. Of adults interviewed at the end of June by Harris Interactive, 71 percent said gang violence among youth is increasing as a result of the current economic climate. Dana Markow, vice president of Harris Interactive's youth center, said she found it interesting that the public was speaking so clearly on gang issues. Markow emphasized the gang poll, which was paid for by World Vision, a Federal Way, Wash., nonprofit that is combating youth violence around the world, surveyed all adults about what they thought about youth violence, not just parents.
NPR: KUOW 94.9
World Vision PresidentJuly 14, 2009
Richard Stearns is president of World Vision, the Federal Way based Christian humanitarian charity organization that works on the issues of poverty and injustice. We talk to him and take your calls. Click here to listen to the program.
Essence Magazine
Mass Appeal: Michelle Obama’s Global InfluenceJuly 14, 2009
And then there is Esperanza Ampah, communications director for World Vision in Ghana. She told me how excited she was about Michelle Obama visiting her home turf, regardless of how brief of a stay it was. She also shared how important the First Lady is not only to her but to her daughter who is currently attending university. Mrs. Obama's career path further helps Ampah when stressing the importance of education, especially for young girls, to all of her children. "As a public figure her word carries weight. Michelle has given a lot of hope to Ghanaian women," she adds. Her colleague, associate director Auckhinleck Adow echoes this feeling. "Michelle Obama proves to the youth in Ghana that, no matter how disadvantaged you are, opportunity can be created for you."
Christian Science Monitor
G8 leaders pressured to honor aid pledgesJuly 9, 2009
The global economic recession is reversing years of progress in reducing extreme poverty--a stark message that leaders from developing nations, in particular Africa, will take to this week's Group of 8 summit of wealthy countries in Italy. Underlying the alarm over a rising tide of poverty, infant mortality, and hunger is the criticism that wealthy nations have not honored their commitments to substantially increase global aid..."The very real risk is of G-8 countries going back on the [aid] commitments they made because of the economic crisis," says Sue Mbaya, director of Africa advocacy for World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization with worldwide reach.
CNN
Hidden crisis haunts Pakistan fightingJune 20, 2009
Piled high with food, Minhaj Bahdar rides a rented motorbike back to his family's temporary sanctuary away from the fighting between Pakistan's army and the Taliban. The little motorbike struggles under the weight of food -- 80 kilograms of wheat, 4kg of sugar, 1 kg of salt and 300 grams of tea. It sounds like a lot -- but it has to last the Bahdar family one month. Twenty-three of them live in two tiny rooms provided by a local villager. They don't have enough food. There is no running water. The family is part of a humanitarian crisis in Pakistan that aid groups say is going largely unnoticed..."Up until now it's been a largely invisible crisis. Most of the displaced -- something like 90 percent of those two-and-a-half million (displaced) -- are staying with host families," Chris Webster, of the World Vision aid organization, told CNN.
Washington Post
Pakistani villagers come to the aid of refugeesJune 2, 2009
Approximately 3 million people have fled the fighting in Dir, Buner and the Swat Valley over the past month, marking the largest migration in Pakistan since the country's partition from India in 1947. . . . "We're basically seeing host community populations more than double in some of these areas. The local infrastructure just can't cope," said Graham Strong, country director for World Vision, an international aid group trying to alleviate the strain.
Associated Press
Amazon hit by climate chaos of floods, droughtMay 29,2009
Across the Amazon basin, river dwellers are adding new floors to their stilt houses, trying to stay above rising floodwaters that have killed 44 people and left 376,000 homeless. . . . "Most people lost their crops and their cows, and the only thing they have left is their children and their homes," said Dorothea de Araujo, the Amazon operations manager for the international aid group World Vision, after touring an area where thousands were affected. "They want to rebuild, but they are scared of what will happen in the future."
CNN
U.N. demands full access to Sri Lanka refugeesMay 19, 2009
The United Nations is demanding full access to refugee camps that are home to an estimated quarter of a million people fleeing war in Sri Lanka, the United Nations Children's Fund said Tuesday. . . . Suresh Bartlett, Sri Lankan director for aid agency World Vision, said, "The conventional war may be over, but the real challenge now is to foster an environment where fractured and displaced Tamil communities can heal and have a real chance at creating a future for themselves and their children."
Los Angeles Times
Pakistan flight resembles Darfur, U.N. official saysMay 12, 2009
The plight of Pakistanis fleeing warfare in the Swat Valley echoes conditions in such hard-pressed regions as Darfur and Congo, a U.N. relief official said Monday, as thousands more displaced people poured out of the conflict area and strained humanitarian organizations. . . . Jeff Hall, regional assistant director with humanitarian group World Vision, said one family he visited Sunday in the town of Jalala had 28 people living in a three-room apartment, two rooms of which had collapsed roofs. "And with the lifting of the curfew, there were 15 more people on the way," he said.
NPR
Civilian exodus in Pakistan’s Swat ValleyMay 12, 2009
More than 360,000 people in northwestern Pakistan have fled their homes in recent days. They were forced to leave as the country's military stepped up its offensive against the Taliban. Some have ended up in refugee camps just south of the battle zone. Graham Strong is the country director for the international aid group World Vision in Islamabad. He talks with Renee Montagne about the humanitarian crisis.
Associated Press
Brazil boosts flood aid for 308K left homelessMay 11, 2009
Brazil intensified efforts to ship aid to areas isolated by severe flooding as waters continued rising Monday in a jungle state nearly the size of Alaska and more than 300,000 people remained homeless. At least 40 people have died in the worst northern flooding in at least two decades, and two were still missing Monday after an overloaded canoe capsized over the weekend. While waters were receding in most states, they were still rising in the jungle state of Amazonas, said Dorothea de Araujo, the Amazon operations manager for the international aid group World Vision.
CBS
Curfew’s lift lets thousands flee Pakistan valley; army says up to 500 militants killed so farMay 10, 2009
Tens of thousands of civilians, many on foot or donkey-led carts, took advantage of a lifted curfew to flee Pakistan's embattled Swat Valley on Sunday, while the army said it had killed 400 to 500 militants in its battle against the Taliban . . . The international aid agency World Vision said its relief workers were finding "intolerable" conditions at some camps due to soaring temperatures, overcrowding, inadequate toilets and a lack of electricity.
Christian Science Monitor
Sri Lankan ‘detention’ camps swell with TamilsMay 7, 2009
A mass outpouring of refugees from a civil war in its final, bloody phase is spurring a huge aid effort for more than 190,000 ethnic Tamils. By night, bulldozers are clearing more land for vast tented cities being put up during the day on the flatlands of northern Sri Lanka, where the military has corralled the Tamil Tigers along a tiny strip of coastline. . . . The LTTE has accused the government of deliberately stopping food and medicine from reaching the war zone. Only one ICRC shipment of 30 tons has been delivered in the last month. These deprivations make it crucial to scale up aid for evacuees, says Irene Gates, a relief worker in Vavuniya for World Vision. "If we got their basic needs covered, people may lose some of the trauma that you see in their eyes."
CNN
Praying for rainMay 4, 2009
. . . One year later, the coming crop season brings back some optimism. Farmers are preparing seeds and fertilizers and readying their fields for what they hope will be a harvest of more than enough food and plenty of livestock. “We’re coming now into the first full agricultural season since the cyclone,” says Jeff Wright, emergency response manager for the nonprofit World Vision. “If the season is undisrupted and the crop is a good one, we could be seeing something of a return to ‘normalcy’ on that front.”
CNN
A year after cyclone, a girl remembersMay 1, 2009
A thin girl with caramel skin and a yellow silk blouse walks alone through a barren landscape of rubble. Her legs are marked by cuts. Her face is smeared with white streaks of powder. And her eyes are blank as she sifts through the debris of what used to be her home before Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar one night and swept her parents away. Her name is Nway, and that's how she looked when aid workers found her after Nargis destroyed her isolated village. She refused to talk about the cyclone, pretending it never took place. She became, according to a CNN story, the "girl who refuses to remember." A year later, an aid worker returned to the village to see how Nway was doing. She found Nway living in a tidy, bamboo house flanked by palm trees. The 8-year-old greeted her visitor with a big smile. Then she asked whether she could play with her visitor's hair. Pam Sitko, the aid worker, said Nway -- like thousands of people in Myanmar -- is slowly recovering one year after Nargis demolished their country. "After all of her pain and loss, she really is a spunky girl," said Sitko, who works with World Vision International, a humanitarian group. "She wasn't shy about reaching out to touch my blonde hair."
CNN
Why Michelle Obama inspires women around the globeApril 28, 2009
Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a "curse." The women she meets in the squalid streets where "Slumdog Millionaire" was filmed are often treated with contempt, she says. They're considered ugly if their skin and hair are too dark. They are deemed "cursed" if they only have daughters. Many would-be mothers even abort their children if they learn they're female. Yet lately she says Indian women are getting another message from the emergence of another woman thousands of miles away. This woman has dark skin and hair. She walks next to her husband in public, not behind. And she has two daughters. But no one calls her cursed. They call her Michelle Obama, the first lady. "She could be a new face for India," says Ferreira, program officer for an HIV-prevention program run by World Vision, an international humanitarian group. "She shows women that it's OK to have dark skin and to not have a son. She's quite real to us."
Associated Press
Companies mine web clues for signs of pandemicsApril 28, 2009
Weeks before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization alerted the public to a growing number of swine flu cases, a startup based in Seattle's suburbs already had a hunch something was up. Veratect Inc., a 2-year-old company with fewer than 50 employees, combines computer algorithms with human analysts to monitor online and off-line sources for hints of disease outbreaks and civil unrest worldwide. It tracks thousands of "events" each month - an odd case of respiratory illness, or a run on over-the-counter medicines, for example - then ranks them for severity and posts them on a subscription-only Web portal for clients who want early warnings. . . . Even with the flaws, clients like World Vision, the large Christian humanitarian organization based in Federal Way, Wash., pay Veratect for its intelligence. Recently, World Vision shifted resources - water purification tablets and education staffers - to areas Veratect thinks might see cholera outbreaks, said Brian Carlson, the head of technology for World Vision's global relief efforts.
Los Angeles Times
Sri Lanka hails surrender of rebel pairApril 22, 2009
The ethos of the Tamil Tigers rebel group in Sri Lanka has always been to fight and die for the cause, namely, a homeland for the minority Tamils. So it wasn't surprising that the government treated the surrender today of two rebel officials as a significant coup -- and further evidence of its imminent military victory. . . . As more people emerge, the government and aid organizations are struggling to ramp up relief efforts. "The people are all absolutely exhausted and had a tedious journey and came out with little or nothing, many wading through waist-deep water, bringing their children," said Suresh Bartlett, Sri Lanka director for the humanitarian group World Vision, in a telephone interview from the town of Vavuniya today after visiting a camp for displaced persons.
San Diego Union Tribune
Female crafters feel tourism slumpApril 20, 2009
. . . The decline in tourism in Baja California has been hard for hotels, restaurants and businesses in the region. But the recession threatens to wipe out the principal source of income of dozens of these indigenous women, who for decades have sold their handicrafts on the streets of downtown Tijuana. . . . To help them find a new source of income, World Vision, an international nonprofit organization, has been using workshops to teach many of the women basic skills in sewing, carpentry and cosmetics. The organization also provides meals daily to dozens of children and teaches the mothers how to become involved in their children's education. Since 2002, the organization has been paying half of the cost of materials for the crafts the women sell.
Huffington Post
Zimbabwe’s health system in shambles, individual nurses keep it afloatApril 16, 2009
I spent last week in Zimbabwe, a nation that has lost so much ground from a humanitarian perspective and yet still has so much potential. I saw real signs of hope during my visit. There were media reports of various delegations visiting to assess the country's progress. Previously opposed political parties were talking about the importance of reconciliation. Food commodities were plentiful on shelves in the stores. We even witnessed garbage disposal trucks making rounds for the first time in several years. . . . My discussion with Sekai convinced me that while aid agencies like World Vision bring in significant amounts of humanitarian support, it is committed citizens like Sekai who truly keep a country going.
USA Today
Runner Hall has sights set on victory at Boston MarathonApril 16, 2009
Ryan Hall conducted his dress rehearsal for the Boston Marathon last Thursday, 11 days before the 113th running of a race last won by an American male 26 years ago. . . . A win also would give Hall what he covets, greater exposure for his religious and charity work. He and Sara, a national-class 1,500 and 5,000 runner, became affiliated last year with Team World Vision, which raises funds for humanitarian projects in Third World countries. The Halls helped raise more than $1 million, according to the organization, through pledges. In October, they spent 10 days in Zambia on a project to bring clean water to a village.
Kansas City Star
New optimism arises at International Food Aid Conference in KCApril 8, 2009
The crowd gathering in Kansas City each spring to talk about feeding the world typically focuses on tough realities. Always more mouths to feed and more obstacles — wars, weather, politics — standing in the way. But even as people at this year’s International Food Aid Conference discuss world hunger with growing urgency, they speak about a growing will to tackle the problem. . . . Robert Zachrits of the Christian aid group World Vision said he expected “a real opportunity to change things in ways we haven’t seen before.”
Global Post
Rwanda's genocide -- 15 years laterApril 6, 2009
..."Before this association, it was hard for Hutus to sit and talk with Tutsi," says Samuel Nyibizi. "When others see members of the association talking freely, they approach and ask, 'How did you get to that point?' Hutu would ask [each other], 'How can you talk to them?' Even Tutsi were asked by other Tutsi." Nyibizi and other members of Ukuri say the association opened the space for dialogue that victims and perpetrators needed, especially after a 2003 amnesty let those who pled guilty to genocide charges return to their homes. The news of their freedom left survivors like Mukangarambe uneasy. " I didnt want to live with any Hutu," she says. "But they tell us that those who died, died. They can't be brought back. Those who remain should find a way to live in harmony." She admits, though, that's not why she joined. Ukuri is more than a dialogue group; members build homes for other members, recieve counseling as they need it and share their stories of forgiveness with other villages to promote reconciliation. It uses some of its financing -- it's now backed by World Vision, an international Christian organization -- to buy goats for its members, who give kids to other members.
CNN: Anderson Cooper 360
Why President Obama got it right at the G-20April 3, 2009
The President announced his plan to double U.S. assitance for global agricultural productivity and rural development and called for a comprehensive strategy to alleviate chronic hunger.
Fox 9 (Twin Cities)
Fargo flood reliefApril 2, 2009
Just because the flood waters are receding in the Fargo-Moorhead area doesn't mean the victims don't need anymore help. That's why dozens of volunteers came together to do what they could to help the victims transition to the next phase -- cleanup and recovery. While they are not sandbagging, volunteers are bagging up other essentials for flood victims, including shampoo, lotion and deodorant... "Someone who's already existing, already has existing problems with hardship, now they have been compounded so we're able to offer some great assistance to those very same people," Audrey Black, of World Vision, said.
ABC World News
Zimbabwe: Country in CrisisMarch 11, 2009
Chaos is put on hold following the death of Prime Minister Tsvangirai's wife.
Huffington Post
An indomitable spirit enables millions of bruised and dispossessed women to keep going, and succeedMarch 8, 2009
...To celebrate International Women's Day, 30 women from World Vision in eastern DRC joined Martha and her association to spend the day working the land and harvesting crops. World Vision is also presenting them with 100 Congolese dresses, 50 hoes and a contribution to help the group pay their land rental.
Washington Times
Clinton to press Israel on Gaza as children sufferFebruary 26, 2009
...Although initial reports of Israel targeting a U.N. school proved inaccurate, more than a half dozen schools were destroyed and about 175 damaged. "The emotional problems children face result not just from three weeks of severe conflict, but prior to that, a year and a half of essentially being under ssiege," said Ashley Clements, a spokesman for the charity World Vision. "They have been unable to get out and do not live what most of us would regard as a normal childhood."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Plum teens get a taste of going hungryFebruary 26, 2009
When Sara Townsend gets home from school on Friday afternoon, she won't be getting ready to go out to a restaurant or to the movies with friends. Instead, the Plum Senior High School student will head to Unity Community Church in Plum, where she and about 35 other members of her youth group will go hungry for half the weekend to raise money to feed starving children across the world. Dozens of teens in the Pittsburgh area -- along with thousands across the country -- plan to participate in a nationwide "30 Hour Famine" on Friday and Saturday. Participants ask donors to sponsor them during the fast, and all proceeds go to World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to providing food and care to impoverished children and their families.
Miami Herald
Miami Springs Church Groups Plans 30 hour FamineFebruary 24, 2009
The youth and young adults of Grace Lutheran Church, 254 Curtiss Parkway, Miami Springs, will join this weekend with more than a half-million other youths from around the world to be a part of the 30 Hour Famine from 8 a.m. Saturday to noon Sunday.
New York Times
Old sets live on as Broadway embraces recyclingFebruary 11, 2009
Ever wonder where the levitating tire from “Cats” went? The helicopter from “Miss Saigon”? The Broadway League’s Broadway Goes Green environmental initiative means that much of what used to wind up in a trash heap will be repurposed or recycled. Seven tons (steel, wood, fabric and carpet) will be recycled, and eight tons will be reused by various organizations, including the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens; ReBuilders Source, a reuse store in the Bronx; and the children’s charity World Vision.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Charity donates Arizona gear to families in needFebruary 4, 2009
Before the Super Bowl and conference championship games, the NFL and its official apparel licensees print up hundreds of shirts and caps to be distributed to the players and coaches on the winning team's sideline and thousands more that eventually will be sold in stores and online. The winners -- in this case, the Steelers -- get to celebrate in their new gear. But the losers are left wearing their street clothes after the game. World Vision, a Christian relief organization, collects the losers' items and redirects them to impoverished families.
NBC Today Show
NFL Super Bowl gearFebruary 1, 2009
Where does the Superbowl loser's apparel go? Find out as NBC's Today accompanies World Vision to Nicaragua.
CNN
U.N.: Rwandan troops in Congo for joint operationJanuary 21, 2009
Rwandan troops have crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare for a joint operation with Congolese forces against a Hutu militia, the United Nations said. "We can tell you there are Rwandan soldiers here, but I cannot confirm the numbers," said Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. . . . Michael Arunga, a Kenya-based spokesman for the World Vision aid organization, said his colleagues in Goma -- a city in eastern Congo -- told him that Rwandan troops arrived Tuesday morning in the village of Ishsha, outside of Goma.
CNN
Hamas, Israel set independent cease-firesJanuary 18, 2009
Palestinian militants declared Sunday that they would stop attacks on Israel for a week, a statement that came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country's assault on Hamas in Gaza. The Palestinians demanded that Israel remove all troops from Gaza within the week, Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said from Egypt. The agreement appears to cover all Palestinian armed factions, not only Hamas. . . . Israel said it launched the offensive in Gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade Qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern Israel by Hamas fighters. "We welcome any alleviation of violence, with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting," said Charles Clayton, national director of World Vision Jerusalem, an aid group. "We call on all parties to stop attacks, including Hamas' rocket strikes against Israel, and refrain from further hostilities."
NBC Nightly News
A shoe shiner with a global agendaJanuary 9, 2009
A Seattle man makes a difference by helping bring much-needed clean water to a village on the edge of the Amazon Forest in Bolivia. NBC’s Chris Jansing reports.
CNN
Israel to open ‘humanitarian corridor’ for GazaJanuary 6, 2009
Israel has agreed to establish a "humanitarian corridor" to supply residents of Gaza with aid as international concerns about conditions among civilians mount, according to a government statement. The statement, posted on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Web site, said Olmert decided to accept a proposal from security advisers to open the corridor. It said a path into Gaza, where Israel launched a ground offensive against Hamas militants on Saturday, "will be opened for a specific period of time, during which the population can receive the aid." . . . Jerusalem has been under intense international pressure to let goods pass, because of shortage of food, medicines and fuel. “There are food shortages. ... The health system is overwhelmed. The people here don't have electricity," Mohammed El-Halaby, program manager for humanitarian group World Vision, said earlier this week.
USA Today
Golfing great King puts focus on Africa with ‘Hike for Hope’December 27, 2008
Betsy King unearthed a Hall of Fame career on golf courses around the world. A year after she retired, she found her calling in Africa. As part of a group with World Vision, a Christian relief and development organization, King went to Rwanda in 2006 and saw devastation caused by poverty, HIV and AIDS and the 1994 genocide that killed 800,000.
Atlanta Journal Constiution
A very different kind of partyDecember 15, 2008
As party invitations go, this one was a bit strange. It wasn’t only that Perri Kersh, the hostess, was asking guests to bring their checkbooks. Plenty of parties are organized around selling items, from Tupperware to Avon. The odd twist was that Kersh offered no merchandise at her spendfest, only good will. It’s called a Giving Party. ... Representatives from several nonprofits gave presentations. Kersh set up computers so guests could donate online to any charity using credit cards. And at the exit, she put a box in which people could anonymously report how much they’d donated. In three hours, she raised more than $12,000. Casey Saussy, a party guest, was inspired. At the 2007 party, she saw photos of children that World Vision was trying to help. She committed to spend $35 per month to sponsor a child in Zambia.
ESPN
A snowboarder with a social conscienceDecember 10, 2008
. . . Teter will always be as chilled-out as any 20-something snowboarder from Vermont, but she's insanely excitable. And it's the disparity between reggae-grooving optimist and impassioned, young activist that makes her such an intriguing success story. . . . But farmer's market food isn't even the half of her recent crusade. Most notable is Teter's work in Africa with World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to the aid of poverty-stricken children and their families worldwide. Teter also aligns herself closely with The Water and Sanitation Project, which combats water-related disease and improves communities' access to clean water by aiming to ensure there's a source within a walking distance of no more than 15 minutes.
USA Today
Gift of farm animals gives new meaning to ‘away in a manger’December 2, 2008
If you're looking for green Christmas or Hanukkah gifts that keep on giving, you could buy a well to provide clean water for people in southeast Africa or trees to help keep soil in place on a Tanzanian hillside. How about a dairy goat for people in Haiti and Kenya or an alpaca for someone in Peru or Ecuador? An alpaca? Yes, the alpaca ($360) is gentle on the environment, says Devin Hermanson, senior catalog director for World Vision, an international Christian relief and development organization. When the animals graze, they gently mow the grass rather than uproot it, and their soft, padded feet are easy on pastures, he says. Their wool is valuable and can provide families a "consistent way to earn money and feed their children."
Bloomberg
Taxman can go begging while you do some good: John F. WasikDecember 1, 2008
World Vision, a Christian charity based near Seattle, earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating (four stars) with an 86 percent organizational efficiency rating.
Seattle Post Intelligencer
The money squeeze: As yule cheer turns to fear, traditions changeNovember 27, 2008
It’s beginning to look a lot like ... the tightest family Christmas in a generation. The nation's ongoing economic nightmare is reshaping how families celebrate the holidays. Goodwill is the new toy store, philanthropy is replacing Hanukkah presents and annual dinners are now potlucks. “What we are shifting toward is from a 'me' economy to a 'we' economy," said Blinkoff, who is conducting a national study on how consumers are reacting to the financial crisis. People are "more thoughtful than ever, more targeted, so there is no wasteful giving." Even if these changes are less than fundamental, the holidays will be different in 2008 as families cut back. A record-high 35 percent of shoppers will spend less than last year, and half are more likely to give a charitable gift as a present, surveys from Gallup and World Vision found.
TampaBay.com
Trinkets vs. charityNovember 27, 2008
Faced with a sagging economy, soaring prices and a tight job market, holiday gift givers might feel compelled to summon their inner Scrooge. But a new national survey shows, improbably, that consumers plan to donate more to charity this year even as they scrimp on traditional holiday gifts. Here and on page 8B are some ideas that don't require trips to the mall and whose benefits last long after the wrapping paper hits the floor. Dan and Sylvia Walbolt plan to teach their grandchildren — 8, 6, and 4 — a lesson in charitable giving. The Walbolts purchased "gifts" from World Vision, a Christian relief organization. On their grandchildren's behalf, they donated five ducks, four chickens, one goat and money for children's education in developing countries.
Washington Times
Even a smile is a giftNovember 26, 2008
It’s as American as Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie: giving to charities. It's what we do as Americans. It makes us feel good, particularly during the holidays. Some even claim it's crucial for our good health. “The most important reason to give is that it's central to personal physical, emotional and mental health," says Steve McSwain, author of "The Giving Myths: Giving and Then Getting the Life You've Always Wanted." (Proceeds from the book go to www.modestneeds.org, a nonprofit focused on helping poor families in the United States.) The good news is we continue to give even as our economy continues its downward spiral. A recent survey by Harris Interactive and World Vision (a Christian humanitarian group that aims to help families in poverty worldwide) shows that Americans - while intending to spend less on commercial gifts - want charitable gifts this year.
CNN
Rapes in Congo increase, aid group saysNovember 25, 2008
The number of girls being raped has increased sharply since fighting intensified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a humanitarian group said Tuesday. Also, the recent fighting between rebels and the Congo government has heightened the threat of children being recruited as soldiers, said World Vision. "A silent war has been waged against women and children," said Sue Mbaya, the humanitarian group's Africa advocacy director. "Women and girls in the hundreds have been targets of opportunistic and brutal rape, while children are also being targeted for recruitment or re-recruitment as child soldiers."
CNN
Britain, France push for more U.N. troops in CongoNovember 19, 2008
Britain and France are calling for an additional 3,000 United Nations troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the U.N. already has its biggest peacekeeping mission, a senior British diplomat said Wednesday. . . . "The world is failing in its responsibility to protect the Congo's innocent civilians," Juliette Prodhan, the head of Oxfam in Congo, said in a statement released November 13. . . . Another aid group, World Vision, says the conflict in the African country is the deadliest since World War II.
Reuters
Aid agencies seek access to Congo refugeesNovember 8, 2008
Aid agencies scrambled on Saturday to help many thousands of people displaced by fighting in east Congo but many were stranded despite an appeal by African leaders for a ceasefire. Toning down his warlike rhetoric, rebel chief Laurent Nkunda welcomed a call by an emergency summit for a ceasefire and humanitarian corridor in North Kivu province, but aid workers were cautious. . . . "We are doing an assessment to see if the corridor that the parties discussed in Nairobi will be open for humanitarian access. We had a lot or work going on in Rutshuru and some points in between, but that's been suspended," Kevin Cook, spokesman for aid group World Vision, said.
McClatchy Newspaper
Civilians suffer in Congo’s unending conflictNovember 7, 2008
. . . Over the past two months, the fighting — which has its roots in the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda — has killed at least 100 civilians and forced 250,000 from their homes, according to Human Rights Watch. As a cease-fire between Nkunda's forces and the government nears collapse, aid workers say that civilians are at risk not just of getting caught in the crossfire but also of being attacked, raped or killed by soldiers on both sides. “These populations are living with great fear of rebels and other belligerents coming into the camps," said Kevin Cook, a spokesman for the relief agency World Vision. "The conditions are about as bad as they could be."
South Florida Times
Miami teams up with World Vision to bring relief to HaitiNovember 6, 2008
The city of Miami and a relief agency have teamed up to provide assistance to people suffering from flood damage and a lack of food in Haiti. City officials and leaders of World Vision, an international relief agency, held a fundraising reception at the Doubletree Grand Hotel in Miami on Oct. 30 to raise funds for and bring relief to the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean nation.
CNN
Congo rebels declare cease-fire to prevent panicOctober 27, 2008
Rebel forces have declared a cease-fire after four days of fighting in the North Kivu province of eastern Congo, the French ambassador to the United Nations said after Security Council talks on the unfolding humanitarian crisis. . . . The region's instability endangers aid workers, some of whom have joined the exodus. Michael Arunga, a spokesman for World Vision, told CNN the organization's workers had fled to the Rwandan border, where they were assessing the situation and caring for civilians crossing into the area. Arunga said he himself had fled from Goma, where he could hear shootings at night. "For agencies to operate on the ground, we need a peaceful environment," he said.
Reuters
Congo rebels threaten Goma in eastern offensiveOctober 27, 2008
Congolese Tutsi insurgents advanced towards the strategic eastern city of Goma on Monday after launching a major new offensive at the weekend, forcing thousands of civilians to flee, U.N. and local officials said. ... Rebel rockets destroyed two armored vehicles from the U.N.'s peacekeeping mission, MONUC, during Sunday's clashes, injuring several peacekeepers, a MONUC spokesman said. . . . Christian aid agency World Vision said its staff visited Kibumba on Monday and gunfire could be heard nearby. Thousands of people from the camp were walking south towards Goma.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
A spotlight on AIDS in AfricaOctober 9, 2008
Although the AIDS epidemic doesn't capture the headlines that it once did, more than 30 million people around the globe suffer with the disease, and almost three-quarters of those are in Africa. The devastating impact of AIDS in Africa is brought up-close and personal in the "World Vision Experience: AIDS — Step into Africa" exhibit where visitors take a multimedia walk-through that offers a vivid picture of AIDS and its impact through the eyes of four children.
Chicago Tribune
Good QuestionOctober 4, 2008
Q: What happens to all the pre-printed championship gear when the team in question loses?
A: It all goes to charity, according to Silvia Alvarez, Major League Baseball's director of multicultural and charitable communications. The MLB began a partnership with the humanitarian organization World Vision in 2007 to distribute the unused championship T-shirts and ball caps to needy people in developing countries. The majority of last year's haul—more than 20,000 items—went to Ghana to help flooding victims. World Vision is eyeing several countries for this year's donation, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Romania and Congo.
CBS News
Haiti In Need After StormsSeptember 22, 2008
The UN's world food program has tripled the amount of food aid going into Haiti after storms created flooding and devastation there. But, as Kelly Cobiella reports, it's still not enough. World Vision featured.
US News and World Report
Hot Docs: Defending Georgia, girls married by 15, the chemical BPA, and moreSeptember 5, 2008
In developing countries, 51 million girls younger than 18 are married. A report from World Vision, an international aid group, estimates that in the next 10 years, that number could double to 100 million. It is a common practice in South Asia, with nearly 50 percent of girls getting married before they turn 18. India's rate is almost 70 percent. Parents often marry off daughters at an early age for money to support their family.
CBS2
SoCal groups send aid to Gulf Coast hit by GustavAugust 29, 2008
As Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast, two local relief agencies announced Friday that they are prepared to deploy truckloads of aid to the area. World Vision, a Monrovia-based Christian relief and development agency, and Operation USA, an international disaster relief agency based in Culver City, are pledging monetary and material aid, if needed.
Los Angeles Times
L.A. church exhibit offers a personal look at AIDS orphans in AfricaAugust 16, 2008
It is a chilling statistic: 12 million children in sub-Saharan Africa have been orphaned by AIDS. But the figure alone cannot begin to convey the toll of a pandemic that continues to punish vast swaths of the continent. For that, consider the stories of four children featured in an interactive exhibit -- "World Vision Experience: AIDS" -- at Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
USA Today
Americans try to alter course of ‘tragic stories’ in GeorgiaAugust 14, 2008
A second U.S. cargo plane carrying relief supplies landed in this war-stricken country Thursday, bringing an American presence to help in what aid workers call a dire humanitarian situation. The few Americans here in the Georgian capital who didn't evacuate as fighting escalated between Russian and Georgian troops over the past week are finding ways to pitch in. "I've helped distribute food and non-food items like blankets and clothes and cooking utensils," says Dwayne Mamo, 31, communication director in Georgia for World Vision, the international Christian relief organization. . . . Thousands of Georgian refugees are waiting for beds, clothing, medicine and more food a week after Russian and anti-Georgian separatist forces drove them from their homes. "It is a massive humanitarian crisis," says David Womble, who directs World Vision's operation here.
CBS News
Russian bomb blitz hits Georgian capitalAugust 10, 2008
Russia expanded its bombing blitz to the Georgian capital, deployed ships off the coast and, a Georgian official said, sent tanks from the separatist region of South Ossetia into Georgian territory, heading toward a border city before being turned back. . . . But residents of the provincial capital Tskhinvali who survived the bombardment by hiding in basements and later fled the city estimated that hundreds of civilians had died. They said bodies were lying everywhere. "The reports from people is that it's an absolute nightmare. [Two kids] delivering food … made it out of South Ossetia but their parents didn't and they don't know if they are alive or dead because phones are down," David Womble of World Vision told CBS News.
Wall Street Journal
Myanmar faces more food shortagesAugust 9, 2008
Almost one million people who survived the deadly cyclone that ripped through this country in May remain vulnerable to food shortages until the October rice harvest, aid workers here said. Three months after Cyclone Nargis caused an ocean swell that left 138,000 dead or missing, the waters are yet to fully recede in many villages across the hardest-hit Irrawaddy River delta, the nation's rice bowl. . . . Aid workers also are concerned about a government decision to stop all U.N. helicopter flights into the delta beginning next week as the recovery effort gathers pace. Private aid groups have been relying on those flights to get aid to the swampy area. "It means now we have to truck all the food in," which is slower and costlier, said Judy-Leigh Moore, a senior relief associate with World Vision, a U.S.-based relief organization.
Washington Post
Moving past life as a rebel slaveJuly 29, 2008
For more than 10 years, Ojok was held captive by the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group waging an insurgency in northern Uganda. ... Ojok was 12 years old when she and her sister Agnes were abducted as they walked to school one day in 1996. . . . Two years ago, the Ugandan military captured Ojok and her daughter and eventually freed them. But her sister Agnes and her baby were killed in a battle in Sudan. Ojok's first stop after returning from the bush was World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that provides counseling and vocational training for former captives.
Christian Science Monitor
Freeing the futures of German youthsJuly 28, 2008
... as Germany has become more heterogeneous, children born to less-privileged, working parents and non-native residents have started falling through the cracks. Today the Hauptschule is often seen as a dumping ground offering graduates little hope of a job, and the gymnasium as reserved for the elite. Studies by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have said that in no other country is the academic success of children so dependent on their parents' socioeconomic backgrounds. . . . Sponsored by the nonprofit children's association World Vision in Friedrichsdorf, Dr. Hurrelmann's team of researchers interviewed 1,600 children, ages 6 through 11, and their parents, focusing in particular on 12 children representing different social groups. German children's social baggage weighs heavily on them, according to the World Vision study, which came out last fall.
KPLU (NPR Seattle)
Hip Hop music used to tempt teens off mean streetsJuly 18, 2008
Hip hop is the soundtrack of urban street life. Nightclubs that play the music can be a magnet for trouble. But a Christian social service group is convinced it can co-opt hip hop, and keep at-risk kids on the right path. KPLU's Tom Banse reports from Tacoma.
Washington Post
African issues high on G8 summit agendaJuly 9, 2008
The United States and other members of the Group of Eight this week reiterated their commitment to doubling aid to Africa by 2010, seeking to assuage growing concern that they will miss the ambitious targets they set three years ago in Gleneagles, Scotland. . . . Kel Currah of World Vision International, a Christian relief and development organization, applauded the U.S. initiative but said the bigger problem is that the dollar needs for such issues as AIDS and food were much greater than the G-8 is willing to consider.
Religion & Ethics
The 30 Hour Famine (video included)July 4, 2008
BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: Although the magnitude of the crisis can be overwhelming. The Christian relief group World Vision has come up with a creative way to help church youth groups understand the problem of world hunger and what they can do about it. It's called "The 30 Hour Famine" and we watched one at Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
CNN
Why one girl refuses to rememberJuly 1, 2008
The storm didn't come. The wind didn't tear her home to pieces. The cyclone didn't sweep her mother and father away. In those brief moments, when she tunes out the questions, the 7-year-girl from Myanmar can step back in time -- before May's Cyclone Nargis took everything away. That's the girl aid workers from World Vision International, a Christian humanitarian group, found when they met Nway in her demolished village a month after the cyclone.
Washington Times
Rebels, soldiers peace talks further stalledJune 19, 2008
Peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) further stalled this month in the southern Sudanese city of Juba amid reports of new atrocities being committed by the LRA in Sudan and Congo. . . . Other aid workers with World Vision, a Christian humanitarian aid organization whose supporters sponsor 112,000 Ugandan children, the United Nations and numerous other charities also continue to provide Ugandans with basic necessities, like water, sanitation and health care, as well as education and psychological aid. One challenge aid workers face is how to help families rebuild, said Geoffrey Kalebbo Denye, communications officer for World Vision in East Africa.
CNN
Official: Aid suspension imperils millions in ZimbabweJune 14, 2008
Millions of Zimbabweans face starvation as a result of the government's decision to suspend the work of aid organizations last week, an aid director said Saturday. A "humanitarian crisis is unfolding," said Sue Mbaya, advocacy director for World Vision's Africa region. "[The] capacity of communities to cope on their own has really been eroded over the last few years."
Associated Press
Opposition: Police ordered to bring Biti to courtJune 13, 2008
A judge has ordered police to bring the No. 2 opposition leader to court Saturday and explain why he should not be immediately released, an opposition lawyer said Friday. Tendai Biti was arrested upon returning to Zimbabwe from neighboring South Africa Thursday. Police have refused to say where he was being held or when they might bring him to court, but have said he faces a treason charge, which can carry the death penalty. . . . Aid group World Vision, which has projects across the country, appealed to the government Friday to allow delivery of basic humanitarian assistance by reversing the suspension. "We hold grave concerns for the 1.6 million orphans and vulnerable children across the country who will now not receive critical assistance from humanitarian agencies operating in the country," Wilfred Mlay, vice president for Africa for World Vision, said in a statement.
NPR, Marketplace
When the sex of the borrower mattersJune 8, 2008
Some 5,000 miles from Carmen's store in Ecuador, women in the West African nation of Mali are getting help from another microfinancing program. This one doesn't rely on individual lenders. Instead, it's led by a large organization. But it's much tougher to hand out loans in societies where women have very little power - including over money. Matthew Algeo reports on efforts to change that ancient and some would say unfair tradition.
MATTHEW ALGEO: A bank cashier carefully counts her till in a small Malian village near the Burkina Faso border. It's a scene typical of any bank, but this is not a typical bank. It’s one of 11 so-called microbanks scattered across Mali and operated by the international charity World Vision. The banks make low-interest loans as small as $10. Borrowers can use the money to invest in anything from goats to grain.
USA Today
Focus on Africa, not golf, for LPGA veteran KingJune 6, 2008
...Betsy King presented a check for $250,000 this week to World Vision, a relief organization dedicated to helping poverty-stricken children and communities worldwide. More than 60 LPGA players donated money and time to raise the funds, whether it came in the form of a check or the result of golf outings, tournaments, fundraisers and raffles. Others in the golf community, including Rolex, Ping, Golf Digest and the LPGA Tournament Owners Association, were major contributors, too.
Christian Science Monitor
Amid aid delays, locals in Burma (Myanmar) rebuildJune 2, 2008
... A small number of foreign relief experts have been allowed into the delta in the past few days. Steve Goudswaard, an expert in responding quickly to disasters and assessing immediate needs, was the first foreigner from World Vision to venture into the delta, which has been off limits to most foreign aid workers until recently. He says it took him almost a week after United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon's historic visit with Burma's leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, to finally get government permission to go beyond Rangoon, as local officials in the delta interpret the policy in their own ways.
NPR: The Bryant Park Project
Myanmar sends mixed signals on foreign aidMay 30, 2008
Four weeks after a massive cyclone hit Myanmar, relief efforts are still lagging. Even though the country's ruling junta has just said that it would approve dozens of visas for international relief workers, Chris Webster of the international Christian aid organization World Vision says that efforts are "still in early-days response mode."
CNN
Logistics hamper Myanmar reliefMay 30, 2008
Logistical challenges have kept help from reaching much of Myanmar's cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy delta region, relief agencies reported Friday. . . . Chris Webster, a spokesman for the Christian charity World Vision, said his agency has seen "an opening up" by Myanmar officials as the ruling junta promised U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he visited last weekend.
Seattle Times
NW agencies are getting disaster aid to MyanmarMay 24, 2008
With news reports continuing that Myanmar's government is stopping much cyclone aid from getting through, the question emerges: Are donations actually doing any good? Yes, Pacific Northwest-based agencies say. Supplies and people are getting through — although with limitations. World Vision, based in Federal Way, which has worked in Myanmar for 40 years and has more than 580 people there — most Myanmar citizens — is one of a handful of international agencies that has been granted relatively free access by Myanmar's ruling junta.
NPR: All Things Considered
Junta agrees to let all aid workers into MyanmarMay 23, 2008
Myanmar agrees to allow all foreign aid workers, civilian ships and small boats into the country to help survivors of the cyclone. Chris Webster of the emergency aid organization World Vision tells Michele Norris how this news will affect those most in need of help.
CNN
U.N. chief: Myanmar to admit all aid workersMay 23, 2008
Myanmar's ruling junta agreed Friday to "allow all aid workers regardless of nationalities" into the country to help cyclone survivors, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said. . . . Steve Goudswaard, Cyclone Nargis response manager for the Christian charity World Vision, called the junta's decision to open the doors to more aid workers "excellent news" if true, but added it was also important that relief staff be given unhindered access to survivors. "There is not a moment to lose in terms of needing to scale up our response," he said. "Large numbers of survivors have not so far received adequate assistance and many of them are in an extremely vulnerable situation. Allowing international staff into the country will also ensure our physically and emotionally exhausted national staff have additional support.
New York Times
U.N. Chief sees myanmar devastationMay 23, 2008
The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, had a firsthand look on Thursday at some of the damage caused by Myanmar’s cyclone, as a limited program of international aid gained momentum....
... relief agencies in Bangkok said that they were finally breaking through a logjam created by Myanmar’s suspicious government and that a small but steady flow of aid had begun.
Christian Science Monitor
Attacks on foreigners spread in S. AfricaMay 22, 2008
South Africa's violence against foreigners took a turn for the worse on Wednesday as beleaguered foreign immigrants organized themselves to fight back. . . . "Everybody is baffled why this is happening now," says Carole Njoki, World Vision's advocacy advisor in Johannesburg. "But locals see foreigners taking their jobs, and they see that the allocation of low-income housing is inequitable. With high inflation and high unemployment, people's patience has reached the breaking point."
Associated Press
UN chief seeks to persuade Myanmar to open for aidMay 22, 2008
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought to persuade Myanmar's ruling generals Thursday to let in a torrent of foreign assistance for cyclone victims rather than the current trickle. . . . But some thought just the visit of Ban, the first secretary-general ever to visit Myanmar in an official capacity, could make a difference. "His presence as a senior U.N. official is significant. It means there is enough concern in the international community to raise this to that level. Open up all the channels to allow international assistance to the country. That should be his message," said Richard Rumsey, a senior staffer of the aid agency World Vision in Thailand.
blog, Anderson Cooper 360
Leaving Myanmar, the tears will come laterMay 19, 2008
Editor’s note: World Vision is a Christian-based humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide. Laura Cusumano Blank works for the organization. Here is how she found out she would be traveling to the region to help the victims.
CNN Money
Aid flows to China but less to MyanmarMay 20, 2008
Humanitarian relief charities, confronted with back-to-back natural disasters, are scrambling to raise money from Americans and corporations. . . . Aid group World Vision said Chinese employees in U.S. companies might also be playing a part. "There are a growing number of Chinese employees in U.S. corporations, and companies want to show their employees that they care," said Randy Strash, World Vision's strategy director for emergency response. Strash noted that the influence and income of Chinese-Americans is steadily growing and their support is evident in the current crisis.
New York Times
Looming dangers for orphaned BurmeseMay 17, 2008
While the death toll in Myanmar continues to climb, international aid agencies are warning of a new kind of threat to the most vulnerable survivors, children. Child protection workers are trying to offer some refuge for the children by setting up what they call child-friendly spaces where children can mingle and play safely and attempt to overcome their traumas. “They get a bit of informal education and they play with each other and have fun,” said Laura Blank, a spokeswoman for World Vision, which is opening up 37 centers in Yangon, the main city of Myanmar. “Through that process we are bringing a little bit of joy into their lives.”
Chicago Tribune
Myanmar bracing for new stormMay 12, 2008
A tropical depression is bearing down on southern Myanmar. And in countless villages like this, where no one has received outside aid, the clock is counting down to another potential disaster. In what was seen as a huge concession by the junta, the United States finally got the go-ahead to send a C-130 cargo plane packed with supplies to Yangon on Monday, with two more air shipments scheduled to land Tuesday. But aid group World Vision, which has a big presence in Myanmar, said relief material delivered so far is a fraction of what is needed.
New York Times
Myanmar junta still blocking much cyclone aidMay 11, 2008
A trickle of aid shipments arrived in Myanmar on Sunday, more than a week after a powerful cyclone smashed the country, but the ruling military junta continued to bar major shipments to more than a million of the storm’s hard-hit survivors. The United Nations World Food Program said that only one visa had been approved out of 16 it had requested and the aid group World Vision said it had requested 20 visas but received two.
Washington Post
U.S. disaster relief efforts hamperedMay 8, 2008
Americans are responding to the devastation wrought by the cyclone in Burma last week with an outpouring of support to U.S. charities and disaster relief groups, but geopolitics are complicating their efforts. World Vision, a Christian charity, has issued an appeal for $3 million to fund its work in Burma. The group has been distributing rice and water as well as tents, tarps and medicines. "We've had plenty of people donating online and calling," spokesman Casey Calamusa said. "Obviously, people here care about it, and it's something they want to act on."
Reuters
U.N. says 1.5 million people affected by Myanmar stormMay 8, 2008
The United Nations estimated 1.5 million people have been "severely affected" by the cyclone that swept through Myanmar, as the United States expressed outrage with the country's junta over delays in allowing in aid. Some (aid) is getting through," World Vision Australia's chief executive officer Tim Costello told reporters in a conference call from Yangon. "But it's a trickle when it needs to be literally a flood."
Los Angeles Times
Aid begins to trickle in to cyclone-ravaged MyanmarMay 8, 2008
Frustration mounted Wednesday as humanitarian groups waited for Myanmar's government to grant visas and allow more relief flights into the country, steps deemed essential to easing the plight of as many as 1 million left homeless by a cyclone last weekend. World Vision, which has 580 full-time staffers in Myanmar, said it has been distributing water, rice and blankets in the area around Yangon but needs supplies that it has stored in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, if it is going to help the worst-hit rural areas.
CNN
Rotting corpses pile up as Myanmar’s leaders stall over aidMay 8, 2008
Myanmar's cyclone survivors do not have enough fuel to burn the rotting corpses of the dead as the country's military junta continues to drag its feet over access for aid groups. Relief agencies said decomposing corpses littered ditches and fields in the worst hit Irrawaddy delta area as survivors tried to conserve fuel for the transporting of much needed supplies. One of the hardest-hit areas is Pyinzalu, a small town on the tip of the Irrawaddy delta, which has not fully recovered from the 2004 tsunami, according to World Vision health advisor Dr. Kyi Minn in Yangon.
PBS News Hour
Death toll rises in Myanmar as aid groups face obstaclesMay 7, 2008
MARGARET WARNER: But, just to be clear now, when these planes fly in now, so just the four World Food Program planes, I mean, they're only allowed basically to deliver the aid to whoever is there on the ground to distribute it; is that right? You're not allowed to leave people, additional people, there?
AMBASSADOR JOHN HOLMES: That is the -- mostly the position at the moment. We will be having -- getting some people in tomorrow. So, it's not a completely closed book. But, of course, there are, for example, World Food Program staff on the ground already. They already have a substantial program in Myanmar, albeit in different parts of the country. So, there are substantial numbers of U.N. staff already there. There are NGOs on the ground. World Vision are very big, a U.S. NGO, has people on the ground.
ABC News, World News Tonight with Charles Gibson
Countries scramble to help MyanmarMay 6, 2008
Aid groups worldwide wait for Myanmar's repressive government to accept help. Video includes interview with World Vision's Steve Matthews.
USA Today
Junta slows cyclone aid to BurmaMay 6, 2008
Food, clean water and medical supplies could still be days away for victims of a cyclone that devastated Burma and may have killed more than 10,000 people. The relief and development organization World Vision, whose donors sponsor 42,000 Burmese children, estimates the cyclone has put 2 million people in need of food, shelter or other help, says Rachel Wolff, spokeswoman for disaster response.
USA Today
Burma: Death toll could reach 10,000May 6, 2008
World Vision, a non-profit relief and development organization, has worked in Burma for decades and has 580 staff members throughout the country, says Rachel Wolff, spokeswoman for disaster response.
Washington Post
How to help: International aid to BurmaMay 5, 2008
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide by tackling.poverty and injustice. The organization is distributing Family Survival kits containing crucial supplies such as food, clean water, blankets, temporary shelter, and cooksets.
Voice of America
Touring African villages bring personal stories of AIDS to U.S.May 5, 2008
As this year began, the United Nations reported that nearly 31 million adults and 2.5 million children were living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the hardest-hit region. With just over 10 percent of the world's population, it is home to more than two-thirds of all people living with HIV. More than 1.5 million Africans died of AIDS last year. While the statistics themselves are dramatic, a Christian humanitarian organization is trying to dramatize the issue in a more personal way. World Vision is taking two portable African villages on tour across the United States. As Tom Banse reports, the exhibit designers confront the question of how to get everyday Americans to care about AIDS in Africa.
This is America, with Dennis Wholey
Interview with Rich Stearns
April, 2008
Join host Dennis Wholey for a personal conversation with Richard Stearns, President of World Vision (U.S.), a humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children.
ESPN
NFL gear not going to waste
April 10, 2008
Through a partnership between the NFL and World Vision, millions of dollars worth of the incorrectly titled, losing team’s licensed Reebok apparel is shipped out of the country to be distributed to children and families in need. ESPN follows the 2008 Super Bowl merchandise to Nicaragua.
CBS News
Helping AIDS orphans – with free throws
April 9, 2008
"People think that kids can't really make a difference and that they should wait until they are older but that's totally wrong you can do something as a kid," said Austin Guttwein, who sounds a lot wiser than his 13 years. After an African pen pal encouraged him to find out about the continent, he learned that 12 million African children have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. "I just kept thinking about what it would be like if I lost my parents," he said. "I just kept thinking about that and I just decided, you know what, I just have to go out and do something." So Austin created Hoops of Hope, a charity for African Orphans that in just four years has raised $350,000 - one foul shot at a time.
San Francisco Chronicle
Displaced Ugandans face peace problems
April 10, 2008
Sitting under a mango tree in Lamola, an Internally Displaced Persons camp in northern Uganda, a group of women said they wanted to go home. They're among the more than a million people displaced by the long-running conflict between the Ugandan government and the rebel group Lord's Resistance Army. In Lamola, residents said they received aid from groups such as Oxfam, the U.N.'s World Food Program, the Norwegian Refugee Council and World Vision. The women in Lamola supplement charity with meager and unsteady sources of income, such as selling bamboo in the nearby town of Kitgum and brewing sorghum beer.
CBS Sports
Hoops of hope
April 3, 2008
... Austin founded "Hoops of Hope" and raised $3,000. A year later, the ten-year old from Phoenix, Ariz. enlisted 1,000 kids from his hometown to shoot baskets, this time they raised over $38,000. In the spring of 2006, Austin announced that with the money raised they would attempt to build a high school for orphaned children in the region of Twachiyanda, Zambia, an area where there was not a high school within 60 miles. It is also one of the regions hit hardest in the world by the AIDS pandemic. Hoops of Hope would need to raise $100,000 to meet their goal and see Austin’s dream come true.
"People think kids can't really make a difference and they should wait until they are older. But that is totally wrong, you can do something as a kid," said Austin
Austin has made a difference. In October of 2007, Hoops of Hope, working in conjunction with World Vision, an international relief organization saw the school celebrate its grand opening.
USA Today
Thandie Newton: A fresh attitude with a little vintage flair
March 26, 2008
She applies that same attitude toward her acting. Newton has been in 1998's Beloved, 2000's Mission: Impossible II and 2004's Crash. But, the actress says, "I'm not as fascinated by this job anymore, and I know it has to do with the material. I'm not going to chase it." Take Crash, in which she played Terrence Howard's enraged wife, who gets groped by a racist cop. It's one of the rare parts that engrossed Newton, but, she says, "Crash was two weeks of my life. The roles that fascinate me have been teeny. Some people get to do great work and be really impressive and wonderful — Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep, Isabelle Adjani. And then, there's a lot of (junk). I'm not moaning, because that's how it is, so I've built up life to compensate." She recently traveled to Mali with the World Vision relief organization, calling it "deeply satisfying." Though she may find acting less gratifying, she keeps at it.
CNN
Relief agencies: Somalia too dangerous for us to work
March 25, 2008
Nearly 40 relief agencies serving Somalia said Tuesday they can't help millions of Somalis, blaming the existence of too many checkpoints, danger that aid workers face and "a lack of respect for international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict."
"The crisis engulfing Somalia has deteriorated dramatically, while access to people in need continues to decrease," said a statement signed by organizations including World Vision, Oxfam International and Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere, among others.
Washington Post
Ugandan rebel reaches out to International Court
March 19, 2008
It was an unexpected journey by attorneys for the elusive Joseph Kony, a Ugandan rebel commander with messianic delusions and a ghoulish human rights record. The legal delegation went on an exploratory mission earlier this month to the International Criminal Court, which wants Kony tried on war crimes charges for his role leading the Lord's Resistance Army. ...
Humanitarian groups such as World Vision, which has a large presence in Uganda's refugee camps, have argued that the court should step aside to allow a peace agreement to take hold across the distressed territory where they work.
Chicago Tribune
Group offers classroom, building supplies for schools, other groups
March 6, 2008
An unusual store in Elgin that sells classroom supplies, clothing and other items to charitable groups and schools has begun offering building materials at bargain prices -- everything from doors and windows to kitchen sinks. Participating groups can save more than 75 percent on new merchandise, all of it donated. Qualified public schools -- those where most students receive free lunch -- are eligible for free supplies. An outreach of World Vision, a Christian poverty-relief organization, the Elgin Storehouse provides an alternative for suppliers who might dump unwanted materials into landfills, official said.
The Modesto Bee
Faith-based group brings AIDS exhibit to valley
Feb. 29, 2008
A free exhibit at the First Baptist Church in Lodi tells the story of Babirye and other children who live with the horrors of AIDS in African nations, where 25 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.
The touring exhibit, "World Vision Experience: AIDS," opened Thursday in the church's gymnasium and runs through Monday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
IRIN
SENEGAL: A day in the life of the 'talibe'
Feb. 21, 2008
In Senegal up to 100,00 children roam the streets begging for money and scraps of food in order to survive, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2004). Many of these beggars are ‘talibes’ or Koranic students, who follow a religious teacher or ‘marabout’ to whom they are entrusted to learn the Koran. ...
Accompanying slideshow includes photos from Ann Birch, World Vision's communications team leader, based in Dakar, Senegal
AJC
Students go hungry to learn empathy
Feb. 22, 2008
Sugarloaf United Methodist Church who participated in the 30 Hour Famine, a nationwide event held to raise money to fight hunger. Students pledge to go without food for 30 hours — most also perform community service and learn more about world hunger — to raise money. World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization coordinating the event, estimates 852 million people are hungry.
Time
Where New England won the Superbowl
Feb. 15, 2008
There was something not quite authentic about the Super Bowl victory celebration here last week…. The crowd was not rowdy football fans; it was a group of shy local women and children who are unlikely to have seen the game, but came anyway to get a free Super Bowl T-shirt or hat… Due to NFL regulations that prohibit the sale of the losing team's "championship" apparel, the T-shirts and hats were donated to needy Nicaraguans by World Vision, in conjunction with the NFL and Reebok.
ALSO SEE VIDEO: The T-Shirt graveyard, TIME.com
PBS: Religion and Ethics
Bangladesh relief
Feb. 15, 2008
Interview with Vince Edwards, National Director of World Vision, Bangladesh: “World Vision moved over 30,000 families in 33 cyclone shelters prior to the cyclone.” … Non-government organizations, especially faith-based ones, have been key to relief efforts in a country known for ineffective governance. The Christian organization World Vision has been helping people put their homes together temporarily with corrugated iron sheets. It will take years to build sturdier homes.
The New York Post
Nicaragua poor get Pat’s T’s
February 7, 2008
The Giants may be America's Super Bowl champs, but there will still be one place in the world where the Patriots' sorry dreams of a perfect season live on: Nicaragua. Thousands and thousands of unsold caps and T-shirts printed with "19-0" and "Patriots Super Bowl Champions" have been donated to a charity that will ship them next week to the impoverished Central American country.
As soon as the gear arrives, poor children across Nicaragua will be transformed into unwitting members of Patriots Nation. "It will be a parallel universe, where the Patriots had a perfect season," said Karen Kartes, a spokeswoman for World Vision, the charity that will be delivering the items.
The Los Angeles Times
Civilians flee Chad capital in fighting lull
February 5, 2008
Thousands of frightened Chadians took advantage of a lull in fighting Monday to flee N'Djamena when rebels withdrew from the capital after two days of heavy clashes with government troops. ...
At daylight Monday, a crush of panicked civilians began evacuating, creating traffic jams on all major roads and a bridge spanning the Chari River toward neighboring Cameroon.
"There was a lot of overcrowding on the bridge, and some people abandoned their cars and walked," said Ann Birch, spokeswoman for World Vision in Dakar, Senegal, after speaking to one of the charity's staffers in N'Djamena.
The Boston Globe
Pats lose their shirts for others’ gain
February 5, 2008
Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the rest of the Pats may have lost Super Bowl XLII, but to people in Zambia, Romania, and Nicaragua the Patriots will soon be known as the world champions. Huh? Well, all those T-shirts and caps printed in advance with the Pats proclaimed the Super Bowl winner aren't tossed out. The NFL and the Christian relief group World Vision send the unused, losing half of the Super Bowl victory apparel to countries where people are in need of clothing.
CNN
Ceasefire in Chad fighting as thousands flee capital
February 5, 2008
Fighting has stopped in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, French and Chadian officials said Tuesday, after a rebel uprising that has forced more than 20,000 people from their homes in the past few days. World Vision spokesman Levourne Tassiri said he had already been to Kousseri, where he said the situation for refugees was desperate. "I saw people who are living without shelter, without food, without blankets," Tassiri said from Maroua, Cameroon, just across the border from Chad. He said many were without drinking water. "To see a human being suffer like this -- you know, it's not good," he said. "I am wondering after a few days, what people will do.
Sports Illustrated
Super Bowl XLII may set sales record
February 4, 2008
The New York Giants aren't the only winners in the team's upset victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Hats, T-shirts and other gear bearing the Giants logo started flying off the racks ... .
Children far removed from the game benefit as well, thanks to a partnership developed in 1994 between the NFL and the relief organization World Vision. By next week, World Vision will have delivered the pre-printed -- and incorrect -- Patriots champion gear to underprivileged children in Nicaragua.
Bloomberg
Tanks battle in Chad capital; foreigners evacuated
February 3, 2008
Chad government troops and rebels clashed in fighting that involved tanks and helicopters in the capital N'Djamena today, as President Idriss Deby fought to retain power and France evacuated more than 700 foreigners. ``Many civilians have been killed,'' said Levourne Passiri, national director in Chad for aid organization World Vision, in an e-mailed statement today. "I fear that the entire capital could be destroyed.''
MSNBC
Zimbabwe issues new flood warnings
January 16, 2007
Officials in economically ravaged Zimbabwe issued new warnings Wednesday of floods, as fears grew that flooding in neighboring Mozambique would be more extensive than in 2001 when 800 people died. ...
The charity World Vision noted the peak of the rainy season was due in mid-February.
"Disaster prevention work is helping to reduce the likelihood of a high death toll like we saw in 2001," World Vision emergency officer Amos Doornbos said. "But those affected are the very vulnerable whose crops were wiped out last year and who have now lost their livelihood again."
CNN
Impact Your World: Crisis in Kenya
January 9, 2008
The CNN special feature "Impact Your World" offers background information and resources for learning about current disasters and emergencies, along with opportunities for readers to effect change through partnership with some of highest-rated charities by CharityNavigator.org. Information is provided as an inspiration for readers to explore the best ways for you to impact their world. World Vision was listed as one of the organizations through which readers could help.
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