Gillian Wilson, Communications Director
How Did I Get Involved With IDEX?
If I’m being honest… I was bored. I was staring unproductively at a blinking cursor all day, trying to write my final MBA project. Frankly, I needed to get out.
I started looking online for volunteer positions. My search parameters: international, women, poverty, weekdays, and critically, less than one mile from my home! Okay, I would have expanded the distance if necessary, but happily IDEX popped up. I submitted my volunteer application and I embarked on a new stage of my life.
Why Am I Still Involved?
That was December 2002. I’ve had many roles at IDEX since then and occasionally get asked why I stay.
It’s simple: IDEX methods, to create lasting solutions to poverty, work.
There is no quick fix: the causes of poverty are complex. Ending poverty takes time and many pieces of the puzzle need to be addressed. IDEX understands this and works with communities that have an integrated approach to tackling poverty.
IDEX’s approach challenges the status quo that leads to endemic poverty. We support people as they learn new skills, grow their income, become involved with their community, change laws and begin to dream about future possibilities.
As a kid I would often protest to my Dad, “That’s not fair!” at some new injustice. His response was always frustratingly the same, “Life’s not fair”. No one would argue with him, on that point at least, but that’s no reason not to strive for fairness.
I work at IDEX because it allows me make the world a fairer place. IDEX has recruited a volunteer, Teresa Shellmon to compile weekly news items for our target countries. These aim to provide a range of news, information, and resources both from within the countries where we work and also the development community.
More in depth news ca be found on many of the sites we link to below.
Guatemala
NAM Women’s Event in Guatemala - Prensa Latina- 23 Jan 09
The Second Ministerial Conference on the Non-Aligned Movement on the Advancement of Women began Friday with representatives from 80 countries from around the globe. Subjects under discussion include poverty and development, education and political participation.
UN Secretary Generals message to the conference.
Mexico
Obama Reaffirms Promise to Renegotiate NAFTA - Oneworld.net- 26 Jan 09
Discussion of what is at stake if Obama commits to a renegotiation of NAFTA.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh PM tightens grip through rural polls - Reuters- 23 Jan 09
Candidates of the Awami League won a majority in local elections held on Thursday. There have been charges of voter rigging.
Gender gap, dropout rate a challenge for schools - IRIN- 26 Jan 09
Statistics show that although gender parity has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels, enrollment of girl in levels beyond that remain disproportionate.
India
Free treatment for BPL families - Times of India- 26 Jan 09
The state of Rajasthan has extended free health services for families living below the poverty line to include free hospital treatment.
Cairn India gets approval to develop more finds - Reuters- 19 Jan 09
Government has approved Cairn India to develop more oil and gas discoveries in Rajasthan.
Nepal
Nepal steps up culling in first bird flu outbreak - Reuters- 16 Jan 09
Bird flu was detected in chickens and ducks in some areas of Nepal, veterinary workers are working to prevent the spread of the sickness.
Nepal launches drive to fight illiteracy - Reuters- 14 Jan 09
Government has launched a program with a goal to make more than a million people literate in three months.
South Africa
MPs Warned of Looming Funding Crisis for Aids Drugs - allAfrica.com - 23 Jan 09
Deputy Chairman of the South African National AIDS Council alerted Parliament that the government’s AIDS program is heading for a funding crisis.
Farmers, Millers Warn of Threat to Food Security - allAfrica.com - 23 Jan 09
Reports that food security is being jeopardized due to failing rural road networks, making transport of harvests difficult.
For richer or for poorer - IRIN- 21 Jan 09
New study shows the growing unequal gap between rich and poor in South Africa.
Zimbabwe
“Dollarization” of Economy Hitting Poor Hard - IPS- 24 Jan 09
With world record inflation, some workers are being paid with fuel coupons while trade in U.S dollars and South African rands has become commonplace. Ninety percent of workers are still being paid in Zimbabwean dollars yet purchasing basic necessities with this currency is next to impossible.
Cholera moves to rural Zimbabwe - BBC- 22 Jan 09
Doctors Without Borders report that incidents of cholera are increasing in the remote areas of the country.
Fighting Cholera on a Shoestring - IPS- 23 Jan 09
Interview with Farid Abdulkadir, Zimbabwe head of operations International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent.
Mugabe Seeks SADC Mandate to Form Government - allAfrica.com- 22 Jan 09
On Monday, President Mugabe will be asking the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Summit for approval in forming a new government excluding Morgan Tsvangirai.
IDEX has a new website. Check it out at http://www.idex.org.
This is what we are calling our 'transitional site' as we develop an even better site in the coming months.
Why 2 sites?
There have been an increasing number of challenges posed by our website. These recently came to a head after our web host upgraded some of their protocols. This upgrade caused a lot of bugs on our site.
Rather than wrestling with fixing an outdated site that no longer met anyone's needs, our time and energy went into producing this new site.
It is a simpler design and is more functional.
We'll continue to develop the IDEX website of our dreams and may use this site to test out a few features. In the meantime enjoy the many improvements offered here.
As you use the site please forward me any feedback. Leave your comments below, or use the form on our Contact Us page to email me your thoughts. Suggestions, likes, dislikes, will all be very helpful as we move forward in developing a long-term solution.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Gill
Dear sisters in USA
Warm greetings,
Yesterday we were all glued to Botswana television and watched USA make history on Inauguration of their first young, energetic intelligent and black president. It has been customary for me now to follow every story of the Obama girls when they take to the world stage with their Dad and that marks also a new beginning for all girls in the world that yes we can do it, and what our fathers can do, we can also!
Sisters we want to congratulate you for the new era of hope and change and it is always great to cast a vote for someone you want to see president and that vote is not rigged
Just listening to Obama speak and though he did not mention names, I thought here in Africa his message was very clear on what leadership should all be about. Leaders in our part of the world here must unclench their fists and stop blaming the West for their own man made disasters. Also the message on food on the farms and clean running water was not directed to anyone but we all embraced it in Zimbabwe because where I stayed myself I had no running water for a year and now Zimbabwe has been struck very hard with a cholera epidemic. Lets hope our leaders in Africa embraced this message!
Just last year I had a rare opportunity to be invited by the current Vice President, Joe Biden's office to testify to the senate on International Violence against Women Act (IVAWA) whose campaign had reached an advanced stage but I could not come because last minute this was postponed due to the election campaigns going on. Now that elections are over, maybe sisters in the US can help us track this vision by your current Vice President because he was the biggest sponsor of this Bill which when passed into law will support groups like Girl Child Network working so hard to stop violence against women and girls in Africa. Also it would make it possible for US to intervene within six months in cases like Jestina Mukoko's when women human rights defenders are incarcerated. We are fully aware of the many challenges our sisters in the US have to deal with during this transition and we will be with you in spirit and learn from your coping mechanisms
Once again congratulations our sisters because every time I received emails from many of you or when we met, you just sounded anxious and hoped for something new and so yesterday rest assured you will all be okay
It is so interesting how our countries are in the same universe but so different. I counted that since 1980 when I turned 11 until now 2009, which is 29 years, you sisters in the US have had more than 10 presidents. Now I am 37 years old and turning 38 this year and my son who turned 13 recently and myself have had ONLY ONE PRESIDENT in our lifetime. It is quite possible that my grandchildren will see the same president in the next ten years and so three generations of us will have one president. However I have been lucky because I have been in neighboring beautiful and democratic Botswana and saw presidents do transitions smoothly and its people protected by the government. This also ushers hope for Africa because leading democratic countries like Botswana are good examples of what Africa can do if committed
Congratulations to you sisters and Michelle Obama too! Your new administration has women and girls and children at heart and so for the next few years we will work closely together to overcome the challenges women and girls face in both our countries.
Well again and again congratulations sisters!
Regards
Muzvare Betty Makoni
Freelance Defender for Rape Survivors
Southern Africa
Happy New Year, IDEX friends and champions. 2009 is already starting with a great opportunity that I want to share with you all.
Our partner, Women Awareness Center Nepal (WACN) has been selected by GlobalGiving.com to receive a matching grant.
Donate $10, $50, $100 or more and see your gift immediately doubled.
Donations to IDEX partner WACN will be matched 100% when you donate to WACN on GlobalGiving here.
WACN was created by a group of women for promoting women's empowerment in Nepal. WACN helps women to create incomes and encourages women to participate in the decision-making process within their family, and their communities.
Watch our short video on our work in Nepal and learn more about WACN's work.
$25,000 is up for grabs, but two other groups based in Nepal will also receive matching funds from this donor. So hurry, the $25,000 won't be there for long.
Donate to WACN and then spread the word, post an update on Facebook, Twitter, your blog and email signature and encourage your friends to give.
Photo Credit: Jan Stürmann.
How Did I Get Involved With IDEX?
If I’m being honest… I was bored. I was staring unproductively at a blinking cursor all day, trying to write my final MBA project. Frankly, I needed to get out.
I started looking online for volunteer positions. My search parameters: international, women, poverty, weekdays, and critically, less than one mile from my home! Okay, I would have expanded the distance if necessary, but happily IDEX popped up. I submitted my volunteer application and I embarked on a new stage of my life.Why Am I Still Involved?
That was December 2002. I’ve had many roles at IDEX since then and occasionally get asked why I stay.
It’s simple: IDEX methods, to create lasting solutions to poverty, work.
There is no quick fix: the causes of poverty are complex. Ending poverty takes time and many pieces of the puzzle need to be addressed. IDEX understands this and works with communities that have an integrated approach to tackling poverty.
IDEX’s approach challenges the status quo that leads to endemic poverty. We support people as they learn new skills, grow their income, become involved with their community, change laws and begin to dream about future possibilities.
As a kid I would often protest to my Dad, “That’s not fair!” at some new injustice. His response was always frustratingly the same, “Life’s not fair”. No one would argue with him, on that point at least, but that’s no reason not to strive for fairness.
I work at IDEX because it allows me make the world a fairer place. IDEX has recruited a volunteer, Teresa Shellmon to compile weekly news items for our target countries. These aim to provide a range of news, information, and resources both from within the countries where we work and also the development community.
More in depth news ca be found on many of the sites we link to below.
Guatemala
NAM Women’s Event in Guatemala - Prensa Latina- 23 Jan 09
The Second Ministerial Conference on the Non-Aligned Movement on the Advancement of Women began Friday with representatives from 80 countries from around the globe. Subjects under discussion include poverty and development, education and political participation.
UN Secretary Generals message to the conference.
Mexico
Obama Reaffirms Promise to Renegotiate NAFTA - Oneworld.net- 26 Jan 09
Discussion of what is at stake if Obama commits to a renegotiation of NAFTA.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh PM tightens grip through rural polls - Reuters- 23 Jan 09
Candidates of the Awami League won a majority in local elections held on Thursday. There have been charges of voter rigging.
Gender gap, dropout rate a challenge for schools - IRIN- 26 Jan 09
Statistics show that although gender parity has been achieved at the primary and lower secondary levels, enrollment of girl in levels beyond that remain disproportionate.
India
Free treatment for BPL families - Times of India- 26 Jan 09
The state of Rajasthan has extended free health services for families living below the poverty line to include free hospital treatment.
Cairn India gets approval to develop more finds - Reuters- 19 Jan 09
Government has approved Cairn India to develop more oil and gas discoveries in Rajasthan.
Nepal
Nepal steps up culling in first bird flu outbreak - Reuters- 16 Jan 09
Bird flu was detected in chickens and ducks in some areas of Nepal, veterinary workers are working to prevent the spread of the sickness.
Nepal launches drive to fight illiteracy - Reuters- 14 Jan 09
Government has launched a program with a goal to make more than a million people literate in three months.
South Africa
MPs Warned of Looming Funding Crisis for Aids Drugs - allAfrica.com - 23 Jan 09
Deputy Chairman of the South African National AIDS Council alerted Parliament that the government’s AIDS program is heading for a funding crisis.
Farmers, Millers Warn of Threat to Food Security - allAfrica.com - 23 Jan 09
Reports that food security is being jeopardized due to failing rural road networks, making transport of harvests difficult.
For richer or for poorer - IRIN- 21 Jan 09
New study shows the growing unequal gap between rich and poor in South Africa.
Zimbabwe
“Dollarization” of Economy Hitting Poor Hard - IPS- 24 Jan 09
With world record inflation, some workers are being paid with fuel coupons while trade in U.S dollars and South African rands has become commonplace. Ninety percent of workers are still being paid in Zimbabwean dollars yet purchasing basic necessities with this currency is next to impossible.
Cholera moves to rural Zimbabwe - BBC- 22 Jan 09
Doctors Without Borders report that incidents of cholera are increasing in the remote areas of the country.
Fighting Cholera on a Shoestring - IPS- 23 Jan 09
Interview with Farid Abdulkadir, Zimbabwe head of operations International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent.
Mugabe Seeks SADC Mandate to Form Government - allAfrica.com- 22 Jan 09
On Monday, President Mugabe will be asking the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Summit for approval in forming a new government excluding Morgan Tsvangirai.
Labels: Newsflash
Good news! Change has truly arrived...IDEX has a new website. Check it out at http://www.idex.org.
This is what we are calling our 'transitional site' as we develop an even better site in the coming months.
Why 2 sites?
There have been an increasing number of challenges posed by our website. These recently came to a head after our web host upgraded some of their protocols. This upgrade caused a lot of bugs on our site.
Rather than wrestling with fixing an outdated site that no longer met anyone's needs, our time and energy went into producing this new site.
It is a simpler design and is more functional.
We'll continue to develop the IDEX website of our dreams and may use this site to test out a few features. In the meantime enjoy the many improvements offered here.
As you use the site please forward me any feedback. Leave your comments below, or use the form on our Contact Us page to email me your thoughts. Suggestions, likes, dislikes, will all be very helpful as we move forward in developing a long-term solution.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Gill
Labels: IDEX
Betty Makoni, Founder of GCN, sent women in the USA a congratulatory message on the inauguration of Barack Obama, and the smooth transition of government.Dear sisters in USA
Warm greetings,
Yesterday we were all glued to Botswana television and watched USA make history on Inauguration of their first young, energetic intelligent and black president. It has been customary for me now to follow every story of the Obama girls when they take to the world stage with their Dad and that marks also a new beginning for all girls in the world that yes we can do it, and what our fathers can do, we can also!
Sisters we want to congratulate you for the new era of hope and change and it is always great to cast a vote for someone you want to see president and that vote is not rigged
Just listening to Obama speak and though he did not mention names, I thought here in Africa his message was very clear on what leadership should all be about. Leaders in our part of the world here must unclench their fists and stop blaming the West for their own man made disasters. Also the message on food on the farms and clean running water was not directed to anyone but we all embraced it in Zimbabwe because where I stayed myself I had no running water for a year and now Zimbabwe has been struck very hard with a cholera epidemic. Lets hope our leaders in Africa embraced this message!
Just last year I had a rare opportunity to be invited by the current Vice President, Joe Biden's office to testify to the senate on International Violence against Women Act (IVAWA) whose campaign had reached an advanced stage but I could not come because last minute this was postponed due to the election campaigns going on. Now that elections are over, maybe sisters in the US can help us track this vision by your current Vice President because he was the biggest sponsor of this Bill which when passed into law will support groups like Girl Child Network working so hard to stop violence against women and girls in Africa. Also it would make it possible for US to intervene within six months in cases like Jestina Mukoko's when women human rights defenders are incarcerated. We are fully aware of the many challenges our sisters in the US have to deal with during this transition and we will be with you in spirit and learn from your coping mechanisms
Once again congratulations our sisters because every time I received emails from many of you or when we met, you just sounded anxious and hoped for something new and so yesterday rest assured you will all be okay
It is so interesting how our countries are in the same universe but so different. I counted that since 1980 when I turned 11 until now 2009, which is 29 years, you sisters in the US have had more than 10 presidents. Now I am 37 years old and turning 38 this year and my son who turned 13 recently and myself have had ONLY ONE PRESIDENT in our lifetime. It is quite possible that my grandchildren will see the same president in the next ten years and so three generations of us will have one president. However I have been lucky because I have been in neighboring beautiful and democratic Botswana and saw presidents do transitions smoothly and its people protected by the government. This also ushers hope for Africa because leading democratic countries like Botswana are good examples of what Africa can do if committed
Congratulations to you sisters and Michelle Obama too! Your new administration has women and girls and children at heart and so for the next few years we will work closely together to overcome the challenges women and girls face in both our countries.
Well again and again congratulations sisters!
Regards
Muzvare Betty Makoni
Freelance Defender for Rape Survivors
Southern Africa
Labels: Betty Makoni, GCN, Zimbabwe
Happy New Year, IDEX friends and champions. 2009 is already starting with a great opportunity that I want to share with you all.
Our partner, Women Awareness Center Nepal (WACN) has been selected by GlobalGiving.com to receive a matching grant.
Donate $10, $50, $100 or more and see your gift immediately doubled.
Donations to IDEX partner WACN will be matched 100% when you donate to WACN on GlobalGiving here.
WACN was created by a group of women for promoting women's empowerment in Nepal. WACN helps women to create incomes and encourages women to participate in the decision-making process within their family, and their communities.
Watch our short video on our work in Nepal and learn more about WACN's work.
$25,000 is up for grabs, but two other groups based in Nepal will also receive matching funds from this donor. So hurry, the $25,000 won't be there for long.
Donate to WACN and then spread the word, post an update on Facebook, Twitter, your blog and email signature and encourage your friends to give.
Photo Credit: Jan Stürmann.
Labels: GlobalGiving, Nepal, WACN