Freedom from Hunger Freedom from Hunger Connect

Ask us how you can help

Julie Helmus, Krystal Beckham — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 02:00:00 +0100

Freedom from Hunger receives a lot of help from volunteers and interns who work passionately alongside staff members. Read the transcript from our chat below to see what our interns had to say about their experience working at Freedom from Hunger, and even learn some things you can do to help.

Amber:

Last year, I hosted a party to raise money for Freedom from Hunger. My friends and I--all of us in our 20's and 30's--managed to raise about $700. Does this small amount make any real difference?

Also, are there new materials that might be helpful to me if I want to host another party?

Julie Helmus:

Imagine—if just 5 people give $5 each, then that would be enough to make a life-changing loan. The $700 you raised goes very far in developing countries. In countries where people live on $1 a day, $700 can make a BIG difference for MANY families.

While the most immediate way to help is to make a donation, there are many other ways you can make a difference in the world. By hosting a party, you shared our mission with your friends. We need volunteers like you to help us build awareness about the problem of chronic hunger, and to spread the word about the potential of self-help solutions for families living in deep poverty.

To help you host a truly meaningful event, we can provide you with:
• Our brand new DVD, featuring Jane Pauley
• Event checklist (PDF)
• Invitation template (PDF)
• Flyer you can send via e-mail (MS Word Document)
• Donation form (PDF)
• Access to create your own event Website (available for large events)

Many thanks for your continued support!

Steven Simonitch:

Have you ever witnessed extreme poverty or chronic hunger first hand? Did that at all influence your decision to volunteer/work with Freedom from Hunger?

Krystal Beckham:

I have worked with orphans in Honduras and low income children in Guatemala, and in both cases I encountered children who came from a background of extreme poverty. After meeting them and being touched by their stories, I knew there was no way I could NOT work toward ending hunger. With this background, I jumped at the opportunity to intern with Freedom from Hunger, and every day I'm here I consider myself so fortunate to be able to work for something I truly believe in.

Julie Helmus:

While working in a rural community in Costa Rica during my Junior year of college, I became acquainted with the concept and benefits of microfinance. The sister of my host father began a poultry farm with a small loan. I watched her small business expand with each new batch of chicks, improving not only her personal economic status, but also the nutritional options of the village. I returned to the U.S. committed to help those less fortunate.

Jimmy Pan:

Not everybody is an expert in microfinance, or has a lot of money to contribute. How can people with various talents, such as computer programmers, lawyers, or teachers help your cause?

Julie Helmus:

Due to our small size and limited resources, volunteers can help us the most and have the greatest impact by becoming advocates on our behalf. When more people hear about hunger in the world, and when more people learn about Freedom from Hunger's proven solutions and decide to support our efforts, more hungry people will be reached with resources they need to end their own hunger.

Karan Arakotaram:

How can students get involved in the fight against global hunger?

Julie Helmus:

Charter an official Freedom from Hunger Club at your high school or university. Help raise awareness and funds to support our efforts in ending chronic hunger, for good! Students in the past have focused on spreading awareness by tabling on campus and local events as well as putting on various fundraisers to end chronic hunger in an engaging way.

Upon successfully completing and returning your club application, we will provide a welcome packet to get you started—including a certificate of membership and our DVD.

Kimberly:

Dear Julie and Krystal...
I was wondering why you two personally chose to work at Freedom From Hunger. What sparked your interest initially? What keeps you there?

Krystal Beckham:

Part of my decision to intern at Freedom from Hunger came from my own travels in which I met people living in poverty. Another reason I wanted to intern here came from studying International Relations for five years. After approaching issues of poverty and development academically for all those years, I wanted to do something about it and make a difference. And it is actually being able to do something that keeps me here. The stereotype of an intern is someone who gets coffee or makes copies, but it's not like that here at Freedom from Hunger. Whether it's helping prepare for Freedom from Hunger Day, working on outreach activities, or raising awareness of chronic hunger, I know that not only am I supporting people who are changing the world, but that *I* am helping to change the world.

Julie Helmus:

When I first heard about microfinance, I immediately wanted to learn more about “banking for the poor.” I sought out Freedom from Hunger because it takes a different approach to Microfinance. Through our Credit with Education program, we add health and business education because we feel that credit alone isn’t enough to create lasting change. I love being a part of an organization that is so cutting-edge and committed to reaching the chronically hungry poor.

Tim Robinson:

Besides making a donation, what can ordinary people do to help end world hunger.

Krystal Beckham:

There are many ways to support our mission. Get active in your community by starting a club, write letters to the editor, or plan a potluck and have your guests donate what they would have spent going out to dinner at a restaurant. You can end hunger for generations to come by designating Freedom from Hunger a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or in your will. Here are some other suggestions:

5 Ways You Can End Global Hunger

1. Become a virtual volunteer and spread the word online—add Freedom from Hunger to your e-mail and forum signatures. Here's a suggestion: "I dare to dream about a world free from hunger. Will you?
Visit: www.freedomfromhunger.org." Email a global hunger awareness e-card to your friends. Find e-cards at https://www.freedomfromhunger.org/ecard/.

2. Party like you just DO care—host a party to make a difference and inspire others. Plan anything from a formal sit-down dinner to a potluck; just remember to share your belief in ending chronic hunger and your passion for Freedom from Hunger with friends and family. To help you host a truly meaningful event, download our party kit at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/party/index.php.

3. Start a Freedom from Hunger Club at your school, club, or place of worship. Your club can spread the word about global hunger and hold fundraisers to help chronically hungry families. Find resources to help you start on our website, at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org.

4. Host Awareness—add a Freedom from Hunger banner to your website or MySpace page. You can also add the cause on Facebook. Find banners at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/virtual/banner.php.

5. Give a little and get a lot. It’s easier than you think to make a sacrifice that changes lives. By skipping just one latte per week, you could send $15 per month to charities that equip women and families living on less than $1 per day for self-sufficiency. You can start at www.freedomfromhunger.org.

Julie Helmus:

We’ve already mentioned some ways to help in previous responses. In addition, you might have heard about the three C’s for Action:
1. Raise your Consciousness: the purpose of Freedom from Hunger Day is to raise awareness about chronic hunger. By joining this chat and learning about microfinance you are doing just that!
2. Communicate what you’ve learned, share it with others, and educate those you think might be interested in our mission
3. Contribute you time, skills or dollars

Gina:

Exactly how does the money get passed out so it does not fall into the hands of dishonest local politician who might want to help distribute it? How do the needy find out they can qualify for a Freedom from Hunger loan?

Krystal Beckham:

The loan is given out by a lending organization (a credit union, rural bank, or non-government organization) directly to the person who applied for the loan, in a group setting so that everyone can see transparently what is going on.

In most circumstances, the lending organization goes to the community and gives them a several-week orientation about the loan cycle and repayment.

Gina:

When I try to explain to my friend how Freedom from Hunger helps teach about health and business practices, too, they ask exactly how do you do that? Do you have offices in lots of remote locations with permanent FFH staff who can go visit people and teach them individually?

Julie Helmus:

We work with local partners--credit unions, non-governmental organizations, and local nonprofits-- that share our commitment to ending hunger and poverty in their own country. Our staff travel to the countries in which we operate in order to transfer our skills and knowledge to the local organizations. Local people then go out and provide the services directly to the women. The knowledge is theirs to own, and that’s why it lasts.

The second reason we work through partners is leverage. Our organization employs only 60 full-time staff. We are currently working with more than 50 partner organizations, and together helping 3 million people. If we did everything ourselves, our outreach would be a fraction of that number.

Rocio:

Can you tell us more about your experiences with microfinance and Freedom from Hunger?

Krystal Beckham:

Before Freedom from Hunger I hadn't had a lot of practical experience with microfinance. I had studied it in my Econ and Development classes in college, but I hadn't seen it firsthand. One of the reasons why interning at Freedom from Hunger is such an amazing opportunity is how much I'm able to learn about microfinance and non-profits. All the staff members here are very patient with my questions and will always take the time to explain to me what they do and why they do it. Being here is a learning experience for me, and I have SO MUCH more to learn, but I am very fortunate to be able to work with such committed, knowledgeable people, and I know that my internship here will be one of the most valuable experiences of my education.

Julie Helmus:

I have worked here at Freedom from Hunger for over a year, and I plan on staying here for many years to come. I have learned so much about microfinance, public health, adult education, and various cultures around the world.

More importantly, working here has changed my outlook and attitude towards the problems of poverty. Before joining Freedom from Hunger, I felt hopeless and overwhelmed by tragic statistics such as the fact that 16,000 children die EVERY day of hunger-related causes. Now, I have hope. I am proud to be a part of the solution.

Don Palm:

Are there ways people can volunteer with you either in your office or overseas?

Krystal Beckham:

Because of the technical methodology we use in the field, the only volunteers we place overseas are those with advanced degrees in medicine, public health, research, and/or experience in microfinance implementation and technical assistance. Even those volunteers must go through a rigorous application and screening process.

If you would like to volunteer in our Davis office, send your resume and cover letter to internships@freedomfromhunger.org. Because we are located in Davis and our office is small, what we really need are people who are willing to take initiative and be activists in their own community. The more people we have spreading the word in multiple places, the more we're likely to put an end to chronic hunger!

5 Ways You Can End Global Hunger

Become a virtual volunteer and spread the word online—add Freedom from Hunger to your e-mail and forum signatures. Here's a suggestion: "I dare to dream about a world free from hunger. Will you?
Visit: www.freedomfromhunger.org." Email a global hunger awareness e-card to your friends. Find e-cards at https://www.freedomfromhunger.org/ecard/.

Party like you just DO care—host a party to make a difference and inspire others. Plan anything from a formal sit-down dinner to a potluck; just remember to share your belief in ending chronic hunger and your passion for Freedom from Hunger with friends and family. To help you host a truly meaningful event, download our party kit at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/party/index.php.

Start a Freedom from Hunger Club at your school, club, or place of worship. Your club can spread the word about global hunger and hold fundraisers to help chronically hungry families. Find resources to help you start on our website, at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org.

Host Awareness—add a Freedom from Hunger banner to your website or MySpace page. You can also add the cause on Facebook. Find banners at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/virtual/banner.php.

Give a little and get a lot. It’s easier than you think to make a sacrifice that changes lives. By skipping just one latte per week, you could send $15 per month to charities that equip women and families living on less than $1 per day for self-sufficiency. You can start at www.freedomfromhunger.org.

You, too, can do something about ending global hunger—for good. Visit www.freedomfromhunger.org to learn more.

Check out these links to learn more:

Take action, Create change

Virtual Volunteer

Chat with Dr. Salvador Baldizon about the importance of Health Care for the Poor

Salvador Baldizon — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 01:00:00 +0100

There is no better way to understand poverty than to actually experience it. Freedom from Hunger’s Health Protection Specialist, Salvador Baldizon, is living proof that the type of services Freedom from Hunger provide work. He now helps in the development of new and innovative initiatives that help bring solutions to the problems of many developing countries such as malnutrition, and chronic diseases. If you missed his chat, make sure you read the transcript so you can learn the programs Salvador now contributes to and how his contributions are helping Freedom from Hunger with the mission of ending hunger for good.

Jimmy Pan:

Given that health is influenced by numerous factors, such as political instability, lack of sanitation, and lack of clearn water, how big of a role does actual health care play as a determinant of health?

Salvador Baldizon:

Access to quality and affordable health care is critical to protect the poor from financial shocks that could push them further into poverty.

Our strategy to improving health is a bottom up approach: through our Credit with Education methodology, people learn practical ways to prevent as much a possible, to manage at home common illnesses and to seek appropriate care for more serious conditions. Currently we are implementing learning session to help people to better understand and utilize existing public and private health services.

To access those services our partners in developing countries offer health loans and health savings accounts to their clients and their families. They also develop agreements and contracts with private and public health services to increase the coverage of their services, to complement each other, to recover some costs in the case of public services and to earn a fair amount in the case of private services.

These are really new models of health care that could be adopted and replicated by ministries of health at local, regional and national levels.

Amber:

How can addressing health care help end hunger?

Salvador Baldizon:

Ill health is not just a matter of unnecessary human suffering and premature deaths--it is an economic burden for the poor. People who are sick are less productive and/or have fewer opportunities to engage in income generating activities. If people do not know how to improve and protect their health they have to spend a large percentage of their income in medical expenditures and when they have health emergencies they might need to sell their productive assets and/or borrow money from local lenders at unthinkable high interest rates. Data from India, for example, indicates that 24% of people who face a health emergency fall into poverty.

Claire:

What kinds of health problems are most common in the countries where you work?

Salvador Baldizon:

The health conditions in developing countries are becoming more complex every day. While the old communicable diseases are still widely affecting most people in developing countries and new ones such a HIV/AIDS are a constant threats, chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are increasing at an alarming rate, especially among women.

None the less, chronic hunger and malnutrition are at the heart of the problem: we know that more that 50% of the deaths among children under 5 years of age are directly linked to under nutrition--even even mild degrees. More recently it has become more evident that weight gain/obesity is the strongest risk factors leading to an increase in the frequency of chronic disease.

How complex is it getting? Well, the striking reality is that you can find a malnourished child and an obese adult in the same household.

Steven Simonitch:

Do you believe that long-term sustainable health care is a real possibility for the rural poor? Do you think Freedom from Hunger is on the right track to achieving something like this?

Salvador Baldizon:

Yes, it is a real possibility but we need to go beyond the current approach. Experience has shown that health care services alone are not sustainable--the poor do no have the means to cover the costs--even minimal costs. However, when combined with another intervention such as microfinance there is a synergy that increases the impact ob both. The first increases prevention of, and prompt attention to, health problems; the second increases availability of funds to cover the cost of medical care.

By promoting the integration of health and microfinance services Freedom from Hunger is going to demonstrate and develop working models that can be replicated at a large scale. And, by focusing on the problem of chronic hunger and nutrition, Freedom from Hunger is addressing a fundamental cause (under nutrition) of ill health and death among young children and of chronic diseases (obesity)among adults. Unfortunately these two conditions coexist in many households in the developing world.

Harry:

I've heard that Freedom from Hunger has many exciting initiatives planned for the future. Can you tell us more about some of these?

Salvador Baldizon:

Our biggest initiative right now is to reach 3 million women by 2010. Many of the initiatives to accomplish this are already underway. For example, our Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) initiative is already helping our partners in five coutries to develop market-based, context-specific health protection services to improve the health and productivity of their clients and protect them financial shocks caused by health emergencies. Others initiative that you prabably have learned about today are REACH, to disseminate our services and products at a masssive scale; Microbusiness for Health to increase access to health protection productos for people in isolated rural areas; Finacial Education for the Poor to help families to better manage their financial resources; and Saving for Change to help the most remote rural poor start informa saving groups.

Christina:

What are these partner organizations? I am confused about who is actually administering the loans that people receive? Do you guys give loans or do health intiatives? Are you a microfinance org or a public health org? or both?

Salvador Baldizon:

We do not provide services directly. We work through existing local organizations that have a strong foundation and commitmente to reduce poverty and end hunger.

There are two important reasons we do this. First, Freedom from Hunger’s most cherished value is self-help. And for us, that doesn’t just mean our support of women who are working hard to feed their families. It means that our efforts should support the efforts of local people who are fully committed to ending hunger in their own country. Freedom from Hunger has sixty years of experience in development. We know that having a group of Americans charge into a village and “teach” women what to do and how to act, doesn’t work. As soon as the Americans leave, so does the impact. A far more effective approach is to transfer our skills and knowledge to indigenous organizations—and the local people who have a wealth of cultural knowledge—so they can implement effective self-help programs. In this way, we can help create permanent resources in-country to be there for the long term—and after all, that’s our mission: to end hunger for good.

The second reason we work through partners is about leverage. Our organization is made up of just 60 people. We currently work with more than 50 partner organizations and together we’re helping about a half million women and their families. If we insisted on doing everything ourselves, our outreach would be closer to 10,000 women—if we were lucky. There are one billion people who are hungry. We’re morally bound to use strategies that reach the most people.

We ourselves are not a microfinance institution or a public health organization but we promote and support programs in these two areas because we believe that their integration will help to accomplish our goal of ending hunger for good.

Bill Stack:

What care do they need-Caccinations, clean water,antibiotics,AID drugs?

Salvador Baldizon:

The array of healht needs in devloping countries is becoming more complex. In many parts of the developing world communicable diseases such as diarrhea, respiratory infection and measles are the still the bigger killers. But chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are also increasing in frequency. The critical needs are: access to effective dialogue based education to improve and protect their health; access to financial resources to cover the cost of health services; and linkages to quality and affordable health services and to health protection products such a insecticide treated mosquito nets to protect them from malaia or water treament solutions to protect them from diarrhea.
The idea is not to duplicate or compete with existing health services in the developing countries but to help people to access them and use them effectively and, also, to encourage public and private health services to increase their coverage and to work together to improve the situation.

Bill Stack:

Does the Government cover health care for the poor in these Countries. Everyone should have health care Countries

Salvador Baldizon:

Officially most of these countries have national health systems to provide health care for their citizens. More and more these countries are under pressure to charge for these services. However, the quality and the reliability of the services is vey low and people have little incentives to seek them or even pay for them. Given these conditions people postpone seeking health care until the last minute when the disease is severe, the treatment more expensive and the possibilities of recovery less likely. To do this they are forced to sell what ever they can and borrow at very high interest rates with very high possibility of not being able to pay back and slide into poverty. Because of this, alternative models of providing access to quality and affordable services are needed and that is what our Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP)Initiative is involved with at the moment.

Emily Ordas`:

Where did you study?

Salvador Baldizon:

I got my MD degree in the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, my MHP from the Harvard School of Public Health and my MA in Applied Communication Research from Stanford.

"Ill health is not just a matter of unnecessary human suffering and premature deaths--it is an economic burden for the poor. People who are sick are less productive and/or have fewer opportunities to engage in income generating activities." Freedom from Hunger recognizes these inextricable links between poverty, hunger and health. By promoting the integration of health protection and microfinance services, we are finding ways to provide a sustainable and long-term solutions to these complex problems.

If you happened to miss the event you can still check out the transcripts of the live chats, or keep connected by posting on our blog!

Check out these links to learn more:

MAHP (from our public site)

MAHP (from our technical site)

UNDP Latin America info and

How to change the world

Chat with Myka Reinsch Sinclair about our Health Initiatives

Myka Reinsch Sinclair — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:00:00 +0100

Ill health is often a devastating challenge for poor families, especially in rural areas where access to affordable and high-quality medical care and health products may be unavailable. Freedom from Hunger has been working to address this issue through its Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) Initiative, which works with local institutions to offer health protection services to these rural communities. Please read through the chat transcript below to hear Myka Reinsch Sinclair, the director of our MAHP Initiative, talk about MAHP, the services it offers and the families and communities we serve..

Amber:

Can you explain how health protection is connected to Freedom from Hunger's mission of ending hunger?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Chronic hunger is an indicator of extreme poverty, and poverty and ill health are closely linked. Imagine having to make a choice between feeding your family today, or buying medicine to cure your child who is feverish with malaria! When a chronically hungry mother is taking meaningful steps (like running a tiny but successful business) toward pulling her family out of poverty and providing adequate food for the household, a single illness can wipe out months or even years of progress – sending the family back to where they began.

The vast majority of health problems that chronically hungry people face are 100% avoidable. But many people lack basic knowledge about preventive practices, or the cash in hand necessary to see a doctor or purchase medicine before a simple illness turns into a grave emergency, or access to affordable and high-quality medical care and health products in their isolated communities.

Freedom from Hunger’s microfinance partners have relationships with thousands of poor women in remote areas – relationships based on the trust that comes with regular meetings, loan repayments and savings deposits. We believe that by building on these relationships to bring critical health products and services to poor women and their families, Freedom from Hunger and our partners can have a much greater impact on people’s ability to end their own hunger for good.

Steven Simonitch:

What do you see as the most pressing health problem for the world's poor? Do you think this issue is getting enough attention?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Malnutrition is the most pressing health problem faced by the world’s poor, and no, it certainly does not get adequate attention. Malnutrition is a silent undercurrent in so many diseases of poverty. Under-nutrition predisposes children to killers like diarrhea and malaria, while over-consumption of the high-fat, high-sugar, nutrient-poor foods that are increasingly replacing traditional, more nutritious staples in poor communities, paves the way to chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Implementing more effective and sustainable solutions to addressing malnutrition on a massive scale would have a dramatic impact on the health of the world’s poor. And that is precisely what Freedom from Hunger is working to achieve.

Powell:

I am confused about the difference between credit with education and MAHP. Can you clarify?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Credit with Education is an approach that Freedom from Hunger pioneered almost 20 years ago, combining group-based microfinance services with interactive education on health and business topics. Freedom from Hunger has conducted rigorous evaluations to establish the impact of Credit with Education.

These evaluations have shown that:
- Credit with Education improves Women’s Empowerment (in terms of civic involvement, strength of social networks, confidence)
- Women have greater income, savings, and assets which helps them cope with income shocks and reduces risk of hunger.
- Women who participate in education sessions are more likely to adopt better practices that lead to improved nutritional status of themselves and their children.

MAHP builds on our experience and learnings related to Credit with Education and seeks to go beyond the provision of health education to offer a variety of complementary health-related services.

David Asch:

What is your goal and how will it be measured? Where does your organization need volunteers? What can ordinary citizens make a contribution with limited money and time?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

The goal of the Microfinance and Health Protection initiative is to develop a set of tested approaches for microfinance institutions to effectively and sustainably address the most pressing health needs of their clients. Our partner microfinance institutions are experimenting with innovations like practical education on prevention and home-based treatment, dedicated health savings accounts, health loans for major medical expenses, health insurance mechanisms, linkages to doctors, and entrepreneurial approaches to getting life-saving, over-the-counter health products like anti-malarial bed nets and oral rehydration salts out to isolated communities who need them. (An example of the latter is microfinance clients selling health products door to door with training and mass sourcing provided by the microfinance institution.)

We are measuring results by looking at whether such products and services do in fact reduce the incidence of common health problems, whether participants experience fewer economic shocks and are able to better run and grow their businesses, repay loans and build savings, as a result of having access to health protection services. We are also examining the capacity of microfinance institutions to offer such services without negatively impacting their core business – in fact, our hypothesis is that the microfinance services they provide will be strengthened by health protection services, since clients will have better health for themselves and their families, and more productive time to focus on income generating and other activities.

You can help by becoming a virtual volunteer and spreading the word online. Send one of the e-cards that are available on our website, join our Facebook and MySpace groups, or mention Freedom from Hunger on your personal website.

If you are looking for a non-traditional way to help build awareness and support for Freedom from Hunger, we encourage you to try one or all of these activities: host a party, plan a car wash, start a Freedom from Hunger Chapter at your school or club, or organize a jog-a-thon or read-a-thon. For more information, Visit our website at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/action/, or join our 4:00 pm chat with current intern Krystal Beckham and staff member Julie Helmus. They will be able to provide you with more ideas on how to get involved.

Sarah V.:

How is this Health initiative different from the other initiatives at Freedom from Hunger?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Freedom from Hunger focuses on innovation, and that is the hallmark of all our initiatives. As a result, while all of our work aims to achieve the same goal of ending hunger for good, each initiative is unique.

The Microfinance and Health Protection initiative is focused on breaking new ground in integrating microfinance with health-related products and services.

It builds on Credit with Education to help microfinance institutions add linkages to doctors, community-based microinsurance, health product distribution, and more.

It is distinct from our Reach initiative (which you may have learned about in Alay's chat today), which is focused on distributing innovative services at massive scale.

And it is different from Microbusiness for Health (which you may have heard about earlier in Danny's chat) and its franchise network of Health Keepers, in that MAHP involves microfinance institutions as the key actors and drivers in providing the products and services.

James:

Why is MAHP working in such specific regions? Who decides where MAHP goes?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

MAHP is a 4-year innovation period with a limited number of microfinance institutions. Our goal is to experiment with new services and approaches, distill lessons about how these can best be delivered in the future, and then -- at the end of the initiative -- share the learnings, models and management tools very broadly with microfinance institutions around the world.

For MAHP, we needed a small number of microfinance institutions that were committed to innovation and interested in health-related solutions for their clients. We looked to organizations with which we had worked before on Credit with Education, as well as organizations new to Credit with Education. We sought a diverse array of institutional sizes, structures and operating contexts, so that we could experiment with offering microfinance and health services in as many different environments as possible.

Whendy:

How are microfinance and health actually related? I know that people need to be healthy to use their loans, but how do you use microfinance to implement health protection strategies?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Microfinance institutions are reaching out to and successfully serving tens and hundreds of thousands of poor women each, and many of these are in hard-to-reach areas. Meanwhile a challenge of the health sector has been to reach people outside urban areas with health interventions at great scale and on a sustainable basis. Given the synergies between economic and health interventions, using microfinance as a "platform" to extend other needed services -- especially in health -- can be extremely powerful. And using the income-generating element of microcredit, along with the business savvy of microfinance managers can lead to public health services that essentially pay for themsleves.

Kimberly:

How do the health initiatives differ between Africa, Latin America, and Asia?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Each context is different. In Africa, infectious diseases like malaria are much more common, while in India and the Philippines, and even Bolivia, chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are major issues.

The microfinance institutions participating in MAHP are each offering a unique “package” of health protection services, based on detailed market research in the field as well as secondary research on local health-related needs and gaps. Here are descriptions of these unique packages.

Bandhan is providing its clients in India with health education on prevention and treatment of common ailments such as diarrhea, gynecological problems and tuberculosis. This education is accompanied by access to affordable, high-quality health products such as oral rehydration salts, paracetamol and water disinfectant solutions. Both the education and health products are delivered by village health entrepreneurs selected and trained by Bandhan. Bandhan is also providing health micro loans to cover more serious health issues, such as those requiring hospital care.

CARD is pursuing the development of two health protection service packages in the Philippines. In an urban pilot area, CARD is offering its clients health loans to pay the premium for PhilHealth, a national health insurance program that provides hospital coverage to CARD clients through a partner-agent model. In a rural and semi-rural area, CARD is creating linkages with health care providers to increase affordable access to primary care and exploring a franchise network for distribution of affordable essential drugs. CARD is also extending health education on financial planning for better health, rational use of available health services, and on preventing and treating dengue fever.

CRECER is providing its clients in rural Bolivia with linkages to health care providers who regularly visit communities to conduct “health days” when primary care and basic diagnostic services are made available. Group health loans help clients pay for these community-based services. Individual health loans are also available to cover referrals for major health needs such as surgery. New health education sessions focus on prevention and treatment of common and chronic illnesses, effective health-seeking behavior and managing health-related financial risks.

PADME is instituting Credit with Education with a particular focus on health in rural Benin. Behavior-change education will be delivered on malaria (a high economic burden in the area), common but deadly childhood illnesses and HIV/AIDS. To complement the health education, PADME is providing access to health products, such as insecticide-treated bednets, oral rehydration salts and condoms. PADME will also conduct a feasibility study on establishing a prepaid health plan whereby health care services would be provided to enrolled clients for a flat annual fee.

RCPB’s innovation package in Burkina Faso includes three complementary financial products: health savings to cover primary care and medicine for common illnesses; health loans to cover treatment that exceeds clients’ health savings; and a health solidarity fund for communities to invest as they wish toward the improvement of local health services and issues. RCPB is also offering health education on planning ahead to pay for health expenses and advocating for better health services. RCPB is promoting quality care for its clients by forming alliances with rural health centers.

Darren:

Are you finding your efforts to keep Microfinance programs sustainable successful so far? Since poverty and health are so directly related,I am glad to hear that doctors are able to visit more rural areas to treat people in need.

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Most of our microfinance institution partners are able to cover all of their operating expenses with revenues from their loans. Some do continue to receive subsidies.

In terms of Credit with Education, our partners typically find it possible to break even and offer the service sustainably within two to three years of beginning the service. In some cases, the institutions continue to offer Credit with Education with corss-subsidies from their other products, because Credit with Education serves their social mission and helps them broaden their services to new markets.

Marianne Udow:

Myka: your words were so powerful about the women you saw helped by Freedom from Hunger, how many women do you think MAHP and our other initiatives can reach if we can bring them to scale?

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Freedom from Hunger intends to reach three million very poor women and their families by the end of year 2010.

To achieve this, we are working on the one hand to develop innovative products and services that truly meet the needs of chronically hungry people, and on the other hand to establish distribution mechanisms that will enable our innovations to be extended on a massive scale.

We know this is possible, and with the support of our partners, staff and people like you around the globe all committed to ending hunger -- we know we will achieve it.

Christian:

How do the health protection innovations compare accross the globe ? What role Freedom from Hunger play in the design of these health protection innovations

Myka Reinsch Sinclair:

Freedom from Hunger brings technical expertise to organizations based in developing countries, to assist them in designing, testing and evaluating innovative products and services.

Our staff and resource people travel to and communicate with local organizations on a regular basis. This "technical assistance" helps local organizations to: carry out market research; design products that can be offered at scale and on a sustainable basis; develop and implement management tools that ensure sound supervision, good internal controls, and quality of care; evaluate the impact of the new services on both clients and the institution itself; and fulfill their social missions to improve the lives of the very poor.

MAHP seeks to expand on the tradition of Freedom from Hunger's successful Credit with Education program. By expanding health services, we hope to impact the lives of these under-served people in more ways than one. We believe that a health conscious and prepared individual is able to enjoy a more productive life and will be able to run a micro business more effectively. We look forward to keep our work with our partners and continue improving the livelihoods of some of the world's poorest families.

If you happened to miss the event you can still check out the transcripts of the live chats, or keep connected by posting on our blog!

Check out these links to learn more:

MAHP (from our public site)

MAHP (from our technical site)

UNDP Latin America info and statistics

How to change the world

Chat with Staff on the ground in Ghana

Daniel Mensah — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:00:00 +0100

Diseases like malaria and diarrhea are completely preventable, yet everyday people throughout West Africa die as a result. Getting information and resources – like mosquito nets and oral rehydration solutions – to rural areas is challenging, but not impossible. Learn about how Freedom from Hunger is tackling these issues on a door-to-door basis by reading the transcript of the chat with the Social Franchise Manager in Ghana, Daniel Mensah, as he discusses our newest initiative, MicroBusiness for Health.

Jimmy Pan:

What are the important obstacles in Ghana, and what is Freedom from Hunger's plan towards overcoming them?

Daniel Mensah:

Malaria, diarrhea and more—These are diseases of poverty and causes of poverty.

Barriers of access and affordability for health protection products and information

Most of these conditions are completely preventable and/or treatable and surmountable. To this end, Freedom from Hunger’s has initiated its newest strategy, which is currently being developed in Ghana, to provide greater access to life-saving health products and health information for the rural poor. The program is known now MicroBusiness for Health.

Micro-Business for Health builds on the entrepreneurial spirit of women and Freedom from Hunger’s expertise in large-scale distribution of health training and service linkages in rural communities.

Steven Simonitch:

Do you believe the government in Ghana is doing enough in the fight against Malaria? Do you believe it is an issue that is better dealt with at a local level?

Daniel Mensah:

In Ghana, there are twenty-two million people—most live in rural communities—at risk of malaria, diarrhea and other such health problems which are the diseases of poverty and causes of poverty. The Ghana government through its Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Program, knowing that a strong health delivery system is critical for the development of the country, has developed and implemented various policies ( including malaria) and undertaken several reforms within the health sector, all aimed at improving the health and economic condition of its people. Despite the positive outcome and upward trend in the results from these policies and reforms, the health situation of Ghanaians today is still far from satisfactory.

Today, Ghanaians continue to suffer from the serious effects of malaria among other likes malnutrition, poor reproductive health. There is also of drug-resistant malaria, HIV/AIDS epidemics, and tuberculosis, as well as the persistence of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as acute respiratory infections and diarrhea. Those affected most severely by this situation are the rural poor.

The current situation calls for an innovative and integrated approach at all levels to fight the problem effectively. It must be through a self-help approach so as to ensure a lasting impact

Dave:

Where are you in Ghana?

Daniel Mensah:

I am in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Our office is located specifically at 44 Tetteh Kwei Street, Dzorwulu, Accra.
However, our intervention areas have started in the Awutu Efutu Senya Districts in the Central region and also in the Yilo and Manya Krobo districts in the Eastern region.
Our goal howver is to cover 80% of communities in Ghana over the next couple of years

Claire:

What kinds of products, other than mosquito nets, are these women selling?

Daniel Mensah:

Apart from Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and re-treatment kits, the following products are sold by the women (HealthKeepers)
• Household water treatment tablets
• Oral Re-hydration Salts with zinc
• Contraceptives (condoms)
• Reading Glasses
• Iodized salt

In addition personal care products (see below) are included in the basket of the Healthkeepers
• Feminine hygiene
• Toothpaste/toothbrush
• Lice-fighting and dandruff shampoo
• Moisturizing cream
• Talcum powder
• Hand washing soap
• Wound care: bandages, band-aids, etc

Freedom from Hunger enthusiast:

How much does a mosquito net cost in US dollars? Are they available to all in Ghana, even those living in rural areas?

Daniel Mensah:

Averagely on the market a net cost for between $6 to 8 dollars depending on its size and the make.

There are, however, some which have been subsidised to about $2 for pregnant women and childdren below 5 years.
Net are not available to all,e specially those in the rural communities.

In addition, for some of them when they even find it they are not able to pay for it. They are therefore denied access
of such important life saving product

Annette Ordas:

what is the most urgent public health problem you are facing in your work in Ghana?

Daniel Mensah:

Today, Ghanaians continue to suffer from the serious effects of malaria, malnutrition, poor reproductive health, and water borne disease like diarrhoea.
These by far are the major public health problems that I am facing in my job.

Poor sanitation and the emergence of HIV/AIDS epidemics, drug-resistant malaria and tuberculosis, as well as the persistence of diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as acute respiratory infections.

Those affected most severely by this situation are the rural poor.

There are also problem of access and affordability as well as serious brain drain of public

Dave:

Do Ghanaians agree that these are serious problems or are they focused on other things (e.g., getting work)?

Daniel Mensah:

Yes, we do. How ever because of the problem access and cost of health care some retire to their faith

Sarah V.:

How many women are taking part in the Credit with Education training programs in Ghana?

Daniel Mensah:

Current data available to me indicates that there are 26198 women participating in FFH credit with edication program in in Ghana.

The figures available to me also shows that in west Africa, there are 146792 women in all.

Joanne Leslie:

I'm a Freedom From Hunger board member. Last night I was talking to a church group about the work of Freedom From Hunger. One lady asked how we make sure the loan money women receive is not taken from them by their husbands and used for other purposes. Have you ever had a problem like this with groups in Ghana?

Daniel Mensah:

Thank you for your question. Once when I was on the field working and I came across a situation like that. A woman had just received her loan and her husband wanted her to give her some of the money for his own use.

She refused to give him because she said that her colleaques who guaranteed the loan for her will not be happy with her if she is not able to repay the loan.

She also said that since she joined the group she has seen remarkable improvement in her life so she is not going to risk an expulsion form it which will not only affect her but her entire family including her husband

Barbara C:

Can you clarify what your Health Keeper or Microbusiness for Health program is?

Daniel Mensah:

This is Freedom from Hunger’s newest strategy, which is currently being developed in Ghana, to provide greater access to life-saving health products and health information for the rural poor.

Micro-Business for Health builds on the entrepreneurial spirit of women and Freedom from Hunger’s expertise in large-scale distribution of health training and service linkages in rural communities. Micro-Business for Health has launch women in rural villages in a microenterprise that promotes and protects health as well as provides an income for the woman herself.

Supported by a sustainable distribution system and linkages to locally available health services, Micro-Business for Health will reduce disease and death among the rural poor by significantly improving access to proven disease prevention and health-promoting interventions along with educating families in their use.
In other words MBH can be said

Darren:

What skills do the women of Ghana have the hardest time learning? Are there different techniques used depending on the situation?

Daniel Mensah:

Not sure it is hard to "learn" but many of the practices might be hard to do. like negotiating how to protect themselves from HIV or using a bednet when they are not readily available.
Putting into practice things over which you do not have full control is the biggest challenge

With respect our newest initiative MBH, It requires a number of skills: managing a microfranchise, dealing with maintaining and re-stocking their inventory, door-to-door sales as well as group or campaign sales methods. Interestingly enough, the HealthKeepers pick-up all of the skills pretty quickly. Some of the business and accounting aspects are probably the hardest. Doing 'sales with a service' is probably what they like most.

MicroBusiness for Health is another example of a Freedom from Hunger program that ends hunger through reliable income and improved health. We know that these two elements go hand-in-hand and must be addressed at the same time so that success is achieved. By developing and effectively implementing these services we ensure that people have the appropriate tools and resources to escape poverty and create a brighter future for their family.

If you happened to miss the event you can still check out the transcripts of the live chats, or keep connected by posting on our blog!

Check out these links to learn more:

MicroBusines for Health

Malaria Initiative

World Malaria Report 2005

UNDP Africa info and stats

Chat with Staff on the ground in India

Alay Barah — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:30:00 +0100

India is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world. While India is rich with diverse culture, history and beautiful traditions, it also is challenged with widespread poverty, hunger and a devastating HIV/AIDS crisis. Please see the transcript below to read what the director of Freedom from Hunger's Reach India program, Alay Barah, has to say about how we are reaching out to India's poor and helping them keep their families healthy and well-fed in the face of these issues.

Bill Stack:

Where in India does Freedom from Hunger operate?

Alay Barah:

Reach India which is an initiative of Freedom from Hunger works in the eastern and the north eastern states of India where incidence of poverty is very high.

Steven Simonitch:

With so many different languages, cultures, and religious views in India, are there ever any difficulties or conflicts when trying to carry out programs within communities? If so, how are these usually resolved?

Alay Barah:

With so much diversity there is also unity and strong bonds amongst different communities. Poverty and huger has no language cultures or religion. We work with local self help promoting organisations who in turn works with very poor communities. We focus on enabling communities to deal with their problem of povety and hunger and in the process we try to overcome some of the challanges that we face.

Karen:

A mother's love can be one of the strongest forces for good on the planet, now that my own children are launched, how - specifically - can Freedom from Hunger help me support mothers in India?

Alay Barah:

You are absolutely right.Freedom from Hnger,s work in India focuses on women. After all, no one works harder to end hunger than a mother with a hungry child. Freedom from Hunger helps her succeed. Women play a key role in the family and that is true nowhere more than in the developing world.

Women are the primary caretakers of children under the age of five—and these are the people most vulnerable to the ravages of chronic hunger and malnutrition.By contributing donation to Freedom from Hunger you can reach out to many mothers in India.

Gourab:

How will Reach India carry on its mission in next 3 years ?

Alay Barah:

By equipping and building capacity of thousands of local community based self elp promoting organisations who in turs works with millions of poor women to change ther lives.

Claire:

Is HIV/AIDS the only focus for Reach? Do you address other issues and diseases?

Alay Barah:

We also focus on training poor women how to access employment guarntee under Government of India's employement guarntee program.

How to confront malaria in the community ?

Social Performance Management

Sean:

What kinds of topics is Reach India helping poor people to address in their lives?

Alay Barah:

HOW TO ACCESS EMPLOYMENT UNDER VARIOUS GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

HIV/AIDS

HOW TO CONFRONT MALARIA

HOW TO START SMALL BUSINESS FOR LIVELIHOODS ETC.

Ellen:

Why did Reach decide to work in India? (Rather than in some other country?)

Alay Barah:

In India, there is estimated to be more than three million women’s self help groups (SHGs) encompassing more than 50 million members. This dynamic phenomenon is growing fast.

SHGs are proving to be a catalyzing platform for rural women’s development on a massive scale. SHGs represent:
• a forum for social support to women;
• the opportunity to save and borrow enhances women’s economic opportunities;
• the opportunity to share and enhance knowledge and skills fosters positive changes in behavior and expands women’s’ social networks;
• and the growth and influence of SHGs in village life provide women important new opportunities for leadership.

These SHGs are promoted and receive services from local organizations, including farmers’ groups, rural and cooperative banks and specialized microfinance institutions: Self Help Promoting Institutions (SHPIs). These local organizations represent the single most effective means to reach large numbers of girls and women formed into SHGs in very poor, remote communities of India.

Jimmy Pan:

What lessons has the Indian HIV program learned from other countries, and what can other programs learn from the Indian program?

Alay Barah:

I think a major lesson about HIV prevention worldwide has been the importance of empowering women to have the courage and confidence to stand up to their husbands or "boyfriends" on the issue of being promiscuous -- and to resist their sexual advances (even at the risk of violence) when they know the man has been "playing around." This empowerment process seems enormously difficult, but research in South Africa has recently shown that microfinance groups of women (SEF) can be trained to be aware of their legal and natural rights as human beings and that learning together as a mutual support group can lead to creative, collective courage to take action. This training led to creative solutions to shame men who beat their women -- like coming out of their houses to clang pots together when they hear a serious argument involving violence coming from another house. What Reach India has shown is how to do such training in a very low-cost and effective way (learning conversations) and train hundreds of local organizations to offer learning conversations to hundreds of thousands of women in the poorest parts of India.

Jimmy Pan:

How specifically does the microfinance model help stem spread of HIV?

Alay Barah:

Since women are learning this knowledge in a group setting, they become empowered to stand up for themselves and make a difference in their own lives. They also spread what they learn to other women in their community. It's the power of many.

Monica:

How is the Reach program different than the credit with education program?

Alay Barah:

Reach seeks to make Credit with Education much more widely available by adapting it to the needs of a much broader variety of local organizations than just microfinance institutions. This includes those organizations I indicated in an earlier post: local NGOs, communicaty-based organizations, health clubs, farmer's clubs, etc.

Many organizations are working everyday with millions of poor people across rural India and enabling these many different organizations to help poor women save and borrow money while receiving the benefits of lifeskills knowledge, such as how to prevent and treat malaria, is so powerful. And as Chris Dunford indicated in his chat earlier, the power of women coming together to solve a problem and learn is so exciting.

Ellen:

how and why did you get involved with reach

Alay Barah:

Reach is an initiatives of FFH. I belive and subscribe to the mission and goal of both FFH & Reach India has set it for itself.

Reach is also an innovative solution to poverty and hunger by setting up social frachisee to reach out to millions of poor people.

Gourab:

How general public could take a part in Reach India activities ?

Alay Barah:

The public in North America can help by supporting Freedom from Hunger, with whatever financial contribution they can make, so that Freedom from Hunger can reach 3 million poor families by 2010. Reach India is one important program of Freedom from Hunger that will enbale us to do that!

Also, we look to the public, people like you and the others with us today on Freedom from Hunger Day, to help raise awareness. If you have not already signd our hunger petition, please make your committment now!

By making our programs more widely available to local organizations, Freedom from Hunger's Reach India program is helping us reach out to poor rural communities that might otherwise be overlooked by other microfinance institutions. By offering HIV/AIDS education, along with other education and health services, we are empowering women and giving them the tools to take control of their lives and make a positive change in their families and their communities.

If you happened to miss the event you can still check out the transcripts of the live chats, or keep connected by posting on our blog!

Check out these links to learn more:

Empowering Yong Women in India

Reach initiative

World Health Organization report on HIV/AIDS in India

Conversation with Freedom from Hunger President, Dr. Christopher Dunford

Christopher Dunford — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:30:00 +0100

As Freedom from Hunger moves towards its goal of reaching three million women achieve self-sustaining victory over hunger in their families, we believe it is important for people to understand how we work to end hunger - for good. Please read the transcript below to see what our President, Christopher Dunford, has to say about how Freedom from Hunger equips women around the world with resources to improve their livelihoods and how we are challenging ourselves to reach more families than ever before.

Freedom from Hunger enthusiast:

What is the goal of Freedom from Hunger day, and why are you having an online "event"?

Christopher Dunford:

A very important part of our work is to help people around the world understand what it is like to live in poor communities where many families are so poor they cannot get enough food to eat throughout the year. And to realize the resilience and resourcefulness of these people, which enables them to use whatever help is offered them to help themselves. Freedom from Hunger Day is a focal point in our ongoing effort to help others see what we see every day around the world. An online event makes it possible to reach millions of concerned global citizens who care for others. Thanks for being a part of Freedom from Hunger Day.

Freedom from Hunger enthusiast:

What has Freedom from Hunger learned from its clients?

Christopher Dunford:

Everything! We have learned how to build self-support programs for the chronically hungry poor by being with the poor and listening and then collaborating with them to find new ways to support their self-help efforts.

Amber:

What advice do you have for someone interested in learning more about microfinance. There are so many different organizations using this tool. Is there a difference in how microfinance works, or are they all similar?

Christopher Dunford:

Microfinance is a simple idea but can be very complex in action. And there are lots of variations. You might read my paper posted for Freedom from Hunger Day at http://www.freedomfromhunger.org/bytes/ffhday/ffhday0830.php or check out some of the websites that focus on microfinance. I particularly recommend CGAP's Microfinance Gateway (www.microfinancegateway.org).

Nancy:

How does a loan to a woman improve the lives of her children?

Christopher Dunford:

When a poor mother or grandmother receives a loan, she has an opportunity to invest in her own tiny business to make money for food, clothing, medical care, school fees, and more. Who do you think she spends this money for? Her children or grandchildren, of course. And even more, she gains confidence when she is able to repay her loan and get a new one if she wants. Self-confidence that emboldens her to do more for her children or grandchildren, with new hope that life can be better for them than it has been for her.

Jimmy Pan:

What have you learned most through your work with Freedom from Hunger this year, and what sort of learning experiences do you anticipate for this coming year?

Christopher Dunford:

We've learned how to challenge ourselves to grow. We've almost doubled our staff in the past year or two, in order to expand our outreach to 3 million women and their families by 2010. But growth is scary. Will donors respond to support our growth? Will our staff and volunteers be able to deal with the strain of a changing organization? Growth means change, and change is always difficult. But growth to reach many more chronically hungry people is our moral imperative. It is why we exist.

Karen:

Can you tell me more about your local partners. Do you have long-standing relationships with these local partners in other countires? How does this strenghten your mission?

Christopher Dunford:

Partner organizations in developing countries are the key to Freedom from Hunger reaching so many people. With a staff of only 35 two years ago, we were able to reach 500,000 women and families by training and supporting about 50 local organizations in 16 countries -- credit unions, rural banks, community service organizations. These are long-term relationships over years of partnership. Initially, we are teachers and funders and then colleagues and co-learners. We provide expertise from a global perspective and they provide expertise from a local perspective. We bring them ideas from all over the world and they bring ideas from the nation, culture, and poor communities and families.

Steven Simonitch:

I know that Freedom from Hunger does a lot of work with rural communities, but what about more urban areas? Is microcredit as affective of a tool in cities and urban areas as it in rural areas?

Christopher Dunford:

Actually microfinance works best in cities, because there is more economic activity, therefore more small business opoportunities. The challenge for microfinance is to serve rural areas, which are generally poorer and less economically active than the cities. Freedom from Hunger specializes in innovating new ways to deliver microfinance services sustainably in rural areas.

David Asch:

What are the plans to take your plan to the communities in California where values, respect and ahistory of decay by the corrosive elements of poverty have reigned?

Christopher Dunford:

We have no plans for California right now. Our microfinance combined with education and linkage to health services has been designed for the very different conditions in very poor, rural communities in developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. A lot of re-design work is needed to adapt our work to serve the poor in California. There is so much to do still overseas to deal with the more severe conditions of poverty there that we haven't been able to turn our attention yet to the USA. Moreover, every organization needs to specialize to some extent to be effective, and there are so many other organizations that specialize in USA problems.

Karen:

Which do you think empowers women more - the financial help or the support groups that are built during the classes?...or is there a unique synergy that requires both components for optimum success?

Christopher Dunford:

Karen, you've answered your own question. Yes, it is the synergy of the financial service, the education and the collective courage of the group that makes for a truly powerful impact for the poor -- information and money in the minds and hands of women is the key to family self-help against chronic hunger.

Wendy Phoenix:

Other than the obvious lack of funds, what are the greatest obstacles to your success in eliminating hunger in the world.

Christopher Dunford:

The lack of faith that no one in the world HAS to be hungry, that global problems can be solved through innovation, collaboration, energy and determination.

Jessica:

What makes Freedom from Hunger different than other microfinance organizations?

Christopher Dunford:

Our unique contribution to the microfinance world is our linkage of education and health services to group-based lending and saving services. Our integrated model of microfinance has inspired many other microfinance providers to follow our example.

Bill Stack:

Do you address diseases? Are water born diseases a problem in India?

Christopher Dunford:

A major reason people are chronically hungry is their poor health, which is often due to water-borne diseases causing diarrhea and more serious problems. So our integration of education to microfinance has emphasized prevention of disease and how to manage illness. India has a LOT of problems with water-borne diseases.

Kim Tackett:

Good morning Chris,

Last week I heard Wangari Maathai (2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Kenya's Greenbelt Movement) make a compelling argument about why environmentalism was so critical for world peace.
Is there a parallel argument for the end of world hunger impacting world peace? To many of us, it seems like the biggest challenge of all.

Thank you!

Christopher Dunford:

As long as there are more than a billion people who cannot get enough to eat through the year to lead healthy, productive lives, it is hard to imagine the possilibity of world peace. That is one-sixth of humanity. About two-thirds of humanity are living on the equivalent of four dollars a day or less per person. Such prevalence of poverty, even extreme poverty, in a world with so much money and so many resources surely cannot be sustained for long. Whether such iniquity inevitably leads to violence is debatable, but it is hard to believe that our global humanity will not be corrupted and diminshed by tolerating this iniquity as normal and acceptable.

Freedom from Hunger is unique in the world of anti-hunger programs because our goal is self-sufficiency-both for the families and for our programs. We create a lasting solution that doesn't require endless subsidies, and that taps into the entrepreneurial spirit of women living rural areas to end hunger...for good.

If you happened to miss the event you can still check out the transcripts of the live chats, or keep connected by posting on our blog!

Check out these links to learn more:

About Freedom from Hunger

Freedom from Hunger Integrated Services

CGAP's Microfinance

UN International Year of Microcredit website

Banker to the Poor (Book)

Creating a World Without Poverty (Book)

"What Makes Microfinance Work" by Chris Dunford (Book)