The New Global Citizen - Spring 2015

Individual Action for Collective Impact

4 CommentCAN THE SDGS ACHIEVE UTOPIA BY 2030? Deirdre White

18 Around the World JIVA LEADS TRANSFORMATION IN RURAL INDIA Virendar Khatana

22 Around the WorldWEST AFRICA IN THE WAKE OF EBOLA Alicia Bonner Ness

50 Enterprise HOW OIL & GAS IS DRIVING GROWTH IN GHANA Kuralai Kunz

Spring 2015

Editor in ChiEfAlicia Bonner Ness

ExECutivE PublishErAmanda MacArthur

dEsign & PubliCation ManagEr

Melissa Mattoon

PUBLISHED DAILY AT: www.newglobalcitizen.com

CONTACT:

[email protected]

(202) 719-0656

@BeNewGlobal

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Todays world demands individuals and organizations prepared to thrive in a globally interconnected network of challenges and op-

portunities. Greater social awareness and innovative approaches have allowed us to cross borders and cultural boundaries to create

shared value and understanding. The New Global Citizen chronicles the stories, strategies, and impact of innovative leadership and global engagement around the world. This publication seeks to capture the ground-level impact of these approaches, providing an

avenue through which beneficiaries and implementers alike can showcase their impact.

Todays transformed and increasingly interconnected world has spurred a revolution, ushering in collaborative approaches that address

complex challenges. The New Global Citizen elevates the ways in which individuals, corporations, and social enterprises champion a better future for our world.

THIS IS THE WORLD OF THE NEW GLOBAL CITIZEN.

THIS IS YOUR WORLD.

S p r i n g 2 0 1 5ContributorsDeirdre White CEO, PYXERA Global

Daniel Elliott Key Client Manager, PYXERA Global

Pam Williams President, Fine Chocolate Industry Association

Virendar Khatana Director, Joint Initiative for Village Advancement

Daniel Hill Co-founder and President, Green Impact Campaign

Laura Asiala Vice President, Public Affairs, PYXERA Global

Rainer Stern Global Sales Leadership Programs, SAP

Kuralai Kunz Director, Enterprise and Community Development, PYXERA Global

Matt Clark Program Manager, The Center for Citizen Diplomacy

You Are the Change You Wish to See

Already, the events of 2015 have underscored the power of in-dividuals to change the world. Yet, all too often, the news is rife with the hateful acts such individuals

commit. Militant fighters within the Islamic

State have escalated and expanded their

offensive into Libya, massacring 21 Coptic

Christians and undertaking massive suicide

bombing campaigns. In France, Paris was

brought to its knees by two men, so angry

and aggrieved, they silenced forever those

whose freedom of expression provoked

their actions. The assassination of Boris

Nemtsov, a former Russian deputy prime

minister who spoke out against the cor-

ruption of the Russian government, under-

scores the ability of individuals to not only

commit hateful acts, but to incite them.

Under such circumstances, it is easy to

forget just how much positive change so

many individuals create every day. Human

beings, the worlds greatest source of trans-

formation, have the power to change the

world for good with both words and action.

This issue champions the efforts of a

diverse range of characters and their indi-

vidual contributions to collective change

in their communities. Cacao farmers in

Ecuador work to preserve the industrys

heirloom varietals. Welders in Ghana build

the countrys oil and gas supply-chain to

foster economic growth. Health workers in

Liberia and Sierra Leone repair their coun-

tries social fabric after the devastation of

war with an invisible enemy.

And, people are not just making change

in their communities. Many are crossing

borders to build bridges instead of walls,

to foster social impact where it is needed

most. Whether its pro bono corporate

consultants in Colombia addressing the

countrys agricultural value chain, SAP ex-

ecutives in Uganda working to save the

lives of the countrys AIDS orphans, or the

more than 6,000 individuals who volunteer

with the United Nations each year, the op-

portunity to make a positive change in

the world is enabling people to find new

meaning and focus in our ever-frantic lives.

In 2015, the United Nations will set forth

17 sustainable development goals to focus

world attention and efforts on the critical

challenges we face. In these pages, Deirdre

White challenges their feasibility as real

goals as opposed to aspirational targets. In

the context of global progress and equality,

one thing is certain. Whether or not the

SDGs reach their lofty, though laudable,

objectives, over the next decade, or cen-

tury, or millennium, nothing will exceed

the effect of the women, men, and children

who make it their mission to build a better

future for the world.

Alicia Bonner Ness

Editor in Chief

INSIDE THE ISSUE

It is easy to forget just how much positive change so many individuals create every day. Human beings, the worlds greatest source of transformation, have the power to change the world for good with both words and action. This issue champions the efforts of a diverse range of characters and their individual contributions to collective change in their communities. I cannot deny my practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year timeline is short.

T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 52NGC

INSIDE THE ISSUEAN INNOVATION IN ENERGY AUDITING FOSTERS SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTHDanie l Hi l l

BUILDING FAMILIES ACROSS BORDERSLaura Asia la

WHAT I LEARNED IN COLOMBIA CHANGED MY CAREERRainer Stern

FOR GHANAIAN ENTREPRENEURS, OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS BUT OPENING THE DOOR IS NOT SO EASYKurala i Kunz

COMMENTARE 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT? Deirdre White

BOOK REVIEWWORKING WORLD: CAREERS IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, EXCHANGE, AND DEVELOPMENTMatt C lark

HAPPENINGSCAN GLOBAL BUSINESS FEED THE WORLD?2014 Net Impact Conference

HAPPENINGSTHE UN EMBRACES THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING WITH IMPACT 2030Impact 2030

FEATURES

38

50

4

34

46

BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR UGANDAS FORGOTTEN STREET CHILDRENDanie l E l l iot t

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT CHOCOLATEPam Wi l l iams

AROUND THE WORLD

54

VOICES FROM THE FIELD Virendar Khatana

AT WAR WITH AN INVISIBLE ENEMYAlic ia Bonner Ness

8

14

18

22

42

30

22

T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S p r i n g 2 0 1 5 NGC 3

Are 17 Sustainable Development Goals a Sustainable Approach to Development?IN 2015, THE UN MUST BALANCE EFFORT AND ASPIRATION TO RATIFY THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

COMMENT

Deirdre White

As a year, 2015 holds great promise for the global engage-ment community. We can celebrate the sunset of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and also look forward to the ratification of the Sustainable Develop-ment Goals (SDGs), which will set a vision for the next 15 years.

The MDGs, though flawed, were revolutionary. Drafted in 2000,

they provided common understanding of the worlds most egre-

gious social problems. They laid out eight goals, including pov-

erty reduction, improved maternal health, and universal primary

education. Further, they set a timeline for improvement, calling

for significant advancements by 2015.

Over the past year, many important international leaders,

from the heads of USAID and DfID to Bill Gates and Bill Clinton,

have celebrated the progress that has been made. And it is true:

a great deal has been accomplished.

At the same time, two key challenges constrained the MDGs

impact. First, the goals were hatched by a handful of people in

a back room. While they were endorsed by the United Nations in

2001, the limited perspectives taken into account in their forma-

tion resulted in a lack of strategy and cohesion in terms of how

to move forward. This lack of cohesion was only compounded by

the UNs assumption that people and institutions would come

together organically to move toward those goals.

Second, the goals did not lay out strategies for effective moni-

toring, evaluation, and impact measurement. At first glance, MDG

reports suggest that a great deal has been achieved: the number

of people living on less than $1.25 a day was halved, exponentially

more children have access to primary schooling across the globe,

and the incidence and mortality of HIV/AIDs and malaria have been

significantly reduced. Yet, few people realize that the baseline

data for most goals is 1990, not 2000. Without this knowledge,

it is easy to be impressed with all that has been achieved, but

such progress took place over 25 years, not the 15 generally cited.

These results also encompass the significant eco-

nomic transformation that has taken place in

China and India during this time period, due

not to donor intervention, but to enterprise

and technology-driven economic change. A

burgeoning middle class in both of those

countries necessarily skews the overall

progress indicators on poverty, health,

and education. Those boasting success

do not take into account progress that was


1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable

agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning

opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive

employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization

and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable

development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably

manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation

and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide

access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions

at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for

sustainable development

The MillenNium Sustainable Development Goals

well underway by the early 2000s and not necessarily related to

the goals. In fact, there has been no formal analysis of whether

the MDGs contributed in any way toward these positive trends.

In short, while the MDGs were an important innovation in

development planning, we must address their shortcomings in

order to achieve more over the next 15 years.

It is in the context of this history that the UN has put forward

the Sustainable Development Goals. Currently in draft form, these

goals are expected to be ratified in September by the UN General

Assembly. One clear lesson learned from the MDGs was that the

goals for the next 15 years cannot be created by a small number

of people without external consultation. Thus, the UN launched a

Goal 2End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and

promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Goal 5 Achieve gender equality

and empower all women and girls

Goal 7 Ensure access to

affordable, reliable, sustainable and

modern energy for all

Goal 11 Make cities and human

settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and

sustainable

Goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

*the UNs goal numbering is maintained here for clarity

PYXERA Global Targets: Nine Sustainable Development Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global

partnership for sustainable development

(Goal 17)

Methodology and Approach


highly-inclusive process, inviting input from the public, private,

and social sectors. Everyday citizens had an opportunity for com-

ment through an online tool. The result of this broad consultation

is the Open Working Group proposal that can be found on the UN

website today.

The inclusive process that led to this draft proposal was surely

important. However, openness to broad input has had a social

price. The 17yes, 17proposed goals (along with 169 associated

targets) seek to effectively address and overcome every challenge

known to humankind. The goals as currently stated are heady

ones, envisioning a 2030 world with no poverty, no inequality,

nor injustice where, on a sustainably-maintained planet, no man,

woman, or child is hungry, ill, uneducated, or unemployed. My

inner idealist embraces this glorious vision, but I cannot deny my

practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year

timeline is short.

Until recently, looking at the list of 17, I felt certain I was re-

viewing an early draft. That was until the World Economic Forum

in January 2015, when I had the opportunity to participate in

a roundtable on the SDGs and how public-private-social sector

partnerships can contribute to their successful achievement. The

two UN Ambassadors charged with finalizing the goals were also

participants and their message was clear: the current proposal

is, in fact, the one that will be voted on by the General As-

sembly later this year.

What is the value in setting goals that are unachievable,

I wondered. His Excellency Macharia Kamau, the UN Ambas-

sador from Kenya, succinctly answered my question. We are at

a level of ambition that has never been seen in human history,

and that level is achievable. He further challenged, How shall

we embrace it? How could I not be inspired to climb on board?

But these are not realistic 15-year goals. The totality of change

envisioned requires the destruction of long-held social structures,

the demolition of broken institutions, the provision of an unfath-

omable volume of services, and the development of unimaginable

infrastructure. Fifteen years is not enough time to complete this

extensive laundry list. In fact, a recent report from the Overseas

Development Institute (ODI) states, rather bleakly, that without

overhauling development practices across the board, the better

world we seek might not exist even by 2100, let alone 2030. Ac-

cording to ODI, it will take 76 years for all Ghanaian women to

have access to skilled care during childbirth. Kenya will not have

sanitation for all its residents for another 150 years. We are more

than six decades from sub-Saharan Africa achieving equal access

to education for boys and girls.

Based on my experience executing meaningful partnerships

over the past quarter century, I strongly believe that the United

Nations should pare down the list, and revisit the broad nature of

some of the goals. Yet, this is unlikely to happen. If the SDGs stand

as currently drafted, each organization and individual committed

to global engagement and social impact must evaluate the list and

see how best each of us can have a real and meaningful impact

over the coming years. Even without the ability to erase history

and its effects, there is still a great deal that can be achieved.

I remain hopeful that the United Nations will revisit its decision

to endorse the full list of 17 SDGs; however I am prepared to con-

centrate the work of PYXERA Global and out partners on nine goals,

for which we will develop our own sober targets and indicators.

A tenth goal, regarding partnership for sustainable development,

is for PYXERA Global a methodology at the core of our approach,

how different players can make meaningful contributions, not

an end goal in and of itself. I encourage other organizations and

individuals struggling with the SDGs to do the same. Select the

areas where you can contribute, define the real impact you can

effect, then put together the right partnerships to do so.

I believe the nine goals seen in the picture at left represent

the most purposeful objectives we can pursue within a 15-year

timeframe. Certainly, we are unable to address each of these goals

in every geographic and political context; rather we will rely on

our 25 years of experience and our deep relationships around the

globe to determine where we can best focus our energies and

those of our partners.

The worlds biggest challenges will not be resolved by any

one sector alone. To effectively move the needle on any of these

objectives, the global engagement community must learn how

to better create, maintain, and capitalize on strong partnerships

across sectors. This journey from the aspiration of the SDGs to

their achievement will require focus and collaboration. While the

SDGs are overly ambitious and may be ill-advised on a 15-year

timeframe, their pursuit is valiant. Moving in partnership pro-

vides the global communitys best chance at achieving such an

aspirational vision.

The goals as currently stated are heady ones, envisioning a 2030 world with no poverty, no

inequality, nor injustice where, on a sustainably-maintained planet, no man, woman, or child is hungry, ill, uneducated, or unemployed. My

inner idealist embraces this glorious vision, but I cannot deny my practical nature: there is a lot of work to be done and a 15-year timeline is short.

This journey from the aspiration of the SDGs to their

achievement will require focus and collaboration.


AROUND THE WORLD

Do not bring anything valuable, Viera said. No money, no phones, no watches or jewelry. I patted my pockets to confirm I had taken everything out. Standing in the hotel courtyard as the Ugandan dusk began to creep overhead, I felt the weighty absence of my wallet and mobile phone.My group stood nervously around as Viera gave instruction, each more ominous

than the last. A ubiquitous, burning odor hung in the air, mingling with the smell

of garbage and cow manure. Pop music wafted over from an outdoor common area

where local children were dancing on stage for no one in particular. Przemek, a Polish

national living in Dubai, took a long, last drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out.

Viera eyed our group calmly. Once we get out of the van, stay close to me and

do everything I say. If I say turn right, turn right. If I say step back, step back. If

I say run, run.

Almost everyone on my team was in Africa for the first time. Many were anx-

ious, even afraid, of what lay ahead. Over the course of my career, I have traveled

to more than 70 countries, including post-conflict and post-disaster environments

like Iraq and Haiti. But even I, under the continued warnings, felt a little nervous.

When the children approach you, do not give them anything, Viera said. If we

start to attract attention, just listen to my instructions and do exactly as I say. Any

questions?

How long does it take to get there? someone asked.

Depending on traffic, it should be about two hours, maybe more. We will stay

until around 10 pm and then return.

Should I take off my wedding band? I asked.

You should never take off your wedding band, Viera said. Not until you die.

Which could be tonight, Przemek added helpfully.

With that, we boarded the van and began our journey to downtown Kampala.

In a country of just under 40 million people, UNICEF estimates that Uganda is

home to two million orphans, more than half of whom were orphaned by Africas

BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR UGANDAS FORGOTTEN STREET CHILDRENDaniel El l iott

In a country of just under 40 million people,

UNICEF estimates that Uganda is home to two million orphans; where

more than half were orphaned by Africas AIDS

epidemic.


SAP AND THE GOOD FUTURE AND HOPE FOUNDATION PROVIDE FOR

UGANDAN ORPHANS

AIDS epidemic. The Ugandan government estimates that more

than 10,000 of these children live on the streets of Kampala, the

countrys capital.

Viera Liebe is the Executive Director of The Good Future and

Hope Foundation, an organization that focuses on getting orphans

off the streets, providing them with warm beds, healthy meals,

and an education. A Slovakian national married to a German, she

and her husband Hannes split their time between Dubai, Uganda,

and Myanmar, the location of the other orphanage they run. They

are making plans to establish orphanages that cater to street

children in other countries as well. I was part of a small group of

people who wanted to see the Foundations work firsthand and

determine how to leverage SAPs global pro bono programs to

further their goals.

Located a few hours outside Kampala, the orphanage is a bliss-

ful oasis compared to the rough and dusty streets of the capital.

Tucked away off a side road, lush vegetation and scattered farm

houses line the dirt trail that leads to the still-under-construction

entrance gate. As the van pulled up, all of the orphans dressed in

their Sunday best greeted us with a chorus of songs, welcoming

us into their homes. One bright teenager proudly led us through

each of the houses in the compound, showing us where each

child sleeps, the cabinets where they keep their clothes, and the

common area where they share meals and study. She did not

fail to mention that the boys living quarters are

always messier than the girls.

Each house is equipped with running water,

a kitchen, and separate living quarters for the

house mother, a full-time, live-in adult who looks

after the children in each house. Many of the

house mothers are widows or single mothers who

can bring their own children to live with them in

the orphanage in exchange for their work, a model

used successfully by other orphanages in the re-

gion. They are responsible for the daily upkeep and

order of their houses, and they take great pride

in their maintenance. None of the children know

exactly how old they are, so ages are approxima-

tions. The Foundation hosts one big birthday party

for all the children in August, where they celebrate

with cake and presents.

During my visit, I sat with Viera at the din-

ing table in one of the compounds newer build-

ings, discussing the orphanages origins. I could

hear the children running around outside, playing

with some of the toys the group had brought. In

2011, rising world food prices and shrinking sup-

ply brought severe famine to many countries in

East Africa. Like many Europeans, Viera and her

husband were blissfully unaware of the crisis.

They had been planning a vacation to Israel. Then,

a flyer raising money for victims of the famine

caught their attention.

We thought, what if we just cancel our vaca-

tion and go to East Africa and help there? she

said. We of course didnt know anyone there, or

anything about Africa, but we thought to ask the

organization that was passing around the flyer to

put us in touch with whoever they knew on the

ground.

When they arrived, they visited one of the local

organizations attempting to support children in

need. Viera continued with her story, the passion

SAP SOCIAL SABBATICAL EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERS WORK WITH THE GOOD FUTURE AND HOPE FOUNDATION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON GETTING UGANDAN ORPHANS OFF THE STREETS.


and dedication she has for her Foundation

and the children they foster apparent in

each word.

There was one place specifically where

we entered and it was Viera paused,

controlling the surge of emotions that came

with the recollection. I cant even call it

an orphanage.

Viera described what passed for an

orphanagea run-down house rented by

a school teacher and his wife that provided

minimal care to as many children as pos-

sible. They were not able to send them

to school or anything, she said. They

just had a possibility of a place to stay

at night.

This chance encounter with the school

teacher and his wife running a bare-bones

orphanage for street children proved to be

fateful. Upon entering the house, Hannes

was overwhelmed by the level of poverty

around him. The childrens distended bel-

lies and visibly infected skin were a signal

of the dire absence of sufficient medical

care and food. Hannes realized that he and

his wife faced a fight-or-flight moment.

As soon as I stepped into the orphanage,

I looked at my wife, horrified by the reali-

ties we saw around us, he said. I knew

if we didnt leave then, we would be com-

mitting our lives to helping these children.

Lets just give them $1,000 and get out of

here, I said.

But Viera wouldnt have it. Its too

late, she said. In that moment, they de-

cided to make the orphaned children of

Uganda a cornerstone of their lifes work.

They found a local doctor who came to

treat the childrens various ailments, and

made a deal with the local water company

to reconnect the house to the water sup-

ply. They went to a local store and bought

enough food for three months. They also

visited several other orphanages for com-

parison. To their relief, they were better

managed. So they focused their assistance

on that one that was most in need. After

three weeks, they returned to Europe to de-

termine the path forward. Viera and Hannes

knew it would be impossible to continue

with their former life. Viera, then a success-

ful management consultant, completed her

ongoing projects then let her employees

go. She planned to completely dedicate

herself to the launch and operation of the

Foundation.

Hannes began making plans, too. I sat

down with my computer and said, Okay,

lets plan this whole thing out, he remem-

bered. He began to speak to colleagues and

friends about what they had witnessed in

Uganda, and people began to offer financial

support for their efforts.

In 2012, the couple bought land out in

the countryside and started to build proper

facilities. Today, the orphanage houses 44

children, with plans to expand its capacity

to 360 over the coming years.

The drive to Kampala was slow. The

main road to the capital took us through

several villages, where both sides of the

street were flooded with an amorphous

mass of souls, sounds, and smells. Count-

less sellers hawked their wares; varied col-

lections of shoes, bed frames, electronics,

and other sundry items lined the streets.

The more robust retail establishments

had a blanket under their merchandise;

some even had a few pieces of ill-fitting

wood supporting a corrugated tin roof and

small kerosene lanterns illuminating the

goods inside. Others had LED lamps. With

no street lights, these small luminescent

globes were all that brought shapes and

faces out of the shadows.

For most of the ride, no one spoke,

each of us consumed with the uncertainty

that lay ahead. Were we really going to

walk around downtown Kampala at night?

The driver popped in a CD of songs per-

formed by a chorus of children from the

orphanage. Before Viera and Hannes came

to Uganda, selling music was a primary

source of income to support the orphanage;

one of their songs had actually been a hit

on Ugandan radio.

When we finally arrived, I jumped out

of the van into the streets of Kampala, ex-

hilarated. The smell of car exhaust and dust

filled my nose. Even at eight in the evening,

the streets were crowded and vendors were

out in force, hoping for one last sale. The


congested traffic flowed with relative ease.

Though our group of foreigners stood out,

we attracted no more than a few curious

glances. After an uneventful walk from the

van to the nearest street corner up the

road, I relaxed slightly.

The first child we walked by could not

have been older than four. She or heI

couldnt tell whichsat cross-legged in the

middle of the sidewalk, hands held up to

form a cup. A dirty ragged shirt hung off

the childs shoulders. Too dark to make out

a face, we passed by like everyone else.

The next child was similarly sprawled

out on the sidewalk, no more than 20 feet

from the first. This one caught Vieras at-

tention. She told us to stand back while

she spoke to the girl. From a distance, we

watched Viera kneel down. Viera smiled

and the child smiled back. Then she put

up her hand and gave Viera a high-five.

Passersby, if they bothered to notice at all,

glanced briefly at the strange sight then

continued on. Most people just flowed by

like a river around rocks. Viera acted as a

big boulder shielding the small child from

the passing current. I nervously scanned

around to see if anyone was looking at

us, or them, with more than just passing

interest. No one seemed to care.

As I glanced back to Viera, tears sud-

denly formed in my eyes. I thought about

the incredible difference The Good Future

and Hope Foundation is making in the lives

of so many children. For Viera, this was an

average night, driving around the streets

of Kampala looking for orphans. I thought

about what I did most nights back in the

United States and a pang of shame shot

through my stomach.

Your wife is a saint, I said to Hannes.

He smiled and looked down.

I thought about the incredibly fortu-

nate children the Foundation saved from

their lives on the streets, and about the

countless others in Kampala, in Uganda,

on the continent of Africa, and around the

world that would never be so lucky. Like

washed up starfish on a moonlit beach,

those children would never to be picked up

and thrown back into the ocean. I thought

about the good fortune of my two-year-old

son, nestled safely in his bed at home.

Viera chatted with the small girl for

a few more minutes, then got up and

walked back toward us. Thats Esther,

Viera said. I have been looking for her

since December. A few weeks prior, Es-

ther had been picked up by the bus, a

government vehicle that makes a sweep

through the city every few months, picking

up street children and dropping them off

several hours outside the city in a loosely

guarded holding pen. Most children try to

make their way back to the city to the only

life they know. Some die in the process.

The Kampala Capital City Authority has

several programs in place to help street

children and foster youth development, but

the scale of the task is monumental. And

like any other local government authority

in the world, resources and time are in

short supply.

Are we going to take her? I asked.

No, we cant just take her, Viera said.

We will have to come back during the

day and have her say in front of the near-

est police station that she wants to come

with us.

Is it easy to get them to come with

you?

Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It

usually takes a couple of times talking to

them. The only thing these kids have is the

relationship with the street and the other

kids. No matter how abusive or negative

that relationship is, it is the only thing they

have. Getting them to a point where they

can trust us and have enough confidence

to break the only bond they know is really

difficult.

What did you ask Esther?

If she remembered me, Viera said

quietly. She said yes. Then I asked if she

remembered what I had taught her, and

thats when she gave me the high-five.

We were walking briskly now, up a

steep hill towards another area of the city

where street children often congregate.

We passed a guard slouching in a plastic

lawn chair with an AK-47 across his lap. I

couldnt tell exactly what he was guard-

ingthe locked gate behind him had no

sign. I ducked, just barely avoiding hitting

In 2012, Viera and Hannes left Europe to start The Good Future and Hope Foundat ion. Today, the orphanage in the Ugandan countrys ide houses 44 chi ldren, with plans to expand i ts capaci ty to 360.


my head on a sign advertising assistance

for applying for American visas.

Musungu, a man said as he walked

by me. White person.

Do you think she will come to the

orphanage?

I dont know, Viera said. I hope so.

Every trip to Kampala is a journey down

this tenuous path, the promise of a chance

meeting that could result in one more child

leaving their life of homelessness for a

brighter future. As we got back on the bus,

the group reflected on everything that we

had seen. Almost everyone noted that the

streets of Kampala at night were not nearly

as frightening as they had expected.

The Foundations future plans are am-

bitious. Currently, the compound has four

houses in a circular layout that will even-

tually hold eight, mirroring how Ugandan

society lives. The shared space provides

community; the house mothers provide the

children a sense of belonging to a family

with their adopted brothers and sisters.

Viera and Hannes are also building a school

and housing for teachers, a computer lab,

and a medical clinic. The foundations for

the school buildings are already in place. If

all goes according to plan, the school will

be open in time for registration this spring.

Yet, in order to attract local parents to

send their children, and more importantly,

pay the school fees, the school needs a

communications strategy. Additionally,

the computer lab is overdue for a needs

assessment to decide what hardware to

request from potential donors. To fill these

gaps, the CSR department for SAPs Europe,

Middle East and Africa Division will send

a team of seven communications and IT

experts to Uganda this year, leveraging

their professional expertise to establish a

communications strategy and assess the

IT requirements for the Foundation. The

company has also started a fundraising

drive to engage the SAP EMEA employee

community to support the Foundation.

This project is a byproduct of SAPs

growing commitment to making a differ-

ence in international development. Along

with SAPs Social Sabbatical and Engaging

for Local Impact (ELI) programs, the com-

pany is putting their talented employees at

the forefront of meaningful global engage-

ment projects.

Two years ago, the SAP CSR team start-

ed with a donation matching program,

Viera said. It was a fantastic first inter-

action with an international corporation.

Then, the senior management of the EMEA

region came to Uganda to really see what

is happening here. I think thats the most

mind-changing thing, when you just come

on the ground and see. They said, we want

to help you on a bigger scale.

The day after our evening excursion,

we milled around the village square area

in the central part of the orphanage. The

afternoon rain had just passed and a glori-

ous golden sun washed over the landscape.

Kathryn from Germany and Miro from

Slovakia continued helping the children

with some drawings they were doing for

a fundraiser in London. Claire from France

was shooting a few more photographs that

shed share with her own children back in

Paris. The cows noisily made their way back

from the fields, and some of the orphans

took turns pushing each other on a small,

metal scooter.

As I prepared to return home, I felt en-

ergized and proud of the small part I would

play in helping these children. Orphanages

funded and managed by generous hearts

like Hannes and Viera, however, will never

clear the beach of all the starfish. Signifi-

cant changes in the lives of all orphans will

require institutional and foundational shifts

in how society addresses the challenges

they facethe lack of educational oppor-

tunities, medical care, and nourishment

required to lead healthy and productive

lives. But for Hannes and Viera, and the

children at The Good Future and Hope Foun-

dation, their lives have been transformed

for the better.

I asked Viera what she would tell her-

self if she could reach into the past, be-

fore she began this journeyan unexpected

phone call to warn herself about what was

to come.

I wouldnt make that call! she ex-

claimed. That Viera would get so scared

she would never have started this project.

But sometimes I am very thankful that I was

not aware of the magnitude of the task. You

know the saying, Even an elephant has to

be eaten one bite at a time.

Significant changes in the lives of all orphans will require institutional and foundational shifts in how society addresses the challenges they facethe lack of educational opportunities, medical care, and nourishment required to lead healthy and productive lives.

o f the count ry s two mi l l i on orphans l i ve on the streets of Kampala.

10,000The Ugandan government est imates that more than


IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT

CHOCOLATE

AROUND THE WORLD


THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRYS FIGHT TO PRESERVE THE TASTE AND HERITAGE OF HEIRLOOM CACAO

An eight-seat van rumbled along the lightly graded road from Quito, Ecuador, to Quevedo, one of the countrys leading agricultural centers. Our group of chocolatiers and chocolate makers from the United States, Brazil, Belgium, and Canada was on its way to learn

more about the countrys cacao, an increasingly rare commod-

ity. Along the way, I was struck by the contrasts: spectacularly

beautiful countryside sat alongside abject poverty. We passed

lacy waterfalls plunging down steep mountainsides next to

half-built cinder-block shanties where TVs flickered behind

empty doors and window frames.

The Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative

Fifteen years ago, most people had one frame of reference

for unsweetened chocolatethe bitter brick of baking chocolate

our mothers used in recipes. On its own, it tasted terrible.

Over the past decade and a half, this has changed dramati-

cally. Today, unique varietals of single-origin chocolate are

available at high-end chocolate stores everywhere and people

savor the flavor the way they would a fine wine. The demand

Pam Wil l iams

Photo: Ever Jean | CC BY-SA 2.0

The demand for cacao is expected to grow by 30 percent by 2020.

%30


for cacao is expected to grow by 30 percent by 2020, which has

gained international notice.

But for many in the fine chocolate industry, the loss of cacao

biodiversity, especially of older traditional and fine-flavor cacao

varieties, is even more alarming. Chocolate is poised to go the

way of conventional tomatoes and

strawberries; it may look the same

on the outside, but inside, the fla-

vor and character will have dis-

appeared. Over the last 20 years,

breeding programs focused on dis-

ease resistance and yield have not

just supplemented the traditional

cacao orchards, but replaced them.

In countries like Ecuador, this has

led to the loss of hundreds of

acres of flavorful cacao.

In 2010, Santiago Peralta, Presi-

dent of Pacari Chocolate in Ecuador and member of the Fine

Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) went actively searching for

fine-flavor cacao. When he finally located heirloom groves, they

were ripping out the trees to plant a more productiveand thus

profitablevariety. Those kinds of stories led Dr. Lyndel Meinhardt,

research leader for the Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory at

the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), to suggest that the

FCIA work to save fine-flavor cacao by matching flavors (deter-

mined by actual human tastebuds) to genetics.

A significant amount of scientific research has focused on

disease resistance and improved yield. However, flavor is a very

complex trait and therefore not

normally considered. Fortunately,

in 2011 the FCIA created the Heir-

loom Cacao Preservation (HCP)

Initiative in partnership with the

USDA ARS. The HCP is important

in preserving the diversity of cocoa

flavor, Dr. Meinhardt said at the

FCIA meeting in June 2014. For

the first time, we can understand

and identify tree varieties that are

really unique in flavor, he said.

It allows us to take information

to the next level where we can analyze it to tease out what con-

tributes to flavor. This is all being done at the USDA Agricultural

Research Service laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, with research

geneticist Dr. Dapeng Zhang, one of the worlds leading experts

in cacao genetic diversity.

Cocoa flavor is not something that just exists, it is something that is influenced

every day, all year long by everything from genetics, farming practices, and post-

harvest practices, to roasting and refining. Each step is importantyou must do the

right things the right way.

Photo: Ever Jean | CC BY-SA 2.0


Exploring and Savoring the Fine Flavors of Ecuadorian Cacao

Ask any serious chocolate maker or

chocolate connoisseur to name their fa-

vorite cacao from anywhere in the world,

and invariably they will extol the virtues of

Ecuadorian chocolate. The regions rich soil

and unique climate bring out deep flavors,

as do the cultivation practices of families

who have been nurturing their cacao with

traditional methods for over a century.

It is sad to see this precious cacao

disappearing and bulk cacao seemingly

encroaching everywhere. Along the high-

way as we come into the agricultural Los

Rios province, we start to see vast or-

chards: banana, oil palm, passion fruit,

coffee bean, and cacao. Most of the cacao

orchards along the highway are growing

bulk cacao, mostly CCN51, a hybrid vari-

ety developed for its high yield and large

pods. While some growers have tweaked

the post-harvest processes to improve the

flavor, CCN51 has a bland taste spectrum

and requires high amounts of fertilizer.

Undeterred, we continue our hunt for

authentic, indigenous flavors. We stop at

Hacienda Limon owned by Samuel Von Rutte

whose trees have received the Heirloom

Cacao designation from the HCP because

of their fine flavor. Von Rutte has lived and

worked in the Ecuadorian chocolate indus-

try for more than 25 years and is now out

on his own. While his trees are technically

hybrids, they contain a percentage of the

old Ecuadorian Nacional cacao blood line.

While the resulting flavor is different from

a traditional Nacional, it is fabulous.

The trees in his orchards are well man-

aged, pruned to a workable height for har-

vest and to optimize sun exposure, and he

has developed a pre-fermentation drying

process that he feels improves not only the

fermentation process itself but the flavor of

his cacao beans. Von Ruttes commitment

to his practices is clear. Cocoa flavor is

not something that just exists, it is some-

thing that is influenced every day, all year

long by everything from genetics, farming

practices, and post-harvest practices, to

roasting and refining, he said. Each step

is importantyou must do the right things

the right way.

Defending the Future of Chocolate

The loss of flavor and cacao biodiver-

sity became the underlying theme of our

travels across Ecuador. After visiting three

other orchards in Los Rios, our next stop

was Mindo where Americans Jose Meza and

Barbara Wilson of Mindo Chocolate Mak-

ers have established a chocolate-making

operation to support local cacao farmers

in Mezas home region of Pichincha. They

search out traditional cacao orchards and

pay the farmers a premium directly for

their beans, bypassing the middlemen and

collection centers.

They have also brought in cacao ex-

perts to improve the post-harvest pro-

cesses so that the beans reach their full

flavor potential. Wilson has begun to see

how valuing high quality, flavorful beans

changes the farmers perspective. There

has been a big transformation in the way

that cacao farmers think about their beans.

They are proud of their Nacional beans and

want to sell a high-quality product, she

said. When we first started making choco-

late, farmers were not rewarded in any

way for higher quality, and would sell any

variety of beans all mixed together in one

bag. When we asked them to separate out

only the highest quality beans, they began

to understand the importance of the qual-

ity of their beans for the reputation and

demand for Ecuadorian cacao.

Most farmers are willing to improve

their husbandry practices to continue grow-

ing the cacao that their families have al-

ways grown (instead of tearing it out and

planting higher production hybrids or other

crops) if its economically realistic for them

to do so. They understand and appreciate

the quality of what they have. A premium

price makes all the difference.

Throughout our travels in Ecuador, we

saw firsthand how quickly a precious re-

source is disappearing. Though they may

not realize it, consumers have enormous

power to influence how the chocolate in-

dustry evolves and whether heirloom cacao

survives. Those who appreciate taste, qual-

ity, and environmentally sustainable initia-

tives can make a difference by supporting

members of the Fine Chocolate Industry

Association, who are leading this effort to

save heirloom cacao. Each bite of chocolate

ultimately impacts a farmer somewhere in

the world. The chocolate people choose

to consume now will have an impact for

generations to come. Help us save the good

stuff.

Photo Rog01 | CC BY-SA 2.0

THE JOINT INITIATIVE FOR VILLAGE ADVANCEMENT LOOKS BEYOND THE NUMBERS Virendar Khatana

In 2011, Sam Allen, Deere & Companys Chairman and CEO, led a team from John Deere on a week-long corporate service experience in Rajasthan, India. Following this engagement, the John Deere Foundation decided to fund a five-year com-munity development project in three rural villages. Focused on

three key areasagriculture and income security, education, and

infrastructurethe project, created in partnership with PYXERA

Global, seeks to foster economic growth and improve the quality

of life for those residing in these villages.

Following a needs assessment in the fall of 2012, the Joint

Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA) was up and running by

January 2013. The projects multipronged approach includes reno-

vating schools, training farmers in new agricultural practices, and

increasing opportunities for children to stay and perform better in

school. In less than two years, the results have been extraordinary:

100 percent of all drop-outs are enrolled in JIVAs after-

school tutoring program

More than 80 percent of students enrolled in the program

showed improved school exam scores

More than 120 percent increase in students passing the

Class 10 Open Exam from 2013 to 2014

More than 70 percent of participating farmers have ad-

opted some improved agricultural practice

Close to 15 percent of all farmers have adopted a diversi-

fied cropping system with higher-value crops

138 farmers have increased profits by more than $2,800

collectively

Two village schools have been fully renovated, including new

toilets fitted with solar pumps for the supply of water, new water

purifier systems for safe drinking water, kitchens and dining

halls, external repairs, and classroom refurbishing. Villagers have

contributed more than $7,000 USD to school infrastructure im-

provements.

The projects robust monitoring and evaluation strategy has

allowed it to adapt and realign plans to meet on-the-ground

realities. Its early successes can be attributed to this participa-

tory approach that recognizes that people make decisions based

on what they think is best given their circumstances. Taking the

opportunity to ask What? and Why? before How? is a dif-

ferentiation sometimes overlooked in development, but necessary

for achieving impact and sustainability in any intervention.

In the two years since its launch, the projects impact has

gone far beyond the quantifiable statistics reflected above. The

people in JIVA communities are driving change. There are a number

of individuals whose success is worth sharing. The following are

just two case studies that show JIVAs impact beyond planned

outcomes.

VOICES FROM THE FIELD

Photo Ana Raquel S. Hernandes | CC BY-SA 2.0

AROUND THE WORLD

The first time Bansi heard about JIVA was in February 2013 when a neighbor recalled interviewing with a team from John Deere, PYXERA Global, and local NGO Jatan Sansthan,

for a needs assessment a few months prior. He, too, had

participated in those meetings and was eager to learn the

outcome of the study and what the project would be doing

in his village. There was a village meeting to discuss the

upcoming agricultural activities scheduled later that week.

Bansi left that first JIVA meeting interested though some-

what skeptical of the demonstration plot trainings they

would be offering to farmers. Fellow farmer, Nanu Ram,

offered to be a demonstration plot farmer for the next two

seasons. Out of curiosity, Bansi started working with Nanu

Ram from time to time and attended trainings to see what

would happen to his crops.

The following year, Bansi ploughed his land prior to the

Kharif season (a practice he knew was beneficial, but often

opted not to do during the hot season), tested his soil and

water supply, and sowed his wheat in rows as per JIVA

recommendations. He used a bio-pesticide and constructed

a vermi-compost pit as an alternative to the traditional

method of applying dried cattle dung as fertilizer.

Bansi became worried when the JIVA Agriculture Special-

ist advised him to skip his usual second pesticide applica-

tion; however, as the cotton began to grow, Bansi quickly

realized this was going to be a good season for him. Farmers

visiting his field also noted the height of his plants, already

a foot taller than they usually were this time of year. In

December, Bansi calculated that his cotton recorded an

increase in yield of 11 percent, resulting in an additional

profit of 1,840 Indian Rupees (or $31) per bigha (0.16 hectare).

In addition to helping farmers increase their production and

profitability of existing crops, JIVA planned to rotate demonstration

plot farmers in year two and select farmers interested in installing

net-houses to grow fruit and vegetable seedlings to sell to other

farmers in the village. This time, Bansi didnt hesitate to volunteer.

He used his nursery under JIVAs guidance to grow papaya and

pomegranate seedlings supplied by JIVA. Soon, Bansis neighbors

were lining up to purchase his seedlings. That summer, Bansi

sold seedlings worth 6,400 Indian Rupees (or $103 U.S. Dollars)

and recovered about 90 percent of the total cost of the net-house

installation. He also planted 100 papaya and 600 pomegranate

seedlings on his own plot.

Mr. Bansi Lal AhirFarmer, Madara Village

As he calculated his earnings, Bansi began making plans for

the following year. He expanded his nursery to include tomato

cultivation and installed a subsidized drip irrigation system with

JIVAs guidance. He has already planted bottle gourd, watermelon,

cluster beans, and amaranth for market. In 2015, he plans to

invest more of his profits in additional livestock, and by 2016 he

will be ready to start a home delivery business with his son. His

additional yields and profits will help him turn his farm into a

delivery service, providing fresh produce to villagers directly to

save them the lengthy and costly trips to and from the market.

These days, JIVA brings other farmers to Bansis field on a regular

basis to demonstrate the value of crop diversification, and Bansi

offers them advice on ways they, too, can turn their fields into

more lucrative businesses.


Shyari Bagariya was excited to learn that she was hired as a teacher for JIVAs new Education Resource Center (ERC) in Morra beginning in May 2013. There would be two centers in the

villageone for children of the Bagariya community, where she is

from, and one for everyone else. She would provide tutoring in

all subjects to children during the afternoon hours, although none

of the Bagariya children were enrolled in school.

The Bagariya tribe, often landless, is considered a low caste

in India. In Morra village, Bagariyas live in a small settlement on

the outskirts of the village, and migrate for four to seven months

each year to sell brooms and beg on the streets of busy cities like

Mumbai and Chandigarh. Historically ostracized by the rest of the

village, Bagariyas are not allowed to purchase anything from the

stores in Morra and must travel three kilometers to Railmagra to

purchase everyday items and food. Few Bagariya children attend

school, and those that do sit apart from their peers in class and

are often behind in studies as they cannot attend regularly due

to their families migration.

JIVA had been meeting with the parents for several weeks prior

to the center opening, and their initial commitment to the program

was promising. When the ERC classes began that May, Shayari was

surprised to see that all 13 children from the community were

coming regularly. Bagariya homes are usually small huts, so most

classes were held outside on a mat. Because all 13 children had

previously dropped out of school, they were not used to sitting in

class for hours at a time. To keep their interest, Shayari worked

with the JIVA Community Education Officer to develop curriculum

that incorporated various learning aids and games.

By July, all 13 children re-enrolled in the village Government

school. However, when October came around, seven of the children

left to migrate to other cities with their families. They would not

return until spring, just before exams. Although this was discourag-

ing, Shayari felt they had also made a small step forward

because the families of the other five children left them

behind with extended family to continue their studies.

When school let out for the summer, children contin-

ued to go to the JIVA ERC in the afternoons. Enrollment

was growing steadily at the main ERC and there was a

demand for a second center. JIVA decided to move the

Bagariya center to the nearby Anganwadi (pre-school)

located within the village boundaries. Shayari was unsure

about the change at first, but was surprised to see how

quickly the children adapted. Children from the rest

of the village would not come to the ERC in my locality.

But Bagariya and children from other castes have started

studying together after the ERC was moved to the Angan-

wadi. Gradually, change has happened and children have

started calling me teacher. They even take water from

me now. People from other castes do not like to take

things from the hands of Bagariyas. Earlier they would

not even talk to us. Now they sit together like brothers

and sisters in the ERC.

Earlier, the Bagariya children faced teasing and bullying at

school, but gradually the other students started to accept them.

During a visit to the school with the JIVA Community Education

Officer, Shayari noticed that the Bagariya children were sitting side-

by-side with other children, particularly in the younger classes

something she never thought she would see.

When school started again in the fall of 2014, all thirteen chil-

dren were enrolled in school. Level performance testing showed

significant improvement in school exam scores, particularly among

the five students that didnt migrate that year. A couple now

ranked among the top five performers in their class at school.

Shayari is working diligently to ensure they will pass their upcom-

ing exams in spring 2015. When she looks back over the last two

years, she continues to be surprised by the remarkable progress

made. Shayari has always been an exception to the rule in her

community, but now she is an integral part in ensuring others

have the opportunity to follow her lead in receiving a quality

education.

Ms. Shyari BagariyaTeacher, Morra Village

Gradually, change has happened and children have started calling me teacher. They even take water from me now. People from other castes do not like to take things from the hands of

Bagariyas. Earlier they would not even talk to us. Now they sit together like brothers and

sisters in the ERC.


Sp

on

so

red

Co

nte

nt

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This isnt 15,000 incidents of eating bushmeat, Dr. Paul Farmer said. Its weak public health systems.Prior to his remark, I thought that contracting Ebola was a death sentence, but Farmer corrected my assump-tions. Dont believe anyone who tells you that case fatality is

higher than 10 percent, he insisted. These are people dying of

untreated shock. That means its a supply-chain problem.

I have admired Farmers leadership in public health for more

than a decade, but this was the first time I had the chance to

hear him speak firsthand. Just off the plane from the hot zone,

The Search for Stabi l i ty in the Wake of Ebola

AT WAR WITH ANINVISIBLE ENEMY

Alicia Bonner Ness

AROUND THE WORLDa day-long event that sought to improve

the private sectors response to the Ebola

epidemic. Representatives from General

Electric, Western Union, UPS, GSK, IBM, and

others were in attendance, as well as key

leaders of public sector institutions, includ-

ing Ron Klain, White House Ebola Response

Coordinator, and others from The World

Bank and U.S. Department of State. The

event was convened by a group of non-

profit stakeholders that included Points of

Light, CECP, PSI, CollaborateUp, and PYXERA

Global.

The day before the event, the number

of people infected with Ebola surpassed

17,000; the fatalities totaled just over 6,000.

Moussa Abbo, a Cameroon native and PSIs

Senior Regional Director of West and Central

Africa, spoke on behalf of those on the

continent. We at PSI believe the private

sector plays a key role in addressing press-

ing issues in the world, he said. This

Ebola outbreak has shown how vulnerable

we are. Abbo called on those convened

to take a long view. We need to share

our knowledge and resources across the

world. When this crisis is over, we need to

continue working together, not to chase this

issue, but to address it from the roots.

David Barash, the Chief Medical Officer

and Executive Director of Global Health Pro-

grams at the GE Foundation, is an emer-

gency physician by training who still works

in his local ER one shift a week. He shared

Abbos excitement for the potential for col-

laboration. I havent seen a private sec-

tor group come together like Ive seen it

around Ebola, he said. Lets think about

how we can do this in the long term.

I left the event that day overwhelmed

by both the substantial commitment of

the private sector to respond to the dis-

ease and the short-sighted nature of the

response. Many organizations were ex-

tremely motivatedand rightly soto sup-

port the immediate need for personnel and

resources, but few had a clear picture of

the road to recovery.

Today, the number of cases of Ebola in

Liberia has dropped almost to zero, and the

case load in Sierra Leone and Guinea is con-

tinuing to decline every day. Soon, the im-

mediate effects of the Ebola epidemic will

be forgotten, disappeared from the head-

lines once the disease is fully contained.

Yet, in many ways, this simply marks the

beginning of a much longer effort to rebuild

after the onslaught. Though it may seem

the fight is over, the road to recovery has

only just begun. Supporting the economic

resilience of the countries most affected

will require a sustained commitment well

into the next decade. The details of how

bears further examination.

Fighting Ebola from the Ground Up

It has been more than a year since

Emile Ouamouno, a 2-year-old boy epide-

miologists identify as Patient Zero, con-

tracted and died from the latest outbreak

of the Ebola virus. Since then, more than

23,000 people have contracted Ebola, and

over 9,300 have died. Hundreds of millions

of dollars have been spent to respond to

the disease, and many millions more are

earmarked for the future.

I considered Farmers insistence that

the disease is a problem of supply-chain

management. In much of Guinea, Liberia,

and Sierra Leone, high-speed roads, ve-

hicles, sterile needles, saline, blood banks,

doctors, and otherwise well-resourced fa-

cilities are in short supply, handicapping

the countries ability to effectively contain

and treat the disease. I also investigated

how Ebola kills. The disease attacks the im-

mune system, using our own immune cells

to attack the bodys defenses. The bodys

last-ditch response to this attack leads to

organ failure. Intravenous fluids and blood

transfusions, two simple interventions eas-

ily administered in every ICU in America,

Anthony Banbury, Spec ia l

Representat ive of the

Secretary General and

Head of the United Nat ions

Miss ion for Emergency Ebola

Response, v is i ts the PST1

Ebola Treatment Unit run by

the S ierra Leone Ministry of

Health and the S ierra Leone

Armed Forces.

Farmer presents as an affable uncle, but

the issues he describes are deadly serious.

This is not the first zoonosis to jump from

animals into humans and then go global,

he remarked, gesturing at past outbreaks

of SARS, avian flu, mad cow disease, and

swine flu. Ebola, he said, is a public health

crisis, driven by the absence of strong pub-

lic health infrastructure.

On December 3, 2014, Farmer spoke to

a group of more than 100 stakeholders at

Photo: UN/Martine Perret


can dramatically improve a patients ability to survive, providing

vital reinforcement to the bodys natural immune response, and

staving off a lethal immunological storm. With the right reinforce-

ment, the body continues to fight the virus slowly, to survival. In

essence, a persons life depends on their prompt diagnosis and

rapid treatment, the two critical supply-chain breaking points.

Unfortunately, health systems in many parts of West Africa

prior to the outbreak were already notoriously weak. While pri-

vate clinics offered some care for treatable ailments, according

to World Bank data, mortality from all ailments is higher than in

more developed markets.

These countries also lacked sufficient doctors and public health

workers. According to Farmer, Liberia had fewer than 50 physicians

practicing in the domain of public health prior to the outbreak.

As the disease began to spread more rapidly in the summer

of 2014, the situation became increasingly dire. Unprepared to

A man has his temperature checked on arr iva l to a community heal th center. Photo: UN/Martine Perret

handle a highly contagious disease, many

private healthcare facilities closed their

doors. Afraid of contracting Ebola from col-

leagues and neighbors, many small busi-

nesses folded. In Sierra Leone, the two

preeminent mining corporations, London

Mining and African Minerals, shuttered their

operations, stalling the countrys primary

economic driver. Worse still, the interna-

tional community was slow to respond. A

coordinated international response didnt

crystalize until the U.S. Africa Leaders Sum-

mit in Washington D.C. in early August 2014,

nearly eight months after the first fatality.

Collateral Damage and the Domino Effect

The catastrophic effects of the Ebola epi-

demic are both complex and intertwined. To

fully understand the extent of the resulting

challenges, I asked healthcare professionals

in West Africa and the United States, as well

as investors and economists attuned to the

fiscal and economic realities. With limited

information available on the epidemic in

Guinea, the bulk of my research focused

on Liberia and Sierra Leone.

I spoke with two African medical profes-

sionals directly affected by the epidemic.

Dr. Stephen Dzisi, a Ghanaian doctor who

received his post-medical school training

in Germany, has been serving as a Public

Health Institute Global Health Fellow with

USAID in Monrovia, Liberia, for the past

two-and-a-half years. When Dzisi arrived

in Liberia in 2012, he was shocked that the

consequences of a 14-year civil war still

plagued the country. Even though Liberia

was dedicating 10 percent of its annual bud-

get to public health, the countrys health

system was inherently fragile. One case

of Ebola crossing the border from Guinea,

the entire system crumbled because of the

fundamental weakness, Dzisi said.

At the height of the epidemic, more

than 80 percent of community clinics in

Liberia closed down due to fear among

health workers and community distrust.

The countrys health system was not pre-

pared to handle the onslaught of a highly

contagious and deadly disease. While

health resources in Guinea, Sierra Leone,

and Liberia have focused on the neediest

patientsthose suffering from Ebolathe

rest of the population has suffered from

common ailments that have gone untreated

as a result.

Two critical statistics help quantify the

epidemics effect on the health of non-

Ebola patients. In Liberia, immunization

has dropped significantly for children under

Workers d is infect homes and ambulances with chlor inated water where pat ients with Ebola were treated in Freetown, S ierra Leone.


Experts like Dr. Dzisi help USAID address immediate and emerging needs around the world through the Global Health Fel-lows Program II, an innovative approach administered by the Public Health Institute (PHI). This diverse group of global health professionals support and sustain the effec-tiveness of the Agencys current and future health programs, and provide increased ability to respond quickly to threats.




the age of one. Prior to the outbreak, Dzisi

said, 88 percent of children in Liberia under

one had received the vaccine that protects

against diphtheria, whooping cough, and

tetanus. By December 2014, he said, this

number had dropped to 49 percent. In ma-

ternal health, the landscape is equally grim.

According to Dzisi, incidence of maternal fistula more than doubled

between January and December of 2014.

Dr. Abdullah Daniel Sesay, a Sierra Leonian doctor, is also a

member of the countrys parliament. When I spoke to Sesay, or

Doctor A-B-D as he is known to friends and colleagues, he

was quarantined in his home after returning from a session of

parliament to find that someone in his neighborhood had likely

been exposed.

Prior to the outbreak, Sesay ran a small community clinic

with 44 beds in Makeni, one of Sierra Leones larger cities. As the

epidemic started to escalate, the clinic closed due to insufficient

resources to effectively diagnose and treat Ebola, as did most

private clinics in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

As a member of parliament, Sesay is well-versed in the eco-

nomic challenges the epidemic has wrought. To break the chain

of dead, the government had to create traveling restrictions, he

said. At the end of the day, this had a negative economic impact.

According to Sesay, prior to the epidemic, Sierra Leone funded 72

percent of its national budget from domestic revenue. Today, the

collapse of the mining industry and overwhelming job losses have

forced the country to revert to an economy that is largely donor

driven. People are dying of hunger because of the harvesting

restrictions, he said. Thousands of orphans have nowhere to

go. The debilitating economic environment makes it that much

harder to defeat the disease.

Sesay summarized the bleak conditions simply: What has

happened with Ebola, he said, is just as bad as the civil war.

This summer, as the epidemic grew more threatening, a team

of World Bank economists were asked to estimate the epidemics

likely economic impact on the most affected countries and on

the continent more broadly. The most recent

study, based on a combination of cell phone

survey data in Liberia and Sierra Leone and

other macroeconomic indicators, was released

in January 2015.

The news was better than expectedthe

economic impact across the continent was

largely muted by effective geographic contain-

ment. Fewer than 30 cases in Senegal, Mali, and

Nigeria were quickly diagnosed and contained,

staving off major ripple effects. But in the most

affected countries, the consequences have been

even worse than predicted.

Based on the cell phone survey data, World

Bank research suggests that nearly half of male

heads of households [46 percent] in Liberia that

were working prior to the epidemic remain un-

employed, and even more [60 percent] of female

household heads are out of work. The implica-

tions of this are twofold. First, the countrys

primary productivity has been cut in half, as

has the governments income tax base. Sierra

Leones survey results, though different, suggest

other equally calamitous problems. In Sierra

Leone, small enterprises have been going out of business at much

higher rates than they did previously. For businesses that are still

operating, revenues are down 40 percent, said David Evans, a

senior economist on The World Bank research team.

In both countries, a large majority of people are hungry and

rationing food. According to Evans, three quarters of households

in Liberia are reporting significant food insecurity. This isnt be-

cause of prices but because income has fallen. Another problem

is that domestic food harvests are lower than past years. Harvest-

ing, typically done in large groups, has been less productive as

communal activity has been discouraged or banned for fear of

spreading the disease.

Job losses and food insecurity have had measurable mac-

roeconomic effects as well. In Sierra Leone, rapid growth in the

first half of the year quickly turned to contraction. Prior to the

outbreak, Sierra Leone expected 11.3 percent growth, which fell

to 4 percent over the second half of 2014. Evans and his team

expect a contraction of 2 percent in 2015, a profound reversal

in economic progress. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, falling commod-

UNICEF conducts door-to-door campaigns to map act ive cases of Ebola in Tewor d istr ict , L iber ia . To keep track of the homes v is i ted, the team writes detai ls on the wal ls of the houses.

Repairing the damage to the economies of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone will require a multi-dimensional approach; eliminating the disease will only serve to stop the bleeding. Overcoming the diseases ripple effects will require rebuilding and reinforcing health systems and developing a plan for fiscal and economic recovery.


Yet, such reinforcement can be easier to promise than to

deliver. In August, the GE Foundation deployed a $2 million grant

to support Farmers Partners in Health in Liberia with Last Mile

Health and Sierra Leone with Well Body Alliance. The funds were

used to train 500 clinical health workers and 800 community

health workers, to educate communities about sanitation and

post-mortem practices to stem the spread of the disease. This

infusion of newly trained talent staffed 47 health centers and one

Ebola Treatment Unit with 50 beds.

While Barash is happy with what the GE Foundation funding

could accomplish, he acknowledged that the grant was hardly

enough to stop the bleeding. So he also formed a business re-

sponse team within GE to determine how the company could best

provide meaningful long-term help. At the December event, he

announced that GE would contribute substantial in-kind support

that will include healthcare equipment, water and power systems,

and important software solutions.

The goal is that the in-kind assets will shore up medical sys-

tems after the crisis passes. Ultimately all the equipment we

are donating will go towards systems strengthening more than

towards the immediate response, which he argues, has a greater

impact. The epidemic provided an opportunity for the Foundation

to meet a broader mandate to support systems strengthening in

West Africa.

Most epidemiologists recognize that, while this outbreak of

Ebola was especially severe, it is unlikely to be the last. For Barash,

there are two challenges that must be addressed to ensure an

epidemic of this magnitude is preventable in the future. The first

imperative is to build a strong public health foundation, putting

a public health infrastructure together that prevents outbreaks, or

allows people to respond to outbreaks quickly, he said.

But infrastructure alone is not enough. Success and failure in

an outbreak scenario depends deeply on the people in charge.

Barash noted that management training for health professionals

in emerging markets is in great demand. Our experience is that

in developing countries there is a gap in terms of leadership and

management skills and theres a big role that we can play in

making that sustainable, he said. During his first trip to Africa in

ity prices of iron ore, copper, and cotton have directly reduced

government revenues, causing, Evans said, a double-whammy.

Mykay Kamara, a Sierra Leonian businessman who currently

lives in London, has seen this effect firsthand. Prior to the outbreak,

he split his time between Liberia and Sierra Leone, supporting

business startup and operations management in the energy and

mining sectors. The mining sector has been seriously disrupted,

he said. London Mining defaulted, African Minerals Limited have

had to mothball their operations. The countrys largest taxpay-

ers, both companies also provided a significant portion of Sierra

Leones formal employment. Kamara commented on how restric-

tions of movement have had a significant downgrading effect on

both agriculture and trade. Investors who had planned to spend

arent spending anymore, he said.

Kamara, who has visited Sierra Leone since the outbreak, be-

lieves that peoples reactions have had the most significant nega-

tive effect. People are hysterical and fearful about the disease.

Going to War with the Disease

Repairing the damage to the economies of Liberia, Guinea, and

Sierra Leone will require a multi-dimensional approach; eliminat-

ing the disease will only serve to stop the bleeding. Overcoming

the diseases ripple effects will require rebuilding and reinforcing

health systems and developing a plan for fiscal and economic

recovery.


November 2014, he heard this articulated by hospital administra-

tors in Kenya and Rwanda.

To address this, the GE Foundation currently underwrites the

Ministerial Leadership in Health Program, jointly administered

by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard

School of Public Health. This program provides leadership training

to African ministerial leaders in health and finance. In the future,

he hopes to expand such training and support to the community

level, where the need is also critical. What we really want to

do is support hospital leaders and the people who are actually

on the ground doing the hardest day-to-day work, Barash said.

Treating the Symptoms and the Ailment

While companies like GE and organizations like Partners in

Health have focused on strengthening the countrys health systems

and infrastructure, the economic view is still bleak. In mid-January,

Kamara traveled to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to participate in the

governments efforts to craft a 2015 post-Ebola economic recovery

plan. In his view, his countrys effective recovery will require three

key points of reinforcement.

First, we need to bolster the financial services sector, he

said. Capitalization and liquidity have suffered under the financial

strain. Currently, Kamara says, a third of the countrys debts are

not being paid.

The country also must address the dramatic reduction in in-

dustry that has shrunk its tax base. You need budgetary support

to the government, because of the shortfalls coming from the

companies that have reduced their profits, he said.

Lastly, multinational corporations must begin to consider how

to re-engage as investors, especially in tourism, agriculture, and

mining, where the economy has been the hardest hit.

In addition to these key economic drivers, Kamara noted the

significant handicap small and medium enterprises (SMEs) must

overcome to maintain their operations. You need a lot of support

for SMEs, who need technical assistance to help them, he said.

According to Evans, the World Bank is doing just that, financ-

ing a program of about $1 billion to contain the epidemic and to

address its economic effects. The investment has two partsit is

providing $500 million in support for health workers, as well as

a platform that helps foreign health workers enter the affected

areas quickly and effectively. On the economic side, the Inter-

national Finance Corporation has a $450 million project that is

providing support to small and medium enterprises across the

three countries.

Evans estimates the fiscal gap across the three countries is

about half a billion dollars, or close to five percent of their com-

bined GDP. That large fiscal gap will likely have a dramatic effect

on non-health related infrastructure. Sierra Leone and Liberia in

particular will require significant budget support to overcome the

fiscal shortfall caused by declining tax revenue and an inordinate

level of expenditure both countries directed to-

wards Ebola response.

Kamara is disheartened by the return to a

donor-funded economy after so much sustained

growth. We are back to an economy that is

less private-sector run and more donor-funding

run, which is similar to what we had during the

war, he said. Its not the right kind of economic

growth.

Of course, the best antidote to a donor-driven

economy is private-sector growth. Evans urged

companies to invest bullishly sooner rather than

later. Organizations that are considering invest-

ment may be hesitant in the wake of the epi-

demic, but I would encourage them to be bold

in the face of uncertainty, he said.

To that end, Barash hopes to help the Ebola

Private Sector Mobilization Grou

Documents

The New Global Citizen - Spring 2015