$1.2 million grant will create $10.6 million in economic impact for the poor in hunger-afflicted Sub-Saharan Africa
OAK BROOK, Ill., Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Opportunity International, one of the world's largest microfinance organizations, today announced it has received a $1.2 million grant from the John Deere Foundation to provide increased access to financing for the hunger-afflicted in Africa.
Through Opportunity International's unique financing model, the grant will have a $10.6 million economic impact over the next three years. It will benefit thousands of farmers, food processors and retailers and their ability to provide affordable food to the rural poor in Malawi and Mozambique.
The John Deere Foundation grant will enable Opportunity International to implement low-cost, technology-driven programs that provide a full range of microfinance services to poor families living in rural areas in Malawi and Mozambique. The goal of the joint project is to create a sustainable framework in Africa to increase food production, food availability at local markets and family income for food.
"Our alliance with John Deere will allow us to dramatically expand access to capital and financial services for underserved populations in Malawi and Mozambique," said Christopher A. Crane, president and chief executive officer, Opportunity International. "Microfinance contributes to poverty alleviation and food security by supplying loans, savings and microinsurance that enhance investments, reduce the effect of shocks such as illness of a wage earner, bad weather, theft or other such events, and lead to an increase in food consumption."
Over the next three years, the John Deere Foundation grant will allow Opportunity International to open four new branch offices and finance 6,800 agricultural businesses ranging from fresh produce stalls at local markets to processing cooperatives and small maize farms. Entrepreneurs receiving the loans will create 3,500 additional jobs. Altogether, 62,000 family members will benefit from enhanced food security with the increased income derived from these enterprises.
"We are excited about our new alliance with Opportunity International and look forward to the significant impact that will be achieved in Malawi and Mozambique," said John Bustle, vice president, John Deere Foundation. "These quality financial services will help thousands of people thrive as their agricultural and food-related businesses develop and will result in significantly increased food supplies for countless others."
Due to Opportunity International's unique business model and repayment rate of 98 percent, the impact of the John Deere Foundation grant on the global food crisis will be substantial. As client loans are repaid, the money becomes available to loan again and again. Clients' savings accounts and borrowed financial funds add to the loan pool available to clients. Through the recycling of loans, mobilization of savings deposits and financial leveraging, the $1.2 million grant will amount to a total economic stimulus of $10.64 million over a three-year period.
Services to Hunger-Afflicted Malawi and Mozambique
In Malawi and Mozambique, hunger is an everyday reality. Malawi faced a severe food crisis in 2004, when an estimated five million people (40 percent of the population) suffered from a prolonged famine. To this day, millions of people in Malawi are struggling to cope with hunger and chronic poverty. Mozambique's economy has been undermined by the aftermath of civil war and numerous natural disasters in recent years. Currently, 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and less than 20 percent has completed primary school.
Approximately 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas. The rural poor constitutes both the greatest unmet need and the largest underserved market for microfinance services in both Malawi and Mozambique. Providing financial services to small-scale agricultural producers can address problems associated with high levels of poverty, low levels of production and rural-urban migration.
Opportunity International Bank of Malawi will open the first satellite office in Mponela, located in the Central Region, followed by one in Zomba in the Southern Province. Banco Oportunidade de Mozambique will establish a full-scale branch in the Inhambane Province and a satellite office in nearby Gaza Province. The biggest barrier for the poor in remote areas is the time and money required to travel to the bank's main branch office to do business. Time lost on unreliable transit systems translates to lost business revenues. Both banks will install low-cost, small satellite branches in rural hubs such as marketplaces. These outlying branches will provide easy access to financial services that can impact the profitability of clients' microbusinesses, reduce transportation costs, provide convenient banking and increase the safety of savings deposits.
Additionally, both banks operate Mobile Service Centers that service rural markets by bringing the bank from the city hub to outlying areas. The armored vehicles offer nearly all of the capabilities of a bank branch, enabling customers to do banking within walking distance of their homes and businesses. Mobile banks can cover up to 25 service points as far as 120 km away on a weekly basis.
Opportunity International's current product line in Malawi and Mozambique includes:
-- Business loans provided to groups of seven to 10 entrepreneurs whose businesses need startup and early-stage expansion capital under a group guarantee. Clients receive training in business and health education from their loan officers and outside groups.
-- Individual business loans designed for microenterprises with greater need for capital, and also for clients graduating from group products whose businesses have grown. These loans may be secured with some form of collateral, or through co-guarantors.
-- Indexed loans with crop insurance for farmers (Malawi). A farmer takes a loan and purchases better seed and more fertilizer to increase yields, knowing that if the rains fail, a portion or the entire loan will be repaid by crop insurance. Opportunity International is the project leader for the World Bank in this groundbreaking work.
-- Safe, interest-bearing savings accounts that offer rural families security and stability for the first time, since the majority of poor households have been excluded from formal deposit services. "Dead capital" becomes productive as the accumulated savings recycle back into the local economy.
Immediate Impact for a Farmer
Malawi farmer Augustin Kamanga raises poultry and grows groundnuts, barley, maize and soy beans. With an initial loan of $40 from Opportunity International, he nearly doubled his harvest of groundnuts, which set him and his family on a path of hope for the future. "I am food sufficient since receiving my first loan, which makes our lives better," said Kamanga, who is planning to expand his farm by adding dairy cows, using fertilizer to increase production and hiring two workers from his village.
About the John Deere Foundation
John Deere Foundation is the philanthropic organization established by Deere & Company in 1948 to help improve communities and society through charitable grants for education, human services, community betterment and world hunger.
About Opportunity International
Opportunity International is committed to solving global poverty. Serving approximately 1.2 million poor entrepreneurs in 28 developing countries, Opportunity International is a pioneer in offering small business loans, savings, insurance and training in basic business practices to women and men living in chronic poverty. Founded in 1971 as one of the first microcredit lenders, Opportunity International provides small loans -- sometimes as little as $50 -- and other services that allow poor entrepreneurs to start or expand a business, develop a steady income, provide for their families and create jobs for their neighbors. Opportunity International maintains a network of offices across the globe, with U.S. offices in Oak Brook, Ill. and San Diego. For more information, visit http://www.opportunity.org.
SOURCE Opportunity International
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Malawi: Medic Charged With Unauthorised Drug Trials
Police have arrested a hospital technician on charges of conducting unauthorised and unsupervised chemotherapy drug trials on cancer-suffering HIV/AIDS patients in a hospital in southern Malawi.
Investigations are underway into six deaths among 20 patients being treated for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma at St Luke's Hospital near Mount Malosa.
The accused, Thadeo Mac'osano, appeared in the Zomba High Court on 14 October, charged with contravening Malawi's Pharmacy Medicine and Poison Board (PMPB) regulations controlling the conduct of medical tests on humans. He pleaded not guilty, and will appear in court again next week (18 November).
Mac'osano conducted randomised controlled drug trials on the patients - in which they were randomly assigned to receive a treatment or a control. He told SciDev.Net that he enrolled only 15 people on the study, not 20. He also says that only five of the patients in the trial died, and that this was not because of the drugs he administered but because of advanced cancer.
Mac'osano's actions were discovered when he reported preliminary findings on using the antibiotic bleomycin, vincristine and the intravenous drug doxorubicin in palliative chemotherapy to hospital staff, prompting an immediate investigation.
According to the hospital's written communications with the PMPB, he also used a combination of other chemotherapy agents, including the antibiotic actinomycin and cyclophosphamide.
"The clinical trials were not approved by the country's science and ethical committee, as required by law," Aaron Sosola, acting registrar of the PMPB, told SciDev.Net.
He added that trial regulations require a qualified cancer specialist to monitor dosages.
Mac'osano trained as a medical technician at Malawi's Malamulo College of Health Science. He has a diploma in palliative care and is registered with the Medical Council of Malawi, an umbrella body of medical practitioners.
In 2006 he applied to the PMPB to run palliative drug trials, but his application was ignored - neither rejected nor approved - partly because it did not adequately protect the rights of the patients, says Sosola.
Mac'osano applied to a series of bodies meant to oversee such tests, including the College of Medicine Research and Ethical Committee (COMREC), as well as to Kelita Kamoto, head of the HIV unit at Malawi's ministry of health. Kamoto said she was too busy to attend to the request.
Mac'osano also lacked approval from the National Health Science Research Committee (NHSRC), says Damson Kathyola, head of research and planning at the Ministry of Health. NHSRC is the overall approving body for such trials, but delegates some of its responsibilities to other bodies, including COMREC.
SciDev.Net has seen documentation suggesting that none of the regulatory bodies followed up Mac'osano's requests by asking the hospital why a relatively low-level technician was asking for permission to conduct such trials.
"We seek clarification whether the qualifications of the investigator, Thadeo Mac' osano, were vetted by the council," states a letter to the NHSRC (12 September 2008) by St Luke's Hospital principal administrator, Anthony Chilembwe.
Chilembwe also asks "whether the council approved of the capacity of the investigator to conduct a scientific study of this nature?"
Last month (3 October) PMPB and NHSRC officials visited the hospital. They halted the trials, saying the original 20 patients did not give their written informed consent, the drugs used were not approved for use on patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, and that Mac'osano should not have been carrying out such tests.
Mac'osano, who was granted bail by the court, told SciDev.Net: "The whole issue is simply internal politics, and that management is jealous of me as a foreigner." Mac'osano is originally from Tanzania.
Investigations are underway into six deaths among 20 patients being treated for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma at St Luke's Hospital near Mount Malosa.
The accused, Thadeo Mac'osano, appeared in the Zomba High Court on 14 October, charged with contravening Malawi's Pharmacy Medicine and Poison Board (PMPB) regulations controlling the conduct of medical tests on humans. He pleaded not guilty, and will appear in court again next week (18 November).
Mac'osano conducted randomised controlled drug trials on the patients - in which they were randomly assigned to receive a treatment or a control. He told SciDev.Net that he enrolled only 15 people on the study, not 20. He also says that only five of the patients in the trial died, and that this was not because of the drugs he administered but because of advanced cancer.
Mac'osano's actions were discovered when he reported preliminary findings on using the antibiotic bleomycin, vincristine and the intravenous drug doxorubicin in palliative chemotherapy to hospital staff, prompting an immediate investigation.
According to the hospital's written communications with the PMPB, he also used a combination of other chemotherapy agents, including the antibiotic actinomycin and cyclophosphamide.
"The clinical trials were not approved by the country's science and ethical committee, as required by law," Aaron Sosola, acting registrar of the PMPB, told SciDev.Net.
He added that trial regulations require a qualified cancer specialist to monitor dosages.
Mac'osano trained as a medical technician at Malawi's Malamulo College of Health Science. He has a diploma in palliative care and is registered with the Medical Council of Malawi, an umbrella body of medical practitioners.
In 2006 he applied to the PMPB to run palliative drug trials, but his application was ignored - neither rejected nor approved - partly because it did not adequately protect the rights of the patients, says Sosola.
Mac'osano applied to a series of bodies meant to oversee such tests, including the College of Medicine Research and Ethical Committee (COMREC), as well as to Kelita Kamoto, head of the HIV unit at Malawi's ministry of health. Kamoto said she was too busy to attend to the request.
Mac'osano also lacked approval from the National Health Science Research Committee (NHSRC), says Damson Kathyola, head of research and planning at the Ministry of Health. NHSRC is the overall approving body for such trials, but delegates some of its responsibilities to other bodies, including COMREC.
SciDev.Net has seen documentation suggesting that none of the regulatory bodies followed up Mac'osano's requests by asking the hospital why a relatively low-level technician was asking for permission to conduct such trials.
"We seek clarification whether the qualifications of the investigator, Thadeo Mac' osano, were vetted by the council," states a letter to the NHSRC (12 September 2008) by St Luke's Hospital principal administrator, Anthony Chilembwe.
Chilembwe also asks "whether the council approved of the capacity of the investigator to conduct a scientific study of this nature?"
Last month (3 October) PMPB and NHSRC officials visited the hospital. They halted the trials, saying the original 20 patients did not give their written informed consent, the drugs used were not approved for use on patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, and that Mac'osano should not have been carrying out such tests.
Mac'osano, who was granted bail by the court, told SciDev.Net: "The whole issue is simply internal politics, and that management is jealous of me as a foreigner." Mac'osano is originally from Tanzania.
Education for girls is key to brighter future in Malawi
One day Memory Chazeza would like to see her country free from the gender inequality that hinders girls in getting an education.
Malawian girls are born into a life predetermined by culture. Education is the only thing that gives them hope for a brighter future, said Chazeza, who was speaking in Oak Bay on Thursday about the development of the Atsikana Pa Ulendo (Girls on the Move) girls school in Malawi.
“People regard women as people who can not contribute to anything. They should just listen and do what they’re told,” she said. “When it’s time for boys and girls to go to school, boys are given more chance to go to school than girls. At the age of 13 or 14, girls are encouraged to get married and they’re not given that chance (for an) education, even when they are married.”
At school, it’s common for girls to be sexually abused by their teacher and classmates. Girls are also faced with marriage proposals from their teachers and if they refuse, they are punished, she explained. Even though it’s a challenge, Chazeza says she knows first-hand the difference education can make in a girl’s life.
“Once I was educated I had a voice in society, in my family and in the community. Before no one listened to me, even my relatives. They were dictating things to me, telling me what to do simply because I was a girl,” she said. “Once you get educated you are able to have a job and once you get a job you are able to help yourself. When your husband or relatives know you can sustain yourself they start to respect you.”
Chazeza co-founded the girl’s school with Christie Johnson, a teacher at Pearson College in Sooke who met her in 2000 while teaching at an all-girls secondary school. Opened in January, Atsikana Pa Ulendo now has 72 students.
The Oak Bay Rotary Club, which hosted the Brick by Brick fundraiser last night, has paid for a significant portion of the school.
“The girls aren’t just in class to learn things from textbooks, but also to learn to rely on themselves and make decisions instead of someone making decisions on their behalf,” said Chazeza.
“Girls are learning about their right of say and their freedom to be educated. They came here looking scared, but now they are able to stand with confidence and they are very happy. I feel that what we’re doing is really empowering girls and women. When you educate a woman you educate a nation.”
In an effort to break the culture of dependency, the school is also teaching girls not to accept handouts, Chazeza said.
“If people go there with the mentality of giving the community handouts, then you don’t change them. But if you go there with the mentality of helping them learn so that they can teach others then you are helping.”
Malawi: Norway assists to fight drug abuse
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Malawi government and a Norwegian anti-drug and alcohol agency - FORUT - to give the former technical assistance in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse. The MoU has a five-year lifespan.
The Malawi Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Earnest Malenga said the agreement would help alleviate the problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse.
He said the MOU goes in line with the international commitment to combat the harmful use of alcohol signed by members of the world health assembly in 2008.
“I am glad to report that the Malawi government has put in place a framework for combating this problem through the inter-ministerial committee on drug control that is chaired by the ministry of home affairs and is working with civil society and other relevant stakeholders,” he said.
He said the Norwegian government has been assisting the government of Malawi in several initiatives and the FORUT MoU showed the Norwegian government’s commitment to assist Malawi achieve its Millennium Development Goals.
Malenga said alcohol has brought a lot of problems to the Malawian society and was an obstacle to the development agenda. “For your information Malawi is one of the countries with serious drug production, abuse and trafficking in the SADC region,” he said.
The Malawi Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Earnest Malenga said the agreement would help alleviate the problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse.
He said the MOU goes in line with the international commitment to combat the harmful use of alcohol signed by members of the world health assembly in 2008.
“I am glad to report that the Malawi government has put in place a framework for combating this problem through the inter-ministerial committee on drug control that is chaired by the ministry of home affairs and is working with civil society and other relevant stakeholders,” he said.
He said the Norwegian government has been assisting the government of Malawi in several initiatives and the FORUT MoU showed the Norwegian government’s commitment to assist Malawi achieve its Millennium Development Goals.
Malenga said alcohol has brought a lot of problems to the Malawian society and was an obstacle to the development agenda. “For your information Malawi is one of the countries with serious drug production, abuse and trafficking in the SADC region,” he said.
Malawi welcomes African baboons, monkeys from Israel
Malawi, through conservationists from the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, has welcomed eight olive baboons and a velvet monkey from Tel Aviv in Israel, APA learnt here Thursday.
Lilongwe Wildlife Centre Managing Director Lee Stewart told journalists at Kamuzu International Airport that the wild animals are returning to their motherland in Africa after being taken away from smugglers who had stolen them from the continent when they were just babies.
"These baboons and monkeys were taken illegally from Africa and exported illegally to Israel a long time ago. Now they are back to their original home and where they rightly belong," a happy Stewart said.
He added that the animals would be kept in a cage at the wildlife centre where food and other requirements like medical and care will be provided to them.
He added that they will help promote tourism since more people, including students from different areas of the capital city, will be coming to visit the animals.
Lilongwe Wildlife Centre Managing Director Lee Stewart told journalists at Kamuzu International Airport that the wild animals are returning to their motherland in Africa after being taken away from smugglers who had stolen them from the continent when they were just babies.
"These baboons and monkeys were taken illegally from Africa and exported illegally to Israel a long time ago. Now they are back to their original home and where they rightly belong," a happy Stewart said.
He added that the animals would be kept in a cage at the wildlife centre where food and other requirements like medical and care will be provided to them.
He added that they will help promote tourism since more people, including students from different areas of the capital city, will be coming to visit the animals.
Malawi: National team coach worried
Inactivity during dates sanctioned by world football governing body, FIFA, for friendly matches could cost the Flames of Malawi, national team coach, Kinnah Phiri warned.
His sentiments come in the wake of revelations from Football Association of Malawi president, Walter Manda, that the Flames could go to next year without playing a game, citing lack of funding.
Malawi are in the same group as Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso - teams that have lined up a number of friendly games - yet the Flames can consider to sit on their laurels. "It is too bad: it could cost us places at the World Cup and Africa Nations Cup. It is too dangerous for us, to say the truth. Let government and the corporate world do something," pleaded Phiri in an interview.
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