HOW MSF WORKS DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/ MéDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) MEDICAL TEAMS IN ACTION
HOW MSF
WORKS
02
HUMANITARIAN SPACE Welcome, and thank you for joining Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) by making a generous gift. Our international movement was founded in 1971 by an Association of medical professionals who were united by their passionate belief that people caught in crisis have the right to quality medical care, and their determination to deliver it. Today, we continue as an Association run by the dedicated people who work in our field projects, who come together yearly in a General Assembly to elect our governing Board of Directors from among our colleagues who have worked in the field. In offering your financial support, you now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with more than 31,000 doctors, nurses, and other medical and logistical professionals at work every day in nearly 70 countries around the world.
decisions that we have made in order to continually improve the care that we provide to our patients. So, in keeping with our tradition of transparency and reflection, I am sending you this magazine to answer some of the questions most frequently asked about our organization. I hope that you’ll visit our website for updates on our day-to-day work. As a community, we wholeheartedly invite people inside and outside the organization to continue asking questions, so we can continue answering, thinking, and reflecting, with the ultimate goal of improving the care that we deliver in the field to people who truly need our assistance. Sincerely yours,
Jason Cone Executive Director, MSF-USA
We are an inquisitive and reflective organization, one that carefully examines our methodologies and the
01
HOW MSF
WORKS
Cover photo: CAR 2009 © Michael Kottmeier/Agenda
MEDICAL ETHICS: We carry out our work with respect
for the rules of medical ethics, in particular the duty to provide care without causing harm to individuals or groups. We respect patients’ autonomy, confidentiality, and their right to informed consent. We treat patients with dignity and respect for their cultural and religious beliefs.
South Sudan 2013 © Yann Libessart/MSF
Dear Friend,
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MEdecins Sans FrontiEres (MSF) PRINCIPLES
INDEPENDENCE: Our decision to offer assistance in any
country or crisis is based on an independent assessment of people’s needs. We strive to ensure that we have the power to freely evaluate medical needs, to access populations without restriction, and to directly control the aid we provide. Our independence is facilitated by our policy to allow only a marginal portion of our funds to come from governments and intergovernmental organizations.*
extreme acts of violence against individuals or groups, the organization may speak out publicly. We may seek to bring attention to extreme need and unacceptable suffering when access to lifesaving medical care is hindered, medical facilities come under threat, crises are neglected, or the provision of aid is inadequate or abused.
IMPARTIALITY AND NEUTRALITY: MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. Our decisions are not based on political, economic, or religious interests. MSF does not take sides or intervene according to the demands of governments or warring parties.
ACCOUNTABILITY: MSF is committed to regularly
BEARING WITNESS: When MSF witnesses
* MSF-USA does not accept funding from the US government.
evaluating the effects of its activities. We assume the responsibility of accounting for our actions to our patients and donors. HOW MSF
WORKS
02
HUMANITARIAN SPACE Welcome, and thank you for joining Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) by making a generous gift. Our international movement was founded in 1971 by an Association of medical professionals who were united by their passionate belief that people caught in crisis have the right to quality medical care, and their determination to deliver it. Today, we continue as an Association run by the dedicated people who work in our field projects, who come together yearly in a General Assembly to elect our governing Board of Directors from among our colleagues who have worked in the field. In offering your financial support, you now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with more than 31,000 doctors, nurses, and other medical and logistical professionals at work every day in nearly 70 countries around the world.
decisions that we have made in order to continually improve the care that we provide to our patients. So, in keeping with our tradition of transparency and reflection, I am sending you this magazine to answer some of the questions most frequently asked about our organization. I hope that you’ll visit our website for updates on our day-to-day work. As a community, we wholeheartedly invite people inside and outside the organization to continue asking questions, so we can continue answering, thinking, and reflecting, with the ultimate goal of improving the care that we deliver in the field to people who truly need our assistance. Sincerely yours,
Jason Cone Executive Director, MSF-USA
We are an inquisitive and reflective organization, one that carefully examines our methodologies and the
01
HOW MSF
WORKS
Cover photo: CAR 2009 © Michael Kottmeier/Agenda
MEDICAL ETHICS: We carry out our work with respect
for the rules of medical ethics, in particular the duty to provide care without causing harm to individuals or groups. We respect patients’ autonomy, confidentiality, and their right to informed consent. We treat patients with dignity and respect for their cultural and religious beliefs.
South Sudan 2013 © Yann Libessart/MSF
Dear Friend,
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MEdecins Sans FrontiEres (MSF) PRINCIPLES
INDEPENDENCE: Our decision to offer assistance in any
country or crisis is based on an independent assessment of people’s needs. We strive to ensure that we have the power to freely evaluate medical needs, to access populations without restriction, and to directly control the aid we provide. Our independence is facilitated by our policy to allow only a marginal portion of our funds to come from governments and intergovernmental organizations.*
extreme acts of violence against individuals or groups, the organization may speak out publicly. We may seek to bring attention to extreme need and unacceptable suffering when access to lifesaving medical care is hindered, medical facilities come under threat, crises are neglected, or the provision of aid is inadequate or abused.
IMPARTIALITY AND NEUTRALITY: MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. Our decisions are not based on political, economic, or religious interests. MSF does not take sides or intervene according to the demands of governments or warring parties.
ACCOUNTABILITY: MSF is committed to regularly
BEARING WITNESS: When MSF witnesses
* MSF-USA does not accept funding from the US government.
evaluating the effects of its activities. We assume the responsibility of accounting for our actions to our patients and donors. HOW MSF
WORKS
02
A CONVERSATION WITH JASON CONE
“Humanitarian action is a response to the moral and ethical failings of our time. We are the ambulance drivers and paramedics of worlds turned upside down, showing up when things fall apart.”
Executive Director, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
03
HOW MSF
WORKS
Ethiopia 2014 © Adriane Ohanesian
— JASON CONE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
How is MSF different from other international relief organizations?
The majority of the leadership has field experience, too. Not all organizations can say that.
Humanitarian action is a response to the moral and ethical failings of our time. We are the ambulance drivers and paramedics of the world turned upside down, showing up when things fall apart. This means as an organization—and our teams on the ground—we must accept high levels of risk. This translates into work in extremely dangerous and unpredictable situations, and also medically pushing for better standards of care for our patients through innovative approaches.
Why does MSF stress that people in leadership positions have field experience?
So we accept a dimension of risk. But we do not transfer risk to other organizations or subcontract to other groups because we think there is too much risk for our own staff. If it’s our project, it’s our risk, and it’s our responsibility. MSF teams are living and working alongside our patients, whether it is in refugee camps in South Sudan, or assisting communities torn apart by Ebola.
MSF is governed by an Association made up of individuals who express their solidarity through the delivery of medical care in the field. Our Board of Directors is composed of former field staff and Association members who have been elected by the broader MSF Association, which is largely composed of people in the field. It’s important to ensure that throughout the organization, the decisions that we make are driven by field considerations and that those decisions first and foremost improve our capacity to assist people trapped in war zones or suffering from epidemics. To do this, you need executive level people who know the constraints and the needs of the field. Donors and external partners constantly ask about our operations and our operational choices. Being able to speak from experience in the field helps me give credible responses. HOW MSF
WORKS
04
A CONVERSATION WITH JASON CONE
“Humanitarian action is a response to the moral and ethical failings of our time. We are the ambulance drivers and paramedics of worlds turned upside down, showing up when things fall apart.”
Executive Director, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
03
HOW MSF
WORKS
Ethiopia 2014 © Adriane Ohanesian
— JASON CONE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
How is MSF different from other international relief organizations?
The majority of the leadership has field experience, too. Not all organizations can say that.
Humanitarian action is a response to the moral and ethical failings of our time. We are the ambulance drivers and paramedics of the world turned upside down, showing up when things fall apart. This means as an organization—and our teams on the ground—we must accept high levels of risk. This translates into work in extremely dangerous and unpredictable situations, and also medically pushing for better standards of care for our patients through innovative approaches.
Why does MSF stress that people in leadership positions have field experience?
So we accept a dimension of risk. But we do not transfer risk to other organizations or subcontract to other groups because we think there is too much risk for our own staff. If it’s our project, it’s our risk, and it’s our responsibility. MSF teams are living and working alongside our patients, whether it is in refugee camps in South Sudan, or assisting communities torn apart by Ebola.
MSF is governed by an Association made up of individuals who express their solidarity through the delivery of medical care in the field. Our Board of Directors is composed of former field staff and Association members who have been elected by the broader MSF Association, which is largely composed of people in the field. It’s important to ensure that throughout the organization, the decisions that we make are driven by field considerations and that those decisions first and foremost improve our capacity to assist people trapped in war zones or suffering from epidemics. To do this, you need executive level people who know the constraints and the needs of the field. Donors and external partners constantly ask about our operations and our operational choices. Being able to speak from experience in the field helps me give credible responses. HOW MSF
WORKS
04
Do governments influence when and how we work?
Being independent doesn’t mean we do not listen. Whenever we can, we try to establish a dialogue with the government in a country. We want to be useful, so we welcome their ideas of where the needs are. They never force us to work somewhere. This is why we are independent—we can always decide not to do something. But we welcome the government’s requests or ideas in terms of geography or in terms of needs. And then independence is really about deciding on our own if this is something that matches what we consider is within our mission, expertise, and capacity.
05
HOW MSF
WORKS
CAR 2014 © Laurence Geai
There must be a need for and an added value in MSF’s presence. If we don’t feel there is an added value, or if we feel anybody could do it, we’re not going to do it. And we wouldn’t do it if it’s not in the scope of our main ambitions—working in unstable situations, on acute medical issues, with neglected populations, when there is a gap that is not being filled. If those conditions are there, then the question becomes whether we have the means and the access, what the security issues are, and so forth. But this only happens after we’ve determined that it makes sense for us to work there based on what MSF is and what it does.
Lebanon 2006 © Zohra Bensemra
When we open projects, are there specific things we look for?
HOW MSF
WORKS
06
Do governments influence when and how we work?
Being independent doesn’t mean we do not listen. Whenever we can, we try to establish a dialogue with the government in a country. We want to be useful, so we welcome their ideas of where the needs are. They never force us to work somewhere. This is why we are independent—we can always decide not to do something. But we welcome the government’s requests or ideas in terms of geography or in terms of needs. And then independence is really about deciding on our own if this is something that matches what we consider is within our mission, expertise, and capacity.
05
HOW MSF
WORKS
CAR 2014 © Laurence Geai
There must be a need for and an added value in MSF’s presence. If we don’t feel there is an added value, or if we feel anybody could do it, we’re not going to do it. And we wouldn’t do it if it’s not in the scope of our main ambitions—working in unstable situations, on acute medical issues, with neglected populations, when there is a gap that is not being filled. If those conditions are there, then the question becomes whether we have the means and the access, what the security issues are, and so forth. But this only happens after we’ve determined that it makes sense for us to work there based on what MSF is and what it does.
Lebanon 2006 © Zohra Bensemra
When we open projects, are there specific things we look for?
HOW MSF
WORKS
06
HOW DOES MSF RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY, LOGISTICALLY SPEAKING? A report from the logistics team at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF):
We also have water and sanitation kits with latrine platforms, water bladders, and pumps. The kits come in different sizes to correspond to different populations. We have a cholera kit with
07
HOW MSF
WORKS
enough materials to cover a population of 10,000, for example. Multiple kits can be ordered for larger populations or programs. A field assessment team recommends which and how many kits to order to the field coordination office and headquarters. In some emergencies, field teams request kits directly from the supply center, but in most cases, the requests are validated by headquarters to help ensure nothing is forgotten. When confirmed, the order is sent to a procurement center. Items that can be purchased locally, like building materials, are procured at the field level. We send materials by sea, air, or foot, depending on what’s being sent and when it needs to get there. If it’s a
three-month emergency vaccination campaign, for example, the first shipment might go by air, followed by a second shipment by sea. Existing programs may order emergency preparedness kits in anticipation of emergency needs. The most sensitive items, such as computers or communication devices, are usually carried by field staff traveling from headquarters. Regional supply centers in places like Kenya and Panama help facilitate transport and warehousing of supplies. They also ensure that drugs are kept at appropriate temperatures. Drugs are mainly procured by European offices to guarantee consistency and quality; the supply centers in France and Belgium are each licensed to procure and distribute pharmaceuticals. More generally, a centralized ordering system
South Sudan 2014 © Hosanna Fox
The first thing MSF does is evaluate the medical needs on site. Based on those needs, we formulate our logistical response. MSF has worked hard to create agile and flexible systems that can mobilize people and resources quickly and efficiently. Among our tools are the logistics kits we have at our supply centers in Bordeaux, France, and Ostende, Belgium. They’re pre-organized according to past experiences and range from office kits, which include items such as paper, pencils, and chairs, to medical supply kits, which include surgical instruments, drugs, etc.
helps us guarantee an inventory and helps us respond rapidly because it means staff in different projects use the same materials, rather than constantly having to learn how to use something new.
We’ve made a lot of improvements over the years, but challenges still remain and we’ll have to keep evolving our methods. We can’t just think that because we’ve done a good job in the past, we’ll continue to do a good job in the future.
HOW MSF
WORKS
08
HOW DOES MSF RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY, LOGISTICALLY SPEAKING? A report from the logistics team at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF):
We also have water and sanitation kits with latrine platforms, water bladders, and pumps. The kits come in different sizes to correspond to different populations. We have a cholera kit with
07
HOW MSF
WORKS
enough materials to cover a population of 10,000, for example. Multiple kits can be ordered for larger populations or programs. A field assessment team recommends which and how many kits to order to the field coordination office and headquarters. In some emergencies, field teams request kits directly from the supply center, but in most cases, the requests are validated by headquarters to help ensure nothing is forgotten. When confirmed, the order is sent to a procurement center. Items that can be purchased locally, like building materials, are procured at the field level. We send materials by sea, air, or foot, depending on what’s being sent and when it needs to get there. If it’s a
three-month emergency vaccination campaign, for example, the first shipment might go by air, followed by a second shipment by sea. Existing programs may order emergency preparedness kits in anticipation of emergency needs. The most sensitive items, such as computers or communication devices, are usually carried by field staff traveling from headquarters. Regional supply centers in places like Kenya and Panama help facilitate transport and warehousing of supplies. They also ensure that drugs are kept at appropriate temperatures. Drugs are mainly procured by European offices to guarantee consistency and quality; the supply centers in France and Belgium are each licensed to procure and distribute pharmaceuticals. More generally, a centralized ordering system
South Sudan 2014 © Hosanna Fox
The first thing MSF does is evaluate the medical needs on site. Based on those needs, we formulate our logistical response. MSF has worked hard to create agile and flexible systems that can mobilize people and resources quickly and efficiently. Among our tools are the logistics kits we have at our supply centers in Bordeaux, France, and Ostende, Belgium. They’re pre-organized according to past experiences and range from office kits, which include items such as paper, pencils, and chairs, to medical supply kits, which include surgical instruments, drugs, etc.
helps us guarantee an inventory and helps us respond rapidly because it means staff in different projects use the same materials, rather than constantly having to learn how to use something new.
We’ve made a lot of improvements over the years, but challenges still remain and we’ll have to keep evolving our methods. We can’t just think that because we’ve done a good job in the past, we’ll continue to do a good job in the future.
HOW MSF
WORKS
08
Do all field workers need medical backgrounds? MSF needs all types of people. Medical staff, of course, but we also need staff to support the medical activities, so we need people who can do financial management, bookkeeping, and human resources. We also need logisticians who can do fleet management, mechanics, water and sanitation, and more.
What do you look for in a prospective field worker? The people who are successful in the field are those who are flexible and willing to learn. With MSF, you’re working and living with people from all over the world, which can be difficult.
09
HOW MSF
WORKS
Adaptability is also important; you don’t know what is going to happen from one day to the next. The reality is that you’re away from your home and your family, and the work, though rewarding, is still really difficult. It has to be something that you really want to do. We ask that people meet certain specific requirements in addition to the professional requirements. For example, we want to know that they have been uncomfortable in the past. Maybe they’ve done medical volunteer trips or they’ve worked in resourcepoor settings. It can also mean they’ve traveled a lot, so they’ve been exposed to different cultures and living conditions.
So you try to determine if someone is right for MSF and if MSF is right for them? Exactly. A lot of people get excited about the possibility of working with MSF but then they talk to friends and family about the places they might get sent to and they decide they don’t want to stress out their families by going to the field. Some people ask, “Am I really willing to go wherever you want to send me? Can I make this commitment?” We make our own evaluations at each stage, but we also hope that people remove themselves from the process if they think MSF may not be right for them.
First missions are usually nine to 12 months, though operating room staff—surgeons, ob-gyns, and anesthetists, who are likely to be on call 24/7—make one to three month commitments. This provides consistency. The majority of the people we hire are from the communities we work in—the staff in our South Sudan projects, for instance, will be mostly South Sudanese. It’s hard for them when there’s a high transition of managers or people coming from the outside.
Do MSF field workers get paid? First-mission field workers get a monthly stipend of around $1,500, a per diem, and full benefits. We cover basic living costs, too. Pay rises as people complete more assignments and take on more responsibility.
What kind of training do people get when they first join MSF? We offer a nontechnical training called Information Days, sort of an induction course
to MSF, as the last stage of the recruitment process. We also brief you before you go to the field. For most medical staff, there are no trainings before you go to the field. That makes some a bit nervous. If I’ve never seen cholera or treated malaria before, how will I know what to do? But we believe your experience has given you the skills to hit the ground running. We also have protocols and guidelines. If there’s a cholera outbreak, there are specific guidelines to follow, for medical and non-medical staff. Non-medical staff, like administrators and logisticians, generally get some training before going to the field. A financial administrator, for example, would learn our way of bookkeeping. Logisticians spend a week going over everything from electricity to vehicle maintenance. In the field, you also usually have a supervisor or medical or logistics referent who guides you, and you’ll usually have a handover with the person you’re replacing.
South Sudan 2014 © Anna Surinyach/MSF
A conversation with Melissa Bieri, a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recruiter, who has completed field assignments as a logistician in South Sudan and Malawi.
How long are missions?
Ethiopia 2014 © Adriane Ohanesian
WHAT DOES MSF LOOK FOR IN ITS FIELD WORKERS?
HOW MSF
WORKS
10
Do all field workers need medical backgrounds? MSF needs all types of people. Medical staff, of course, but we also need staff to support the medical activities, so we need people who can do financial management, bookkeeping, and human resources. We also need logisticians who can do fleet management, mechanics, water and sanitation, and more.
What do you look for in a prospective field worker? The people who are successful in the field are those who are flexible and willing to learn. With MSF, you’re working and living with people from all over the world, which can be difficult.
09
HOW MSF
WORKS
Adaptability is also important; you don’t know what is going to happen from one day to the next. The reality is that you’re away from your home and your family, and the work, though rewarding, is still really difficult. It has to be something that you really want to do. We ask that people meet certain specific requirements in addition to the professional requirements. For example, we want to know that they have been uncomfortable in the past. Maybe they’ve done medical volunteer trips or they’ve worked in resourcepoor settings. It can also mean they’ve traveled a lot, so they’ve been exposed to different cultures and living conditions.
So you try to determine if someone is right for MSF and if MSF is right for them? Exactly. A lot of people get excited about the possibility of working with MSF but then they talk to friends and family about the places they might get sent to and they decide they don’t want to stress out their families by going to the field. Some people ask, “Am I really willing to go wherever you want to send me? Can I make this commitment?” We make our own evaluations at each stage, but we also hope that people remove themselves from the process if they think MSF may not be right for them.
First missions are usually nine to 12 months, though operating room staff—surgeons, ob-gyns, and anesthetists, who are likely to be on call 24/7—make one to three month commitments. This provides consistency. The majority of the people we hire are from the communities we work in—the staff in our South Sudan projects, for instance, will be mostly South Sudanese. It’s hard for them when there’s a high transition of managers or people coming from the outside.
Do MSF field workers get paid? First-mission field workers get a monthly stipend of around $1,500, a per diem, and full benefits. We cover basic living costs, too. Pay rises as people complete more assignments and take on more responsibility.
What kind of training do people get when they first join MSF? We offer a nontechnical training called Information Days, sort of an induction course
to MSF, as the last stage of the recruitment process. We also brief you before you go to the field. For most medical staff, there are no trainings before you go to the field. That makes some a bit nervous. If I’ve never seen cholera or treated malaria before, how will I know what to do? But we believe your experience has given you the skills to hit the ground running. We also have protocols and guidelines. If there’s a cholera outbreak, there are specific guidelines to follow, for medical and non-medical staff. Non-medical staff, like administrators and logisticians, generally get some training before going to the field. A financial administrator, for example, would learn our way of bookkeeping. Logisticians spend a week going over everything from electricity to vehicle maintenance. In the field, you also usually have a supervisor or medical or logistics referent who guides you, and you’ll usually have a handover with the person you’re replacing.
South Sudan 2014 © Anna Surinyach/MSF
A conversation with Melissa Bieri, a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recruiter, who has completed field assignments as a logistician in South Sudan and Malawi.
How long are missions?
Ethiopia 2014 © Adriane Ohanesian
WHAT DOES MSF LOOK FOR IN ITS FIELD WORKERS?
HOW MSF
WORKS
10
WHAT DO YOU TAKE TO THE FIELD?
Matt Stearns, a logistician from Massachusetts who worked in Nigeria on an MSF lead poisoning mission, shared his “field essentials packing list” with us:
T wo pair lightweight active cargo pants (pockets are important in the field) One pair active shorts Three (or so) MSF t-shirts Five pair thin gauge athletic socks Five pair underwear One pair closed-toe sandals, to protect against scorpion stings and double as a “shoe” in more formal situations One pair moisture-wicking trail runners One lightweight belt One or two collared shirts (for more formal/official situations) One synthetic active t-shirt for workouts One stowable lightweight rain jacket One fleece or thermal top One stowable down vest Lightweight work gloves One bandana or lightweight hat (for sun protection)
11
HOW MSF
WORKS
ne pair decent sunglasses, with O retention cord One pair of favorite jeans
PRACTICAL Headlamp AAA batteries Duct tape 3 Sharpie markers (for labeling) Travel lock 2 or 3 small carabiners Refillable water bottle Power adapters Leatherman Small case for organizing cords, head phones, etc. Two tubes superglue
PERSONAL Sunscreen Moisturizer Lip balm Dental floss
Insect repellent Roll-on deodorant (stick applicators melt in tropical climates) Toothpaste Toothbrush Broad-use liquid soap Ear plugs Eye mask for sleeping
EDIBLES T en packs of “energy gels” (with caffeine, carbs, and electrolytes to combat heat-induced lethargy and low energy) Five packets of ginger chews (helps ease “field belly” issues) Energy bars Two large bags of M&Ms (arrival gift to team) One personal reusable coffee/tea filter One small camp mug A pound or so of your favorite coffee or tea
SANITY Travel speaker iPod shuffle filled with regional pop or traditional music relevant to the mission context Smartphone Aggressively protective water- and dust-proof case for phone Three pairs in-ear headphones (field life is brutal on headphone wires) Lightweight e-reader (filled with good books) Portable USB charging pack Two USB charge cords and USB power adaptors Jump rope (for cardio workouts in security restricted contexts where running or walking is impossible) Decent notebook Playing cards
3
3
CLOTHING
m&m’s
HOW MSF
WORKS
12
WHAT DO YOU TAKE TO THE FIELD?
Matt Stearns, a logistician from Massachusetts who worked in Nigeria on an MSF lead poisoning mission, shared his “field essentials packing list” with us:
T wo pair lightweight active cargo pants (pockets are important in the field) One pair active shorts Three (or so) MSF t-shirts Five pair thin gauge athletic socks Five pair underwear One pair closed-toe sandals, to protect against scorpion stings and double as a “shoe” in more formal situations One pair moisture-wicking trail runners One lightweight belt One or two collared shirts (for more formal/official situations) One synthetic active t-shirt for workouts One stowable lightweight rain jacket One fleece or thermal top One stowable down vest Lightweight work gloves One bandana or lightweight hat (for sun protection)
11
HOW MSF
WORKS
ne pair decent sunglasses, with O retention cord One pair of favorite jeans
PRACTICAL Headlamp AAA batteries Duct tape 3 Sharpie markers (for labeling) Travel lock 2 or 3 small carabiners Refillable water bottle Power adapters Leatherman Small case for organizing cords, head phones, etc. Two tubes superglue
PERSONAL Sunscreen Moisturizer Lip balm Dental floss
Insect repellent Roll-on deodorant (stick applicators melt in tropical climates) Toothpaste Toothbrush Broad-use liquid soap Ear plugs Eye mask for sleeping
EDIBLES T en packs of “energy gels” (with caffeine, carbs, and electrolytes to combat heat-induced lethargy and low energy) Five packets of ginger chews (helps ease “field belly” issues) Energy bars Two large bags of M&Ms (arrival gift to team) One personal reusable coffee/tea filter One small camp mug A pound or so of your favorite coffee or tea
SANITY Travel speaker iPod shuffle filled with regional pop or traditional music relevant to the mission context Smartphone Aggressively protective water- and dust-proof case for phone Three pairs in-ear headphones (field life is brutal on headphone wires) Lightweight e-reader (filled with good books) Portable USB charging pack Two USB charge cords and USB power adaptors Jump rope (for cardio workouts in security restricted contexts where running or walking is impossible) Decent notebook Playing cards
3
3
CLOTHING
m&m’s
HOW MSF
WORKS
12
HOW IMPORTANT ARE NATIONAL STAFF? Kate Mort is an MSF-USA Director of Field Human Resources:
National staff are crucial to every MSF project; they are at the core of everything we do. National staff make up around 90 percent of all MSF field workers, so they do most of the nutsand-bolts work that keeps our projects running.
13
HOW MSF
WORKS
Liberia 2014 © Armelle Loiseau/MSF
DRC 2012 © Sven Torfinn
With staffing, it’s all about context. And the individual. When I was in South Sudan in 2004, there was an enormously enthusiastic, motivated, and intelligent guy who started as a cleaner. Over the years, he was promoted to working in the pharmacy, working on pharmacy management, working with dispensing medication and patient care. Eventually, he became a medical officer.
National staff members are those who live locally in the country in which a project is located.
We certainly try to encourage professional development. There are various trainings available to national staff within MSF, and we do more trainings in the field now. We also send people from different projects to trainings all over the world, which is great, because now we have a lot more national staff moving into higher levels of management and many who go on to work for us as expatriates themselves.
HOW MSF
WORKS
14
HOW IMPORTANT ARE NATIONAL STAFF? Kate Mort is an MSF-USA Director of Field Human Resources:
National staff are crucial to every MSF project; they are at the core of everything we do. National staff make up around 90 percent of all MSF field workers, so they do most of the nutsand-bolts work that keeps our projects running.
13
HOW MSF
WORKS
Liberia 2014 © Armelle Loiseau/MSF
DRC 2012 © Sven Torfinn
With staffing, it’s all about context. And the individual. When I was in South Sudan in 2004, there was an enormously enthusiastic, motivated, and intelligent guy who started as a cleaner. Over the years, he was promoted to working in the pharmacy, working on pharmacy management, working with dispensing medication and patient care. Eventually, he became a medical officer.
National staff members are those who live locally in the country in which a project is located.
We certainly try to encourage professional development. There are various trainings available to national staff within MSF, and we do more trainings in the field now. We also send people from different projects to trainings all over the world, which is great, because now we have a lot more national staff moving into higher levels of management and many who go on to work for us as expatriates themselves.
HOW MSF
WORKS
14
HOW DO YOU MANAGE SECURITY IN PLACES WHERE YOU CAN’T COUNT ON RESPECT FOR MEDICAL FACILITIES? Jordan Wiley spent a year working as an emergency team field coordinator in Syria and Central African Republic for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
You make the rounds and speak with as many people as possible; every single day you’re collecting information and trying to verify, re-verify, and cross-check. For me, having those local contacts is the most important thing. It’s important to remember that contexts change all the time, but incidents usually don’t happen randomly. Usually there’s some type of precursor or warning to potential threats or
15
HOW MSF
WORKS
incidents. If we can catch wind of something ahead of time, we can keep our teams more secure. There are also behavioral things we can do to reduce risk—implementing curfews for staff, for example, or avoiding certain neighborhoods. There are also lots of things we do to improve our physical security: building fences, hiring guards, and so forth. In particularly dangerous contexts, like CAR, we also construct heavyduty safe rooms with reinforced walls and ceilings to protect from stray bullets, grenades, and other explosives. At the end of the day, our most important tool is communication.
South Sudan 2014 © Anna Surinyach/MSF
The best thing we can do is maintain really solid communication with the community around us. In the places we work, security always involves a huge amount of coordination to maintain the closest possible contact with all actors on the ground. That means local government, rebel groups, local religious groups, anybody who’s anybody, really.
HOW MSF
WORKS
16
HOW DO YOU MANAGE SECURITY IN PLACES WHERE YOU CAN’T COUNT ON RESPECT FOR MEDICAL FACILITIES? Jordan Wiley spent a year working as an emergency team field coordinator in Syria and Central African Republic for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
You make the rounds and speak with as many people as possible; every single day you’re collecting information and trying to verify, re-verify, and cross-check. For me, having those local contacts is the most important thing. It’s important to remember that contexts change all the time, but incidents usually don’t happen randomly. Usually there’s some type of precursor or warning to potential threats or
15
HOW MSF
WORKS
incidents. If we can catch wind of something ahead of time, we can keep our teams more secure. There are also behavioral things we can do to reduce risk—implementing curfews for staff, for example, or avoiding certain neighborhoods. There are also lots of things we do to improve our physical security: building fences, hiring guards, and so forth. In particularly dangerous contexts, like CAR, we also construct heavyduty safe rooms with reinforced walls and ceilings to protect from stray bullets, grenades, and other explosives. At the end of the day, our most important tool is communication.
South Sudan 2014 © Anna Surinyach/MSF
The best thing we can do is maintain really solid communication with the community around us. In the places we work, security always involves a huge amount of coordination to maintain the closest possible contact with all actors on the ground. That means local government, rebel groups, local religious groups, anybody who’s anybody, really.
HOW MSF
WORKS
16
WHAT DOES A HEAD OF MISSION DO?
Kassia Echavarri-Queen was an MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan:
Chain of Life
Representing MSF in the country also means working with people at other organizations or the ministries of health, and advocating for what we feel is needed. We provide day-to-day health care, but we also explain the reason we use certain medical protocols and work with health organizations at the national or local level to implement these practices. Challenges change from day to day. And sometimes you just have to put out fires. It just really depends on the day. The work is challenging, but it’s always interesting.
17
HOW MSF
WORKS
DRC 2012 © Aurelie Lachant/MSF
Getting vital medicines where they need to be
South Sudan 2012 © Jason Van Dyke
The main responsibilities of a Head of Mission are understanding the humanitarian context of the country, implementing and managing the projects, properly representing Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and overseeing security. You also need to handle day-to-day management of your coordination team—finance, HR, and logistics—and make sure you are supporting the field coordinators so that we can all give the proper support to the teams that are working in the field. The working relationship with the medical coordinator is really important as all of us together work to ensure that the mission is following the best strategy, that it is clearly communicated, and that MSF is responding in the most effective way to answer the needs.
1
Ensuring that our teams in the field have the right medicines and equipment is a major logistical challenge. We work hard to get materials to our teams where and when they need them.
WAREHOUSE Vaccines are stored in a refrigerated area of our warehouses.
Vaccines are a particular challenge. From the moment of manufacture to the point of injection in the field, they must be kept at certain temperatures to avoid spoilage. A generalized version of the cold chain procedure MSF uses is mapped out below:
2 TRUCK TRANSPORT The vaccines are transported by truck in an icelined fridge in case of a power failure.
3
4
CARGO PLANES Due to the need to maintain cool temperatures during transport, vaccines are sent to the field on cargo planes during emergencies.
CUSTOMS Plane lands in country and the vaccines pass through customs.
5 CENTRAL MSF STORES Vaccines are taken to central MSF stores, which can be anything from a warehouse to a small shed, and placed in a refrigerated area or large fridge powered by a generator.
6
STOCK REQUEST Field teams decide what they need, and the logistician creates a stock request.
9 VACCINES ARRIVE Vaccines arrive at target location and patients receive their injections.
7 8 CARS, MOTORBIKES, DONKEYS, ETC. In many countries, roads are unreliable, if they exist at all. To reach our more remote projects, we must therefore use the mode of transport best suited to the conditions.
MSF LAND CRUISER Coolboxes full of vaccines are transported by MSF Land Cruiser to smaller MSF projects in towns and countryside.
HOW MSF
WORKS
18
WHAT DOES A HEAD OF MISSION DO?
Kassia Echavarri-Queen was an MSF Head of Mission in South Sudan:
Chain of Life
Representing MSF in the country also means working with people at other organizations or the ministries of health, and advocating for what we feel is needed. We provide day-to-day health care, but we also explain the reason we use certain medical protocols and work with health organizations at the national or local level to implement these practices. Challenges change from day to day. And sometimes you just have to put out fires. It just really depends on the day. The work is challenging, but it’s always interesting.
17
HOW MSF
WORKS
DRC 2012 © Aurelie Lachant/MSF
Getting vital medicines where they need to be
South Sudan 2012 © Jason Van Dyke
The main responsibilities of a Head of Mission are understanding the humanitarian context of the country, implementing and managing the projects, properly representing Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and overseeing security. You also need to handle day-to-day management of your coordination team—finance, HR, and logistics—and make sure you are supporting the field coordinators so that we can all give the proper support to the teams that are working in the field. The working relationship with the medical coordinator is really important as all of us together work to ensure that the mission is following the best strategy, that it is clearly communicated, and that MSF is responding in the most effective way to answer the needs.
1
Ensuring that our teams in the field have the right medicines and equipment is a major logistical challenge. We work hard to get materials to our teams where and when they need them.
WAREHOUSE Vaccines are stored in a refrigerated area of our warehouses.
Vaccines are a particular challenge. From the moment of manufacture to the point of injection in the field, they must be kept at certain temperatures to avoid spoilage. A generalized version of the cold chain procedure MSF uses is mapped out below:
2 TRUCK TRANSPORT The vaccines are transported by truck in an icelined fridge in case of a power failure.
3
4
CARGO PLANES Due to the need to maintain cool temperatures during transport, vaccines are sent to the field on cargo planes during emergencies.
CUSTOMS Plane lands in country and the vaccines pass through customs.
5 CENTRAL MSF STORES Vaccines are taken to central MSF stores, which can be anything from a warehouse to a small shed, and placed in a refrigerated area or large fridge powered by a generator.
6
STOCK REQUEST Field teams decide what they need, and the logistician creates a stock request.
9 VACCINES ARRIVE Vaccines arrive at target location and patients receive their injections.
7 8 CARS, MOTORBIKES, DONKEYS, ETC. In many countries, roads are unreliable, if they exist at all. To reach our more remote projects, we must therefore use the mode of transport best suited to the conditions.
MSF LAND CRUISER Coolboxes full of vaccines are transported by MSF Land Cruiser to smaller MSF projects in towns and countryside.
HOW MSF
WORKS
18
HOW DOES MSF ADVOCATE FOR ITS WORK AND PATIENTS?
19
HOW MSF
WORKS
MSF works under the premise that there is no guaranteed “humanitarian space” for our programs, so we must constantly advocate for the various sides in a conflict or various officials and members of government to respect the neutrality of our medical structures and our medical work. Humanitarian space,
after all, involves not only a physical space in which to deploy humanitarian assistance, but also the room to make independent assessments of the needs and to access patients who need assistance. Away from the field, our advocacy takes place in capital cities, halls of government, and with other organizations or international institutions. MSF has advocacy positions in several headquarter offices around the world staffed by people who relay MSF’s field needs, priorities, and experiences to international and regional actors.
DRC 2013 © Peter Casaer/MSF
DRC 2014 © Jeroen Oerlemans
Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) operational advocacy occurs both in and out of the field. On the ground, it might mean a project coordinator meeting with the military commander of an area to explain what MSF is, what we do, and why we do it.
Syria 2013 © Robin Meldrum/MSF
A report from the Advocacy team at MSF-USA:
HOW MSF
WORKS
20
HOW DOES MSF ADVOCATE FOR ITS WORK AND PATIENTS?
19
HOW MSF
WORKS
MSF works under the premise that there is no guaranteed “humanitarian space” for our programs, so we must constantly advocate for the various sides in a conflict or various officials and members of government to respect the neutrality of our medical structures and our medical work. Humanitarian space,
after all, involves not only a physical space in which to deploy humanitarian assistance, but also the room to make independent assessments of the needs and to access patients who need assistance. Away from the field, our advocacy takes place in capital cities, halls of government, and with other organizations or international institutions. MSF has advocacy positions in several headquarter offices around the world staffed by people who relay MSF’s field needs, priorities, and experiences to international and regional actors.
DRC 2013 © Peter Casaer/MSF
DRC 2014 © Jeroen Oerlemans
Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) operational advocacy occurs both in and out of the field. On the ground, it might mean a project coordinator meeting with the military commander of an area to explain what MSF is, what we do, and why we do it.
Syria 2013 © Robin Meldrum/MSF
A report from the Advocacy team at MSF-USA:
HOW MSF
WORKS
20
HOW DOES MSF CLOSE PROJECTS?
For example, nurse Carissa Guild was part of a team that closed a project. In April 2012, Guild was with MSF in Nyanzale, in DRC’s North Kivu province. It was “kind of a forgotten district,” Guild says, a deeply impoverished place with minimal health systems. Their task was to support a local hospital so it could serve the local community and nearby health centers, then turn it over to the Ministry of Health. “It took a long time to
21
HOW MSF
WORKS
get it going,” she recalls. Security was a constant issue for the team. Progress was visible, however: “Everything was open. Pediatrics was open. It was really working.” But then a group of army soldiers that came to be known as M23 mutinied, rendering an already unstable area even more so. Following a series of armed robberies of MSF personnel and facilities, the expats were ordered to return to Goma. “We basically threw everything into our cars and took off not knowing when we’d be back,” Guild says. “I gave the key to the pharmacy to the people in Nyanzale, and then just made a lot of phone calls, trying to figure out how to get medications to the other three centers, trying to sort out how we were going to support them.” She put together kits for each health center so
they’d have supplies for the short term. The team hoped they’d return soon, but the worsening conditions suggested otherwise. During an earlier mission in Burkina Faso, Guild had seen how preparations for handing over a project can last months, even years. But in North Kivu, the abrupt departure meant making contingency arrangements on the fly. Staff in the health posts they’d left were fretting about what would happen next. People were calling Guild asking, “Now what do we do?” “It was terrible to leave,” she says. “There was so much need there,” and the staff “were super motivated and had been doing everything exactly as we asked.” They didn’t have the resources or training that the now-departed teams had, however, and the systems that had been set up—the cold chain, for instance—
Philippines 2013 © P.K. Lee/MSF
Planned or not, there always comes a time when Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has to close a project. An emergency may have passed, a suitable partner might have been found to take over, or the conditions on the ground might have made it categorically unsafe. Whatever the circumstance, it is a complex procedure.
started slipping as supplies dwindled. It was hardest on area residents because they were losing access to care that had been made briefly available to them. MSF may return if circumstances allow, but this is part of working in highly insecure environments.
HOW MSF
WORKS
22
HOW DOES MSF CLOSE PROJECTS?
For example, nurse Carissa Guild was part of a team that closed a project. In April 2012, Guild was with MSF in Nyanzale, in DRC’s North Kivu province. It was “kind of a forgotten district,” Guild says, a deeply impoverished place with minimal health systems. Their task was to support a local hospital so it could serve the local community and nearby health centers, then turn it over to the Ministry of Health. “It took a long time to
21
HOW MSF
WORKS
get it going,” she recalls. Security was a constant issue for the team. Progress was visible, however: “Everything was open. Pediatrics was open. It was really working.” But then a group of army soldiers that came to be known as M23 mutinied, rendering an already unstable area even more so. Following a series of armed robberies of MSF personnel and facilities, the expats were ordered to return to Goma. “We basically threw everything into our cars and took off not knowing when we’d be back,” Guild says. “I gave the key to the pharmacy to the people in Nyanzale, and then just made a lot of phone calls, trying to figure out how to get medications to the other three centers, trying to sort out how we were going to support them.” She put together kits for each health center so
they’d have supplies for the short term. The team hoped they’d return soon, but the worsening conditions suggested otherwise. During an earlier mission in Burkina Faso, Guild had seen how preparations for handing over a project can last months, even years. But in North Kivu, the abrupt departure meant making contingency arrangements on the fly. Staff in the health posts they’d left were fretting about what would happen next. People were calling Guild asking, “Now what do we do?” “It was terrible to leave,” she says. “There was so much need there,” and the staff “were super motivated and had been doing everything exactly as we asked.” They didn’t have the resources or training that the now-departed teams had, however, and the systems that had been set up—the cold chain, for instance—
Philippines 2013 © P.K. Lee/MSF
Planned or not, there always comes a time when Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has to close a project. An emergency may have passed, a suitable partner might have been found to take over, or the conditions on the ground might have made it categorically unsafe. Whatever the circumstance, it is a complex procedure.
started slipping as supplies dwindled. It was hardest on area residents because they were losing access to care that had been made briefly available to them. MSF may return if circumstances allow, but this is part of working in highly insecure environments.
HOW MSF
WORKS
22
A CONVERSATION WITH THOMAS KURMANN
HOW DOES MSF SHARE ITS MEDICAL FINDINGS?
MSF-USA Director of Development
Guinea 2014 © Amandine Colin
Patricia Kahn is an MSF Medical Editor based in New York:
23
HOW MSF
WORKS
In 2013, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published more than 100 papers, including some in leading journals like The Lancet and PLoS Medicine. Just before the big international AIDS conference in 2012, we had a very visible policy article in Science on scaling up HIV treatment. We also publish in more specialized journals, on topics like malnutrition, maternal health, and neglected tropical diseases.
to vaccinate, for example, in response to an outbreak.” Vaccination is usually viewed as a preventive intervention used in advance of outbreaks. But there are examples, such as measles, where MSF has shown the value of reactive vaccination campaigns—i.e., vaccination after an outbreak has begun. MSF’s data played a big role in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to recommend reactive vaccination in some circumstances after measles outbreaks.
In addition to sharing our findings with the medical community, these articles can help us advocate for changes in policy. When MSF shows in a peerreviewed medical journal that one practice works better than another, it helps a Head of Mission say to Ministry of Health officials, “We’d like to introduce this innovation, we’d like
You can’t come into a country and just do any medical intervention. Countries have guidelines. There are international guidelines as well, particularly from the WHO. In quite a number of cases, MSF research has played a role in moving national and international guidelines towards better practices that lead to better outcomes for patients.
Where does Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) funding come from? In 2013, 92 percent of our donations came from more than 630,000 private individuals, and the other 8 percent came from foundations and corporations. We have what we could call a financially democratic pyramid; we are not dependent on a few top donors; 57 percent of our revenue is being generously donated by donors that give us less than $500.
Can people earmark their donations for specific projects? Our philosophy, in line with our humanitarian principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality, is to prioritize giving that is not earmarked. This allows us to stay flexible and to allocate money where our medical assistance is needed most. We accept an earmarked donation when it corresponds to a wish of the donor. Major donors, particularly foundations and
corporate partners, do often want to allocate their donation to a specific project. It is one of our fundraising principles to accommodate the wish of the donor. And we will at exceptional times launch specific campaigns for ongoing projects that need funds. But in both cases, we have to be sure that we can actually spend the money where and how it’s intended to be spent, that the needs are there, and that we have teams that can address them.
Why do you think people give to MSF? We asked donors this in focus groups last year, and their answer was very clear. They support us because they see us as an emergency organization. Donors admire the doctors, the people who go to the field and dedicate their lives and their time to our lifesaving activities. They respect that we are an organization that is independent and goes into areas others do not, in crisis situations, in war situations, where assistance is most needed. HOW MSF
WORKS
24
A CONVERSATION WITH THOMAS KURMANN
HOW DOES MSF SHARE ITS MEDICAL FINDINGS?
MSF-USA Director of Development
Guinea 2014 © Amandine Colin
Patricia Kahn is an MSF Medical Editor based in New York:
23
HOW MSF
WORKS
In 2013, Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published more than 100 papers, including some in leading journals like The Lancet and PLoS Medicine. Just before the big international AIDS conference in 2012, we had a very visible policy article in Science on scaling up HIV treatment. We also publish in more specialized journals, on topics like malnutrition, maternal health, and neglected tropical diseases.
to vaccinate, for example, in response to an outbreak.” Vaccination is usually viewed as a preventive intervention used in advance of outbreaks. But there are examples, such as measles, where MSF has shown the value of reactive vaccination campaigns—i.e., vaccination after an outbreak has begun. MSF’s data played a big role in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to recommend reactive vaccination in some circumstances after measles outbreaks.
In addition to sharing our findings with the medical community, these articles can help us advocate for changes in policy. When MSF shows in a peerreviewed medical journal that one practice works better than another, it helps a Head of Mission say to Ministry of Health officials, “We’d like to introduce this innovation, we’d like
You can’t come into a country and just do any medical intervention. Countries have guidelines. There are international guidelines as well, particularly from the WHO. In quite a number of cases, MSF research has played a role in moving national and international guidelines towards better practices that lead to better outcomes for patients.
Where does Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) funding come from? In 2013, 92 percent of our donations came from more than 630,000 private individuals, and the other 8 percent came from foundations and corporations. We have what we could call a financially democratic pyramid; we are not dependent on a few top donors; 57 percent of our revenue is being generously donated by donors that give us less than $500.
Can people earmark their donations for specific projects? Our philosophy, in line with our humanitarian principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality, is to prioritize giving that is not earmarked. This allows us to stay flexible and to allocate money where our medical assistance is needed most. We accept an earmarked donation when it corresponds to a wish of the donor. Major donors, particularly foundations and
corporate partners, do often want to allocate their donation to a specific project. It is one of our fundraising principles to accommodate the wish of the donor. And we will at exceptional times launch specific campaigns for ongoing projects that need funds. But in both cases, we have to be sure that we can actually spend the money where and how it’s intended to be spent, that the needs are there, and that we have teams that can address them.
Why do you think people give to MSF? We asked donors this in focus groups last year, and their answer was very clear. They support us because they see us as an emergency organization. Donors admire the doctors, the people who go to the field and dedicate their lives and their time to our lifesaving activities. They respect that we are an organization that is independent and goes into areas others do not, in crisis situations, in war situations, where assistance is most needed. HOW MSF
WORKS
24
BECOME A FIELD PARTNER
—Jordan Wiley, Doctors Without Borders Logistician
DISASTERS, EPIDEMICS, AND WARS OFTEN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. In most cases, the sooner Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) can arrive on the scene, the more lives we can save. It’s that simple. To be ready to respond to any
25
HOW MSF
WORKS
emergency around the world at a moment’s notice requires enormous resources. Maintaining these resources requires solid and stable income from our supporters. That’s why we are asking you now to consider becoming a Field Partner and support our lifesaving work in the field with a regular monthly gift. Your commitment will ensure that whenever people desperately need medical care, MSF can be there fast.
AS A FIELD PARTNER, YOU WILL HELP US SAVE LIVES EVERY DAY. Your participation as a Field Partner guarantees MSF regular and predictable funds, allowing us to respond immediately to emergencies and to make solid commitments to new and
THE BENEFITS OF BEING A FIELD PARTNER: DRC 2014 © Jeroen Oerlemans
“You’re going to have catastrophes. You’re going to have these massive cataclysmic events. That’s why I joined Doctors Without Borders. I also know the world doesn’t work one disaster at a time. It doesn’t wait for one event to get fixed before it gives you another one.”
our Field Partner monthly giving program, please call our Donor Services department at (212) 763-5797.
current projects. Your monthly gift helps MSF put more money into our programs in the field. Since we know we can count on receiving your support every month, we are able to minimize our fundraising costs. At least 85 percent of all funds spent by Doctors Without Borders go directly to support our programs. If you have any questions about joining
Being a Field Partner is convenient. Each month your gift is automatically transferred from your credit card or bank account to MSF. There are no checks to write or letters to mail. You will receive an annual tax receipt for your cumulative contributions. Being a Field Partner is easy on your budget. As a Field Partner, you can make smaller, more manageable monthly gifts that, when added up over the course of the year, have a huge impact. Being a Field Partner is always in your control. You can increase, decrease, or stop your gift at any time. Being a Field Partner brings you closer to MSF and the people we serve. As an MSF Field Partner, you are invited to participate in teleconferences and live online events with MSF staff. You will also receive our quarterly newsletter, Alert, full of striking images and articles about our work around the world.
MAKE AN IMPACT.
BECOME A FIELD PARTNER. $15
c an purchase lifesaving treatment for 15 young children suffering from malaria.
$20
c an supply a month of clean water for eight refugee families.
$30
c an provide a month of therapeutic food to treat a severely malnourished child.
$60
c an purchase supplies to make eight emergency burn dressings in a conflict or disaster.
a month (50¢ a day)
a month (66¢ a day)
a month ($1 a day)
a month ($2 a day)
HOW MSF
WORKS
26
BECOME A FIELD PARTNER
—Jordan Wiley, Doctors Without Borders Logistician
DISASTERS, EPIDEMICS, AND WARS OFTEN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. In most cases, the sooner Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) can arrive on the scene, the more lives we can save. It’s that simple. To be ready to respond to any
25
HOW MSF
WORKS
emergency around the world at a moment’s notice requires enormous resources. Maintaining these resources requires solid and stable income from our supporters. That’s why we are asking you now to consider becoming a Field Partner and support our lifesaving work in the field with a regular monthly gift. Your commitment will ensure that whenever people desperately need medical care, MSF can be there fast.
AS A FIELD PARTNER, YOU WILL HELP US SAVE LIVES EVERY DAY. Your participation as a Field Partner guarantees MSF regular and predictable funds, allowing us to respond immediately to emergencies and to make solid commitments to new and
THE BENEFITS OF BEING A FIELD PARTNER: DRC 2014 © Jeroen Oerlemans
“You’re going to have catastrophes. You’re going to have these massive cataclysmic events. That’s why I joined Doctors Without Borders. I also know the world doesn’t work one disaster at a time. It doesn’t wait for one event to get fixed before it gives you another one.”
our Field Partner monthly giving program, please call our Donor Services department at (212) 763-5797.
current projects. Your monthly gift helps MSF put more money into our programs in the field. Since we know we can count on receiving your support every month, we are able to minimize our fundraising costs. At least 85 percent of all funds spent by Doctors Without Borders go directly to support our programs. If you have any questions about joining
Being a Field Partner is convenient. Each month your gift is automatically transferred from your credit card or bank account to MSF. There are no checks to write or letters to mail. You will receive an annual tax receipt for your cumulative contributions. Being a Field Partner is easy on your budget. As a Field Partner, you can make smaller, more manageable monthly gifts that, when added up over the course of the year, have a huge impact. Being a Field Partner is always in your control. You can increase, decrease, or stop your gift at any time. Being a Field Partner brings you closer to MSF and the people we serve. As an MSF Field Partner, you are invited to participate in teleconferences and live online events with MSF staff. You will also receive our quarterly newsletter, Alert, full of striking images and articles about our work around the world.
MAKE AN IMPACT.
BECOME A FIELD PARTNER. $15
c an purchase lifesaving treatment for 15 young children suffering from malaria.
$20
c an supply a month of clean water for eight refugee families.
$30
c an provide a month of therapeutic food to treat a severely malnourished child.
$60
c an purchase supplies to make eight emergency burn dressings in a conflict or disaster.
a month (50¢ a day)
a month (66¢ a day)
a month ($1 a day)
a month ($2 a day)
HOW MSF
WORKS
26