Annual report 2013
united GENEESKUNDE for health VOOR
DE DERDE Third World WERELD Health Aid JAARVERSLAG 2012 WWW.M3M.BE
Contents
Third World Health aid is an NGO defending the right to health and sovereign development.
Message from the director 5 Partnerships 6 Democratic Republic 8 Philippines 10 Laos 12 Latin America 14 Palestine South-South cooperation 16 Campaigns & movement building 17 Solidarity projects 19 Internships and volunteer work in the South 20 Communication & fund-raising 22 Financial results 24 Organisational information 26
Cover: At the 2013 ManiFiesta festival we asked visitors to write their definition of solidarity on our solidarity wall. Published by: Wim De Ceukelaire, Haachtsesteenweg 53, 1210 Brussels – May 2014 - Lay-out: CÊcile Crivellaro
united for health
of the
Congo
M e s s a g e
from
the
d i r e c t o r
December 26, 2004:
A tsunami floods the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean.
January 12, 2010:
An earthquake destroys the capital Port-au-Prince and several other towns in Haiti.
November 8, 2013:
Typhoon Haiyan causes havoc in the Philippines. There are some dates I just cannot erase from memory. I remember where I was at the time. I remember what I was doing. Wim De Ceukelaire, director
On Friday November 8th last year, I was at the office. I had read the warnings of a super typhoon expected to hit the Visayas, the Philippines’ central islands, in the previous days. That morning, my Philippine friends’ Facebook messages instantly told me things weren’t right. No communication with Samar, no communication with Leyte, no communication with Panay,… Several islands, home to millions of people, had been completely cut off from all power and communication networks by the storm. From the very first moment, we knew action was needed and we activated our network. We spent the following days establishing contacts, gathering information, exchanging it with our network partner organisations in Belgium and other European countries. We launched a support campaign, communicated with the media,…
© BAYAN
Typhoon Haiyan was the most powerful storm ever to make landfall. The extent of the damage was unprecedented. And so was the solidarity movement, even if it largely remained under our media’s radar, which preferred to focus on spectacular interventions by western agencies and organisations. The local organisations, however, were first to respond. And they didn’t need any C-130 aircraft to reach their destination. In the weeks and months after the disaster, Philippine organisations and networks remained on site to take care of the reconstruction, supported by solidarity efforts from home and abroad. Our local partners took the lead in these efforts and showed how important the role of social movements is in such circumstances. It was empowerment put into practice. For us, 2013 was not only the year of the super-typhoon in the Philippines. In other partner countries our partner organisations showed just as much how we can achieve the right to health: by tackling problems at their roots and by reminding local authorities about their obligations. Super-typhoon Haiyan also highlighted the relevance of our activities in Belgium: the need for broad solidarity and campaigns on various social, economic and other factors determining public health. The typhoon likewise put the urgency of a broad mobilization on climate change dramatically on the agenda. In 2013 we concluded a three-year program with activities in Belgium and a number of partner countries. This is why this annual report mentions sometimes results of this entire period. Despite Haiyan, 2013 was not a disastrous year for us. Thanks to the work of our partners in the South and the warm solidarity of our supporters in Belgium, we ended the year with feelings of hope for a better future. With this annual report we are hoping to share these feelings with you.
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5
D e m o c r at i c R e p u b l i c
of
the
Congo
Aliocha,
youth coordinator at EDS
”
“I was impressed with the enthusiasm
of the participants at the EDS and Codic forum in Goma. A lot of young people were there. They took part in very
intense discussions on empowerment
and community participation. At certain points we would get standing ovations from other participants!”
First
regional health forum
unites people’s organisations
With this goal in mind, our partners are mobilizing people through actions complementary with the government’s initiatives. This establishes the social movement as a counterforce, rallying for rights, while also playing a constructive role, providing alternatives. Our partners Étoile du Sud (EDS) and Codic organised Goma’s first regional forum on empowerment for the right to health, peace and sustainable development. The forum united no less than 500 individuals and 287 organisations from the Great Lakes region. The program included workshops on the health system (primary health care, access to medicines) and on the social determinants of health, such as trade, migration, gender, and the climate crisis.
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The forum’s success is partly due to our partners’ intense organisational effort. The forum did not go unnoticed with policy makers. The province’s governor even pledged to present the forum’s conclusions to the president of the Congo at their next meeting.
… In Congo, we cooperate with two local partners: Etoile du Sud (EDS) and Collectif de Développement Intégré au Congo (CODIC). Since early 2014, we have got a local office and a country representative. In 2013, we received financial support for our operations in Congo from DGD, the Flemish Partnership for Water and Development, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Triodos, the National Lottery and the municipality of Lommel among others.
51 new health workers joined the educational Some statistics
I
n the eastern part of the DR Congo the population is living under constant economic and political instability. This makes it difficult to plan for social reconstruction, peace, justice and sustainable development. Our local partners are convinced the population can confront the situation by uniting in social organisations and trade unions. In order to resolve violent conflicts and enforce their rights they must work together. The ultimate goal: restore the Congolese state’s sovereignty so the Congolese can take their future into their own hands.
community health projects.
94 individuals were trained to become ‘barefoot’ health activists.
1.000
300
More than persons and some organisations were actively involved with issue-based and action days on the right to health.
3
38
After years, community health committees are operational in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Goma.
7
Philippines
Typhoon Haiyan On November 8 2013, typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc on the Philippines’ central islands. Thousands of people died, millions lost everything they owned. Local members and chapters of Advocates for Community Health, the Council for Health and Development (CHD) and Gabriela in these areas instantly organised relief operations. They made a fast analysis of the most urgent needs and transferred this information to the Manila headquarters, from where relief missions were set up. Our partners’ strong local roots and the powerful mobilization of their network allowed, even in this disastrous context, those most badly hit to be given help. Bayan, the umbrella of people’s organisations, staged a solidarity caravan from Manila and Mindanao (in the Philippines’ south). The convoy consisted of 50 vehicles, including 9 trucks loaded with essential supplies. 500 people were involved. Some of them were health workers, but many of them were volunteers. CHD sent out medical rescue teams to asses the people’s needs and provide first aid. Along with the many individual donations our Emergency Fund has received, the municipalities of
Health
workers fighting
infectious diseases
I
n 2013, our partners ran campaigns at local, regional and national levels, on various problems many Filipinos are facing: poverty, inaccessibility of health care, evictions,… The campaign’s success was due to a combination of strong mobilization of the network, involving the media, and para-legal action against irregularities.
Women’s organisation Gabriela campaigned, among others, for more prevention in health policy and treatment of dengue fever for all. Dengue is a disease widely present in the Philippines. In Iloilo province, Gabriela’s local chapter forced the local government to vote a resolution promising a thorough analysis of the problem, the exploration of potential solutions and financial support for treatment.
… In the Philippines we have a long-term partership with four local partners: Council for Health and Development (CHD), Advocates for Community Health, Gabriela and IBON Philippines. We also have strong solidarity ties with various other NGOs and people’s organisations. We have a local office with a country coordinator in cooperation with the NGO Bevrijde Wereld (now Solidagro).
Some statistics
Genk and Hoeilaart, among others, made donations.
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Our partners have been working in communities that are part of 14 municipalities and have reached more than 250.000 persons since 2011.
66 leaders and health workers have been trained and are now able to independently manage community organisations.
7 new health committees have been established. 390 health workers are able to prevent and treat diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis and aids.
16 campaigns on health problems have been staged.
”
In 2013 we have received financial support for our operations in the Philippines from, among others: DGD, the provinces of Flemish Brabant and East Flanders, the National Lottery and the municipality of Zoersel.
Elizabeth Padilla,
Advocates for Community Health staged campaigns on malaria, including numerous information sessions in communities where malaria is endemic. These focused on how people can prevent the disease from spreading by fighting the mosquitoes that transmit it. In the course of the campaign, Advocates’ health workers saw 5.648 patients, diagnosing and treating 242 malaria cases.
Council for Health and Development (CHD) “I used to be a
housewife. Participating in the health worker
training in our community has changed my life completely. I have learned a lot on nutrition, health, symptoms of diseases, acupressure and preparation of herbal medicines. I was told about social issues and I am now actively involved in
mobilizations. Community members come to see me not only when they are ill, but also when they have other problems.” 8
9
Some statistics
Laos
From
34 persons (32 of whom are women) trained in project management.
1.276 women trained on hygiene, nutrition and children’s health.
150 volunteers with knowledge on healthy nutrition habits active in villages.
village to
active community
A
ccess to health care in the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos is still a problem. This is why we, in cooperation with the Lao Women’s Union, enhance the local population’s capacities in Saravan province through the setting up of health committees. Thirty villages now have health committees providing water and hygiene, healthy nutrition and agriculture. Volunteers in these committees have been given the necessary training on these topics, making villagers more involved and active in their community than ever. The committee meets every week to discuss issues and ways to tackle them. Women especially have been given an important role in village life. They are now being heard and this gives them confidence. They attend trainings on nutrition and learn how to prepare more healthy and balanced meals for their children. The results of these changes are already visible in villages. Children enjoy better health. Women no longer stay at home, but actively participate in village life. Villages look cleaner and tidier than before. They have become active communities.
… In Laos we work together with the Lao Women’s Union as local partner. We also rely on help from the local office of British NGO Health Poverty Action. In 2013, we have been given financial support for our Laos operations by, among others: the European Commission, the cities of Antwerp and Ypres.
Tonkham,
district animator
”
“What strikes me most is how actively people are participating. When I ask the villagers to join, they come straight away. They are happy to participate and eager to tell others what they have learned. After a training they all gather to clean up the village with great enthusiasm. I told a pregnant woman to regularly visit the hospital so she could prepare for the birth and to tell her husband not to let her do any hard work. And guess what, she actually did all of this!”
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11
Some statistics
L a t i n A m e r i c a
25 new MSP-LA organisations are sharing knowledge and
expertise on health, “interculturality” and ecosystems.
12 new organisations have joined MSP-LA (total of at least 100 organisations).
MSP-LA is now active in
18 countries (12 in 2011, 7 in 2008).
”
Vivian Camacho, © Lieselot Polfliet
A new
Bolivian doctor, active MSP-LA member
generation
“The MSP-LA network is
of health activists takes over
The meeting was the result of a number of previous gatherings at national and regional level. It was a long and intense preparation that paid off. 70 activists from 19 Latin American countries finally met to share their expertise in matters of ‘good living’ (‘buen vivir’) and health. They reaffirmed the importance of the right to health, spoke out against commercialization of health care and in favour of an established and accessible public health system. They agreed to focus on a number of important topics such as healthy living environments, food security and resistance to the disastrous effects of mining on health and the environment.
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men, women and elderly
people unite they can pass
The meeting offered the participants opportunities to exchange real life experiences and to strengthen ties. For a lot of young participants it was their first large meeting with activists from other Latin American countries. Training this new generation is a priority for the network. It is they who will continue the fight, each in their own country, for the right to health on the Latin American continent.
their knowledge on to the younger generation. We
must do more than only denounce the government for being corrupt, we also have to come up with
…
solutions ourselves. We
In Latin America, we have been cooperating with the Movimiento para la Salud de los Pueblos-Latino America network in 2013 and several member organisations, among others in Cuba. The operations with the network are now being downgraded but solidarity ties remain. Moreover, we want to develop a more concrete longterm partnership in Cuba.
should not wait for the government to give us money, but try to find our strengths and make each other stronger.”
For our operations in Latin America in 2013 we have received financial support from, among others: DGD, the city of Geel, the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Antwerp. © Akira Zambrano
T
he first continental assembly of the Movimiento para la Salud de los Pueblos-Latina America (MSPLA) in 2013 was a culmination of a 6 year cooperation between MSP-LA and TWHA. The meeting of health activists from the entire continent proves that the network, which we have helped to grow for six years, has reached maturity.
very important. When
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P a l e s t i n e
Palestinian
“ We
youths put up resistance:
are the generation of the future”
Dahlia,
youth network president:
”
“We don’t want to be a lost generation. We want to know our past and lay out
our own future. That’s why we commit ourselves for our communities, all
political or religious differences aside,
Organising the youth has been a long and winding road and a trial and error exercise. By the end of 2013 however, the youth network had every reason to be proud: no less than 300 youths from 17 local groups attended the first large general meeting of the Tawasul Shababi youth network to lay out their plans for the future and discuss their priorities. Their ambition? To unite and rejuvenate the Palestinian social organisations. The Tawasul youth are well aware of the challenges they will be facing. They realize they are committing themselves for long term change. But they are also determined. And they take a creative approach, starting from the youths’ own strengths. In each group they identify problems they want to tackle in their neighbourhoods, schools, universities, and draft their own proposals for
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that’s why we fight together for a
action. Community work, trainings, cultural activities, media projects, networking, action… Who said this was a lost generation? Palestinian youth in Jerusalem is growing up in an environment that is clearly telling them every day they aren’t really taken into account in Israel. Young people, especially children, don’t have the strength to resist by themselves. Through active participation in youth groups they gain self-confidence, a sense of dignity and pride. Being taught about their own culture and history is an important part of that. They realize they have a story, belong somewhere, that they truly are someone, but that their rights are being crushed.
… In Palestine we cooperate with two local partners: the Health Work Committees (HWC) in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) in Gaza. For our 2013 operations in Palestine we have been given financial support by, among others: DGD, Wallonie-Bruxelles International and Peterschap Palestijnse Kinderen.
liveable neighbourhood and a better future. To do nothing is not an option to us. This is about our future and we want to be part of the change. We have no place for despondency.”
Some statistics
S
ix years ago, we conceived the plan to organise the youth our local partner Health Work Committees (HWC) was working on schools and in their Jerusalem community center into a youth network for the right to health. The goals were ambitious: to reach more young people, to enhance their role in their communities, to establish cooperation with community organisations and to put the problems of the youth under the occupation on the political agenda.
60 youths have joined the youth network; the network has 350 active members.
1.538 youths have participated in activities promoting the right to health.
300 members from 17 local groups and student groups attended the national network meeting.
21 youths acquired qualifications to provide trainings
on right to health related topics. After 3 years 47 youths now qualify to do so.
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S o u t h - S o u t h C o o p e r a t i o n
Palestinian
C a m p a i g n
youth on a study trip
to the philippines
A militant
and
M o v e m e n t B u i l d i n g
movement
for international solidarity
I
n the summer of 2013, two Palestinian students active in the Tawasul youth network went to visit our Philippine partner Gabriela. The visit’s goal was to get acquainted with each other’s work and to exchange expertise on working methods in a different context. However, the differences might not be as big as they seem after all. Somoud is a student group coordinator at Birzeit University in Ramallah. Nagham is the youth network’s vice-secretary and acts as coordinator to a youth group in Jerusalem. They are both 20. What struck them above all were the very tough conditions the Filipino’s have to live in, but also the people’s strength. They have found there are quite some parallels in their struggles: “We just couldn’t believe how much the Philippines and Palestine have got in common. It’s the same system. Only the methods being used are different. In Palestine, there’s the occupation, in the Philippines you’ve got an economic system with a majority of poor and a few rich controlling everything. A lot of people don’t know their history, only the United States’ version of it. In Palestine, we are facing a similar problem. This is why a big share of our attention goes to telling young people about their history, colonization, their background…” Back home in Palestine, they held several lectures on their experiences: “What shocks young people here is to learn Palestine is not an isolated case.”
A global
movement
for the right to health
W
e have been active for a long time in the People’s Health Movement, the international network for the right to health mainly representing grassroots movements in the South. In order to achieve genuine change, we have to fight unjust relations on a global level. This is possible only by building a strong network putting solidarity at its center. The network runs activities all over the world and counts on member organisations to assume certain tasks. Since 2013, we have taken responsibility for the financial management. This implies we manage the network’s funds from our headquarters in Brussels.
December 2013: solidarity action TWHA-intal after typhoon Haiyan.
I
n Belgium TWHA closely cooperates with solidarity movements intal and Initiative Cuba Socialista (ICS) to raise awareness and mobilize for the right to health and sovereign development in the South. TWHA’s expertise in campaigns and movement building combined with the movements’ capacity to mobilize produced some tangible results in 2013 too. At the end of 2012, the solidarity movement intal spread its wings with the election of a national bureau, and its executive committee, representing all local groups throughout the country. In 2013, the movement was operating at full strength and organised no less than 78 solidarity initiatives. It is the ultimate proof that passionate volunteers are now truly in control. Their mission? Indignation about social injustice and enthusiasm to propose alternatives. And they do all this locally, in cooperation with other organisations, and nationally at campaign events or whenever an emergency requires a strong stand, a firm hand or effective support.
In December, intal members joined the ‘climate express’ to Warsaw at the occasion of the UN climate summit, which was marked by the disaster in the Philippines. Two weeks later, TWHA and intal held a debriefing on the summit with a member of the Philippine delegation in Warsaw. Solidarity actions and campaigns aren’t a goal by themselves but aim at achieving genuine change in the field and impact on policy making. In this area too we have made progress in 2013. After years of campaigning against the financing of illegal colonies in the Palestinian occupied territory by Dexia’s Israeli subsidiary, Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Palestine, included the Dexia case in his final report. He warned the Belgian government, majority shareholder of Dexia, for complicity with war crimes.
After super typhoon Haiyan’s passage through the Philippines, intal groups in Ghent and Brussels and other organisations staged events to raise money for TWHA’s partners who were taking the lead in the relief operations.
The People’s Health Movement coordinating commission with Wim De Ceukelaire in the middle at the back.
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17
C a m p a i g n
and
M o v e m e n t B u i l d i n g
S o l i d a r i t y P r o j e c t s
trip to Colombia during the campaign on the free trade agreement with the European Union
A solidarity
I
A
Solidarity
n the summer of 2013, 7 intal members from different groups in Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp undertook a solidarity trip to Colombia. They visited people’s organisations from various sectors (farmer organisations, trade unions, youths…) and learned firsthand what the disastrous consequences of the free trade agreement with the United States have been on people’s living conditions. The fear of a similar agreement with the European Union is present, but so is the social resistance against it. Back in Belgium, the group staged a tour of the country to talk about their Colombia experience. This gave our long running campaign against the free trade agreement a firm new impulse!
wall at ManiFiesta
mid all the concerts, debates and info booths at 2013’s ManiFiesta, Belgium’s solidarity festival, it was impossible not to note TWHA’s presence. Visitors to the toilets were impressed by our photos from the South. Even on the toilets there was no escaping it. We showed all visitors what the situation in our partner countries is like. This provoked some emotional reactions on our solidarity wall, where visitors could leave a message of solidarity. It soon proved too small, as the total number of messages was over 400. At noon our loyal supporters and donors were treated to a drink and nibbles. While enjoying a Taybeh beer, they had the chance to meet our colleagues and volunteers. We proudly told them about our projects and programs. But, for us, the most interesting was to witness the motivation and commitment of all our TWHA supporters.
Twinning project Doctors for the People TWHA supports the twinning projects of two clinics of Doctors for the People. Molenbeek’s ‘Le Renfort’ has developed fraternal relations with the Al Qods center of the Union of Health Work Committees in Gaza. ‘La Clé’, from Schaarbeek, has solidarity ties with the Health Work Committees’ medical center in Battir, near Betlehem.
Friends of Patricia Claeys - Nicaragua Along with the ‘Friends of Patricia Claeys’ foundation, TWHA supports a health project in Nicaragua.
Solidarity Shop - Afghanistan
The ‘Stop
the Killings’ platform awards first Human Rights Award
O
n December 10, the ‘Stop the Killings’ platform staged a protest against the repression of human rights activists and social movements in the Philippines, Colombia and Guatemala. In 2013 it was to be a special edition as the first Human Rights Award was presented. 459 people voted their human rights defender and human rights offender of the year. The Philippine organisation of human rights lawyers, the National Union of People’s Lawyers, was handed the human rights defender award, while the Colombian government received the less enviable award of human rights offender.
Together with the ‘Centre Culturel Afghan’, TWHA supports the Solidarity Shop project in the Afghan capital of Kabul. This solidarity project offers material support to widows and orphans.
Ello Mobile Thanks to the funds received from Ello Mobile, the alternative mobile phone operator, we have been able to keep supporting the human rights teams of our Philippine partner Gabriela. The women’s organisation Gabriela trains teams to defend women’s rights.
Human Call Libanon Together with ‘Right to Return’, an Aalst-based volunteer group, TWHA supports the Human Call project in Lebanon. This project provides support to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. 18
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Internships
and
volunteer
work
in
the
South
INTERNSHIPS AND VOLUNTEER WORK IN THE SOUTH In 2013, 3 interns and 9 volunteers visited our partner organisations in the South. They all came back with the most diverse stories. They do have one thing in common: they had a great experience they will never forget and that has strengthened their commitment to international solidarity. During their stay, they have been keeping a blog for TWHA. Their testimonials are personal and touching. We offer you a sample of their stories (their blogs can be found on our website www.m3m.be/blogposts).
Akira Zambrano, age 21 Education: Social worker Partner: Movimiento para la Salud de los Pueblos (MSP-LA) Country: Ecuador
Antoine Moens de Hase, age 31 Education: Political sciences, international relations Partner: étoile du Sud Country: DR Congo
Akira has been doing volunteer work with our partner organisation from September to December. In Cuenca (Ecuador) she has been supporting the communications team that reported on the continental meeting.
Antoine has been doing volunteer work with our partner organisation Etoile du Sud in Congo for a number of months. He has been working on the organisation’s website and social media. He has also been training local volunteers allowing them to communicate on their successful actions after his departure.
Akira: “My meeting with Robertina made me discover an aspect of the fight in defence of Pachamama (Mother Earth) I could sense the importance of, but hadn’t really understood at that point. The powers-that-be say it is inappropriate for a man to die while he is living on gold (the village lies on top of a gold vein). But Robertina doesn’t believe a word of it. If the village is hungry, it’s because the rich won’t redistribute. They don’t need the gold of Kimsakocha. What the people need is potable water. This brief encounter showed me the source of inspiration for the battle for water and for Pachamama.” Akira has written a report on mining in Ecuador and is an active member of intal - Latin America.
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Antoine: “Etoile du Sud is patiently working on the population’s emancipation. They are small, but manage to organise thousands of people. It is possible. Young people especially want change. They study hard under difficult circumstances. One of my friends, Aliocha, is studying communication sciences but has not once been able to work on a computer during his four years at university. Young people cover many kilometres to come read at Etoile du Sud’s library. They are eager to learn and constantly want to discuss politics, the world’s situation and their country’s future.” Antoine is now responsible for the intal group Congo in Brussels.
Goele Geraert, age 35 Education: Journalism Partner: étoile du Sud Country: DR Congo Goele has been doing volunteer work with our partner organisation Etoile du Sud for a number of weeks in the summer of 2013. She continued the work of Antoine Moens de Hase. Goele: “I had been giving trainings in the past, but none of them have been as satisfying as the classes I have been giving in Kinshasa. My ‘students’ –the EDS members- and me: to me we were a perfect match. We saw each other every other day. And every time they were there, even if they had so many other things to do. They were asking questions, wanted to learn. And even when ‘the bell’ had rung, they would still remain seated and go on studying.” Goele organised a fundraising dinner after her volunteer work to raise money for Etoile du Sud and is now working for an NGO herself.
Marie-Elisabeth Frisque, age 27 Education: Medicine Partner: Council for Health and Development Country: Philippines Marie-Elisabeth and fellow student Leentje went on an internship to the Philippines. Both medical students, not only did they do their share of the work during various medical missions, they also learned what the influence of living conditions on the Filipinos’ health is. Marie-Elisabeth: “During exposure and interviews in communities we heard terribly unfair stories. The government built a dam for irrigation of the farmers’ rice fields, but it sadly only transmits water during the rainy season, when there’s no need for it. The farmers still are forced to pay a lot of money for their water. A farmer organisation opposing the construction of a second dam invited us. Clearly everyone, including the government, knows the dam will be useless, but they will make a lot of money out of it, while further exploiting the farmers.” Marie-Elisabeth is currently a general practitioner at Doctors for the People in Genk and has staged several solidarity events for the Philippine partners.
Emilie Van Limbergen, age 24 Education: Journalism Partner: Gabriela Country: Philippines Emilie is a journalism student and did an internship in the Philippines with partner organisation Gabriela. She wrote a number of touching articles, with violations of women’s rights as a central subject. Emilie: “There I am, sweating in a Manila shantytown in the Philippines. A bottle of ice cold lemonade in one hand, a biscuit in the other. In a garden chair in front of Elsie’s door. She is telling me the story of her ten year old granddaughter and I’m afraid to move. I’m afraid that if I make the slightest movement, Elsie will stop talking. When she’s finished her story, I want to console her. I want to tell her not every man will treat her this way. I want to spend a Sunday afternoon with her, watching Disney movies and eating biscuits, like all ten year olds should be doing in my opinion. But this is not about what I want. It’s about what she wants. And she wants to be able to walk the streets, without being scared.” After her internship Emilie staged a fundraising activity for the victims of typhoon Haiyan with the Philippines intal group in Brussels.
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C o m m u n i c at i o n
and
fundraising
Taybeh beer for Palestine Brussels 20 km: 20% sweat, 80%
may 26,
solidarity
2013: For the ninth time a TWHA team was at the start of the Brussels 20 km. All runners did their utmost and collected over 21.000 Euro for TWHA projects and programs.
of
Support the child Emergency a Philippine activist relief:
I
n January 2013 TWHA took over the ‘financial adoption’ project from the Overpelt Philippines Support Fund. The project is a cooperation with CTUHR (Centre for Trade Union and Human Rights) and CLC (Cordillera Labor Center) in the Philippines. Through a monthly donation, you can support the education and scholarship of a child, indirectly supporting the parents’ commitment at the same time. These parents are all activists selflessly committed to the cause of their communities.
Mikhael has now become Els’ foster child. Els is one of over one hundred Belgians to have supported a Philippine activist’s child. Both of Mikhael’s parents are activists and often take their child with them to their workplace. Soon Mikhael will be attending school, but thanks to the financial support from his Belgian godmother Els, his parents will have one less worry raising their child.
solidarity in the wake of typhoon Haiyan A lot of people have responded to our call for solidarity with our partners in the Philippines. Solidarity events, charity concerts, dinners,... were organised. This allowed us to send 10.000 Euro to our partners within a week after the
TWHA has been selling Palestinian Taybeh beer for some years now. In 2013 the beer was made available at a number of collection points in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven and Mons. Sales have raised over 3.000 Euro.
Easter campaign for Cuba Just like in previous years, many volunteers took to the streets to sell Easter eggs. The campaign raised 15.000 Euro. This was used to support our Cuban partner in sharing their expertise with organisations in other Latin American countries.
New booklet: ‘Empowerment, united for health’ ‘Empowerment’ is not just a fashionable word in the development field. In essence, it is about power relations and how we can change them together, contributing to social justice. Our experience with partners in the South using empowerment as a strategy in their struggle for the right to health was and still is a rich source of inspiration in the development of our vision on empowerment and social change. In 2013 we have bundled this analysis and experiences in a booklet.
disaster. Many donations big and small filled our emergency fund. By the end of 2013, our counter was at 58.000 Euro.
22
23
Financial
r e s u lt s
Financial
results in
2
013 saw Third World Health Aid’s financial results rise over 2 million Euro for the first time. Growth was mainly achieved in the South operations, where we received extra funding for our programs in the DR Congo (Flemish Partnership for Water and Development, Triodos), Laos (European Commission), the Philippines (emergency aid Haiyan) and for the People’s Health Movement. South operations account for over 60% of expenses and North operations for 19%. In other terms: of every 10 Euro we receive, 6 are directly spent for our and our partners’ operations in the South while 2 go to movement building and campaigns in Belgium. The remaining 2 Euro are needed for program monitoring, management and fund raising. When we take a look at our income, we see that 70% comes from subsidies. Through diversification of our income sources, dependency from our main funder, the federal ministry of development (DGD), has decreased to less than 50%. We ended 2013 with a positive balance of 60.000 Euro for a number of reasons: • The ‘financial adoption’ project we took over from the Overpelt Philippines Support Fund also brought a small financial reserve with it.
2013
• In 2013 we had a number of one-off extras (National Lottery, Triodos). Fund raising exceeded expectations as well. The majority of this income has been spent of course, but a small portion was not immediately needed, allowing us to put it aside. • In the past few years, we have put aside a small amount as a provision for subsidies that have not been audited yet. This hasn’t been necessary this year though. Such a provision is a safety measure, as there is always a the possibility of expenses being rejected leading to the obligation to reimburse subsidies. In that cases, this provision can be used to refund subsidies if necessary. In 2013 and 2014 our main funder, the DGD, carried out a financial audit but almost nothing has been rejected. Therefore, our provision is still almost intact, and it was not necessary to put aside more funds. Our positive balance of 60.000 Euro has been added to our reserves. For an NGO working with subsidies it is of vital importance to have a financial buffer at hand. Subsidies rarely cover 100% of expenses and may be coming in late, forcing us to advance the money ourselves. Since our NGO’s total budgets have dramatically increased over the past years, it is cautious financial policy to replete our reserves while it is possible.
Financial
accounts in euro
EXPENSES South programme Funds for partners > partners in the DR Congo > partners in the Philippines > partners in Palestine > partners in Latin America > partners in Laos > emergency aid projects > small projects > People’s Health Movement Personnel costs cooperants
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Expenses 2.014.655 euro
programme • South North programme • Programme management costs • General management • Fund-raising costs •
62% 19% 7% 9% 3%
193.538 314.090 138.356 96.291 141.776 1.209 47.056 27.589 32.394
1.251.121
62 %
245.320 254.881 131.693 112.703 174.212 57.715 95.019 142.792 36.787 22 %
386.184 91.361 294.824
19 %
Programme management costs Operational costs Personnel costs
139.717 41.036 98.681
8 %
132.788 50.394 82.395
7 %
general management Rental office, general costs and communications Personnel costs
143.017 63.749 79.268
8%
173.141 81.022 92.119
9%
fund-raising costs Personnel costs Operational costs Purchase campaigning material
50.315 23.258 13.556 13.501
3%
66.674 25.282 25.917 15.475
3%
exceptional costs
10.327
1%
4.748
0%
1.722.923
2.074.773
231.726 182.223 30.671 18.833
13%
387.868 319.710 33.501 34.657
19%
1.394.417 1.020.485 110.199 120.278 61.247 25.100 57.108
81%
1.442.097 985.485 130.659 166.898 61.558 44.636 52.861
69%
other revenues Contributions of other organizations People's Health Movement Cost Recovery Miscellaneous revenues Withdrawal from reserves
96.779 41.447 28.329 24.245 2.759
6%
244.808 28.229 155.742 48.738 7.099 5.000
12%
RESULT
6.948
60.118
6.948
60.118
subsidies Subsidies of the federal government DGD Subsidies of the European Commission Subsidies of municipalities, provinces, communities, KBF Subsidies of 11.11.11 National Lottery Personnel Subsidies
69% 19% 12%
58%
380.300 90.192 290.108
Fund-raising Donations Campaigns Enterprises (ello, triodos)
• Subsidies • Fund-raising • Other revenues
992.299
2013 2.014.655
North programme: movement-building and mobilisation in Belgium Operational costs Personnel costs
REVENUES
Revenues 2.074.773 Euro
2012 1.715.975
Transfer to reserves
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Our
o r g a n i s at i o n
Environmental
Staff
TWHA board
• Our transport policy: a central role for use of public transport.
On December 31, 2013 we had 16 paid employees (12 FTE) working for TWHA. Our organisation adopts the same salary scale for all staff (b1c of PC 329). We are also supported by a number of volunteers both in the Brussels headquarters as in the field.
• Our office’s environmental footprint: we try to reduce energy consumption.
The TWHA team consists of these fantastic employees in early 2014:
• Pol De Vos (president) • Wies Jespers • Bert De Belder • Bogdan Van doninck • Dirk Rooman • Hind Riad • Lucien Materne • Wim De Ceukelaire
• Waste management at our events: we try to avoid waste whenever possible and use recycled materials.
• Alexia Fouarge, policy and campaigns officer • Anuschka Mahieu, coordinator of movement building & campaigns unit, internal coordination • Benoît Capiau, finance officer • Danny Claes, policy officer • David Vanderheyden, finance officer • Delphine Van Belleghem, communications officer and movement building • Edith Wustefeld, movement building • Fanny Polet, partnership officer • Gaëlle Fonteyne, country representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo • Géraldine Malaise, quality management • Hans Schaap, country representative in the Philippines • Lena Van der Bruggen, communications officer • Marc Botenga, coordinator of the policy and partnership units • Natalie Van Gijsel, policy and campaigns officer • Tom Buytaert, IT and administration staff • Véronique Coteur, movement building • Wim De Ceukelaire, director
and social impact
In order to keep our environmental footprint as small as possible, at THWA we have a conscious approach towards:
• Airplane travel: we try to keep the number of flights to a minimum by combining activities and making sure all trips are well motivated. Whenever an affordable alternative is available, we will prefer it. • Nutrition: at events we use vegetarian and bio products where feasible. We see it as an opportunity to raise awareness on the environmental impact of food. In order to keep the social impact of our operations positive we try not to purchase any products of services from companies adopting very anti-social labour policies. We encourage our staff to participate in major trade union demonstrations too.
of directors
Third World Health Aid
is a member of:
• 11.11.11 (the Flemish North-South movement’s umbrella organisation) • CNCD-11.11.11 (Centre national de coopération au développement) • ACODEV (Fédération des ONG de coopération au développement) • ngo-federatie (Flemish federation of development NGOs) • Association pour une Ethique dans les Récoltes de Fonds • Be-cause health (Belgian Platform for International Health) • Platform for Action on Health and Solidarity • Testament.be • Climate Coalition • 2015. De tijd loopt • People’s Health Movement • Platform ‘Stop the Killings’
Third World Health Aid
has been granted the following quality label:
C2E (Committed to Excellence) – Quality label granted after evaluation by an assessor of the ACODEV federation.
Third World Health Aid
has endorsed thefollowing codes of conduct:
Code on Ethical Fundraising – The label of the Association pour une Ethique dans les Récoltes de Fonds acknowledges that Third World Health Aid respects this organisation’s ethical code. Charter on the recruitment and the support to the development of Health Human Resources in the partner countries – The workgroup Human Resources for Health of Be-cause Health’s voluntary deontological code on health personnel.
Third World Health Aid is recognized by the Belgian federal government as program-NGO and as NGO entitled to issue tax certificates. Administration
‘G3W-team in 2014 – Hans Schaap was absent’
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Third World Health Aid – Médecine pour le Tiers Monde asbl Chaussée de Haecht 53 1210 Brussels Belgium tel: 02 209 23 65 fax: 02 209 23 51 e-mail: info@m3m.be www.m3m.be www.facebook.com/M3M.BE www.twitter.com/M3Monde
27
Our
We
o r g a n i s at i o n
would like to thank our donors, volunteers and supporters, but also
the authorities, federations and organisations co-financing our operations: • Directorate-General for Development Cooperation of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation • 11.11.11, the Flemish North-South movement’s umbrella organisation • Wallonie-Bruxelles International • Flemish Partnership Water and Development • European Commission • Province of East Flanders • Province of Flemish Brabant • Province of Antwerp • National Lottery • Peterschap Palestijnse Kinderen • Cities and towns: Antwerp, Geel, Ypres, Lommel, Zoersel • Ello Mobile
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united for health