WORLD VISION CANADA
WO R L D V I S I O N CA N A DA
ETHICAL INVESTING 101
3 tips for any portfolio
OSCAR PETERSON TRIBUTE
A musician and child sponsor
T H E M AGA Z I N E FO R C H I L D S P O N SO R S 4 MOM-PRENEURS
SUMMER 2008 WorldVision.ca Small loans turn to big businesses
More people THE
are now forced GREEN
from their homes ISSUE
because of
environmental
disasters than war
THE
ENVIRONMENTAL
REFUGEE
PHENOMENON
■ As Africa continues to face
ntinue
ntinu
ntinues to face
tinu
ue ace
c
ace
ng droughts,
more devastating droughts,
ro gh
ou ht
roughts,
th continent
the ontinent
scientists warn the continent
n n
ontine
per cen less
er cen ess
cent ess
e s
could have 25 per cent less
nd of the century
century.
water by the end of the century..
e ur
he centu
OUR SPONSORS WRITE
WHO WE ARE World Vision is a Christian
THE NEXT BEST THING
relief, development and advocacy organiza-
I agree wholeheartedly with
tion dedicated to working with children,
Karen Stiller’s article about
families and communities to overcome
writing to your sponsored
poverty and injustice. As followers of Jesus,
child (“Confessions of a Guilt- we are motivated by God’s love to serve all
Ridden Sponsor,” Spring people regardless of race, religion, gender
2008). I have been a sponsor or ethnicity.
for over 20 years and I eagerly
wrote a letter to the first child WHAT WE DO Since 1950, World Vision
I sponsored. Being younger has helped millions of children, families and
then (in my 20s), life got very communities. We provide emergency assis-
hectic and I don’t really know tance to those affected by natural disas-
how many letters I ended up ters and civil conflict, develop long-term
writing after that. solutions within communities to alleviate
poverty and advocate for justice on behalf
It was not until the tsunami hit Indonesia that I ended up
of the poor.
sponsoring another child. This time I did not mess up; I wrote
on a regular basis. One of the best things you can do is sponsor
WHY WE SERVE Our passion is for the
a child. The next best thing, which is just as important, is to write world’s poorest children. To help
to that child. secure a better future for each child, we
K I M P AY N T E R
Wolf Creek, Alberta focus on lasting, community-based trans-
formation. We partner with individuals
LE TTER-WRITING TI P issues they face day-to-day. and communities, empowering them
i’ve found a way to make writing to It is amazing to read about how to develop sustainable access to clean
my sponsored child easy (“Confes- World Vision has helped women water, food supplies, health care,
sions of a Guilt-Ridden Sponsor,” and children get past these barriers education and economic opportunities.
Spring 2008). by offering essential services so that
We have a list of addresses for they can continue to live healthy in HOW YOU CAN HELP By working
friends and family in the computer in their communities. I strongly believe together, we can make a lasting
label format that we use for sending that it only takes a few of us to make
difference in the lives of children, families
our Christmas cards. I use the leftover a big difference.
spaces on the sheet to enter the mail- AMANDA SINGH
and communities that are struggling to
ing address in Tanzania on some and Brampton, Ontario overcome poverty. To learn how you can
my child’s name and number on the help, please visit WorldVision.ca
rest. When I go to write a letter it is A G R EAT I DE A
just a matter of peel and stick. Easy! i compliment karen stiller for her WORLDVISION.CA
NI GE L MAR SH (T H IS PAGE) ; SCOT T LO U T (O P P OSI TE )
JUDITH COLEMAN article “Confessions of a Guilt-Ridden
Victoria, B.C. Sponsor” (Spring 2008). I thought I World Vision’s website is the fastest
was the only guilty sponsor. Although and easiest way for you to:
B REAKING BARR IE R S I have sent the World Vision cards • sponsor a child
i really enjoyed reading the article and small gifts, I still feel guilty. • change your address
“When Mother Knows Best” (Spring Thank you for your suggestion of • apply for a job at World Vision
2008), about mother-to-child trans- sending a Canadian postcard. That’s
• discover the One Life Experience
mission of HIV. I understand how a great idea.
• learn about important global issues
difficult it is to help women overcome Thank you, your article hit home.
stigma and discrimination when they LIZ CUNNINGHAM Visit worldvision.ca today
already feel ignored because of the Richmond Hill, Ontario
2 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
CONTENTS
on the cover
VOLUME TWE NTY, NO. 3
SUMME R 2008 16 The Environmental Refugee
Phenomenon
PRESIDENT More people are now forced from their homes because
Dave Toycen of environmental disasters than war.
STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J U ST I N D O U G L A SS
S E N I O R C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
M A N AG E R
Kristy Woudstra
John Bugailiskis
E D I TO R
ART D I RE CTOR Carol Moskot
ASSOCI ATE E D I TOR Nicolette Beharie
CO NTRI B U TI NG E D I TO R Deanna Dority
ON THE COVER
While industrialized countries are respon- in this issue
sible for emitting most of the greenhouse
gases that contribute to global warming,
4 Time for a Climate of Change
developing nations will suffer the most FROM THE PRESIDENT While the threat of climate change continues to
from climate change. (Story on page 16.) make headlines around the world, what you likely haven’t heard is how
P H OTOGR A PH BY PHIL IP MAH ER it will affect the world’s poor. B Y D AV E T O Y C E N
Childview, a free quarterly magazine,
5 Upfront
Solar cookers • Climate change and the poor • What’s a carbon footprint? •
is published by World Vision.
4 green shopping tips • Tribute to Oscar Peterson
For more information about 9 Ethical Investing
World Vision HOMEFRONT Three simple steps to great returns for yourself—without
call 1-800-387-6323 or having a negative impact on others. B Y K A R E N S T I L L E R
email info@worldvision.ca
Financial statements are
11 5 Questions
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former sponsored child Genny Romero, 25,
available upon request. in Colombia and her former Canadian sponsor ask each other five
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WORLDVISION.CA burning questions.
Childview 13 Mom-preneurs
How 4 women turned microfinance loans into profitable businesses to
1 World Drive
support their families. C O M P I L E D B Y S A B I T R I G H O S H
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2Y4
email: childview@worldvision.ca 22 My Brother’s Keeper
fax: 905-696-2160 One author discovers that true compassion for the poor
FAITH IN ACTION
Letters may be edited for space begins when we view them as our own flesh and blood. B Y G R E G P A U L
and clarity.
23 One Child’s View
Twelve-year-old Sheila Mae, a sponsored child in the Philippines, helped
plant mangrove trees in her rural community to protect the land from erosion.
P H OTO BY A N D R E W G O O DW I N
FROM THE PRESIDENT
■ DISASTER
Floods in South Asia
displaced thousands
of families in 2007. In
that same year, more
than 200 million people
were directly affected
by natural disasters.
Time for a Climate of Change
the images of a changing earth that we see these days natural disasters are a regular occurrence, we are working
in the media are both startling and frightening: melting with communities to give them practical training on how
polar caps, devastating droughts and deadly storms. While to respond quickly and efficiently when a disaster strikes.
the threat of climate change continues to make headlines In southern Africa, where people are particularly vulnerable
around the world, what you likely haven’t heard is how it will to drought, we’re using techniques such as conservation
affect the world’s poorest. farming—improving crop yields while reversing environ-
The United Nations Development Program recently stated mental degradation.
that developing countries and the impoverished people who As a Christian, I am motivated to care for God’s creation—
live in them are the most vulnerable to climate change as not only because the Earth is an expression of God’s cre-
natural disasters become more frequent, sinking them even ativity and we are called to be stewards—but also because
deeper into poverty. Developed countries like Canada are the ongoing impact of environmental degradation will be
home to just 15 per cent of the world’s population, yet gen- devastating for many of God’s children.
erate almost half of all the harmful carbon emissions that To respond to the threat of climate change, the developed
contribute to climate change. Without action from wealthy world must rethink its economic model based on unfettered
countries, including Canada, the effects of climate change consumption that has proven environmentally unsustain-
are likely to be devastating for rich and poor nations alike. able. We simply can’t allow climate change to turn back the
In my travels, I have witnessed how climate change is harm- progress we have made in these countries.
ing the families and communities World Vision has been serv- Instead of waiting for our leaders to act, we can take the
ing for over 50 years. Last year alone, more than 200 million first step by looking more closely at how our choices and
people were directly affected by natural disasters, an increase habits can contribute to climate change. Living green simply
of 65 million people from the previous year. involves adjusting one’s lifestyle to have a lesser impact on
F IN N O ’ H AR A (T H I S PAG E, B OT TO M); A NTO N IO FI O RE NT E ( O PP OSI T E)
World Vision is committed to helping communities prepare the Earth’s atmosphere. By doing so together, I know we can
for the emerging threat of climate change. We are working to be a positive force for change on our planet. CV
help prevent disasters in the first place, to build people’s resil-
ience and to restore the environment, where possible. Editor’s note: To learn more on the affects of climate change,
For example, in Latin America and the Caribbean, where see “The Environmental Refugee Phenomenon” on page 16.
PRAYER POINT Pray that God will give each of us the
wisdom to look honestly and carefully at our daily activities,
so we can find ways to lessen our impact on the planet.
Dave Toycen,
President
4 WO RLDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
upfront
IN FOCUS
D EAS
NEWS, FACTS AND IDEAS
Solar Power
Cooking with the sun’s rays
is environmentally friendly
■ H OW I T WO R KS Made of reflective material, a
solar cooker converts sunlight to heat energy that can
be used to cook food. By directing the device toward
the sun, a pot of food placed in the centre can reach
200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. While the cookers
work best during the brightest hours of the day, they
can still function throughout periods of cloudiness.
■ ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Since solar cookers
use sunlight to heat food, they do not require carbon-
emitting fuels to operate. This helps families to become
less dependent on firewood, while encouraging the
conservation of local forests.
■ HOW IT HELPS Gathering firewood to cook food
on a daily basis is not only time-consuming, but it also
depletes forests. Fitale Urge, a mother of nine children,
lives in a rural area of Ethiopia that suffers from deser-
tification. Before World Vision supplied her with a solar
cooker two years ago, she walked for hours to fetch fire-
wood, which is scarce in her area. Today, Urge is also free
from the negative health effects of burning firewood.
“My respiratory organs and eyes do not hurt from smoke
anymore,” she says. —Aklilu Kassaye
■ COOKER
World Vision provided Fitale
Urge, a mother of nine children,
with a solar cooker two years ago.
She lives in a rural area of Ethiopia
where firewood is scarce.
upfront
SOUTH AMERICA
The Amazon rainforest, the “lungs of the
Earth,” could transform into savannah by
the end of the century if the most severe
climate projections hold true.
CLIMATE CHANGE
AFRICA
Global
An additional 75 to 250 million people
in Africa will go thirsty because of
climate change by 2020. In some
African countries, yields from rain-fed
Warning countries
While industrialized
agriculture could also be reduced by up
to 50 per cent.
5,000,000
contribute the most to global
warming, developing nations
3,000,000
will suffer the most
1,000,000
100,000
Source: Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arenda, Carbon dioxide
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change emissions in thousand tons
SHOPPING TIPS
4 Ways to Combat Climate
Change at the Grocery Store
1 go organic 2 buy local
average org
On average, organic farming uses 30 per cent less fossil Locally grown food doesn’t have to travel long distances,
fuels than conventional farming. As well, organic tech- which reduces food miles and carbon footprints. At farm-
niques conserve more water in the soil, induce less ero- ers’ markets, don’t assume you’re buying from a farmer
sion, maintain soil quality and conserve more biological or even buying locally grown products. To be sure, simply
resources. Foods that are “certified organic” products will ask the vendors about their farm or where they’ve pur-
have the certification body or number on the label. chased the product.
6 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview
upfront
DID YOU KNOW?
CO and You 2
The
amount of
carbon
dioxide (CO2)
your lifestyle cre-
ates is called
your “carbon
footprint.”
Carbon
dioxide is the main green-
house gas behind global
warming. Using fossil fuels
ASIA
Four hundred million people rely on the such as oil, gas and coal sends
Ganges River and its tributaries for their live-
lihood. The Himalayan glaciers that directly a lot of CO2 into the atmo-
feed into the Ganges could vanish by 2030
because of rising temperatures.
sphere, which traps heat. Re-
ducing your carbon footprint
means cutting back on energy
use so we can limit how CO2 is
changing our climate.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR CARBON
FOOTPRINT, VISIT WORLDVISION.CA
Growing and getting food to market are among the primary human activities
that contribute to global warming. Fossil fuel is involved at all stages of food
production, from plowing and fertilizing to processing and packaging. The good
news is, we can take a bite out of global warming by how we shop for and use food.
3 buy food in bulk 4 make a meal plan
Twenty-three p cent of energy used in food production
T ent three per What’s lurking at the back of your fridge? The average
is for processing and packaging. Choose large containers Canadian family throws out 14 per cent of the fresh food it
instead of several small ones. Buy concentrates and bulk buys. Don’t just plan your shopping list, but plan when you
foods when you can. Bulk foods are economical, fun to are going to have time to prepare the food you are buying
shop for and easy to use. But make sure you have adequate as well. Check the refrigerator each day and eat or freeze
room to store the extra food. anything that is nearing the end of its safe storage period.
SUMMER 2008 childview WORLDVI SI ON .CA 7
upfront
IN MEMORIAM
Oscar Peterson, 1925-2007
One of the world’s greatest jazz pianists was also a World Vision child sponsor
for 15 years. World Vision president Dave Toycen shares his reflections
Like many of you,
I knew and loved the
music of Oscar Peterson.
But the Oscar I knew
even better was a man
with a heart for children,
convictions for justice
and a passion to make this
world a better place. In an
article he wrote, Oscar
talked about each of us
being the “physicians that
are capable of initiating
the healing process that
our world so desperately
is in need of.”
In my first meeting with
him some years ago, he
turned our conversation
immediately to the plight
of children. He told me
that sometimes he felt so
convicted in his spirit that
he couldn’t sleep.
I know Oscar gave to
many causes, but I was
touched by a comment he
made. He said, “I would
do anything World Vision
asks me to do. Any time,
any place.” And he did.
On behalf of World
Vision Canada, I want
to express our heartfelt
appreciation for Oscar
Peterson. May his music
and his passion to make
the world a better place
for children live on
through us.
C
8 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
HOMEFRONT
Ethical Investing
BE EGEE TO L PA / H EFL I NR EP S INC . (T HI S PAGE ); CO U RT ESY O F V ERV E RE CO RDS (O P P OSI TE)
Three simple steps to great returns for yourself—without
having a negative impact on others BY K AREN STILLER
i was never one to rock our financial its way through downtown. And there
I
boat. Well, it’s not really a boat; it’s they were: protesters pointing fingers at
more of a financial dinghy. Randy, our a company profiting from the conflict in
nice financial advisor, drops by our Sudan’s Darfur region. I had glimpsed
house once a year, spreads gobbledy- that company’s name on some paper
gook on our dining room table and somewhere, something to do with our
reassures my husband and me that we own investments.
are on the right track. The conversation It was an unnerving moment, but
then turns to guitars and I wander off. one that led me down my own free-
But that was before Boston happened. dom trail of finding out how to ensure
There I was, playing tourist somewhere our investments are not damaging the
historic on the Freedom Trail that winds world while making us profits. So, I
SUMMER 2008 childview WO RLDVI SI O N.CA 9
HOMEFRONT
pretended to know what things like a others, such as Toronto’s Jantzi Social provide you with any information on
“market capitalization-weighted com- Index, which monitors the performance socially responsible investing, “my rec-
mon stock modeled on the S&P/TSX” of 60 Canadian companies that have ommendation is to fire your advisor,”
was and made my way through conver- passed a set of broadly based social and says Ellmen. “There are a lot of advisors
sations with some smart people, fluent environmental screens. The real global out there.” And he recommends inves-
in “financial-ese,” about the world of impact though, says Berry, is when tors do work with advisors on this. “It’s
ethical investing. investors move on to “positive inclu- a complicated area.”
Ethical investing—also known as sion,” looking for companies known to
socially responsible investing, green be leaders in environmental action. 3 . PI C K F RO M T HE L E A D E R S
investing or sustainable investing— “You start by screening out the bad Jeffrey Talmey is a financial consul-
involves truly putting your money guys. Then, you start looking at those tant with Investor’s Group in Whitby,
where your mouth is and investing in doing positive things,” she says. Ontario. “There are probably millions
stocks, bonds, funds and companies of investors out there who have strong
that meet certain ethical, social and 2 . FI N D YO U R E T HI CA L A L LY social views but don’t know about
environmental standards that we say If you work with a financial advisor these funds. And they do perform,”
are important to us. already, he or she can be your ally. says Talmey. “Right now, green energy
It’s where our wallets meet our wishes Many investment companies already is huge. A lot of companies are mak-
for the world. And the good news is, have ethical fund choices in place. ing changes.” Investment groups like
according to the experts, you don’t have Eugene Ellmen is executive director Talmey’s serve up a menu of fund
to sacrifice profit for those principles— of the Toronto-based Social Investment choices that investors can choose from,
or be a financial guru to figure it all out. Organization (SIO), a trade association all of which have passed through their
Here’s what I discovered: for socially responsible investors. The socially responsible screening process.
SIO estimates that $65 billion And those “baskets of funds,”
1. DECIDE WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU was invested according says Ellmen, just might
Back in the 1920s, they were called “sin to socially responsible be the ones you want to
stocks,” explains Laura Berry, executive investment policies in invest in anyway. “We
director of The Interfaith Center on 2004. In 2006, it was
WRITE TO US! believe that it makes
Do you know ways to make
Corporate Responsibility, a New York- $500 billion. ethical investing easy? a lot of plain sense to
based association of 275 faith-based Ethical investing Email us at invest in companies
institutional investors. “The roots of the is going mainstream, childview@worldvision.ca that are environmental
social investment movement go back to partly because large We’d love to hear leaders that will be ahead
avoidance of stocks like gambling and pension plans are start- from you. of this trend of sustain-
alcohol.” Today, the issues are broader ing to buy in. “Large Cana- ability, instead of the compa-
and include things like human rights dian banks are also starting to nies that will be dragged kicking
and the environment. come into this market,” explains Ell- and screaming into it.” Because socially
Berry says a first step for “retail inves- men. Start asking your advisor some screened and approved stocks have been
tors” (people brave enough to do their questions. “The structure of the con- so vigorously examined, investors actu-
investing without a financial advisor) versation between client and advisor ally know more about them in the long
is to use negative screening. “You say is such that social and environmental run—and the long run is what investing
‘I don’t want to make money off com- issues don’t come into it,” says Ellmen. is all about, says Ellmen.
panies doing this kind of work.’” That “That’s the culture of the industry. But I confess. A really big part of me just
involves research to see who’s doing despite the difficulty of raising it with wants our investments to make a ton of
what and where, she says. You can advisors, people are doing it.” money so I can live happily ever after
always rely on the detective work of If your advisor says he or she can’t and maybe go on a cruise when I’m
really old. But, according to the experts,
my financial goals and my social con-
How Well Do Ethical Funds Perform? science are not mutually exclusive. “This
Must you sacrifice solid returns on your investments just because you’re a caring is not charity,” says Ellmen. “We don’t
person who wants to make the world a better place? Not so, says Eugene Ellmen of take the view that investors should sac-
the Social Investment Organization. rifice returns. We expect excellence on
Socially responsible funds have been available in Canada since 1986, and both fronts, providing a good return and
they have done as well as the majority of funds available to Canadian investors in making the world a better place.” Berry
that time. Occasionally, they’ve even outperformed their competition. “Socially says it’s about achieving freedom after
responsible investing does not have a penalty,” says Ellmen. all, both financial and in your heart. “It’s
A 2007 study by the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative not about guilt. Ultimately, we feel we
called “Demystifying Responsible Investment Performance” confirms what socially are changing the platform about how to
responsible investing advocates have been saying all along: you can make money make wealth in the world.” CV
and help save the world at the same time.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE
ETHICAL INVESTMENTS, VISIT WORLDVISION.CA
10 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
5 Questions
Former sponsored child
Genny Romero, 25, grew up
amid poverty in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Today, she is a sponsorship promoter for
World Vision in her native country
p
a.
Romero’s former Canadian sponsor, Jane Crescenzi of
King City, Ontario, asks her five questions
1 important things
|Whathappened in your life
have
hey
in my life. I tell them that they
can ask God to guide them and I
during the last five years? teach them to obey their parents.
rents.
I finished studying technology I also tell them to keep fighting
hting
and began psychology. That for their dreams because one day
ne
was my dream. I have also been they can come true.
able to enjoy and recognize the
loving care of God through
working at World Vision.
you travelled out-
4|Haveyour community?
side y?
I’ve visited other cities in
What do you enjoy the
2| most about working for
World Vision?
Colombia. I remember with
happiness my first and only
h
y
trip by plane. It was touching.
ng.
It is not just a job, but also a
way to contribute to the people.
I feel an emotional commit-
“I yearned to know w Genny
ment since I am an example my sponsor and Romero
for the children and youth of dreamed of giving her BUCARAMANGA,
COLOMBIA
my community. I like to see
the children experience the
a strong hug.”
same feelings I used to have
when I received motivating mail
from my sponsor. I didn’t want
n
in
|What has changed er
5years?community over
your
to disappoint her. the
There are more parents com- m-
If you had opportunity
3|communityanone piece ofin
to give a younger child
mitted to educating their
children. There is also
JO H A N ESP I NOZA
your more economic stability and d
advice, what would it be? people are fulfilling their
Advising children is a constant dreams.
SUMMER 2008 childview WORLDVI SI ON .CA 11
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Romero poses five questions to
her former Canadian sponsor,
Jane Crescenzi
1|Whatfor my communityyou
have
expectations did
and me when you got involved
in the sponsorship program?
Jane I didn’t have specific expecta-
Crescenzi tions. But I hoped that the little
KING CITY, ONTARIO
I could offer would help pro-
vide education and health for a
child and help a community to
become self-sufficient.
2|What did your family you
and friends say when
decided to sponsor a child?
My children were enthusiastic
and were happy to be involved.
Other family members and
friends were skeptical and
didn’t believe that the money
was being used to help the
community. I now can tell them
of the success of sponsorship.
3|When I attendIlocalmy of
sponsor visits, see
dream there: the possibility
giving you a hug and thanking
you. What do you think about
my dream coming true?
When I watch World Vision on
television, I think what a won-
derful experience it would be
“Genny was to see you and hug you, too.
my first
sponsored child. 4|Are youfamily sponsoring
of your
a child?
or any members
For me, it was as
NI WAH VI SS ER (T HI S PAGE); AND R EW GO O DW IN (O PP OSI T E)
I sponsor two girls, one in
if I had gained Colombia and one in India.
another child in
the family.” 5|Whatme today? Or what
give
advice would you
would you like to tell me?
Be a life learner and find time
to explore and learn new things.
I am proud of you and the
goals you’ve achieved. CV
—With files from Astrid Zacipa
12 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
■ SUCCESS
Maria Mendoza (right)
received a small loan ■ VOTER Khadijetou,
through World Vision to 20, voted for the first
open a bakery in El Salva- time this past March.
dor. She uses her earnings She dipped her finger in
to buy school supplies for ink to mark her voter card.
her daughter Veronica, 12.
MOM-PRENEURS
How 4 women turned microfinance loans into profitable businesses
to support their families Compiled by Sabitri Ghosh
13
■ BAKERY
Sponsored child
Veronica, 12, eats buns
EL SALVADOR
from her mother’s
Maria Mendoza bakery. It’s the only
one in their rural com-
munity in El Salvador.
MARIA MENDOZA, 50, is more than a breadmaker:
she’s a breadwinner. The earnings from the 300 BAKERY
loaves of bread she and her 12-year-old daughter,
Veronica, bake each day go to feed and purchase
school supplies for the sponsored child and her nine
brothers and sisters.
Before launching her business in 2002, Mendoza and
her family struggled to survive on her husband’s meagre
income as a subsistence farmer in El Salvador. “It wasn’t
enough for us to live on,” she says.
With Veronica suffering from malnutrition, Mendoza
signed up for nutritional training from World Vision. As part
of the program, she received a loan to purchase a $250 oven
to start her own bakery with two other women in her area.
Because it’s the only bakery in the community, business
has been booming. But for Mendoza, the real payoff isn’t
monetary. “Veronica is very happy because she is gaining
weight and getting better,” she says. “Because she is happy,
I am happy, too.” —With files from Robert Vesleño
GARMENT
AN D REW GO O DW I N (T H I S PAGE , TO P ); RE ENA SA MU EL (T HI S PAGE , BOT TO M); N IG EL MA RSH ( OP P OS ITE, TOP ) ; H A BTA MU YOS EP H ( OP P OS ITE, B OTTOM)
SHOP THE FACTS
Microfinance
Microfinance provides small loans
at low interest rates to impoverished
entrepreneurs who want to launch or
expand a business. Without assets or
credit history, they don’t qualify for
a traditional loan. Once a borrower
begins profiting from his or her busi-
ness and can repay the loan, that mon-
ey is used to help new entrepreneurs.
■ GARMENTS
Rekha Ananda Parit (left) A LOOK AT MICROFINANCE
sells saris to factories near BY THE NUMBERS:
her village in India.
$200
is the average amount for a loan
INDIA
traditional garments worn by wom
ional women 133 MILLION
Rekha in India, and underwear from a n
dia, nearby
garment factory. “We have gone a long
ent
clients worldwide
85 %
Ananda Parit way,” says Parit. The group now ta
s
takes
orders from other establishments in
of clients are female entrepreneurs
AFTER ATTENDING a World Vision the garment industry near their village. 98%
employment workshop for women, The self-made businesswoman now of clients repay their loans on time
Rekha Ananda Parit, 35, decided to feels she can handle almost any situa-
form a group with 11 other moms. tion. “I have confidence to talk to men 2006
With the help of a loan through and government officials,” she says. the year Mohammad Yunus received
World Vision, the women began sell- And, most importantly, she’s put- the Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering
work in microcredit
ing garments in their rural village in ting food on the table for her children.
India. They now take orders for saris, —With files from Reena Samuel
14 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
TA
TANZANIA
BASIC
GOODS
KIOSK
Hamisa Bernard
BESIDES TOOTHPASTE, soap and packets of porridge,
BE
own kiosk and co-owning
a catering business with a
group of friends. “My com-
Hamisa Bernard,27, supplies another key commod-
Ha munity saw my success and
ity in her rural community in Tanzania—hope. The many have joined income-
mother of three has gone from poverty to operating her generating groups,” says
Bernard.
Having parlayed two
■ GOODS loans of 20,000 Tanzanian
Hamisa Bernard uses shillings ($17) into her two
the profits from her thriving businesses, she
basic goods kiosk in now plans to apply for a
Tanzania to help pro- loan of 60,000 shillings
vide for her children. ($53) to improve her kiosk
and increase its stock of
goods. Eventually, she
hopes to open her own
clothing store.
Bernard credits World
Vision with giving her the
financing and business
training she needed to
succeed. But no matter
how busy her business
gets, the bottom line for
her remains the same:
“The bigger and better my
business becomes,” she
says, “the better I can look
after my children.”
—With files from Neema Mosha
ETHIOPIA
DAIRY
DA
■ DAIRY Tiruesh Tadese (second
BUSINESS
BUS
TirueshTadese from right) began selling butter and
cheese six years ago in Ethiopia.
WHEN TIRUESH TADESE, 42, and six friends
took out a small loan to start selling butter
and cheese, they had no idea they’d be run-
ning a successful bus service in their com-
munity two years later.
Tadese received the loan for the dairy
business through a World Vision-affiliated
microfinance institution in Ethiopia six
years ago. After paying off the loan, the
mother of seven and her partners then lev-
eraged the profits, along with two additional
loans, to rent buses for the public transport
venture. Their business became so success-
ful, they now own their own bus.
With her earnings, Tadese built a home
and was able to send one child to university.
“I never imagined my life would be this
much better,” says Tadese.
—With files from Habtamu Yoseph
SUMMER 2008 childview WORLDVI SI ON .CA 15
■ HARSH LIFE
Shinedaray, 18, tends
to animals at a World
Vision youth farm centre
located outside Ulan
Bator, Mongolia. Staff
at the farm teach animal
husbandry and vegetable
growing skills.
SPECIAL
REPORT
MORE PEOPLE ARE NOW FORCED
FROM THEIR HOMES BECAUSE
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
DISASTERS THAN WAR
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN DOUGLASS
SPECIAL ■ CLIMATE CHANGE
REPORT Tumun-ultzi, 5, plays
in the sand near his
home in Ulan Bator.
Climate change is rapidly
expanding the deserts
in Mongolia, threaten-
ing the livelihoods of
thousands of families.
Below: A couple comfort
each other after severe
weather wiped out their
entire herd in Mongolia.
growing up in the picturesque mon-
golian province of Arkhangai, Chatrabal
Choijamts never imagined he would
one day live in the country’s capital.
Like his ancestors before him, he was
a nomadic herder with nearly 100 cows,
sheep, goats and horses.
Then four years ago, Choijamts and
his wife had to end their family’s herd-
ing tradition. The last of their livestock
had died after a series of droughts and
dzuds. A dzud is a Mongolian term for
severe environmental conditions, which
includes temperatures plunging to 40
below, heavy snow and strong winds that
create livestock famine resulting in the
mass death of animals.
Choijamts tried his hand at a couple
of small businesses but couldn’t make
ends meet. In search of work, the fam-
ily of 12 made the trek to Ulan Bator two
years ago.
“I saw cattle everywhere frozen solid
that were still standing in the fields,” says
Choijamts. “People were weeping. With-
out our animals we have no life.”
Dzuds aren’t new to Mongolian herd-
ers. But the dzuds have become far more
fierce and frequent in recent years. In
fact, Mongolia has experienced more
extreme weather patterns, including
drought, sand storms and dzuds, over-
all. Climate experts directly link these
occurrences to the fact that the average
temperature in Mongolia has climbed
almost two degrees Celsius in the last
60 years.
“The clear and increasing damages
SU E BRYA N (T H I S PAGE , BOT TO M)
caused by natural disasters in the coun-
try due to global climate change poses a
direct threat to the livelihood and health
of Mongolia’s people,” says Pratibha
Mehta, United Nations resident coordi-
nator. From 1999 to 2003, Mongolia’s
government reports that dzuds killed 25
18 WO R LDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
UN
MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT
GOALS
At the United Nations Millennium Summit
in 2000, world leaders pledged to end
poverty, improve health and education
and promote equality and environmental
balance by 2015. To achieve this common
end, eight goals were established for each
nation to meet—the Millennium Develop-
ment Goals (MDGs):
1. ERADICATE extreme poverty and hunger.
2. ACHIEVE universal primary education.
3. PROMOTE gender equality and
empower women.
4. REDUCE child mortality.
5. IMPROVE maternal health.
6. COMBAT HIV and AIDS, malaria
and other diseases.
7. ENSURE environmental sustainability.
TARGET: Integrate the principles of
sustainable development into country
policies and programs; reverse loss of
environmental resources.
8. DEVELOP a global partnership for
development.
Editor’s note: This feature is the seventh
of an eight-part series on each of the MDGs.
“CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS US ALL, BUT DOES
NOT AFFECT US ALL EQUALLY.”
per cent of the country’s animal herds. As a result, tens of
thousands of Mongolian herders, like Choijamts, are being
forced to migrate elsewhere.
This migration trend is replicated around the world. Extreme
weather conditions, such as dzuds, floods and hurricanes, are
creating a new category of migrants known as “environmental
refugees.” By UN estimates, 25 million already fall under this
category. Environmental refugees now outnumber refugees
who are fleeing wars or political persecution.
“We have now reached a critical stage in which global warm-
ing has already seriously impacted lives and health, and this
problem will pose an even greater threat to mankind in coming
decades if we fail to act now,” warns Dr. Shigeru Omi, World
Health Organization regional director for the Western Pacific.
SUMMER 2008 19
Across the globe, examples abound. ■ NEW LIFE
In East Africa, torrential rains along Top: World Vision helped
the Zambezi River earlier this year left this family build a ger, a
more than 92,000 people homeless. traditional dwelling in
Last year in Bangladesh, severe flood- Mongolia. Right: Chatra-
ing submerged two-thirds of the country bal Choijamts (left) had
and displaced hundreds of thousands. to move his family to Ulan
Nearly 450,000 people were left home- Bator after they lost their
less last year by the worst floods to hit herd to extreme weather.
Bolivia in 25 years. Opposite, bottom: Mon-
The UN Development Program golian green pastures are
reports that 98 per cent of the 262 rapidly turning to desert.
million people hit by disasters from
2000 to 2004 came from impover-
ished countries. The world’s poor often
occupy areas most at risk from climate
change, such as coastlines, flood plains “WE HAVE NOW REACHED
and steep slopes. When you combine
this reality with rising sea levels and A CRITICAL STAGE IN WHICH
the growing number and intensity of
storms, climate change threatens to GLOBAL WARMING HAS
create new waves of environment-driv-
en migration in areas already suffering ALREADY SERIOUSLY IMPACTED
from extreme poverty.
“The issue of equity is crucial. Cli- LIVES AND HEALTH.”
mate affects us all, but does not affect
us all equally,” UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon told delegates at a climate Goals (see MDG sidebar on page 19). Variations in rainfall
conference in Indonesia last December. and extreme weather events will only place additional strains
“Those who are least able to cope are on poorer countries already facing serious challenges due to
being hit hardest. Those who have done food insecurity, indebtedness, HIV and AIDS, environmental
the least to cause the problem bear the degradation and armed conflicts, he says. The target for MDG
gravest consequences.” seven, ensure environmental sustainability, is in jeopardy as
Ki-moon also warns that changing climate change negatively impacts the quality and productivity
weather and temperature patterns could of natural resources and ecosystems, possibly irreversibly.
potentially undo much of the progress “It will be far harder for many regions to grow food or raise
toward the Millennium Development livestock,” says Otto Farkas, World Vision’s director of emergency
20 WO RLDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
SPECIAL
REPORT
response. “Countering and coping with
the effects of climate change will require
outside-the-box thinking and a high
degree of collaboration between gov-
ernments, civil society and the private
sector. World Vision is actively working
with communities, governments, non-
governmental organizations and UN
agencies, as well as corporations to find
solutions and help facilitate adaptation
to a changing environment.”
Meanwhile, cities in developing coun-
tries are feeling the stress caused by the
influx of environmental refugees. “Many
cities are overwhelmed, incapable of
handling with any degree of effective-
ness the demands of a burgeoning num-
ber of people, many of whom take up
shelter in flimsy shanties,” says Dr. Tony
Oliver-Smith, a professor of anthropol-
ogy in Florida.
This includes Ulan Bator. “When my
family got to the city we had no home
or food,” says Choijamts. He sold every-
thing to pay for his family’s move to the
capital. When they arrived, World Vision
provided them with the materials to build
a ger, a traditional Mongolian dwelling
made from a circular wooden frame and
covered by wool felt. World Vision also
offered him skills training, and he has
since found odd jobs as a carpenter and
QUOTES repaired cars in town. With this income,
he keeps his family fed.
The number of environmental refu-
gees worldwide is only going to increase
in coming years. The UN predicts that
by 2010, their number could easily dou-
ble to 50 million. A recent study indi-
cates that Africa faces more devastating
droughts and 25 per cent less water by
the end of the century. Such water short-
ages could cause mass migrations. And
scientists predict the tiny Pacific island
nation of Tuvalu will be completely sub-
merged in less than 50 years as a result
of rising sea levels, leaving the popula-
tion of 11,000 homeless.
Choijamts peers out the small window
of his ger in Ulan Bator toward the open
plains where his family once thrived. He
wonders if he will ever be able to return to
pass on a lifetime of experiences as a herder
to his children. “What has happened here
is a disaster that has no end,” he says. CV
SUMMER 2008 childview WO RLDVI SI O N .CA 21
FA I T H I N AC T I O N
My Brother’s
Keeper
Author Greg Paul discovers that
true compassion for the poor
begins when we view them as our
own flesh and blood
I
it was after 10 p.m., when the doorbell recently bumped into an old acquain- relief from this guilt: “…and not to turn
rang. When I heard it, I was clearing tance—a man of significant ability and away from your own flesh and blood.”
up the last few details before leaving accomplishment—who was now desti- That’s how the prophet wraps up his
my office at Sanctuary, a Christian tute and living on the street. The assis- call to social engagement.
community that welcomes the poor in tant wanted to help, but was afraid that The relief comes in recognizing that,
downtown Toronto and where I serve giving the man money would only make while few of us may be directly involved
as the executive director and pastor. his immediate problems worse. What, in the grand enterprise of “loosing the
Against my better judgment—I was actually, could he do? chains of injustice” around the world,
tired and had a friend waiting for a ride As Canadians, who are among the we are all able to engage our own
home—I opened the door. My heart most privileged people in the world, “flesh and blood”—those who are close
sank when I saw that it was Sheldon; it we can find ourselves inundated with enough to us that we realize, at a gut
dropped a little farther when I smelled other people’s needs. As followers of level, that we belong to each other. In
the mouthwash he’d been drinking Jesus we know that the “fast” (religious fact, such connections may even grant
and saw that he was so drunk he could observance) we are to practise should immediacy to our efforts to help street
barely stand. be to “loose the chains of injustice,” children who are treated like vermin in
Sheldon muttered that he had just South America, or children orphaned
left the hospital. He was admitted there by AIDS in Africa.
just five days earlier with pneumonia One out of every The hook: having once recognized a
and wasn’t supposed to leave. But on
a whim he decided to get dressed and
six children brother in, perhaps, a homeless man,
it’s almost impossible to turn away
just walk out.
I wanted to ask him why he chose to
is raised in poverty. with a clear conscience. That’s why the
Queen’s Park official wanted to help
CO U RT ESY O F GR EG PAU L (T H IS PAG E) ; AND RE W G O O DWI N ( O PP OSI T E)
leave late on a frigid winter night and that one man. And it’s why, finally, I
why he had staggered halfway across bundled Sheldon into my car, drove him
the downtown core to our front door. “set the oppressed free,” “share your to a shelter, and half carried him to the
There was no point, though. He was food with the hungry” and “provide intake desk. Not because it’s my job, or
barely coherent. the poor wanderer with shelter” (Isaiah even because I feared that, otherwise, he
I helped him through the front door 58:6-7, NIV). would freeze on the streets. But because
and got him seated on a chair. He I wonder, however, if the shameful he’s a person, not a statistic, to me. Shel-
asked if he could sleep at Sanctuary. and oft-repeated fact that one out of don, my brother. CV
I told him, no, we don’t do hostelling every six Canadian children is raised Greg Paul is a member of the Sanctu-
and that I was just about to leave. in poverty has remained essentially ary community in Toronto. He is also the
My encounter with Sheldon reminded unchanged for 20 years not because of author of God in the Alley: Being and
me of an incident that occurred earlier in apathy per se, but because we hardly Seeing Jesus in a Broken World (Shaw
the week. On a visit to Queen’s Park, an know where to start. Books, 2004).
executive assistant of a prominent gov- There is one phrase of Isaiah’s that
TO LEARN ABOUT WORLD VISION’S CANADIAN
ernment figure approached me. He had simultaneously hooks me and gives me PROGRAMS, VISIT WORLDVISION.CA
22 WO RLDV I S I O N.CA childview SUMMER 2008
ONE CHILD’S VIEW
“I believe each child can contribute something,
do something—not only for his or her family
but for the environment as well.”
—Sheila Mae, 12
Last year, sponsored child Sheila Mae helped plant mangroves trees and
clear garbage from her village in central Philippines. With community members,
she planted trees along the coast to protect the land from erosion.
Make a difference.
Change lives.
Volunteer today. “Being a World Vision volunteer,
knowing that I am helping to
transform lives of impoverished
children around the world is
gratifying beyond words.”
Cathy Gibbon,
Life Change Network
Volunteer
By volunteering you can:
• go overseas
• assist at events and
concerts
• spread the word in your
community
• inspire others to sponsor a child
Call 1-888-307-4641 or visit WorldVision.ca
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Ontario L5T 2Y4
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