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Israeli Development Teams in 110 Countries

(Jerusalem Post) Guy Seemann - Israeli development teams operated in some 110 countries in 2011 including Haiti, Nepal, El Salvador, Malawi, Chad, and East Timor, through two NGOs - Tevel B'Tzedek and IsraAid. In Haiti, the Israeli NGOs run a multifaceted medical clinic, originally set up in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Today, the clinic has grown and serves as an education center for Haitian medical personnel; a public health facility providing daily lessons on everything from cholera prevention to malnutrition; a center focusing on diabetes and hypertension; and most importantly, a family clinic where people know the doctor, know the nurses and have a file on record. The clinic has become a hub of knowledge, handling those who need special treatment, and providing free medication once a patient has paid their visit fees. The second project in Haiti is a unique initiative to assist local farmers. An Israeli agronomist is partnered with a Haitian agronomist. Crops are irrigated with an inexpensive gravity water-drip system. Farmers are taught about fertilizers, compost, storage, and nursery care. We help them develop a yearlong growing season made up of half a dozen crops, where before they were only growing one or two crops over three to four months. A Haitian organization provides no-interest loans for one year in order to purchase our locally-designed farming kit that includes everything you could possibly need to start your own farm, at a total cost of $900. Farmers can multiply their yearly earnings by up to 20, and are able to pay off the loan within six months. This model has been so successful that the Haitian President's Office would like us to replicate it on a large scale. The writer is the country director for Israel's development mission to Haiti.
2012-10-05 00:00:00
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