20 JANUARY 2001

Launching 2001:
Leaders at the frontlines of our work around the world

Amb. Fitigu Tadesse, regional director for Africa:

For West Africa, 2001 will  be an important year where THP will achieve a great milestone in expanding the work of SPIA and training thousands of animators to work with our grassroots partners to ensure that our work in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal covers the maximum territory in these countries.

The African Woman Food Farmer Initiative - working closely with the leadership of THP in West Africa - will rapidly expand its activities to ensure that rural women farmers will have easy access to credit and, ultimately, establish their own rural banks.

East and Southern Africa is the newest region where THP started two years ago. During this short time a lot has been accomplished. We expect to have milestone achievements this year and next. In launching its work in this part of Africa, THP is now covering the major regions of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. In the past two years, the work of THP-Uganda and THP-Malawi have achieved a great deal of success in SPIA and in training thousands of animators mobilizing the rural communities in self-reliant activities.

In February, THP will launch one of its most effective programs - the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative - in Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique.

Dr. Idrissa Dicko, country director, Burkina Faso:

I would like to thank all our partners who sent us congratulation emails for receiving the distinction of Chevalier de l’Ordre National, on December 11, 2000. The support confirmed that we are really part of a wonderful global family.

This decoration given to us by the national government of Burkina Faso recognized the landmark achievements of The Hunger Project. The 1999 laureate of the Africa Prize, Mrs. Aisseta Nagbila, powerfully launched the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative, and her leadership has strengthened the status of women in Burkina making their voices heard in the country.

The THP grain banks in each of the seven partner epicenters, comprising more than 120 villages, ensures food security during the months when food is generally scarce.

Strategic actions on the ground by THP have created opportunities for women to have access to primary health care information.

Our vision for 2001 is to replicate the same strategies used in Nagréongo and Zincko Epicenters to all our partners in the new Epicenters. We stand committed in providing: (1) the necessary educational, healthcare and socio-economic infrastructures, (2) the appropriate technologies, (3) and well trained local animators, who altogether will provide women and men of the villages the opportunity to achieve the sustainable end of hunger and poverty by the year 2003 in Burkina Faso.  I thank you all for your support and partnership.

Jeanne Uwineza Gasasira, country director, Uganda:

The Hunger Project presence in Uganda the past 2 years now has achieved concrete results.

In partnership with the community of Mpigi, construction of the Epicenter was completed. The Epicenter is a center for mobilization, food production and processing.

The health unit gets an average of 500 patients per month and since the operation started in September 2000, 12 healthy babies have been born at the unit.

The Vision Commitment and Action workshops are carried out at the Epicenter every month. To date, 382 animators have been trained, and of these 172 are women. Women partners are more confident, they have taken up leadership roles and execute their projects with a powerful zeal to end hunger and poverty in their homes.

This year we look forward to consolidating the projects that have been initiated in the 41 villages in Mpigi district and to start projects in 29 new villages, covering a total population of 55,000 people.

As you all know, the Torch will come to Uganda from Nigeria in February 2001. Ruth Namyalo, a woman farmer and a mother of six will receive the Torch on behalf of all her sisters Uganda. Joan Holmes, President of the Hunger, Project, H E The President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni African Prize laureate 1998 and HE The Vice President of Uganda Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, also a member of our global board of directors, other high ranking government officials are expected to participate in the Torch event celebrations. The Torch event celebrations will mobilize the Uganda population around the issue of women farmers, and the meeting on the Women Initiative in Kampala will bring the plight of Ugandan women to the forefront of the national Agenda. We are all thrilled about the Torch event and we look forward to receiving all our partners who will be coming to participate in this memorable occasion when we honor the Ugandan Woman Food farmer.

Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, chair, Mexico:

In Peru in partnership with DESCO, we have had a breakthrough. The German Agro-Action Foundation is more than matching Hunger Project funds to expand the process of empowering people in the central Amazon to rebuild their farms and communities in the aftermath of guerilla warfare.

In Bolivia – our partner ACLO combines radio and grassroots animators to empower 1/2 million Quechua-speaking people in the Andes. This year, they are implementing new initiatives to strengthen women’s rights and people’s participation with local government.

In Mexico – we are a real demonstration of our global interconnectedness. From our visit to Bangladesh in 1998, we learned about the VCA and the Catalyst Program. In 1999 and 2000, we visited Africa and learned about the "Epicenters".

So – last year - we implemented a 2-year catalyst training. There are 55 catalysts-in-training working in 30 communities: school teachers, housewives, government employees, peasants, grassroots leaders. 80% are women. In those communities, we changed the mindset from "it cannot be done" to "it is possible and it is up to me".

28,000 families have been reached with projects like latrines, reforestation, family orchards and community greenhouses, vaccination and literacy campaigns.

There are 75 catalysts now. During the next three months 6 women will start leading their own trainings in their communities.

You can be proud of your work in Mexico. For each minute of your time and each penny we are committed to create miracles.

Prof. Badiul Majumdar for Bangladesh:

Greetings from Bangladesh. We have had many accomplishments and breakthroughs in the past year.   

We have had an explosive expansion our animator body, especially women animators. We now have over 5000 animators. Nearly half of them received training last year. 35% of them were women.

Last year we developed partnerships with Bangladesh Rural Development Academy in Comila, a world renowned institution, and Rural Development Academy in Bogura.  We held animator trainings for their faculty, who are now working closely with us as our volunteer animators.  During 2000, we have also developed partnership with the Bangladesh Ministry of Local Government.  We have embarked on a special training program for the Union Parishad chairmen and members, in partnership with these three institutions, which we are confident paved the way for institutionalizing grassroots democracy in Bangladesh.

At the end of last year, we found that our catalysts initiated the process of creating hunger free zones in 111 areas, 25 of which were led by women.  This exceeds the target of 64 Hunger Free Zones, 15 of which were to be led by women. The experience of the Hunger Free Zone Initiative has shown a pathway for creating a Hunger Free Bangladesh.

Standing on the experiences of the past, we have developed a new "women-focused, union-parishad based strategy." Our intention for the year 2001 includes training and empowering many, many grassroots women - especially union parishad members - as animators.  Our target is 9,500.  The new focus of our Hunger Free Zone initiative will be unions.  We will provide animator trainings to union parishad members, as well as government functionaries, and other potential activists in the villages.  We will also arrange specialized training to empower them to carry out local level planning and mobilization. Our target is to work in 100 unions.  

We will launch campaigns to improve the lives, especially of women, in areas of health, education, nutrition, social status and income, by using an information handbook, and encourage them to form women's associations and self-help groups, and provide skills training for them.  Youth Ending Hunger Activists will spearhead these campaigns in villages. 

We will also build on the successes of the National Girl Child Day, to galvanize public attention and build a national movement of organizations and the media, committed to catalyzing a hunger-free Bangladesh.

We will develop new and better ways to document and communicate the link between our work of training and empowerment and the concrete processes of improvement in people's lives.

Rita Sarin, country director, India:

I am privileged to be the newest Country Director, and very glad to be part of the THP global family. Back home here in India, this is a very exciting year - a year which is going to be full of our efforts to intensify the Panchayati Raj campaign.

This campaign builds on the strength of our on-the-ground action in 11 states, as stated by Joan Holmes. Our state councils and their distinguished chairs work with dozens of agencies and NGOs to empower millions of people to improve their health, nutrition and livelihoods.

All of us are absolutely clear that empowering the one-million women elected to local government is the next critical step to creating a future with enhanced opportunity and equal participation for women.

As Joan stated, we have a very clear strategy to do this:

I am honored to be a part of this process, and I am also honored that we are all here to make a difference.

Mudda Erakka, panchayat leader, Karnataka, India:

I have been elected to the Gram Panchayat of Byadaranahalli, a small village in Karnataka, India.

Since my participation in the South Asia Initiative that The Hunger Project launched in New York, my interest in working for women and women's empowerment has increased significantly.

After I returned to India, I implemented programs for a new drainage system, street lights, grain ration cards and improved housing, with the financial assistance of the Gram Panchayat.

But this work is not enough. My vision for 2001 is to implement more programs for a primary school for children, construction of toilets in the villages and homes, and improvement of family income by the end of the year.

I want to thank The Hunger Project for giving me the opportunity to share my work and vision with my global family on this call.

Cathy Burke, country director, Australia:

It's wonderful to be on the call, representing New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

New Zealand is an activist-run affiliate who in 2000 had an increase in their money to global programs and expanded the Global Investment Group.  The new Hunger Project Japan raised over $110,000 last year for global programs. Members of both The Hunger Project New Zealand and Japan have been on investor trips this year.

Australia, as a Hunger Project affiliate has experienced phenomenal growth in the money we have been able to direct towards ending hunger.  Even though we have a small population base and are a long way away - depending on where you are from of course - we have a very dynamic team of investor activists, many of whom have been on Hunger Project trips to India, Bangladesh and Africa.  In 2000, we developed and have been running a sourceful workshop for Global Investors.  

We invest our money and are active because to do so resonates with our deepest core values of what it means to be human.  It's our connection. And people are coming on board for this right around the country.  Especially after hearing you, Muddeerekka, I am really proud to share with you all our commitment to 2001, that THP-Australia raises $5 million dollars.  This is a very big leap for us, and it's a challenge, which will call on all our leadership, our creativity and our strategic action.  But it's such a perfect way for us to be in partnership with those courageous women and men at the front lines of ending hunger.  

Mirella Rugulotto, country director, UK:

During 2000, there were a number of breakthroughs in our region, both in investment and in our cost effectiveness. We are increasingly becoming a region led by volunteer activists rather than staff members. There are now more than 70 active activists in our region, and two entirely activist-led countries. This has all enabled us to increase our contributions by 85% for funding global programs from 1999 to 2000.

This year, we intend to keep up this expansion, and go even deeper into our commitment, clarity and activism. We are holding a conference in London in March with John Coonrod and Peg Thatcher, where we will create the next space of breakthrough in investment and activism in Eucan.  In 2001, this region is committed to raising $2 million in investment, and to substantially increasing our GIG and charter level investor groups.


Joanna Ryder, co-country director, USA:

Hi, everyone.  Here in the US in the year 2000, we began to see a real shift in The Hunger Project from being staff led to more and more activist leadership.  We now have 8 localities stretching across the country led by volunteer activists who are participating in campaigns, and expanding our program of financial investment in their areas.

This resulted in, among other things, the US raising over $5 million in the year 2000, and that is at least a 20% increase over the year before, and having over 13,000 people at the South Asia event last September.  

In the year ahead, we will continue to focus on expanding all levels of investment, particularly the charter and global investment level.  We are committed to raising over $6 million for The Hunger Project.

We intend to further strengthen and expand our existing localities and call forth new ones around the country.  We are very excited about an opportunity coming up at the end of April, when Joan Holmes will be coming to the West Coast of the US.  Joan will be in San Francisco, and we're planning an investor workshop as well as other activities that weekend.

You can count on the US to be well represented at the Raul Julia event in March and the Africa Prize event in October.    

Merel Julia, director, Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund:

It never ceases to inspire me to be on a Hunger Project Global Call Event with Joan Holmes, the staff and volunteers of THP.

I am very excited about our event this year, for The Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund, which will be in Puerto Rico, Raul’s homeland. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the US and the influence of the US is very much felt when you go there. HOWEVER the people of Puerto Rico consider Puerto Rico to be a Latin American country with its own customs and language.

Our intention for this year’s event is to bring the profound work of ending hunger on our planet to an ever-expanding community of people. In Puerto Rico it will be Raul’s community – people who knew him and people who didn’t but nevertheless who are inspired by him AND to raise $1,000,000 for THP.

Our Honorary Chairman for the event is Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and a Nobel Peace Laureate. Dr. Arias won the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in bringing about a settlement to the war in Nicaragua, which was having a devastating effect in Central America.

We are grateful to Banco Popular and its President, Richard Carrión, our Chairman for the event, for their support. They have given us the venue for the evening and are working in partnership with us and Raul’s family and friends to fill the event.

The venue is the beautiful new Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, which houses the new Teatro Raul Julia, built and dedicated to Raul by Banco Popular – because and I quote Richard Carrión "Raul was the real thing."

We will give the Raul Julia Global Citizen Award to Edward James Olmos – an activist for the youth of Latin America, doing breakthrough work with gangs in the US and Mexico.

Our event, in Raul’s name, will be imbued with his love of life – a joyous event – great food, opera singing, music, dancing but most importantly, his serious and great intention to bring about the end of hunger on our planet.

You are all invited, in case you were wondering or haven’t received an invitation, to come to Puerto Rico on March 10. Come, presence the Global Hunger Project there. In doing so we will have the opportunity to inspire others to be "the real thing" -- to take on investing in and causing the end of hunger in partnership with The Hunger Project, you and us and our friends and family in India, Africa, Bangladesh, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico. We will keep on expanding this profound work.