Capacity Building
In December of 2003, a powerful earthquake devastated the city of Bam, Iran and many nearby villages. Over half the population were left homeless, and 2,000 children were orphaned. On top of the staggering human toll, the quake significantly impacted the main economic activity of the town – date production — because the irrigation channels feeding the date plantations were destroyed. Rababi Rangbar, a widow who had been supporting her family by sewing, lost everything she owned in the quake, including her sewing machine. Without this source of income, Rababi had no way of providing for her family.
After the earthquake, Medair launched a relief and rehabilitation programme with particular emphasis on the provision of shelter, but also on restoring and improving livelihoods for the affected population. We consulted with the community, and then helped them build hundreds of earthquake-resistant homes, as well as irrigation channels to reinvigorate the production of dates.
We also established a sewing training project, providing facilities and equipment, and hiring Rababi as the instructor. By the end of 2005, she had trained 90 women in basic sewing and tailoring skills. When Medair exited the country, the project was left in Rababi’s hands, so that it would continue to sustain both Rababi and her many students with future income.
Medair does not visit regions in crises just to distribute supplies or implement projects for the local population unilaterally. Instead, we work alongside communities to help them to improve their living conditions with dignity. Building capacity by increasing local knowledge and skills, we foster a sense of ownership among beneficiaries of their improved livelihood potential. This sense of ownership is crucial to ensuring that the work Medair does has lasting impact long after we are gone.
In Madagascar, Medair is partnered with local actors to help them be better prepared for cyclone-related flood disasters, and to improve their living conditions over the long term. Our partnerships have been a great success so far. After recent flooding subsided, our investigation revealed that while nearly every open well in the region had become contaminated, almost all of our flood-proof water points were in perfect working order, producing clean and safe water.
In Sudan, Medair has been working alongside beneficiaries to develop sustainable solutions to their water needs. We coordinate with Village Health Committees, conduct training sessions on aquifer recharging methods, and promote alternative solutions such as bio-sand filters and rainwater harvesting.
"In the past, we asked our fathers what the purpose of this terracing was, and they could not tell us," said course participant Awad Abas Kori, looking at an ancient line of terraced stones across an incline so common in the Nuba Mountains. "After this course, we now understand what they are for."
When Medair returned recently to the Bam area in Iran, we assessed that all of our newly-built homes had withstood a recent severe earthquake without any damage. Dates were growing bountifully, with a very good harvest anticipated. And the sewing project was fully functional under Rababi Rangbar’s continuing leadership. She now trains about five students every month and has even offered some of them employment in the project.
With your support, we can continue to fund projects like these. We can work alongside the most vulnerable, listening to their needs and helping to build their capacity. We can help restore their lives to dignity today, and improve their ability to withstand crises in the future. We can make a long-lasting difference, and you can be a major part of our efforts.
Please work alongside us by making a donation to Medair today.
