In Memoriam Princeton Nathan Lyman
Africare mourns the death of Ambassador Princeton Nathan Lyman who departed this life peacefully at his home last Friday, August 24, 2018. He is remembered fondly in diplomatic circles as a quintessential American ambassador. He served as ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa. He served in South Africa at a propitious and historic moment as the world was not sure how the country would emerge from the apartheid era and whether it would be able to do so peacefully.
Ambassador Lyman’s skill and quiet presence worked behind the scenes to ensure a successful and peaceful transition from apartheid to democratic majority rule in South Africa. His storied diplomatic career also included roles as deputy assistant secretary of state for Africa, director of Refugee Programs, assistant secretary for International Organization Affairs, and special envoy to Sudan to mediate talks between northern and southern Sudan. He is also a former board member of Africare.
For all the peace Ambassador Lyman helped to forge in the world, it is now his turn to rest in glorious peace.
In Memoriam Koffi Atta Annan
Africare pauses to mourn and celebrate the committed life of Kofi Atta Annan, the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and key supporter of Africare.
Mr. Annan, a Ghanaian, was a diplomat and co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. His death is a profound loss to the cause of justice and peace throughout the world. His life is a shining example of what determined, and purposeful leadership can achieve.
He once said this about Africare:
[We] celebrate the achievements of Africare as an organization that epitomizes the best and most inspiring of civil society action: a movement that started from scratch, fueled by the conviction that it is possible to change things for the better. Nowhere is that conviction more important than in the process to support development in Africa. Your work over more than a quarter of a century to bring relief and self-reliance to so many has indeed made a real difference to the people of the continent.
We say this about him now: Well done, Mr. Secretary-General. Rest in eternal peace.
Africare’s New CD
It is my privilege to announce that Faith Akovi Cooper will join Africare as Country Director for Liberia and Ghana.
She has a demonstrated history of leadership, experience, and strong relationships. She is an international development and global health practitioner with extensive experience working in 38 countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean.
She recently served as Regional Advisor and Lead Coordinator for the West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative (WADPI). In that role, she served as a crucial link between the US Government partners, International Organizations and African Government partners. Faith directed operations and technical implementation of projects across the ECOWAS Member States, 15 countries and select countries in Central Africa.
In her role as Country Director for Liberia and Ghana at Africare, Faith will be responsible for oversight of the country offices as well as managing and growing a diverse portfolio of development projects. Faith will be an integral member of Africare’s Leadership Team in the field.
Faith has in-depth knowledge and firsthand understanding of what it takes to direct successful development programs on the continent. She brings a fountain of energy, enthusiasm, commitment and passion to Africare and the people we serve in Africa.
Please join me in welcoming Faith to the Africare family.
Africare salutes Stephen D. Cashin, Chairman of the Board
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, conferred the honor of Knight Commander into the Most Venerable Order of the Pioneer on Stephen D. Cashin, Chairman of the Board of Africare. He was honored for his work as an investor and philanthropist in Liberia for the past twenty years. Mr. Cashin invested in a number of companies soon after the war in Liberia, principally the International Bank of Liberia and the Insurance Company of Africa, both of which have become leaders in their respective fields. He has supported many causes in Liberia, including Africare’s efforts to establish birthing centers, the John F. Kennedy Hospital, and Think Liberia—an initiative to support at-risk girls. He has also supported numerous education projects, including the reconstruction of the Elizabeth Tubman Institute and the Liberian Education Trust. As part of his involvement with the Jesuit Refugee Service, he has supported the efforts of the Jesuits in Liberia in building the Holy Family Parish in one of the areas most affected by the war. For his work with the Jesuits, Mr. Cashin received a special commendation from Pope Francis.
Africare is proud to salute him as our Chairman and for his life’s work in devotion to the people of Africa.
Letter from the President: March 31, 2017
However, many are concerned that a more nationalist agenda will mean a retreat from America’s traditional leadership role abroad in development and humanitarian assistance for Africa and other less developed regions of the world. The Administration’s budget proposals would slash the international affairs budget by up to 31 percent or about $17 billion. A cut of this magnitude, if approved, is likely to have a devastating effect on Africa. With just over half of Africare’s revenue coming from the U.S. government, a funding cut like this would significantly impact our programs and the many individuals and communities that benefit from our work in Africa. So, we, like many other NGOs, are concerned deeply about how the Administration’s budget proposal will affect overall development assistance, and we have joined with others to voice those concerns.
Africare mourns Callisto Madavo, a giant in African development
Dear Africare Family,
It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we must inform you of the passing of Africare Board Member Callisto Madavo. Callisto’s longstanding commitment to the people of Africa lives on in his contributions to the work of Africare and his many other worthwhile undertakings.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=callisto-madavo&pid=183604064
Our thoughts and prayers are with Callisto’s family at this time. Please help us share the news of this great loss by forwarding this message to others who may have had the good fortune to have known him.
1-6-2017
As we begin 2017, we look forward to engaging Africare’s supporters even more as we focus on our future. In the past year, we have made great strides toward Securing the Legacy of Africare to build its future. As we remember our past and celebrate our progress, we are ever mindful that we have much more work to do to renew and strengthen Africare and fulfill its mission.
We are proud of the work we are doing on the African continent. You can read about some of our successes in our newsletter. For example, in Senegal, we integrate community based support services with mobile and telemedicine platforms to increase the demand for and access to high quality maternal and neonatal services for women living in remote areas. Senegal is a country known for its high maternal and infant mortality rates.
A year ago I became the fourth President of Africare. It has been a rewarding and growth-filled adventure. Africare’s work is important and purposeful, and for 46 years its work has been on the cutting edge of development in Africa, making it one of the most experienced international development organizations in the world.
Many of you are continuous and long-time supporters and we are very grateful for your investment. Some of you once supported us, and we invite you to renew your interest in our work. Many of you have taken a passing interest in the work we do and now we ask for your support in more tangible ways.
Monthly President’s Message – Social Media
The world is getting smaller. We are connected through the power of technology. The internet. Smart phones. Computers, large and small. Skype. FaceTime. And on and on and on. A few weeks ago Africare conducted staff training on how to use Twitter at headquarters and for 10 of our countries in Africa. The reviews suggest that it was a success. (More on that later).
This training, as well as others we will undertake, is part of my key objective to create “One Africare”. As many of you have heard me say before, our organization has its headquarters in Washington, D.C., but our mission is accomplished in districts and villages in the countries where Africare has a program presence. What weaves us together is that each of us, wherever we do our work, is committed to making African lives better. That is the objective we share, and it is the driving force of our collective efforts.
To be “One Africare,” and to achieve our organizational objectives, we have to commit ourselves through a process of setting goals and financing them. We do not just commit to donors. We commit to each other. We commit to our partners, with, and for whom, we undertake our work. I want to share with you what I believe these commitments are:
- First, we commit to honesty and integrity.
- Second, we commit to excellence.
- Third, we commit to timeliness and responsiveness.
- Fourth, we commit to innovation and entrepreneurship.
I am heartened by the stories coming from the people we work with in Africa. Our programs continue to be designed to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Cookstoves in Nigeria, funded by McCann, maternity homes in Zambia funded by Merck, these are all examples of our projects and the depth and breadth of what we do on the Continent.
The mission of Africare is pretty spectacular. We enhance lives for the people of Africa. We see that conditions can change for the better. We work hard to make an impact. The people we touch will never know any of our names, and we may never know many of theirs. But together we are making a difference. For now, that is enough.
Circling back to the beginning, I do hope you will follow us on Twitter. @Africare, our handle at headquarters, has been in existence a few short years and has already gained over 8,500 followers. We are currently following over 4,200 accounts and have Tweeted close to 6,600 times. You can also follow me at @AfricarePrezMallett.
I hope to “see” you soon.
From Food Security to Regional Security
Where previously barren land surrounded abandoned villages, communities now see water tables rising, rehabilitated land producing surplus crops, and villages spontaneously repopulating.
Barbara Meier schreibt seit vielen Jahren für die NPAlliance Ratgeber und Testberichte. Dabei legt sie großen Wert auf die Ausführlichkeit sowie Richtigkeit ihrer Artikel. Sie zählt zu den wenigen Experten in ihrem Gebiet und hat sich über die letzten Jahren einen Namen in der Gesundheitsbranche gemacht.