October 2009

October 2009

I N S I D E   T H I S   I S S U E

1. Integral Q & A: God's Power at Work
2. Programme Networking Group: Integral Members Close the Book on Guinea Worm in Cote d'Ivoire
3. Integral Member Agency: REAL. LIFE. Exhibit.

God's Power at Work

Marnix Niemeijer, CEO of Tear Netherlands Where are you from? I live in Amersfoort, a city about 45 km from Amsterdam. What has been your most interesting job? I feel very blessed to have had several ‘most interesting jobs’.  1) Asia Director for an international Dutch-based refugee organisation, based in Bangkok, where I saw the effects of evil political systems, but where I also saw God's greatness, diversity & humility working in the people. 2) Director of a national association for parents of mentally disabled people, where I experienced the strength of sharing emotions, the power of common values & practices, & the true meaning of an inclusive society & church. 3) My current job, which brings the blessings of a variety of national & international relations.  How many languages do you speak? Dutch, English & German & a little Thai. I understand Frisian, a minority language in the Netherlands. What has been your most memorable country visit with work & why? It is difficult to say. I've had  many memorable visits to many countries. For example, it was thrilling to visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington during my first stay in the US: to read aloud the ‘I have a dream’ speech of Martin Luther King on the some spot where he delivered his speech in 1963 (nobody was listening!) What do you enjoy the most about your current job?  The variety. Every week - no, every day - is different. What do you find the most challenging? To keep focused. To organise time for reflection on God, His Kingdom & my efforts. What do find inspiring about Integral? In general all the contacts - more specifically, the times of devotion we spend together as the Board & ExCo. Wonderful stories of vulnerable people. How do you relax? Watching football with my son, sitting in the garden with my wife, reading good books & enjoying the fellowship of friends. What skill do your have that many don’t know you possess? I am a published poet.

TENL's website

Integral Members Close the Book on Guinea Worm in Cote d'Ivoire

A woman draws water from a pump that MAUS repaired in the village of Palla. MAUS has repaired more than 50 pumps & installed hundreds of water purification filters in villages across the country "In the early 1990s the government of Cote d'Ivoire realised Guinea worm was a significant problem, especially among children & others in rural villages who lacked access to clean water," explains Michael Nyenhuis, MAUS President & CEO. "So the government began a campaign to eradicate the worm from the country. We joined the fight 10 years ago & have been a vital player in what has been a successful effort. In 2009 TFNZ joined us to provide funding & support for the crucial last phase of the process." Guinea worm is transmitted exclusively by drinking contaminated water. The disease affects people in rural, deprived & isolated communities who depend on open water sources, such as ponds & shallow wells. It can cause agonising pain, which affects agricultural activities when workers are unable to work. It can cause malnutrition & neglect among children when their guardians are affected. In order for the WHO to consider a country officially free of the parasite, there must be no reported cases for three years. The last case of Guinea worm in Cote d’ Ivoire was recorded in September 2006. Michael says, “If all goes well, the country will be certified Guinea worm-free early next year. It is an amazing achievement to rid a country of a disease.” During the past 20 years, the number of cases of Guinea worm has fallen by 99% worldwide & 168 countries or territories are now certified free of transmission. "Because there are no effective drugs or vaccines, the way to eliminate the incidence of Guinea worm is to ensure that people have clean water," says Michael. "By repairing & maintaining water pumps, constructing filter systems, providing education in pump repair & bio-sand filter usage, MAUS & TFNZ have helped put eradication of the disease within reach."

MAUS' website

REAL. LIFE. Exhibit.

Scenes from the exhibit - a Mexican garbage dump & a Romanian orphanage "The idea started in 1999 with volunteers when our Seattle-area staff & volunteers planned their annual fundraiser. They thought 'outside of the box', rented an abandoned naval facility & hosted a dinner & auction in an airplane hangar," says Lynn Vanderzalm, volunteer Exhibit Creative & Education Advisor, & wife of MTUS President Bas Vanderzalm. "The volunteers wanted people to experience something of what they had experienced during their time as a team on the field. They had friends who worked in construction & set design, so they took their photos & created the first vignettes—of a Mexico garbage dump, a Romanian orphanage, & a Moldovan hospital. As people walked through the vignettes, they were deeply moved as they experienced the places where our volunteers serve."   She continues, "When we purchased our current HQ building we had enough space for a permanent exhibit! We then re-evaluated & upgraded with the goal of deepening the experiential nature & educational value of the exhibit. Since we re-opened the exhibit as the REAL. LIFE. Exhibit on September 11, 2006, more than 30,000 people have toured the exhibit." Exhibit visitors now step into a further 5 places where the volunteers of MTUS serve with their local in-country partners: A medical triage clinic at the New Orleans Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina.  A room with a 25-foot (7.6 meter) tsunami wave.  A Ugandan camp for displaced people.   An Albanian Kosovar refugee camp.  A Mozambiquan village compound where HIV and AIDS has ravaged the community.   Here are some responses of Integral's PNG to the REAL. LIFE. Exhibit:  "Powerful. Moving. Thoughtful. More than an exhibition, a call to action." Ruth Faber, Mission East. "A brilliant exhibit. We must act!" Peter Grant, Tearfund UK. "A powerful exhibit. I am moved. If a picture is better than a thousand words, an exhibit is worth 10,000! " Dr Ravi Jayakaran MAP International. "It is like I have shared the life of Isobella – a Mozambiquan woman with AIDS, just for a while, but that ‘makes the difference’. And that becomes ‘real’. I hope this exhibit will have a real impact on people who will live the same experience." Veronique Lavoue, SEL France. "So good to remember why we’ve given our lives to this." Stephan Bauman, World Relief US.

Watch a video about the exhibit

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