International
On the Spot: Newsletter from the Americas – August 2022
Our bi-monthly e-newsletter On the Spot highlights important updates from our programs and from our organizational network. If you’re already signed up, it’ll be in your inbox, if not, you can sign up here! Thanks for reading.
Saving Lives: Helping Malnourished Women Before, During, and After Pregnancy
Carol Rodriguez – a Venezuelan migrant – and her infant daughter who received support from Malteser International Americas health clinic in Colombia.
As global grain supplies have been disrupted and hunger is on the rise in many developing countries, the ripple effects from the crisis in Ukraine are beginning to be felt across the world. But missing from the headlines, the largest population migration in history continues as people flee the economic and political instability in Venezuela. To date 5.4 million Venezuelans have fled – 1.8 million of them to Colombia – causing an overwhelming impact on its health and social welfare capabilities.
Never has our work fighting malnutrition and food insecurity ever been more vital. The border areas of northeastern Colombia near Riohacha and Santa Marta are amongst the region’s most heavily impacted and act as our base of operations in the country. Here, we provide healthcare to the most vulnerable, with a particular focus on pre- and post-natal care to expecting mothers and their newborns. Carol Rodriguez shares her story: what it’s like being a new mother, a Venezuelan migrant, and how the lifesaving care she received from our clinics provided the necessary care she would have had difficulty accessing otherwise.
Board Dispatch: An Oasis of Hope in the Philippines
MI Americas board member Marissa del Rosario-Blackett, DM was recently in the Philippines with the Order of Malta Philippines (OMP) and visited Malteser International’s water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in Mankayan, Benguet. Here, she witnessed the great progress they’ve made and the steps they are taking to mitigate future disasters.
“I am extremely proud to be part of the global institution of the Order of Malta and its humanitarian relief organization, Malteser International. While the Order has boots on the ground in Ukraine and its bordering countries, in remote communities throughout the world, critical humanitarian work continues to promote quality of life and give dignity to the underserved in forgotten parts of the world.”
Colombia – El Magdalena: Biodiversity, Community Empowerment, and Sustainable Development
The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta has experienced massive mortality of mangrove forests and significant decline in fishery resources due to human activity in the region since the 1970s. As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2000, and one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in northern Colombia, this is not good. There is increased urgency in saving these mangroves considering their ability to protect coastal communities from rising sea levels and erosion, and the plant’s natural C02-capturing capacities, if well-rehabilitated and maintained.
Thus, in response to this urgent need, Malteser International Americas has kicked off a series of innovative projects and partnerships to restore La Cienaga and its mangroves.
In the long-run, this program will support the growth of prosperous coastal communities, through training in new skills and practices in environmental conservation and sustainable fishing, all while reinvigorating the local economy.
Colombia: How Rural Communities are Responding to Forest Fires
In La Guajira – an arid region in Northeast Colombia that suffers from severe droughts and forest fires – Malteser International Americas works to strengthen the resilience of local communities by supporting local organizations through education and training around forest fire prevention.
“There are three key benefits: the first is strengthening the social fabric of our society. The second is the benefit to neighboring communities and the third one is to the environment and the planet. We conserve, we produce water, and release oxygen. It is a win-win!” – Pedro Luis Iguara, Volunteer Fire Brigadier.
