MyFedAccess

"Our commitment to help ease human
suffering in every corner of the globe
continues."--Michael J. Young

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004
Tel: 1 888-995-3326 -- E-mail: info@MyFedAccess.com

____________________
*Eastern Caribbean Countries


The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) uses State-Of-The-Art (SOTA) programs and practices to help alleviate the Public Health and Nutrition deficiencies identified by Field Officers located throughout LAC. USAID/LAC programs are designed to:

• Build health systems capacity
  

• Improve child survival, health, and nutrition
  

• Improve maternal health and nutrition
  

• Reduce unintended pregnancy and improve healthy reproductive behavior
  

• Reduce transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS
  

• Prevent and control infectious diseases of major importance
  

• Reduce non-communicable diseases and injuries
  

• Address health requirements of internally displaced persons
  
  

To keep one another informed and up-to-date on SOTA Practices that are working in the field, USAID/LAC brings their Public Health and Nutrition Officers together periodically to exchange "Best Practices," and to plan future programs.


Project Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI), the provenance of MyFedAccess, was contracted to design, facilitate, and provide Logistical and Administrative Support Services for week-long USAID/LAC State-Of-The-Art (SOTA) Course/Meetings. Field Officers from Colombia who were in attendance at the SOTA Course/Meetings hosted by PRGI learned how their counterparts from other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean Basin and other leading Public Health and Nutrition professionals from the private sector were meeting their challenges. In addition to having sessions that dealt with the specific programs and initiatives designed around the Strategic Objectives for the region, SOTA discussions were also held regarding the processes used to support and measure their progress. With the USAID/Washington senior staff members in attendance, the Field Officers were able to relate the success of their efforts and make recommendations that could help ensure the sustainability of programs sponsored by the USAID/LAC Missions throughout the region. Case studies, audio-visual materials, small group discussions, and other tools were used to enhance the effectiveness of the overall training presentation.

BACK TO TOP

Contract Activity:    Displaced Children & Orphans Fund


Background:    An estimated 135 million children living in developing countries lack the support and protection of parents or suitable guardians. These most vulnerable children are usually innocent victims of dire social and economic distress, disease, or conflict. The number includes perhaps more than 400,000 unaccompanied refugee or internally displaced children, 200,000 child combatants, more than 100 million street children and 34 million children who have lost one or both parents to disease or other causes.

With support and encouragement from Congress, the U. S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) began to address the needs of orphans in 1989. Its mission is to strengthen the capacity of families and communities to provide care, support, and protection for orphans, unaccompanied minors, and war-affected children. The fund works through nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in developing countries to develop models and implement programs that provide direct service to children and support local organizations so that work can be sustained beyond the length of the grant.

Displaced Children and Orphans Fund was Active in 25 Countries

____________________
*Democratic Republic of the Congo-Kinshasa


Support programs for displaced children and orphans fall into the following categories:

• Children Affected by War - With no fewer than 25 civil conflicts being waged at the present time, more than 500,000 children are thought to be unaccompanied or separated from their families. Some 300,000 are thought to actually be fighting in these conflicts.
  
  

• Children Orphaned by AIDS - In just the 23 countries included in USAID's study, Children on the Brink, the number of children orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic will increase from under 25 million in 1990 to over 41 million in the year 2010.
  
  

• Street Children - An estimated 100 million children work or live on the streets of the developed and developing worlds. They are the innocent victims of family financial distress, and social, economic and political upheaval. Over the past decade, the problem has worsened, leaving a tremendous loss of human potential and a detrimental impact on economic and social development.
  
  

• Children with Disabilities - Stigmatized by cultural values and religious beliefs, they are hidden in back rooms or placed in government institutions, displaced from communities and society. DCOF is supporting community-based approaches to provide care and training in life skills.
  
  

Project Title in Colombia:    Project to Prevent the Recruitment of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian
    Children and Youth by Illegal Armed Groups

Cooperating Agency in Colombia:    International Organization for Migration

Background:    In Colombia, USAID is working with the International Organization for Migration to assist children affected by armed conflict. The program strives to prevent children and youth from being recruited into illegal armed groups (IAGs) by increasing their access to education and vocational training; by strengthening their connections to family, friends, and community; and encouraging them to participate in civic, cultural, and community activities.

Project Description in Colombia:    The project is working to reduce the vulnerability of children and youth, who are at risk of being recruited into IAGs. It does so by assisting social and institutional networks and systems in communities in protecting the rights of children and youth and by providing care, protection, and support for children and youth who are at risk of being recruited in IAGs.

Activities are focused in the five Colombian departments of Narino, Cauca, Valle de Cauca, Choco, and Tolima. There, the project reaches children and youth directly through youth clubs and community committees, it works in tandem with the Government of Colombia and trains civil servants in measures that can prevent children and youth from being recruited into IAGs, and it conducts radio outreach campaigns to educate communities on childrens' rights.

Project Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI), the provenance of MyFedAccess, was contracted by USAID to administer these funds and provide Technical, Logistical, and Administrative Support Services for displaced children and orphans in more than 20 countries, including Colombia. The International Organization for Migration works to prevent the recruitment of children and youth by illegal armed groups (IAGs) by: 1) Supporting participatory and developmental activities for 10,000 children and youth; 2) Strengthen cultural, family, and community ties as protective factors; and 3) Supporting key Government of Colombia agencies and public policies that directly support Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities. Since 1989, DCOF has contributed more than $74,000,000 to programs in these countries. Funds were used to expand support of activities in four new countries while the DCOF was being administered by PRGI.

BACK TO TOP