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suffering in every corner of the globe
continues."--Michael J. Young

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*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) 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 Guatemala 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.

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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

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*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 Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI) 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 Guatemala. 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.

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Contract Activity:    Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund (WVF)


Background:    The War Victims Fund supports programs that provide for the improved mobility of people with disabilities by providing accessible, appropriate prosthetic services. With a renewed focus on quality of service, the fund added patient follow-up and monitoring as part of its projects. In Laos a special program that upgrades medical and surgical services for victims of accidental detonations of unexploded ordnance has been successful and is being replicated in other parts of the country.

Historically, war victims and other people living with disabilities face daunting obstacles in gaining access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Appropriate policies and construction codes for barrier-free accessibility for people living with disabilities can help overcome these obstacles. Toward this end, an innovative program of assistance in Vietnam that began with a focus on barrier-free accessibility has resulted in passage of a comprehensive national disabilities law. This legislation was drafted with the assistance of Americans who participated in efforts to pass and implement the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund was Active in 20 Countries

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*Democratic Republic of the Congo-Kinshasa


Improved economic conditions and the ability to increase earned income are essential to the health and welfare of all individuals, including those living with disabilities. In Cambodia, the fund has supported a variety of innovative approaches to increase income-generating opportunities for war victims and their families. Lessons learned from these approaches can be used to develop similar programs in other countries.

As the fund evolved, its agenda became more challenging. Plans were made to include people with disabilities in planning and implementing programs; improved training; expanded community-based rehabilitation; development and production of appropriate wheelchairs; and increased coordination with other donors.

Project Title in Guatemala:    Supporting the Central American Tripartite Land Mine Initiative

Cooperating Agency in Guatemala:    Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

Background:    Regional unrest through the 1980s has left Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala with a legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and land mines. Although Honduras and Costa Rica managed to avoid taking a military role in the violence that ravaged Central America during that decade, conflicts in neighboring countries left regional borders heavily mined.

In addition to the human casualties they cause, land mines pose a special problem in Central America, a region troubled by large populations and scarce amount of available land. The proliferation of land mines has forced people into already overcrowded towns and cities, bringing with them increased crime rates and social unrest.

In January 1999, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) along with the governments of Canada and Mexico committed to a Tripartite Initiative to develop and provide comprehensive assistance and programming to rehabilitate land-mine survivors and other people with disabilities.

Project Description in Guatemala:    USAID in partnership with PAHO targeted the countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to improve the physical social and economic development of persons affected by land mine injuries and other disabilities. A strategic network/clearinghouse has been developed and maintained.

Project Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI) was contracted by USAID to administer these funds and provide Technical, Logistical, and Administrative Support Services for civilian victims of war in more than 20 countries, including Guatemala. The Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund (WVF) compliments the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF), both were under the administration of PRGI. Each year, through the efforts of its collaborating partners and the dedicated and professional commitment of their local and international staff, the U.S. Agency for International Development's Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund provides assistance to thousands of war victims, their families, and other people living with disabilities.

Since 1989, the Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund has worked in war-affected developing countries to provide a dedicated source of financial and technical assistance for civilian victims of war. The fund has now provided over $60 million in more than 16 countries, including Guatemala. The fund serves people who suffer from mobility-related injuries, including those with land-mine injuries, and those who suffer from polio as a result of interrupted immunization services.

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