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MissionAid
February 2015
Issue 89
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Misean Cara Website
Welcome to the February Issue!
Student Roberto Fernandez is doing arts and crafts at the Centro Hermano
Manolo also known as the Cochabamba Youth Programme in Cochabamba,
Bolivia. Managed by the Christian Brothers, the Centre encourages street
children like Roberto, giving them confidence in their own abilities and talents,
and enabling them to remain in or return to school. Support from Misean Cara
provides multi-faceted support services for 40 working children who access the
Centre on a daily basis and a further 30-40 children who access the Centre on a
‘drop-in basis’; it provides homework assistance, access to computers,
occupational guidance, direct educational support, recreational activities,
counselling services and training workshops. Photo: Edmund Rice
Development.
A Message from our CEO
Thank you to everyone who attended this week’s
Members’ Meeting. With more than 100 attendees
this was by far our biggest Members’ Meeting to
date! The meeting re-ignited the fire in my belly
seeing all of the energy, and enthusiasm that
everyone has for our organisation.
For me the meeting was the best one yet! I was very
impressed to see so many of our talented MDOs
entertain us with their drama skills. I would never
have guessed that we had so many aspiring actors
and CEOs among us.
Special thanks to the core MDO group and to all of
the individual MDOs who have taken the time to
participate in some of the smaller consultation
meetings. Your feedback has been invaluable in
charting out our collective future.
CEO Heydi Foster
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News Stories
Irish Missionaries
Ready to Amplify the
Voices of the Poor
A Year On: Response
to Super Typhoon
Haiyan
When The Dead
Woke Up To Walk
Again
Thinking about what our organisation could be in 2025 really
captured everyone's imagination - members and staff alike are
excited about the future. Photo: Seth Wheeler.
The meeting was a great cause to celebrate a major
achievement in the history of the organisation. For
the first time ever, we were joined by our four
Development Mentors. Andrea, Paul, Joe and
Michael travelled for many hours for the meeting,
and it was a great opportunity for you to get to know
them. As I said our capacity development
programme is a work in progress, and we will be
working with you to strengthen it so it becomes the
foundation of your work.
Capacity Development is one of our priorities, and
work has already begun addressing some of the
areas that need to be improved. Last week, our new
Learning & Development Manager Séamus O’Leary
facilitated a capacity development review with staff
and more than 30 MDOs. We are reviewing all of the
feedback and ideas, and we will be sharing a
detailed report with you soon. Let me assure you
that the review will be a consultative process
because we want to produce a programme that
caters to as many of the needs of our members as
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Send us your photos
and videos!
We want to help showcase the
work of our members by
sharing photos, stories and
videos of the wonderful work
you do on our website,
Facebook Page and
MissionAid. If you have a
photo, story or video to share
then please email Tara
[email protected]
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possible.
Nearly one year has passed since I joined Misean
Cara, and my goal to meet with every one of our
member organisations is going well. So far, I have
met with over half of our member organisations. I will
be continuing this initiative, and I hope to have met
all member organisations by the end of the year. So
trust me I will be visiting you real soon.
Kind regards,
Heydi
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We're now on Twitter!
That's right Misean Cara is now on
Twitter. Follow @miseancara or
check
outhttp://www.twitter.com/miseancara f
or updates.
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Funding Deadlines
MPSS (greater than €10,000) Round 1 – Friday, 27
February.
PSS Round 2 2015 (including multi-annual, multi-partner
and capacity development) – Friday, 29 May.
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MPSS (greater than €10,000) Round 2 – Friday, 11
September.
Funding Updates
Project Support Scheme (PSS) Round 1
2015
Decisions in relation to the first round of PSS
applications (which were submitted in November
2014) will be communicated in the week
commencing 2 March 2015. These decisions will
NEW
Resources
Available!
The Partnership
Policy, and Income
Generating Activities
(IGAs) and
Livelihoods Funding
Policy are now
available in the
include approval, non-approval or referral to the
Quality Support Initiative.
Micro Project Support Scheme (MPSS)
under €10,000
Applications may be submitted under this scheme at
any time. Where possible we encourage members to
prioritise the funding opportunities available over the
course of the year through the PSS and MPSS over
€10,000 scheme.
Sector Interest Groups
As discussed at last year’s Sector Interest Groups
meetings we would like to encourage all members to
join the sector interest groups.
Members' Section of
the website under the
Resources tab.
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The aim of these groups is to provide a forum where
members involved in projects from each sector have
an opportunity to meet up to network, share and
learn from one another.
The next meetings of Sector Interest Groups will
take place as follows:
•
•
•
•
Education – Wednesday, 4 March 2015
11.00am - 1.00pm
Income Generation and Livelihoods –
Wednesday, 4 March 2015 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Health and Water Sanitation – Wednesday,
11 March 2015 11.00am - 1.00pm
Human Rights and Advocacy – Wednesday,
11 March 2015 2.00pm - 4.00pm
It is proposed that the agenda for the upcoming
meetings will be chosen from suggestions/requests
made by group members. Therefore, we are asking
you to please choose two topics and/or
challenges that you or your colleagues in the field
are facing in relation to your sector that you feel
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would be of use/interest for the group to share and
discuss. For example these topics could be current
issues in the sector or challenges that the project is
facing, etc.
Also it would be most helpful at this stage if you
could indicate if you would be in a position to present
to the group on the positive aspects and challenges
of one of your key projects working in the sector
either in the upcoming meeting or for the next
meeting to be held later in 2015.
If you plan on attending one of the meetings and/or
you want to submit your suggested topics of interest
then please email Seth
Wheeler [email protected] soon as
possible.
Stories from the field
Brittle Egg Shells
Special Report from De La Salle Christian Br. Bill Firman, Executive Director of Solidarity
with South Sudan.
Sister Rosa Le Thi Bong, a Vietnamese member of Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, walks with
refugee children in the Makpandu refugee camp, a ramshackle collection of huts with mud walls and
thatched roofs spread through a remote section of forest 40 kilometers from Yambio, the capital of
Western Equatoria State in the newly independent South Sudan. Sister Rosa works in the camp as a
member of Solidarity with South Sudan, a pastoral and teaching presence of Catholic priests, sisters and
brothers from around the world. Photo: Paul Jeffrey.
So far, so good! We have now been in the dry season for more than two months and,
notwithstanding rumours of both sides re-arming heavily during the last wet season, South
Sudan has not erupted into the violent conflict some were predicting. It could still happen
but already the people are starting to look towards the new wet season with a growing
optimism. The rival factions in the ruling SPLM (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement)
have met and signed another agreement to unify the party and subsequently, we hope, the
country.
There has been some isolated fighting and senseless killing, usually over cattle. One of the
nearby schools in Juba is now housing over 3,000 displaced persons following an intertribal clash resulting in at least eleven deaths, when one tribe marched their cattle onto the
land which another tribe was cultivating to produce food. Read more.
Thank You From Liberia
Letter from Sr. Bridget Lacey, Sr. Mary Mullin and Sr. Anne Kelly sisters with the
Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary who are based in Lofa County, Liberia.
You have travelled with us here in Liberia in deeply troubled times. Thanks to your prayer,
concern and support in every way we are truly able to look to this new year with joy in our
hearts.
We owe you so much! Your have carried us through very dark and frightening days! You
kept hope alive in us as we in turn tried to keep hope alive in the lives of those around us!
Many times our hearts were broken and our spirits filled with desolation as we journeyed
with our people through the tragic loss of children, parents, health workers, burial teams
and ambulances drivers. Our thank you is all we can offer you but know that it is heartfelt
and sincere. Read more.
Sowing The Seeds of Success
Special Report from Misean Cara Project Officer Colette Nkunda.
A Project Officer from the Columban Fathers agro-forestry project in Bacolod in the Philipines, and Misean
Cara Porject Officer Colette Nkunda plant a tree in their farm. Photo: Misean Cara.
Recently Misean Cara Project Officer Colette Nkunda conducted a monitoring visit in
Philippines. This country was chosen on the basis of the concentration of funding received
by members, time elapsed since the last monitoring visit and learning potential.
Consultant Eamonn Casey, and I conducted a monitoring visit in the Philippines. The visit
had a twofold objective – firstly to assess which projects have achieved their objectives as
set out in their applications, and secondly, to understand and learn from members’
practice.
This monitoring visit also culminated in the first ever meeting of members in the
Philippines, on Tuesday 27 January 2015. Twenty six members attended representing
eleven religious congregations. This meeting was useful as it enabled us to present
Misean Cara to the members, by going through its mission, the funding schemes and
guidelines, the deadlines and the frequently asked questions. Members also took part in a
brainstorming session on the Vision and Strategy that will guide Misean Cara for its
medium and long term future. Read more.
People Forced to Flee – The Story of
Statelessness
There are more than 50 million stateless people around the world today. Statelessness affects everyone,
it can happen as quickly as a conflict or war sweeping a country or it can be gradual forcing men, women
and children to abandon their homes when the rains do not come or when harvests fail. “These are people
simply forced to flee,” says Fr. Bobby Gilmore.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be invisible? In the blink of an eye, war,
political turmoil and natural disaster can spell the end of normalcy, and the advent of legal
limbo. Millions of people around the world have no nationality, ID or papers because they
are stateless.
“If you hear news of conflict in Somalia or Afghanistan or in the Balkans or someplace like
that, give it about four weeks and you are going to see new people on the streets that have
come from these places. These are people simply forced to flee,” says Columban Fr.
Bobby Gilmore. Read more.
Meet the Misean Cara Team
Members have expressed an interest in knowing more about the staff at Misean Cara. This
is the eleventh in a series of introductions to our team in the Dublin office.
Séamus O'Leary
Séamus O’Leary started in the role of
Learning and Development Manager with
Misean Cara in mid-January 2015. He is
from County Wexford originally and
currently lives outside Carlow town with
his wife Geraldine and their three sons.
About ten years ago, both Geraldine and
Séamus worked overseas as lay
missionaries with the support of the
Columbans, an experience that has
shaped their understanding of culturally
appropriate development and indeed
everything else that they have been
involved in since returning.
Séamus first became involved in overseas development work in 1992, through a local
Wexford-based charity that provided support to care centres run by the Missionaries of
Charity in Eastern Europe. Séamus volunteered for a number of extended periods in both
Romania and Albania between 1992 and 1996. This experience later lead to his
involvement with the Columban Lay Mission Programme, through which he lived and
worked in Lahore, Pakistan from 1998 to 2001. The focus of this programme was very
much one of operating out of a paradigm of presence, rooted in a desire to engage across
cultures and find locally appropriate responses to issues of poverty and injustice.
Upon returning to Ireland Séamus did a diploma in development studies in Kimmage DSC
and a masters in rural development in UCD, and later a degree in non-profit sector
management through the Open Training College. From 2001 to 2006, Séamus worked as
Asia Programme Officer in Trócaire, with a particular focus on their partnerships in India
and the Philippines. The work in India in particular involved working closely with 3 local
accompaniers / mentors who provided on-going organisational and programme-focussed
support to those implementing the work. Immediately prior to taking up this role in Misean
Cara, Séamus worked for 8 years with The Integration Centre on issues relating to cultural
diversity and integration here in Ireland.
Events and Training Courses
UCDVO Development Film Series
The third UCDVO Development Film Series will take place in the UCD Student Centre
Cinema. The aim of this series is to bring vibrant and gripping cinema documentaries to a
UCD audience in order to generate awareness and discussion on the important global
issues which each film explores.
There is an exciting line up of 5 cutting edge films and guest-speakers who will lead a Q&A
session after each film. Films are being screened every Monday at 6pm, starting on the
2nd of February until the 2nd of March 2015.
People interested in attending should email [email protected] to reserve
seats in advance. Click here for more programme details.
Upcoming Training Courses:
•
Kimmage Open and Distance Education (KODE)
•
Child Safeguarding - Organisational Self Audit Tool (Free)
•
Build Your Organisational Capacity!
•
The International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)
Misean Cara is a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. It is registered in Dublin,
Ireland, No: 381117. Its registered office is: 563 South Circular, Kilmainham, Dublin 8. It has been
granted tax exemption by the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland and has a charitable tax exemption
number: CHY15772.