Thursday, August 20, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

Early Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sri Lanka

Thursday, August 20, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

Pakistanis IDPs in Desperate Need of Relief and Long Term Aid to Rebuild Homes and Livelihoods

July 14, 2009 – Two million refugees from Pakistan’s SWAT valley have been told by the government that are now allowed to return to their homes.

“It’s very difficult to predict what kind of issues people will face when they go back home,” says Ed Epp, Executive Director of cbm Canada. “Although the conflict has stopped, some people may not be able to go back due to landmines, destroyed homes, or loss of livelihood activities. As is always the case, those with disabilities will be the most affected. We are especially concerned for those with disabilities.”

Those living in camps, more than 150,000, will return first.

cbm, together with its partner agency CHEF (Comprehensive Health & Education Forum) International, has been responding to the emergency medical needs of displaced persons in Pakistan, especially those with disabilities who have critical needs.
 
CHEF has been providing emergency and general healthcare services to IDPs from SWAT, Dir, and Buner in the Mardan district.

CHEF is experienced in the implementation of emergency projects in cooperation with other international and national organizations including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.

Working out of a local social security hospital in Takhbai, CHEF has helped over 1,200 people this past month alone, the majority of them women. The organization has focused primarily on the needs of persons with disabilities, through screening, identification, awareness-raising and networking with other service providers.

“CHEF has advised us that Pakistanis IDPs are in deep need of support,” says Epp. “As 10 to 15% of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are living in camps where it is easy to provide services, the remainder are living in either spontaneous settlements or staying with relatives and host families.”

The majority of the IDPs have difficulty accessing existing relief operations as they are scattered in several locations. The CHEF clinic is responding to those who are not living in the camps, directing their services to the most vulnerable.

Compounding the problem is the culture of Pashtun (the largest ethnic group in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP)) women -- not to be seen by men outside their families.

Twenty-year-old Rashna’s (not her real name) story is a dramatic example of the challenges young women in Pakistan face today.

Her story began more than three months ago, in Qambar, Swat, where she and her loving husband were living with their three beautiful children. Rashna’s daily routine was waking up early, making breakfast for her family and helping them get ready for school.  

Her husband was happily employed in the fruit business. They were living a good, peaceful, healthy life. Then suddenly, tragedy struck.

As Rashna was preparing breakfast one morning, the gas stove blew and severely burnt the front of her body. She was rushed to the nearby hospital, where doctors were able to save her life, but could not save her pretty face from the burn wounds, which left horrific scars.

One month later, as Rashna was under treatment in the hospital, the conflict between Taliban and the Army worsened. Because Rashna’s face, chest and stomach were so badly burnt, she could not even walk. Her husband had to carry her and leave all their belongings behind.

Rashna and her family were among the thousands that evacuated the Swat valley.

On June 25th, Rashna was in such severe pain that her husband brought her to CHEF’s General Health Care Unit for medical consultation. The Medical Officer immediately rushed to her side, then referred her to the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar for Plastic Surgery.

Meanwhile, Rashna’s husband sat outside of the hospital, unwilling to discuss his wife’s condition with the doctor.

“Please don’t make me go in there,” pleaded her husband. “It was already very hard for me to come here.” With a broken heart, he told Shehab Ali, CHEF International’s Senior Program Officer, “We had everything. We used to help others, but now we are here to get help. We are left with no other way but to beg for food and items for daily living. My wife was so helpful; she used to help me all day in my business and was my motivation in life…”

Shehab reassured him that the medicine his wife was receiving was provided by donors. (A gift provided by cbm donors and others)

As Rashna left the clinic she said to Shehab, “Thank you, brother!”

cbm Canada is providing financial support to CHEF for medical services and ongoing rehabilitation for those with disabilities, like Rashna, to meet both short term and long term needs.

While the IDPs may be returning to their homes, their story is far from over.

cbm is a leading international Christian development organization committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.

cbm provides medical support to 16 million people annually, supporting over 1,000 life-changing projects, serving those with disabilities in more than 100 developing countries.

Monday, August 17, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

Sri Lanka War is Over - cbm's work is just beginning

cbm's Executive Director visits Projects in Sri Lanka

 
While touring Vavunya Hospital in northern Sri Lanka recently, Ed Epp, Executive Director of cbm Canada noticed a six-month-old sitting on the floor, clinging to his aging caregiver.

Blinded by congenital cataracts, his parents and siblings killed in the civil war, the only family member this little child had left was his elderly grandmother.

“The war may be over, but the real work of relief and development is just beginning,” says Epp. “cbm is very concerned for people with disabilities, particularly children. The humanitarian needs are great and they are increasing.”

Epp visited cbm’s partners and projects in Sri Lanka to assess the immediate emergency needs and to review the long term needs of internally displaced people (IDPs).

Vavunya Hospital is the only hospital in northern Sri Lanka serving the 300,000 (IDPs). There is no orthopaedic surgeon and very few orthopaedic supplies at Vavunya Hospital.

Before the civil war, two percent of the population were disabled; now up to 10% of IDPs are either disabled or injured; of these 20% are amputees of all ages.

“There is a pressing need for orthopaedic surgery services,” says Epp.

cbm has been assisting people with disabilities in Sri Lanka for the last 30 years, along with partner organizations in the country. After the 2004 tsunami, cbm helped rebuild lives with new homes, provided food, clothing and psycho-social counselling for people traumatized by the war.

Now that the civil war is over, cbm has stepped up with a bold three fold plan that is already underway.

Through its trusted partners on the ground and with the financial support of Canadian supporters, cbm is funding 200 shelters, 40 accessible latrines, two kitchens, and a common hall that is used as a temporary school for children and rehabilitation activities.

cbm is also providing supplementary nutritional feeding for 15,000 people and medication for families with disabilities.

Over half of the women in the IDP camps, many of whom are lactating mothers, and one third of children are malnourished.

Authorities are concerned the impending monsoon season could be another blow for IDPs living in temporary shelters. Most 10 foot by 15 foot tents house 10-15 people. Not only will the mud and lack of space spell adversity, diseases such as malaria will be a great medical concern.

“Families have lost loved ones and their homes, many have sustained life altering injuries,” says Epp. “Just because there isn’t any media attention doesn’t mean the needs have stopped. It’s cbm’s role to stay with these people to try and maintain a quality of life, to restore their homes and livelihood.”

While visiting Vavunya Hospital, Epp oversaw the opening of an eye unit, which featured a new eye refractor unit funded by cbm. The unit will greatly reduce the time that people have to wait for eye exams from nine months to two months.

Epp was assured that the little boy who had congenital cataracts will have his sight fully restored.

“But what will the grandmother and baby need to live normal healthy lives?” asks Epp. “cbm will be there for them. That’s the kind of program we want to set up. To give them a home, a livelihood, so the child can have an education, a future. And, if needed, trauma counseling. cbm is there for the long run.”

Epp was impressed by the concern the staff of the Ministry of Health and cbm partners have for the health and welfare of the IDPs. For example, while cbm is raising funds to provide 200 shelters for people with disabilities, to date funds have been raised for only 100.

“It reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the shepherd with the 99 sheep,” says Epp. “He wasn’t content until he found the 100th sheep. cbm partners are so dedicated, they sacrificed their own salaries and time to build one more shelter. We now have 101 shelters for families who have a disability.”

cbm needs the continued support of compassionate Canadians to continue its work in Sri Lanka. To learn more about how you can help, donate now or phone 1-800-567-2264.

cbm is an international Christian development organization that focuses on helping people with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world. Now in its 100th year, cbm has 1,000 projects in 100 developing countries.

Monday, May 25, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

cbm's Work Begins With End of Civil War in Sri Lanka

Families have been ripped apart.  Limbs have been amputated by land mines and shelling. Buildings have been flattened.

Thousands of people are sick, severely injured, traumatized and hungry. There is no adequate housing, no proper sanitation facilities and a lack of clean water.

The magnitude of the needs of 280,000 internally displaced people (IDP) in Sri Lanka is beyond the capacity of agencies currently at ground zero.

Crammed into overcrowded camps, suffering from acute malnutrition and dehydration, how do these people begin to put their lives together… how can they even survive today?

"The three decade civil war in Sri Lanka may finally be over, but cbm's humanitarian work has just begun,” says Ed Epp, Executive Director of cbm Canada. “We are particularly concerned for displaced persons who have injuries that require urgent medical care.”

Through a trusted national partner, cbm is in Sri Lanka, providing food, water, sanitation and medical care for the 100,000 civilians who fled the war zone in the final days of conflict.

Fifty percent are children, and almost 1/3 of the population either pregnant women or lactating mothers. More than 16,000 suffer wounds inflicted by land mines or shelling.

While international relief organizations have severely limited access to the North and to IDP camps, cbm has been working in Sri Lanka for 33 years, networking and building trust with other partners on the ground.

Now, cbm joins hands with a Sri Lankan partner who is already in the camps. Our partner has a credible track record and has been audited by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Valerie Scherrer, cbm’s emergency coordinator, recently visited Sri Lanka to assess the current situation and support cbm partners in the country.

“cbm is concerned for all civilians in the affected area, particularly those with existing or new disabilities as a result of the conflict,” says Scherrer. “Since January, unofficial UN estimates suggest that a total of 16,000 of those injured have sought medical help. This population is subject to a high risk of new disability because of a lack of proper facilities and the limited availability of essential medical services.”

cbm supports three partner projects in the North/East of Sri Lanka: Karuna Nilayam Girls’ Home, ASHRAM for Human Self Reliance and Meditation, and Deaflink. Karuna Nilayam, a residential school for children with intellectual disabilities relocated to a safe location during the conflict.

A cbm Partner project reported: “The conditions in the camps are very difficult. They are surrounded by barbed wire and movements in and out are restricted. The displaced are very distressed and traumatized as during the past three months they lived under threat of bombing. Many of them have either lost relatives or have no idea what has happened to their loved ones. ”

The mass arrival of displaced persons has overwhelmed the already overtaxed support systems and facilities putting more strain on relief workers and making life even more unbearable for those unfortunate thousands living in the camps.

“cbm will continue working with its partners and other organizations to meet immediate life-saving needs,” says Epp. “We then plan to proceed with mid and long-term strategies to address the ongoing needs of persons with disabilities.  It is our priority to ensure their needs are met.”

cbm’s 3 phase plan of action includes:

Phase I – Save lives by feeding 100,000 camp residents 3 meals per day, provide sanitation and hygiene kits, provide two family tent shelters.

Phase II – Prevent disability - orthopaedic surgeons begin to provide care to the huge numbers of casualties; deliver  psycho-social counseling for people with amputations and others traumatized by the war; organize initiatives to locate missing family members with disabilities.

Phase III – Rebuild lives - give families portable “sack gardens”; provide ongoing physiotherapy, occupational therapy and vocational training and support for conflict survivors.

You can help give Sir Lanka’s displaced families the food, shelter and medical care they desperately need by donating NOW!

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Sandy Hazell
cbm Canada
Media/PR Dept.
1-800-567-2264 ext 246
416-302-3166 (cell)
shazell@cbmcanada.org
www.cbmcanada.org

Friday, May 22, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

cbm Providing Medical Support for Displaced Pakistanis

"In Pakistan, people with disabilities are the most vulnerable,” says Ed Epp, Executive Director of cbm (formerly known as Christian Blind Mission) Canada.

“Many times they can’t make it to the emergency centers, or flee fighting close to their homes. It is cbm’s role to work with our partners to provide these vulnerable persons with hope and care.

More than 1.4 million people are now displaced by the fighting between the Government of Pakistan (GOP) and militant groups in the Federally-administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Swat District in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province.

cbm, together with its partner agency CHEF (Comprehensive Health & Education Forum) International, is responding to the emergency medical needs of displaced persons in Pakistan, especially those with disabilities whose needs are critical.

While United Nations Humanitarian Chief John Holmes says the U.N. will soon launch an emergency appeal for hundreds of millions of dollars to help the displaced over the next year, Human Rights Watch and cbm are currently concerned that civilians trapped in the Swat Valley are being used as human shields.

A major challenge for aid agencies is to provide food, housing, sanitation, water supply and medical care to these internally displaced persons (IDPs) who  now reside in temporary camps in the North-West areas of the country. Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Kohat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Charsadda, Swat, and Swabi districts are all affected.

cbm’s strategic partner CHEF International’s objective in Pakistan is to provide emergency healthcare services to IDPs. They will focus primarily on the needs of persons with disabilities, through screening, identification, awareness-raising and networking with other service providers. Their aim is to identify and assist at least 5,000 persons with disabilities.

cbm has committed to fund CHEF to meet this objective through specific services such as including outpatient services for children, women and the elderly, medicines, first aid, psychosocial counselling and referral, as well as facilitating access to services for persons with disabilities.

cbm Canada will provide financial support for medical services and ongoing rehabilitation for those with disabilities, to meet both short term and long term needs.

CHEF is experienced in the implementation of emergency projects in cooperation with other international and national organizations including the UN High Commission for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.

cbm is a leading international Christian development organization committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.  The organization provides medical support to 16 million people annually, supporting over 1,000 life-changing projects, serving those with disabilities in more than 100 developing countries.

To help those who are displaced or trapped in the region, the public can contact cbm at 1-800-567-2264 or visit www.cbmcanada.org.

cbm Canada – Together we can do more!

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Sandy Hazell
cbm Canada
Media/PR Dept.
1-800-567-2264 ext 246
416-302-3166 (cell)
shazell@cbmcanada.org
www.cbmcanada.org

Friday, May 1, 2009
PRESS RELEASE

cbm Announces New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of cbm Canada (formerly known as Christian Blind Mission) is pleased to announce the appointment of Edwin “Ed” Epp to the position of Executive Director, effective today (Friday, May 1).

Epp succeeds Dave McComiskey, who has served as cbm’s Executive Director since 1999. McComiskey will assume a new position within the organization, as Regional Director of cbm’s Southern Africa Regional Office, in Capetown, South Africa. Prior to McComiskey’s departure for South Africa in mid-June, he plans to work closely with Epp to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

“We are very pleased that Ed has accepted this important position for cbm,” says Marion Mills, Chair of cbm Canada’s Board of Directors.  “Ed is a strong leader with extensive experience in the international development community and a passion for making a difference in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.” Epp was the unanimous choice of cbm Canada’s Board.
 
cbm is a leading international Christian development organization committed to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world.  The organization helps more than 21 million people annually, supporting over 1,000 life-changing projects, serving those with disabilities in more than 100 developing countries.

“I am honoured and energized to serve as Executive Director for cbm Canada; to advocate on behalf of those with disabilities, especially the poorest of the poor,” says Epp. “Through cbm’s life-changing work, we can break the cycle of poverty and disability. This is clearly a critical human rights issue.”

Born in what is currently the Democratic Republic of Congo, Epp has served for more than 23 years in the international development community both at the field and leadership level.
During the past 10 years, Epp has held several senior leadership positions with the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), including Vice President of Resource Development, Director International Programs and Director - Strategic Planning.
Epp has a Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Winnipeg. His passion is “to ensure people with disabilities have basic human rights and that each individual is given a chance to achieve his or her potential.”

“cbm Canada’s Board extends its deepest gratitude to Dave McComiskey for his 24 years of distinguished service at cbm’s Canadian headquarters in Stouffville, Ontario, and we wish him the best in his new role in South Africa,” says Mills. In his new capacity, McComiskey will direct development projects in 10 countries in the Southern Africa region, including Angola and Zimbabwe.

For more information, see www.cbmcanada.org.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Sandy Hazell
cbm Canada
Media/PR Dept.
1-800-567-2264 ext 246
416-302-3166 (cell)
shazell@cbmcanada.org
www.cbmcanada.org

Friday, November 28, 2008
PRESS RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY
November 28, 2008
Event:       “Bringing the Convention to Life”
                i.e. What’s the U.N. got to do with London, Ontario?
       
Where:     

Chesire Homes of London Inc. hosts a symposium in celebration of the Convention with guest speakers representing local, provincial and international perspectives.
More than 10% of the world’s population lives with disabilities, but many are forced to lived on the margins of society.
“The main goal of this symposium is to mobilize people into action and come out with some concrete steps,” says Winston Miller, Director, Overseas Programs, cbm Canada (Christian Blind Mission).  Miller will represent the international perspective at the symposium.

Cheshire Homes supports individuals with physical disabilities to live actively, independently and with dignity in their own community. cbm directly impacts the lives of over 20 million people with disabilities every year.
Interviews will be available.

For further information, please contact:

Saturday, October 18, 2008
PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

cbm Media

Sick and Starving Children in the Congo Need Your Help
cbm has received urgent requests from their partners on the ground in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)to help them save lives, treat wounds, care for sick and starving children and to focus distribution efforts on people with disabilities and their families.

People with disabilities are especially vulnerable during rebel attacks and as they struggle to survive in camps set up for the 1.5 million people who have fled their homes over the past year.
cbm’s Emergency Response Team is stepping up their efforts to assist hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence in eastern DRC, amid reports that fighting has resumed in rebel-held territory in North Kivu.  The ceasefire seems to be holding in the provincial capital of Goma.

Up to 100,000 people – around 60 per cent of whom are children – have fled their homes in the last week alone, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which noted that this brings the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu to around 1.5 million or 20 per cent of the entire population of the province.

The condition of newly displaced children and women is desperate, with thousands having had very little to eat since they fled their homes and minimal access to clean water and health care. Hundreds of children are also presumed to have been separated from their families and forced to fend on their own.
“This is a dangerous and unstable environment and it’s going to be challenging to deliver food to where it’s needed most. We need proper security in place to ensure everyone involved is safe and that we reach the most vulnerable,” says Winston Miller, cbm’s Director International Development.

 “Now they are suffering again. Tens of thousands have been uprooted in North Kivu and cbm is doing everything we can with our partners on the ground.
“It’s almost impossible to imagine the heartache and loss experienced by these people over the past few weeks,” says Miller.
People with disabilities, women, and especially children are at immediate risk of malnutrition, disease, disability and death.  They suffer the most as they are unable to flee from danger, find food when it is in short supply, and suffer greatly from long term economic repercussions.

Dr. Lyn Lusi – cbm’s Partner in Goma reports, “Cholera has begun to break out north of Goma. In Kiwanja 50 cases were reported. We received 50 patients of war-related injuries today-both civilian and military. The problem we are facing is that the supplies we have are not sufficient for a crisis. Right now, we are not ready.”
A mother and her four children were injured when looters and bandits attacked their home. The mother was tortured. One of the children, a six-year-old boy, had a grenade placed under his mattress while he was sleeping said Dr. Lusi.

cbm Canada  needs help to provide emergency medical care to people who are sick and wounded as a result of the violence and the displacement. Our partners are working flat out to save lives and prevent disability.
We urgently need survival kits for displaced families – particularly those families with a disabled family member. People with disabilities are often not able to access the relief given in these crisis situations. The kits will provide food, shelter, blankets and cooking aids.

cbm is on the ground for the long term, and is committed to helping people with disabilities rebuild lives destroyed by the violence. Your gift will also help restore people who have become disabled as a result of this violence.

cbm is asking Canadians to help the people suffering in the Democratic Republic of Congo by phoning Toll-free: 1-800-567-2264 or by making online donations at www.cbmcanada.org.

For further information, please contact:
Public Relations Dept.,
cbm Canada
Toll Free: 1-800-567-2264 or (905) 640-6464

Friday, September 5, 2008
PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, January 9, 2008
PRESS RELEASE

For further information, please contact:
Public Relations Dept.,
cbm Canada
Toll Free: 1-800-567-2264 or (905) 640-6464