(Community Matters) Shocked and saddened Ken Gladish is leaving ACF after only 2.5 years; the board and organization invested a lot in Ken and his brand in Central Texas.  Happy for Ken, Kendal & Seton.  He’ll make a great addition to their Central Texas team, and I’m sure he’ll make many more contributions to this community.

(Community Matters) Woke up still thinking about the grilled quail & barbacoa. Dinner last night with Steve Adler & Kirk Rudy at La Sombra Bar & Grill.  (noticed both Lew Aldridge & Roger Joseph also back within a week – good endorsements since both foodies) Tonight the special is their seafood stew – omg, this is the to-die-for.

I’d go back again tonight if  I wasn’t already booked for ADL True Colors.

(Community Matters) After 79 years, Jaime’s Spanish Village shuts down 7/30.  Of course we had to go back one last time, though 3 of our guests think they’d never been – Melissa Henderson, Tana Christie & Jill McRae.

Clint, Melissa, Drew Valcourt, Michael Mitchell, Milinda Mitchell, Stephen Yelenosky, Robert Torian, Charles Christie, Jill, Tana, Lily & Joe Christie

The Village never was first about the food, though the enchiladas are passable. Pitchers of frozen ritas topped off with a sangria shooter – we need more places selling margs by the pitcher.  And, as many Austin high schoolers and undergraduates have recalled, they didn’t scrutinized IDs very rigorously

Michael Mitchell mentions in Squirrels

(Community Matters) U.Va. study: Adoptive children of lesbian and gay couples developing well

“In a sample of 106 adoptive children living in different parts of the United States, youngsters were developing well regardless of whether they were living with lesbian, gay or heterosexual parenting couples. The study found that whether or not adoptive children were developing in positive ways was unrelated to the sexual orientation of their adoptive parents. The finding appears in the August issue of the journal Applied Developmental Science. “We found that children adopted by lesbian and gay couples are thriving,” said U.Va. psychology professor Charlotte J. Patterson, who led the study. “Our results provide no justification for denying lesbian or gay prospective adoptive parents the opportunity to adopt children. With thousands of children in need of permanent homes in the United States alone, our findings suggest that outreach to lesbian and gay prospective adoptive parents might benefit children who are in need.”

hat tip: Towelroad

(Community Matters) Seriously, me?  An Austin Fashion Awards critic voter . . .  well, someone appreciates my 16 copies (8 colors) of the same Neiman’s linen casual shirt after all

of  course John Hogg for best male model

(Community Matters) Having returned from touring Port au Prince and northern provinces of Haiti, reflecting over the weekend:  the situation is both encouraging and heart-breaking.  Encouraging in how much the NGOs to which we’ve granted & others are doing, the resiliency of the Haitian people so obvious in the amount of commercial activity, organizing in camps, slow but continuous removal of rubble, and the lack of outbreak of major disease among the 1.5mm+ displaced Haitians.  Heart-breaking in the circumstances most Haitians still find themselves, the slowness of government and ministry recovery, and the violence in camps – especially gender-based violence.

Yet, I’ve returned more optimistic.  There are enormous assumptions in any predictions for rebuilding stronger and better – stability of government being the predominant one, and the adoption of common visions for the country’s rebuilding being but one of the others.

I’ve assessed that we’ve invested the HelpHaiti monies wisely; thanks mostly to Philip Berber, we selected the right partners.  I’m encouraged by my visits to Concern Worldwide, Fonkoze and Partners in Health.  Regrettably, I didn’t have time to meet with  Catholic Relief Services.

Thinking about how we invest/grant our final monies and whether or not we should raise more.  Thoughts veer to focusing remainder of assistance on specific residents in a specific camp. Wondering if by seeding innovative collaboration with new (to Haiti) incentives for parents to continuously and sustainably prioritize elementary & middle school education for their children and healthcare & wellness as well as opportunities for families to earn a living, we might be able to effect more sustainable change, better futures.

Much more thought and conversation needs to happen – with my fellow grant committee members, our donors and our partner agencies – before we make any decisions.  Thoughts and comments appreciated.

(Community Matters)

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(Community Matters)

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(Community Matters) Steven prefers to celebrate April 29, the anniversary of our first date in 1999.  And, on July 24, 2004, we were married in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.

(Community Matters) Yesterday with new friends touring Partners in Health facilities in the districts north of PaP, in the mountains and along the coast. Zanmi Lasante (Creole for Partners in Health aka PiH) is the difference between substandard, costly & scare medical care and higher quality, free to inexpensive WHO standard of care. I bet you can measure their contributions in Haiti by years of life expectancy.

As we were emerging from touring the St Marc’s hospital operating room area there was a lot of commotion in the court yard, lots of people around a taptap. Strange that a taptap allowed thru the gates into the courtyard. Dr Almazar explained it was probably an auto or motorcycle accident. Then we noticed the bloodied accident victim on the gurney. Relieved when we saw him wheeled to the emergency room.

On our way to the AIDS ward, the commotion started up again as they wheeled the gurney back out. It didn’t make sense until Dr Almazar explained the victim hadn’t made it. His body on the gurney, head covered with his bloody t-shirt, was a reminder of Haitians’ needs beyond the earthquake. Keep reading →

(Community Matters) On Tuesday, I rode over with Jennifer Jalovec and Brion Loinsigh to Concern Worldwide’s ground up planned camp in Tabarre, a municipality in the “greater metropolitan area” of Haiti.  Jennifer is Concern Haiti’s emergency coordinator, Brion a newly arrived program support officer; Ghi was our driver.

Don’t know that I’ve mentioned the tightness of security.  You must drive in agency cars with doors locked and always with agency or other hired drivers – like most agency workers, these are employed Haitians paid USD $200 to $400 per month (the highest paid at the UN I’m told).  Though not nearly as bad as in 2004/2005, kidnapping is on the rise, particularly of foreign aid workers.  Trying to save the agency bother & since I arrived in Haiti on Monday several hours later than others, I tried insisting I’d take a cab and meet up with the group.  Evidently, this is a very popular place from where to kidnap foreigners. and, I digress . . . .

Tabarre - so we’ve toured a couple other camps.  I’d seen a rather large one immediately outside the airport.  According to Concern’s global emergency services director (the acting in-country director during my visit) Aine Fey, the UN estimates there are over 1300 housing 1.5mm to 1.7mm displaced people. Only about 21% of these are agency managed, so about 1,000 are what they call spontaneous camps, you’ve seen them on television & in the newspapers – in the middle of the road, on the side of a busy road, just outside the airport.  I’ve assumed the latter or sometimes more easily identified by the more rudimentary forms of temporary shelter and the lack of any space between units. I’m told some where given port o toilets but temporary housing grew up surrounding these and there is no way to empty the units (sanitation is a huge issue here.  HelpHaiti prioritized its funding along with medical assistance.  And, nearly everyone here cites the lack of outbreak of major disease as attributable to safe drinking water and sanitation management – Concern spends USD $7,000 per day on water alone at its 13 managed camps & others to which it delievers safe drinking water).

Keep reading →

(Community Matters) Opening July 27 – ridiculously proud of Cameron and especially appreciative of Eddie Bernal

ABJ write up here

(Community Matters)

Belated Happy Birthday Dear Friend

(Community Matters) Left my friends from Concern Worldwide this morning and joined new friends from Fonkoze.

Breakfast with their CEO Anne Hastings who I feel like I already knew from numerous telephone conversations and emails since the earthquake. Anne was quite upset by the devastation around our hotel.  The Montana was a popular new hotel, retail development just outside our doors.  It was completely flattened during the earthquake, including the loss of hundreds of guests – two Anne’s friends.  She hadn’t seen the site before today.

I didn’t know contracts for the heavy equipment stationed in Haiti were being held up because USAID hasn’t received Congressional approval yet.  While lots of rubble is still left, much has been removed through the cash for work programs & other funded contacts. Nevertheless, if what’s reported is the reason for the holdup, it’s pretty pathetic.

Anne noted that Concern has long been a major supporter of Fonkoze, especially funding their small credit programs in rural areas for the very poor.  We also discussed a Gates Foundation grant for mobile banking; I promised to connect her to Roy & Bertand Sosa as Fonkoze is in the process of evaluating mobile carrier options and technology.

Carine Roenen, until recently with Concern, is their new Foundation ED.  She picked me up for the day’s tour – another extraordinary day, literally over the mountains and through the river . . .

Keep reading →

(Community Matters) late & I’m tired. Still having to rely on blackberry to post since no wifi, so pardon briefness and lack of pics.

The UN estimates there are over 1,300 camps of displaced people. Concern Worldwide manages 13 with 58k residents, and they provide some services at another 20 or so. Only 21% of camps are managed by agencies – hardship for other 79% since they aren’t eligible for any UN or ECO services.

It’s hard to see even the best run camps – tents and lots of children living exposed, to the elements (here comes hurricane season), to violence (gender based violence is increasing). And, hopeful because the agencies are teaching residents, empowering women to form teams to protect themselves, paying residents to clear rubble, take care of children, even to rebuild.

HelpHaiti contributed $100k for cash for work (residents earn USD 5 per day). We’ve also funded 5 child friendly spaces which are soon evolving to learning spaces – the kids were playing, singing, even learning without realizing it. Each learning space will soon serve 1.5k children in three one-half day sessions each week.

Haiti gov’t stopped distribution of free food, encouraging food for work. Some agencies abiding, other agencies barely requiring work – the disparities cause tensions.

We visited a mom & child space today. Concern’s nutritionists and psychologists enabling these women & their children in ways they’ve never been able. Concern’s peace maker is teaching neighborhood residents & merchants to discuss & resolve issues in ways that have prevented riots those areas.

Concern had 170 Haitian employees plus 5 ex pats prior to the earthquake, now 330 + 35. They spend $7,000 per week delivering safe drinking water.

They’re building permanent housing for 500 families in their model-breaking camp, Tabarre, plus repairing or rebuilding housing for another 740 families in the “host neighborhood.” These houses cost USD 3,000 each and are built to withstand category 5 hurricanes. They refused to build to UN and ECO specs, which others were building b/c donor organizations prescribed. These worked just fine in other climates but some collapsed during last month’s storms. Now some are upgrading to Concern’s specs. I was at “Mama’s” house today; she’s moving in this evening. Wish I could post the pic of her smile. She won the first completed home, b/c she and her 9yo granddaughter were sexually attacked in their tent.

Biggest future challenge is finding means of livelihood. It’ll take government leadership. Historically, Haiti’s sustainable governments only seem to care pre-election. The oligarchies and military don’t allow much challenge to their monopoly on wealth and commerce.

The homeless Haitians are obviously resilient. They are engaged in various entrepreneurial activity. Though, honestly, I don’t know of what they dream. One aid worker said simply for better lives for their children, that even out of rain soaked tents, their children are turned out clean and pressed for school in the morning.

Posted from my blackberry.