IOCC's global response - July 2006
(extract)
The following are selected highlights from among IOCC's projects.
Republic of Georgia
IOCC continues use of its knowledge and expertise in Georgia's education sector to work with local communities on the improvement of Georgia's extremely neglected public schools. Through the current project, funded by Hellenic Aid of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IOCC is working on rehabilitating 3 public school - Poti Town School # 11, Bia Village School, and Meria Village School. The rehabilitation activities include structural and cosmetic repairs to interior, replacement of windows and exterior doors, repair of sewage system and lavatories. Once renovated, the schools will offer a healthier study environment for the students and a healthier work environment for the teachers.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Since 1997, IOCC has contributed greatly to the revitalization and development of agriculture in Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of the most promising post-conflict sectors of the rural economy. More than 43,000 beneficiaries have been directly served to date. The following are some of the current achievements in the agriculture sector: 519 tractor attachments distributed, 292 plastic-greenhouses installed, 77 farm-structures repaired, 236 pregnant heifers distributed, 27 training seminars organized, 1,300 sets of seeds and fertilizers donated, and 63 households started fruit production.
Jerusalem-West Bank
Recent events in the area have severely impacted Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip. With unemployment currently hovering at 75 percent there, 7 out of 10 people are unable to meet their daily food needs without the assistance of United Nations organizations. Some families have reduced their meals to once a day and begging is increasing. IOCC is currently implementing a $256,000 Gaza Strip Emergency Response funded by Hellenic Aid (Greece). The project provides basic humanitarian assistance to 350 babies and children with malnutrition and undernourishment, medications and medical care for 227 children and women with heart diseases and health care for 125 chronically ill and neglected senior citizens.
Romania
In April and May 2006, the Danube flooded it banks, forcing 17,000 Romanians persons to leave their homes. The waters receded by the end May, but the village residents are still feeling the affects. At the end of June, over 1,200 persons were still living in government provided camps. IOCC has directed over 20,000 personal hygiene kits (valued at over $260,000) to flood-affected families from eleven different counties along the course of the Danube. These kits were supplemented by donations from Romanian Orthodox parishes in the US. Cristian Chiriac, head of the social assistance department at the Archdiocese of Craiova of the Romanian Orthodox Church, remarked, "This is not the first time where IOCC has worked with our Archdiocese in fulfilling its mission of helping those in need. As a result of IOCC's support, the Church was able to have a broader impact in providing emergency assistance to the thousands of individuals who lost their houses in our region."