Aid that Gets There

SIMaid is an organisation dedicated to ensuring aid is delivered to those who need it, and is focused on getting donor’s resources to nominated projects. Fast. SIMaid aims to deliver to the field more than 85 cents of every dollar donated, and regularly achieves better than this number. Donations are usually committed to a project by the last working day of each month. Your aid gets there and it gets there fast.

SIMaid directs resources into sustainable aid projects which empower communities to live with dignity and hope – removing threats of child labour, poverty and exploitation – and empowering them to live with access to health, education and employment resources in a healthy and secure environment. While there are many instances of aid-only focused projects we have a strong development agenda, our preference being to establish community resources which become self perpetuating and which are ultimately supervised by local communities.

The projects we support are supervised and managed by project managers who provide regular project reports, ensure projects are executed against specific plans and KPIs and who manage the project budget and funds drawdown against the same parameters. Donors are able to visit project sites to see their contributions making a difference, and where appropriate are able to assist a project with their time and expertise.

SIMaid projects are found in Africa, Asia and South America. We partner with local government, agencies, NGOs and churches and address issues such as:

• Literacy and skills development
• Income generation
• Health care including hospitals and HIV projects
• Environmental protection
• Long term food security
• Emergency aid

 

Gifts to SIMaid are tax deductible

SIMaid is part of SIM International which has over 2000 staff working in 40 countries throughout the developing world. We are in a strong position to identify situations where help is desperately needed. To meet these needs, carefully structured projects are planned by SIMaid working within local communities.

When emergencies such as flood, earthquake and famine strike, SIMaid and its partner agencies are able to deliver Australian donations direct to the location where they are most effective.

SIMaid Project Updates/ 2011 Projects Requiring Funding                     Aid that Gets there (SIMaid Facebook)

 

The progress of each project is carefully monitored and supervised with progress publicised in the quarterly newsletter, imagine.

imagine 2011 issue 02

imagine 2011 issue 01

imagine 2010 issue 02

imagine 2010 issue 01

imagine 2009 issue 03

imagine 2009 issue 02

imagine 2009 issue 01

Justice for the poor of Bangladesh brochure

 

HOPE for AIDS MALAWI Orphan and Vulnerable Children. Project # 96255

There are now over 1.2 million orphans in Malawi, mostly orphaned
by AIDS. Without adequate care and support, many of these children will become marginalised and exposed to child labour and abuse. This project works in partnership with the Africa Evangelical Church (AEC) to support families caring for orphans
through advocacy, nutrition, respite for carers and educational needs to ensure that these children are given a hope and a future. The project is also providing day care for children under five years of
age. The day care centres ensure that this group receives the necessary nutrition and pre-school education, and enables guardians to go to work.

HOPE for AIDS ZIMBABWE Orphan and Vulnerable Children Project # 96380

The situation for children in Zimbabwe at this time is desperate. This project ministers to the many thousands of children made vulnerable by the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe, either through the loss of a parent, or parents who are sick. These children are kept in school by fee assistance, and provision of school supplies and uniforms. Help for orphans comes in the form of food and seed packs, milk formula and goat milk for infants,

establishment of vegetable gardens, and holiday camps.

Update from Project Manager, Caiphas Ngarivhume

August 2010

Outreach to orphans and vulnerable children continues to grow. We have now implemented programs in 11 urban communities and 20 rural communities, and have 768 trained volunteers reaching out to 12,934 children.

Through these programs we have:

• enabled 1,242 orphaned children the opportunity to go to school by providing funding for school fees.
• helped 154 children in 7 districts with food assistance. This includes providing corn meal, cooking oil, beans and milk formula.
• established 5 nutritional gardens to grow vegetables. These gardens currently support 225 children.
• run workshops to equip our volunteers with skills in caring for orphans. The workshops were attended by 78 caregivers over 2 districts.
• run a ‘Life Skills’ camp for 165 children in the Masvingo district. This camp included topics such as choices and consequences, friends and peer pressure, personal hygiene, ‘Life is a Journey’, ‘I am Special’, HIV & AIDS, and abuse. It also gave the children an opportunity to play, sing songs, and have fun.

Donations $2 and over are tax deductible

 

SIM's Hope for AIDs Projects in

Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe and International. Scroll down for a brief description of each projects.

Hope for AIDS-BURKINA FASO

Coordination & Equipping of church AIDS program. Project # 93881

Provides for the employment of a full-time coordinator and secretary/accountant who train and equip local church teams to coordinate and promote HOPE for AIDS activities. 525 pastors and their wives from eight regions have been trained this semester through the pastoral care and support project.

Media Development for AIDS – Burkina Faso. Project # 93883

This project concentrates on the
development of media relating
to HIV/AIDS education and a
Biblical view of sexuality. Such
media includes written booklets
and pamphlets in French and
the local Gourma language, audio
cassettes and radio programs
in three local languages,
and video recordings of locally
produced dramas in Gourma.

Pastoral Care and Family Life Education – Burkina Faso

Project # 93913

Trainer couples from the 18 EE/SIM (Eglises Evangélique — SIM’s partner church) church regions were trained in pastoral care of those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. They have gone on to train the remaining 150 pastor couples who have not received the training in these regions, as well as approximately 300 students in EE/SIM Bible Schools. Teaching modules are available in French and Gourma in a 20 page summary booklet. This will be translated into Fulfulde for the Fulani who make up the 19th region of the church. In addition 2 couples from
each of the 19 church regions have been trained in the first level of marriage and family counselling.

Hope for AIDS - INDIA

ACT (AIDS Control and Treatment) Project # 98346

This project improves awareness of the dangers of HIV/ AIDS to reduce the spread of HIV, minimise the discrimination against persons affected by the virus, care compassionately for those affected. This is achieved via an education program.

Hope for AIDS SHALOM Delhi Project # 98551

Responding to people living with HIV in Delhi and the surrounding areas through: a clinic; volunteers providing home-based care; awareness-raising activities; and training in HIV interventions.

Update from Saira Paulose, November 2010.

The Shalom project continues to run a variety of programmes to reach out to those affected by HIV within the community.

Home Based Care (HBC) has been a crucial aspect of our project that helps us to reach out to families in need. Over the past few months many of the families involved in HBC have continued to attend the various activities
that are conducted by Shalom. The active participation of some of the stabilized families in these activities has helped and encouraged other families that attend, especially the 6 new families that have recently joined the
program. The HBC staff have also had the opportunity to speak to the families about many of the issues they face, specifically in relation to marriage, relationships and children.

Outreach to the youth has also been a focus through our Adolescent Health Education classes. These classes have been running on a regular basis and more and more children are beginning to attend. We are seeking to continually improve the teaching material and as such we currently have a staff member revising and compiling modules for the classes in the hope that we can have a continued positive impact on the children.

Hope for AIDS - MALAWI

Home-Based Care - Malawi Project # 96253

Care for the chronically sick to improve their quality of life providing some nutritional supplements, basic medicines and nursing care for improved health, psycho-social and spiritual counselling to support patients and carers; and practical assistance.

Hope for AIDS - SOUTH AFRICA

HIV/AIDS Reduction Program - South Africa Project # 97397

Empowering people to look after others in their communities - includes the Deduza Orphan Home, a programme of HIV education at workplaces and resources for community care-giving.

Hope for AIDS - ZIMBABWE

Operation Neighbour Care - Zimbabwe Project # 90209

This project provides for those affected by HIV and AIDS in rural Gokwe, providing ongoing care by trained local volunteers as well as reducing the rate of infection through education, testing, and encouraging safe practices. Orphaned and vulnerable children, and their carers, are given access to food, shelter, education and safe healthy social interaction.

Update from Sally Chademana, Project Manager, December 2010.

This project continues to provide schooling and the supplies needed for education, including uniforms and food packs. Children and teachers all enjoy classes and revel in their time together.

A positive development is the first support group for victims of HIV and AIDS has been launched in this area, with the second due to open in the near future. The rain season has started well and this is providing well for the people that rely so heavily on the temperamental rain conditions.

Despite the harsh socio economic factors that surround this project’s sub-Saharan region the widows in this area live with hope and strive for a better life for their children.

Esther, one of the widows, barters cooking oil with sunflower seeds. She does a weekly trip to the markets that gives her US$55 profit and although her profit is small, she has been diligent in saving. This has meant that, whilst providing for the basic needs of herself and her 3 children, she also maintains an extra emphasis on the desire to continue to provide education for her children and break the poverty cycle for them. Esther is just one of these
selfless widows, who continue to see to the needs of their family, in a desire to ensure a greater life for them.

Home-Based Care - Zimbabwe Project # 96381

This project ministers to people living with HIV/AIDS by training church volunteers to minister to sick people and those looking after them. The sick are given assistance with ambulance fees, prescribed medicines, food and hospital fees. Voluntary Counselling and Testing is promoted throughout the community, and those that test HIV positive are encouraged to form support groups to assist in living positively with HIV.

Update from Project Manager, Caiphas Ngarivhume, November 2010.

The health system in Zimbabwe has significant issues at the moment, so the work of our nurses and volunteers have been vital to ensure that the sick are being cared for.

Barbra, the Home Based Care nursing sister, continues to work at providing healthcare assistance as well as counseling to those in need, training up new volunteers and equipping support groups for those suffering with HIV.

Specifically Barbra has:

• Assisted 5 families in purchasing prescribed medicine, counseled them, and taught them how to care for the sick.
• Trained 4 new volunteers.
• Administered a refresher course for 53 serving volunteers.
• Visited and equipped nine HIV support groups. These groups are attended by 156 people.

The support groups have been focusing on nutrition and safety over the past few months. Three groups have also been assisted to buy 20 chickens, which will provide nutrition through eggs and also provide an income.

These have all been great steps to help those suffering with HIV and we look forward to the continuing
activities of the project.

Hope for AIDS - INTERNATIONAL

Hope for AIDS Master - Project # 99383

Resources HOPE for AIDS projects around the world, and directs funds to where they are most needed. Also provides resource materials and coordinates research and training for all participating countries.

Skills Building in AIDS Ministries - Project # 99388

This project equips SIM personnel to implement best practice within SIM’s HIV response framework - home based care, orphan care, prevention, and enabling the church - by improving planning, monitoring, evaluation and networking. The project provides workshops, engaging local, regional and international expertise (including the
services of the SIM International HIV consultant).

Update from Project Manager, Diane Marshall, November, 2010.

On October 11-15th The “Learning Together” HOPE for AIDS gathering was held at Brackenhurst, Kenya with thirty participants from HOPE for AIDS countries. This was an extremely useful time for all the participants to come together and further develop leadership skills and increase networks within the HOPE for AIDS community. SIM’s HIV & AIDS program managers are alert to the changing environment in which they work, so they greatly appreciated four days of intense discussions and presentations to learn with peers on the common journey towards excellence in their work. Challenging issues were tackled such as facilitating effective partnerships, behaviour change, working with children and youth to develop life skills, and dealing with psychological issues including abuse.

One delegate noted: “These (seminars) were important as they were giving a clear picture on what approaches are
being taken to ensure effective delivery of service.” 

The good news is that this is not a one-off learning moment - collaborative initiatives between programs such as sharing resources, exchange visits, and networking are helping to ensure that HOPE for AIDS stays at the cutting edge.

HIV/AIDS Learning for Healthy Communities - Project # 99389

Training key SIM-related personnel through a program involving both a theoretical component and practical fieldwork under superviision, to care for HIV/AIDS sufferers and their children.

Donations $2 and over are tax deductible

 

Rebuilding Southern Sudan: Community Health Workers Training School

Project # 98018

Project Update from Project Manager Rob Congdon, March 2011.

The health conditions in South
Sudan are appalling, particularly
in Upper Nile State where our
project is based. More than
350,000 people in South Sudan
have been displaced by conflict.
Ninety percent of people live on
less than US $1 per day, and only
1/3 of people in the region have
access to a health care facility
within a one-day walk.

It is in this environment in which
the Grieve Memorial Clinic and
community Health Workers Training
School has continued to
grow in their work among the
Mabaan community. Here is a
snapshot of what has been
achieved:

• The Nutrition Village has
  provided nutritional support and emergency care for
  more than 600 critically ill
  children and families.
• The outpatient clinic now
  cares for upwards of 500
  patients each week, with
  plans to move into a
  refurbished building next
  year.
• A new Maternity Ward-Lab
  building with operating
  facility has been completed.
• A 4WD vehicle was
  purchased in order to aid
  community outreach
  activities including HIV and AIDS education, village health work, leprosy treatment, and training of
  community midwives.
  
  

Rebuilding Southern Sudan: Safe Drinking Water

Project # 98021

The only home many Southern
Sudanese have ever known has been an over-crowded refugee camp. After decades of civil war, these brave people are returning to a homeland most have never seen. Everything needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Rebuilding Southern Sudan—Safe Drinking Water provides clean water for these new communities.

Project Update from Project Manager, Justin Agnes, November, 2010.

Over the past few months project
staff have been focussed on
repairing some of the community boreholes.

So far they have repaired four boreholes. This has included changing some of the pipes, rods, cylinders and rubbers. The boreholes that were repaired are now working and the communities at the villages are very
happy that the boreholes will continue to be a safe source of water.

More repairs are still needed in some of the other boreholes so the team will continue to perform the repairs and maintenance necessary.      

The team have also been working on the refurbishing of the Abwong town water system. This is the first project Sudanese workers have taken on without the help from the Project Manager, and this was described as being “just
like a football team that has been coached in order to play well in the football match, but have to play without the coach’s help.”

Because of the training given to the team they were able to perform the refurbishment with great success, without the help of their manager, and ensure that village water supply continues to be safe.  

Rebuilding Southern Sudan: Southern Blue Nile Academy

Project # 98019

The Southern Blue Nile Academy is a project to establish a Christian boarding secondary school (high school) in Yabus, Southern Blue Nile, Sudan, to teach and train students to become skillful and men and women of integrity for the service of their nation and to prepare some students for further specialised studies and training in universities and other institutions of higher learning.

August 2010 Update from Phalice VanderPol, Project Manager:

This project in Sudan is not only helping to educate children, but also working towards advancing opportunity for teachers.

Teachers who have previously helped in establishing the classes, themselves with little education beyond secondary school, are now on their own roads to further education using scholarships provided by the school.

Further advancement is also being made for women. For instance Hellene, who has a teacher training diploma has
now been recruited as the school’s first female teacher.

The new school year also includes 2 adult women students! They are part of the new grade nine class which just arrived in February, having come out of our SIM accelerated learning program. This program has done a phenomenal job of teaching 8 years of primary in less than 4 years. These women, along with the other younger students in the program, mostly stayed in the country during the war. They have learned to work hard just for survival and so they bring a strong desire to learn to the education program.

In many ways this year therefore looks strong and promising. But the threat of political unrest is hovering and continues to be a concern.

Donations $2 and over are tax deductible

 

This project improves human health by reducing arsenic contamination of the groundwater. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon in this region, but many people are not aware of the dangers in drinking water from contaminated wells. We work in with the government and other agencies to distribute arsenic filters to the community at a greatly subsidised rate and provide training and awareness.

Download Justice for the poor of

Bangladesh brochure

Update from Project Manager, Donald Schroeder,

March 2011 .

In order to improve the health of
those affected by arsenic
contamination we have been
continuing to focus on testing,
treatment and preventative
measures.

In the past six months we have
tested approximately 1,014
drinking water tube wells for
arsenic, of which 781, or 77%,
had dangerous levels of arsenic.
In addition to screening tube
wells the staff also ran village
based training sessions,
completing 212 sessions which
directly explained the dangers of
arsenic and provided possible
solutions to over 10,000 people.
In the Dohar Thana area alone,
this meant that we were able to
teach a total of over 5,400 boys and girls about the dangers of
high levels of arsenic in drinking
water. Following these tube well
tests and education sessions, the
staff also provided over 695
household arsenic removal filters providing safe drinking water for over 5,000 people.

We are also pleased to continue to partner with local doctors to help supply medicines to approximately 75 severely affected arsenic patients in the Aliabad Union area of Faridpur District. Patients are being prescribed
a varied combination of anti-oxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and folic acid – depending on the severity of their symptoms as identified by the doctors. This will help to ensure recovery.

Donations $2 and over are tax deductible

 

 

This project is providing a better
life for farm families through improved nutrition and a reduction in poverty for the Awi people at Injibara in northern Ethiopia. Project staff work with farmers and government agriculturalists to identify and propagate local plants to be used for food, animal forage,
firewood and other needs. Trials are also conducted on non-local plants that have the potential to yield useful products.

Project Update from Project Manager, Mark MacLachlan,

November, 2010.

This year the nursery produced
more indigenous seedlings than
any other year. Our overall seedling production has been 184% of what we had planned. Out of
this, we distributed 13 different
species, and in one region alone,
over 66,000 indigenous seedlings
were distributed. We are also
happy to note that every single
seedling distributed in that region
was picked up and carried away
by farm families.

Our original plan this year for the
production and distribution of
fruit seedlings however, was
quite low, with a goal of only 40.
We set the target low, because
the fruit producers’ cooperative
now produces many fruit seedlings
for the area. However, in the process of maintaining our
orchard, and for the purpose of
giving our workers good experience, we produced and distributed three hundred and ten grafted seedlings to 31 farm families.

Farm visitation and training has also continued to be an important element of our project. We have recently visited 10 different families to observe and give advice on crops, and have been able to train a further 22 farm family members in fruit growing, before distributing fruit seedlings to them.

Donations $2 and over are tax deductible