Asian Philanthropy Forum

Give2Asia CEO Reports on Japan Trip

Barnett F. Baron, CEO of Give2Asia, traveled to Japan in June. The following is re-posted from Give2Asia's blog. 

For 10 days in mid-June, my Give2Asia colleague, Gillian Yeoh, and I visited Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Tohoku, the northeastern area devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11.

We found that Tohoku is still an emergency situation. Just a few days after the tsunami, international media published before-and-after photos of damaged roads that had already been repaired, giving the world the hopeful impression that the devastating physical damage would be quickly and miraculously addressed by Japanese technology. This was not Haiti, after all. But on our visit, three months later, we saw debris fields extending for dozens of miles where coastal communities had stood, fields of wood and concrete rubble, wooden and reinforced concrete buildings precariously perched at unsettling angles, man-made islands of cars, refrigerators, and major pieces of industrial equipment still waiting to be removed. We saw that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces were still searching and finding bodies, and we were told that the continuing search was one reason that heavier equipment is not being used to clear debris more quickly.

But there is another factor at work as well: how to dispose of this enormous amount of waste in an environmentally responsible way. Japan does not have much space for landfill; earlier efforts to dump construction waste at sea have drawn criticism. We saw that rodents, flies, and other disease-bearing pests are a growing problem, especially as the rainy season begins. We also learned that an unknown but substantial number of people are still living on the upper floors of their partially destroyed homes. No one knows whether these homes are structurally sound, but they are likely to be vulnerable to after-shocks or the smaller tremors that are so common in Japan. We also saw that some coastal areas are now underwater or inundated during high tide. No one knows yet whether these communities can survive.

SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS
Right after the tsunami, some 400,000 people were living in emergency evacuation shelters, many of them elderly. Those numbers are now declining rapidly, with fewer than 100,000 now officially recognized. Local townships have begun to provide newly built temporary housing. The new units provide privacy and are well-equipped, but because of shortages of available land they are often located in isolated areas. Victims living in temporary housing do not pay rent but are no longer eligible for emergency food and supplies and are expected to pay for utilities and services. Their contracts state that they are expected to leave temporary housing after two years. Because in many cases temporary housing is in isolated areas, it is not clear how some of the residents will earn income or get around to obtain basic services from their doctors and dentists, or even get to food markets.

We were surprised – despite repeated requests – by the lack of detailed demographic data apparently available on victims. Most evacuation centers know, of course, how many people they are serving on a specific day, but we were told that there are no reliable data on those who have since left the centers, or are still living in their cars, in their partially destroyed homes, or in other makeshift arrangements. The priority was on providing immediate emergency assistance to those who were brought in or showed up for help.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Response

Many organizations are working on Japan's disaster relief efforts by creating vehicles to collect funds to benefit survivors. Immediate relief efforts are important and necessary and the American Red Cross is doing the bulk of this work. In all disasters, I find that medium and long-term support is critical and usually missing from the conversation. In addition, many donors turn to international organizations but also important in the rebuilding process is supporting local, on-the-ground non-profit organizations. Additional funds strengthens their capacity and who better knows what is needed than local expertise - folks familiar with the issues, language, culture, and is actually dealing with the situation?

Below is Give2Asia's strategy on their approach and one that resonates with me (disclosure - I work at Give2Asia):

On March 11, 2011 an 8.9 earthquake struck the northeast coast of Japan near the city of Sendai. The earthquake generated a massive tsunami with waves as high as 30 feet, resulting in floods, fires, and the closure of airports and transit systems. Thousands of people were killed, and homes, fields and towns were flooded or destroyed completely. The disaster also affected Japan’s nuclear power infrastructure causing radiation leaks and shutting down at least three of the plants supplying electricity for the entire country.

Give2Asia’s primary focus after a disaster is to support medium- and long-term recovery efforts. We also support relief activities, especially when the needs are acute and prolonged. While each disaster in each location is unique, we focus our support on programs that facilitate sustainable recovery for the affected communities, including psychosocial healing for survivors, education programs to get youth back in school as quickly as possible, and skills training to help rebuild the local economy. We believe in supporting local organizations that have established relationships with the affected communities whenever possible. These organizations have the knowledge and relationships to provide appropriate assistance that respects and involves the survivors. Because conditions and needs change rapidly in a post-disaster situation, Give2Asia strikes a balance that is flexible while also ensuring transparency and accountability as to how funds are used.

Through our on-the-ground presence and advisors, we have knowledge of and access to many local non- profit organizations. Our local advisor is providing us with updates on the situation and emerging needs on an ongoing basis, and will recommend local organizations and projects responding to the disaster as information becomes available.

Photo: Digital-Globe Imagery, Flickr, Creative Commons

US Philanthropic Response to Australia's Floods: Quiet

I find it interesting that in the U.S., there is very little media coverage about the flooding in Brisbane from the philanthropic community. I've been monitoring the responses and so far, barely a handful of blog articles or tweets have surfaced. Is philanthropic response to disaster discriminatory? When a major disaster occurs in a developed country like Australia, is there a lack of response or interest because we expect the citizens or government of that country to be able to take care of itself? Or, is it because Australia is so far away, unlike Haiti, that we are not connected to it? Or, is it disaster giving fatigue kicking in?

Give2Asia posted the following blog piece on January 20th. It is an update from Linda Griffith, Give2Asia's field advisor in Australia:

The Brisbane River became catastrophic on January 13 due to the combination of king tides, the requirement to let water out of the over-full Wivenhoe Dam (the city's principal water source), torrential rain of 600-800 ml in the previous weeks, and the added in-flows descending from Toowoomba.  The river peaked close to 5.5-meters. Residents were helpless to save their houses and in the worst-affected suburbs, houses disappeared under the flood. Luckily, the water started to recede the next day, and some residents were able to return to their homes to start the clean-up. 

Food supply is low and access to roads and power remain major problems.  Fruit and vegetables will be hard to find for a long time, not only because Brisbane's wholesale produce market was totally flooded but also because the Lockyer Valley is an important food bowl and was inundated. Many roads are still impassable.  

Yet in the face of such devastation and destruction, there is an extraordinary spirit of cooperation and willingness to help from tens of thousands of volunteers. Volunteers worked tirelessly to assist in the evacuation and to save property.  Armed with their own cleaning equipment, protective clothing, antibacterial gel, and food, many volunteers eagerly scrubbed out strangers' houses.  Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd even waded through knee-deep water in his electorate for two days helping residents carry valuables and save what they could. The feeling of support and camaraderie is overwhelming as is the speed with which the clean-up is being accomplished.  

Some statistics on the current situation:

• 30,000 properties have been affected in a city of 400,000 households with many flooded over the roofs
• 86 suburbs have been severely affected in a city of almost 400 suburbs
• 3,000 businesses have been seriously affected
• 7,502 people have registered as homeless and 4,336 of those are still in evacuation shelters
• In other parts of Queensland, 26 towns have contaminated water
• The Premier's Disaster relief Appeal has raised $55 million but damage will be in the tens of billions of dollars and will require massive funding from the government, corporations and other organizations and individuals.
• Some towns may be isolated until February

Photo: RWN Photography, Flickr, Creative Commons

Disaster Stats That Ruined My Day

One of the things I dread about the fall season is that it is also disaster season. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes - they all seem to take place during fall or early spring.

The good news is that the European Commission's disaster policy consortium MICRODIS, organized an Asian Symposium on Disaster Impact and Assessment in Asia conference. Disaster relief workers representing 13 countries met in Hue City, Vietnam on August 25th to discuss ways to improve disaster impact and relief operations in the region.

The bad new is that philanthropy can't seem to get its act together and coordinate a response platform for donors and NGOs in the region. Those in the field are always scrambling for information to provide donors. There is no one stop source to get a listing of how much corporations or foundations have contributed. More important, there is not a place filled with useful data that encourages private philanthropy to fund disaster prevention programs. I think it is time we thought about an Asia Disaster Network for donors.

Below are some quick stats:

* In 2009, Asia accounted for six of the top ten disasters in the world.

* Seven out of ten most earthquake-vulnerable countries in terms of human exposure are in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.

* From 2000 to 2009, Asia accounted for 85 percent of all disaster-related fatalities.

* Four of the ten most recent and deadliest quake occurred in Indonesia.

227,898 people died when a 9.1 earthquake shook Sumatra, Indonesia, on 26 December 2004. A subsequent tsunami spread the impact of the earthquake to 14 Asian and East African countries and 1.7 million people.

Three months later another quake, measuring 8.6, killed 1,000 people on 28 March 2005 in Northern Sumatra. 

5,749 people died in a 6.3 earthquake on 27 May 2006 in Java. It was Indonesia's third major disaster in less than two years.

1,117 people died on 30 September 2009 in Southern Sumatra after a 7.5 earthquake exposed the area's lack of resilient structures.

* Two of the ten most recent and deadliest quake occurred in China.

87,587 people died or went missing after an earthquake measuring 7.9 struck Eastern Sichuan on 12 May 2008. Five million were left homeless and 374,177 were injured. 

2,698 people died or went missing on 13 April 2010 after a 6.9 earthquake hit Qinghai. The biggest quake in world history happened in Shaanxi, where 830,000 people died after an 8.0 earthquake on 1 January 1556.

Photo courtesy of Flickr, Creative Commons, DFID - UK Department for International Development

Pakistan Floods: Where is Philanthropy's Response?

Within six months of the Haiti earthquake, private donors gave more than US$1.3 billion. Appeals to give were seen in traditional and social media. Hollywood stars like Oprah and Lady Gaga personally gave and asked for public support. Philanthropy advisors and bloggers provided advice on how to give during a disaster and some even coordinated on the ground conference call updates. But the response to the recent Pakistan flooding situation is starkingly different. No appeals from Hollywood stars, no mass media coverage, very few bloggers are covering the event and so far, no sources have provided a tally of how much donors have given or how much organizations have received. Why? And, where is philanthropy's response?

Immediate catastrophes and scale of impact

The Haiti earthquake killed an estimated 230,000 people. The Kashmir earthquake killed over 80,000 people. As of today, officials are reporting a death toll of 1,500 and at least 14 million people have been made homeless. With such a small number of deaths, it is hard to grab the attention of the media and donors. Experts say that the impact of floods are perceived as less catastrophic when compared to earthquakes and tsunamis. Earthquakes and tsunamis have high numbers of immediate deaths while the impact of floods are more ongoing and long-term.

Floods require the movement of people away from the floods and onto higher ground. Farmland and crops are destroyed. Homes are inhabitable. Floods also create water-borne diseases that eventually cause medical issues. The impact of loss from floods are slowly uncovered as the water recedes and the damages continue to roll in. By then, the media has moved on to other news-worthy issues and the donor's attention is distracted by another cause.

Donor fatigue and tough economic times 

Reports have cited donor fatigue and tough economic times for the decrease in donations to Pakistan's floods victims. While western countries are facing tough economic times now, they were also facing similar conditions in January during Haiti's earthquake. Yet, US$1.3 billion was raised from private sources in the U.S.  

It seems to me that timing may be one factor when it comes to how much and if individuals, corporations and foundations will respond to a disaster. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the early January earthquake occurred near the holidays and the new year, when people were in a more charitable mood. Further, the timing of charitable tax deductibility may also play a role. The U.S. government approved a new tax relief law allowing people who contributed in 2010 to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return instead of their 2010 return. Donors received an immediate tax benefit rather than having to wait until next year. 

Pakistan's political and economic realities 

Political instability, Islamist insurgency and corruption are also causing some prospective donors to be weary about the use of their charitable contributions. Pakistan was ranked number 42 in Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perception Index (it was number 47 the previous year). Donors are worried that their aid will be misdirected, i.e., used for terrorist activities or for personal gains.

The world watches how leaders of the government respond to the disaster. This is a key factor in building trust with individual donors and the philanthropic community. It provides reassurance to the public that the government is taking steps to be transparent and is willing to work with international relief organizations. In this case, President Zardari was in Europe and and traveling to his Normandy chateau instead of returning home to oversee disaster relief efforts. The head of the civilian government, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Giliani, confessed publicly that the government was overwhelmed by the disaster. It appears only then, that the military was responding adequately to relief efforts (and people remember these things when it comes to voting and choosing the government they want).

A Philanthropy Advisor in Indonesia, Part 5: Reminders of the Tsunami

At the end of the day, our driver wanted to take us to see several tsunami sites. The tsunami lifted boats and placed them far inland. The “boat on the house” and the “power plant” are the most famous ones. 

In the village of Lampulo, a boat called the “Noah’s Ark” by some, landed on top of a two-story house three kilometers inland. The boat became a refuge for 59 survivors. The neighbors climbed in and watched the destruction around them for seven hours. The 30 meter long, wooden, fishing boat remains lodged on the roof five years later. It has been repainted for the fifth anniversary and a viewing platform has been installed nearby. The new tourist attraction sits on a small road with homes on all sides. As we were leaving, a large tour bus was navigating its way to the site. For these neighbors, they will be reminded daily about the tragic event.  

Another “tourist attraction” is several kilometers away. A floating 63-meter diesel power plant used to supply one-third of the electric power to Banda Aceh. It was carried five kilometers inland by the tsunami. The PLTD Apung I is a 2,600 ton ship and landed on a two-lane road in Punge Blang Cut Village. The locals say that many people lay beneath the vessel. The cost of moving the vessel to sea was too prohibitive. However, it can still generate electricity. As a tsunami monument, it is now owned by the local government.

See also Part 1: PKSD Mandiri School; Part 2: Bungong Seulanga Nursery; Part 3: "Good Friends" Program; Part 4: Rice Innovation in a Small Village; Part 6: After the Tsunami

Give2Asia Releases Final Report to Donors on Use of Sichuan Earthquake Funds

On the second anniversary of the Sichuan (Wenchuan) earthquake, Give2Asia released the Sichuan Earthquake Relief & Recovery Final Report. The report to donors of the May 2008 earthquake recovery projects provides an overview of Give2Asia's response and outlines the specific projects and groups it has supported. The report opens with Dr. Carter Tseng, Chairman of Give2Asia's China Earthquake Committee. Dr. Tseng lives in Beijing and has visited Give2Asia's projects in Sichuan several times since the earthquake. In April 2009, Dr. Tseng also led a group of donors on a visit to see the progress of the recovery efforts. He writes:

During the recovery, I have taken the opportunity to visit the region and view first hand the work of organizations supported by Give2Asia's community. Both earthquake victims and aid workers I have met with repeatedly expressed how grateful they are for the assistance that Give2Asia's donors have provided. These conversations confirm for me the importance of our collective efforts directly supporting community as they rebuild and heal.

As of May 12, 2010, Give2Asia reports $16.6 million in total contributions received and $15.9 million granted to China. Expenses incurred is $532,000, or 3.2% of total contributions.

Education (34%) and health care projects (34%) were a major focus followed by community service and empowerment (14%) and emergency relief (10%). Projects also included water and environment (4%) and livelihood projects (4%).

The report further breaks down the number of projects and amount each. For example, twenty-five projects with budgets totaling $5,463,367 provided short-term and/or permanent support to schools within the earthquake affected region. In addition to providing 225 scholarships, eight new schools and 244,400 books were provided. In total, these projects benefited at least 170,033 students and 5,554 teachers.

For a list of donors and specific organizations, please visit: www.give2asia.org/sichuandonors

Asian Philanthropy News Digest 5/3/10

* UBS hosted its annual Global Philanthropy Forum in Singapore several weeks ago.  Philanthropy is on the rise and the Chinese are giving more than before.  Wealth management firms like UBS says that philanthropy is a booming trend in the region and has been expanding its operations to meet demands for advisory services. In the past 18 months, UBS doubled its philanthropy division from six staff to 12. 

* To help demystify the decision-making behind microfinance loans, Grameen Foundation is hosting a webinar titled, "The Making of A Tiny Loan" on May 7 from noon to 1 p.m. ET. Hosted by Jill Chen, director of Grameen Foundation's Capital Markets and Advisory Center, the webinar will also focus on how Grameen Foundation helps microfinance institutions finance these critical small loans. Register here.

* The Spring edition of Social Venture Group's newsletter "Doing Good: Nonprofits in China" is now available. SVG aims to give readers an "on-the-ground" perspective of some of the happenings in the grassroots nonprofit sector in China. The article on the Ancient Embroidery is a worthy read. It talks about the Qiang people and how after the earthquake, instead of providing handouts, leaders took a traditional art form and created it into a social enterprise. Download SVG Newsletter Spring 10 Eng

* Charles Maclean of PhilanthropyNow recently launched a Checklist for Effective Disaster Response with funding from the Raqim Foundation. The checklist has a short and long version. The checklist is designed to help organizations consider, plan, or implement relief projects and to help donors think through the variables inherent in emergency logistics.

Update on the Qinghai - Yushu Earthquake Relief Work

* On Tuesday, April 13th, an earthquake struck in the Tibetan area of Jyekundo (Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu). The quake measured approximately 6.9 and took place at 07.49 (23.49 GMT). 

* Jyekundo is a Tibetan county approximately 800km southwest of the city of Xining. The vast majority of the people are Tibetan herders. 

* As of 10 am on Sunday, 1,706 people are dead, 256 are missing and 12,128 are injured. 

* April 19th, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the earthquake affected area. 

* Mass cremation begins instead of traditional sky burials for the deceased. 

* April 19th, Buddhist monks held a candlelight vigil 

* April 21st, China holds national day of mourning 

The Chinese government is taking the lead role in the relief stage of this disaster, and is not soliciting additional support from the public or the international community. However, donors can help by supporting longer-term recovery projects. The Chinese government has approved 15 government-organized NGOs to raise funds for recovery and reconstruction. Organizations include * China Charity Federation * China Children & Teenagers Fund *China Education Development Foundation * China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation * China Population Welfare Foundation * China Soong Ching Ling Foundation * China Women's Development Foundation * China Youth Development Foundation. 

The media is reporting the missing presence of the monks during the national day of mourning. Monks have also been asked to leave the earthquake area. In the article, Tibetan monks ordered to leave China's quake zone, Alexa Olesen reports that: 

... Chinese military officials said this week nearly all the roughly 12,000 soldiers who rushed to the quake area struggled with altitude sickness and many had trouble communicating with Tibetan survivors. Tibetan-speaking monks, many of whom live in high-altitude areas or frequently make pilgrimages to them, didn't have those problems.

Why is the government not allowing others to help those in need? Perhaps to keep order and for safety reasons? Is the philanthropic community responding quickly and attentively to needs of the survivors? What do you think?

Asians Share Thoughts on Haiti Disaster and Relief Efforts

Several Asians chime in on the Haiti disaster relief and recovery efforts:

Don't Give Money to Haiti Now.  Perla Ni, founder of Great Nonprofits, writes on Stanford Social Innovation Review: If there is any lesson to be learned about how to donate to international disasters, it is this: 

Don't give your money when you first see the disaster splashed across TV. To ensure the rebuilding effort survives over the long term, donors need to stagger their funding and guarantee it over many years, instead of sending the money all at once. Yes, as hard as it may be to watch the dying and pain on our news, realize that money is not the impediment to getting aid to Haiti right now. They need military and security forces to help organize rescue, logistics and transport and security operations.

Philanthropy in Haiti: Don't miss out on the opportunity.  Penny Fujiko Willgerodt, Executive Director of Prospect Hill Foundation writes on Smart Assets: The Philanthropy New York Blog: 

Soon the news about the earthquake’s aftermath will be gone from public attention. These first few weeks are crucial for mobilizing donations even as we recognize that the problems on the ground and the struggle to recover in Haiti will continue for a long time. As we have seen from our experience in the Gulf Coast, Haiti will need lots of help just to get back to where it was prior to the earthquake. While horrific, infuriating, and ultimately very sad, this tragedy does create an opportunity to help the people and country of Haiti recover and rebuild in a way that supports sustainable development, human rights, and democracy. It is important that we do not miss this opportunity and that we advocate for philanthropy to focus on this critical approach.

Delivering aid is an inexact science. Delwar Hossain writes in the Guardian: Recent scenes from Haiti remind me of relief work in Bangladesh, where there was never enough to go around. 

As new channels beam images of aid distribution in Haiti, I am reminded of a post-emergency relief that I witnessed last year in a remote part of Bangladesh where a flood in 2007 had destroyed large areas of paddy and numerous homes. The people affected were some of the most marginal in the country, what development experts call "the extreme poor."

I came on the day tin sheets were being handed out. Even before the distribution had begun, there was trouble. The list that was originally drawn up of people from the most severely affected village had to be re-done. According to Tariq, a staff member with the NGO, this was because a local community-basedorganization that they had commissioned to make an inventory of recipients had put the names of their own relatives and friends  on it, thus denying the most needy.