AWARD-WINNING CONCEPT WILL ALSO CREATE 1,600 JOBS

Nairobi, Kenya – An innovative African project inspired by an award-winning waste management model and funded by a Canadian charity will soon be bringing clean water, garbage collection, sanitation facilities and much-needed employment to underserved communities in Nairobi.

The Waruku & Wangige Water and Environmental Sanitation Project (WASAP) managed by partners TakaTaka Solutions and the Resource Maximization Program (REMA), is a unique and holistic approach to the challenge of rapid population growth in and around the city of Nairobi. The city’s population has ballooned from 830,000 people in 1979 to more than 3 ½ million people today, without a corresponding increase in basic infrastructure such as proper access to water, garbage collection and sanitation facilities. As a result, many of the city’s most vulnerable citizens are living in unsanitary conditions.

WASAP, with funding from IDRF will address this situation by building a centralized waste collection and sorting centre, as well as three decentralized collection points. They will also construct a sanitation block that will provide clean water and bathroom facilities for up to 1,000 people per day at the busy Wangige Market.

During a site visit to the project in Nairobi last week, Winston Kassim, C.M., the volunteer Chair of the IDRF and the Head of Strategic Performance Management with RBC Royal Bank in Toronto, praised the innovative plan of the in-country partners, TakaTaka Solutions, the brainchild behind the WASAP project.

“TakaTaka Solutions and REMA are taking a unique approach to the challenge of providing underprivileged people with basic infrastructure services such as water and sanitation,” said Winston. “And in so doing, they are creating jobs and a sustainable business model that can be expanded to other communities.”

In addition, WASAP will work with local youth groups who will collect waste from each house in the target communities (for a $1 monthly fee per household), and deliver it to the closest collection point for sale. The garbage will then be sorted into organic waste, recyclable waste, and unrecyclable. The organic waste will be converted to high quality fertilizer, and recyclables will be sold to local recycling companies. Revenues from all of these activities will be used to support the operation and expansion of the business, which is expected to serve 150,000 clients (i.e. 600,000 people) and create 1,600 jobs by 2015.

The primary inspiration for the WASAP project came from Daniel Paffenholz, founder of TakaTaka Solutions and winner of the 2011 Dell Social Innovation Competition. TakaTaka Solutions won the award for its innovative waste management business model whose motto is, “Turning waste into a social/environmental good.” TakaTaka Solutions will be operating the waste management component of the WASAP project.

“Canadians have been leaders in supporting this vital project,” said Daniel. “I am very grateful for their foresight and generosity which will help us make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many people.”

Winston and his wife Kameni, who also works for RBC Royal Bank, incorporated the meeting with WASAP officials in Nairobi and a site visit of the impacted communities, during their personal trip to parts of Africa and Asia.

“I’m very proud of Winston and Kameni for their volunteer work on behalf of the IDRF in Canada and around the world,” said Kirk Dudtschak, Senior Vice-President of Strategy & Human Resources for RBC Royal Bank. “At RBC, we are fortunate to have many community-minded employees like Winston and Kameni, who help build our reputation as a good corporate citizen every day. I am grateful for their hard work and compassion.”

Canadians who wish to support the WASAP project or any other humanitarian undertaking by the IDRF can do so by making a secure online donation (Click here to be redirected) or by calling our toll free number 1-866-497-IDRF (4373). Tax-deductible receipts will be issued to anyone donating $10 or more.

Zeib Jeeva O.Ont, Vice Chair & Treasurer of IDRF and an Ontario entrepreneur, was amongst the 27 Ontarians invested with the prestigious Order of Ontario at a ceremony on Thursday, January 26 at Queen's Park, by The Honorable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

“Zeib Jeeva is an extremely deserving candidate for the Order of Ontario,” said Winston Kassim CM, the Chair of IDRF. “He has dedicated a significant part of the past 40 years to giving back and helping others, championing social justice in Ontario, Canada and other parts of the world.” 

The battle against apartheid in South Africa was the defining struggle of that era and Mr. Jeeva was amongst the first Canadians with moral courage to speak out against apartheid and rally Canadians to the cause of equal suffrage in South Africa. He did it at a time when many Canadians too had turned a blind eye to the apartheid regime and were conducting business with them.

Born in rural South Africa, Zeib Jeeva felt the sting of apartheid early when his family was displaced from their home when he was 10. He came to Canada in 1970 after being denied permission to study at the ‘white’ University of Witwatersand, Johannesburg, despite meeting its admission criteria.

In 1997 Mr. Jeeva laid the ground work to establish the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) in Canada. He was also among the pioneers to introduce social activism in various Islamic institutions in Ontario that he helped establish.

His dedication to social justice at home and abroad manifested itself again in 1995 when Mr. Jeeva used his leadership skills, resources and community organizational skills to revive IDRF (International Development and Relief Foundation) a registered Canadian non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering the disadvantaged through emergency relief and participatory development programs based on Islamic principles of human dignity, self reliance and social justice. Through Mr. Jeeva’s direction, IDRF broadened its mandate to include more work domestically, including educational projects for First Nations children, and or disadvantaged children in Toronto.

Mr. Jeeva is a business entrepreneur with extensive leadership experience covering industry segments in manufacturing, service, and Information Technology. He is currently Managing Director with Cover-all in Markham, Ontario Canada and co-founder, director and COO of iPower2 Technology Solutions (Pty) Ltd, South Africa.

“We are not only proud of Zeib Jeeva,” commented Mr. Kassim, “we are continually amazed at his indefatigable energy in simultaneously helping a range of institutions and projects as diverse as Ontario itself. He is a role model of whom all Ontarians can be proud.”

With over 11 million people in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti in need of life saving assistance, IDRF responded immediately by providing food and water and also launched a fundraising appeal.

Thanks to your very generous response, IDRF was able to expand our humanitarian efforts and due to the extent of the disaster are supporting a number of initiatives in various parts of the Horn of Africa. We are implementing projects with several partners in different regions in the area. We are working in Kenya as well as in Somalia, which was most affected by the famine and which many outside agencies found difficult to access. For IDRF access was not a problem as we have local partners.

As usually happens in such situations, women and children are disproportionately affected by the crisis, and therefore our programming has explicitly targeted these demographics. For example, where necessary, the food programs are augmented by other items such as mosquito nets, sanitary towels, and floor mats.

Whenever possible, our rehabilitation projects are also helping support any existing education initiatives. For example, in one project the fees of schoolgirls are subsidized so their parents will not resort to keeping girls out of school in order to free up money from their school fees for the family to make necessity purchases. Bearing in mind the importance of sanitation, some projects include digging of pit latrines for men and women.

The prolonged drought was followed by heavy rains in certain regions which choked out vegetation and new cropping, exacerbating pre-existing crisis conditions. In response to this new challenge, IDRF is working closely with partners on the ground to develop rehabilitation initiatives that will help vulnerable populations mitigate the effects of this drastic shift in precipitation.

Conflicts and insecurity are major concerns so IDRF is closely monitoring the situation as security, of both our partners and our beneficiaries, is of primary importance.

IDRF has supported several thousand famine affected families through our comprehensive and diversified food support since September, and with your continued interest and support will carry on work in the region in close communication with local partners, addressing needs and challenges as they arise, and developing programming with the direct input of the people we intend to assist.

Click read more for a current list of Projects & Partners in the Horn of Africa.

[Photo Sources: Allison Dempster/CBC & ADRIAN WYLD/CP]

The housing crisis in Attawapiskat has compelled the local government to declare a state of emergency in the community. The crisis is extreme and families have had to take shelter in tents and shacks where there is no running water, heating, plumbing and access to proper toilets. With temperatures dropping further every day, the situation is becoming even more severe and health officials have warned of infections and epidemics if living conditions remain the same.

To address this predicament IDRF has mobilized funding and is extending immediate support to help ease the plight of the families in Attawapiskat. Our donations will be used for immediate relief aid such as winter clothing, heaters, generators, sleeping bags, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.

“The plight of small children suffering through squalid conditions is an unacceptable situation and as fellow Canadians it is our responsibility to assist less fortunate communities and ensure that immediate humanitarian assistance reaches the suffering individuals,” said IDRF Chair Winston Kassim.

It is noteworthy that this is not the first time that IDRF has worked with projects for First Nations. In the past we carried out Breakfast Programs at a school in Eel Ground, New Brunswick, which provided healthy food to First Nations’ school children, as it is well known that children are better able to concentrate on learning if they are not hungry. We also supported a Teen Multi-Media Club at the same school that not only provided a free and safe haven for youth after school hours but also engaged the youth in multi-media activities which increased their skills and their confidence.

IDRF plans to continue partnering with First Nations communities and engage them in helping us determine what their needs are and then we will work with them to fulfill those needs.

Please join IDRF to implement sustainable development projects, including literacy and healthcare, for First Nations. Your generous contribution in supporting this endeavor will help alleviate the sufferings of Canadians in need.

Call IDRF Toll Free at 1-866-497-IDRF or CLICK HERE to make a secure online donation marked "FIRST NATIONS". Donations to IDRF are eligible for tax receipts.

We are delighted to announce that Mr. Khalid Usman is being honoured with the Medal for Good Citizenship by the Govt. of Ontario.

The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in his remarks, said “ These individuals are shining examples of citizenship in action. Throughout their lives they have consistently made outstanding contributions to their community and to this province…..."

http://news.ontario.ca/mci/en/2011/12/ontarians-honoured-with-medal-for-good-citizenship.html

IDRF is fortunate to be amongst the organizations that Khalid Usman serves as a volunteer. He is well known to IDRF supporters as someone who has been dedicated to IDRF for years. Not only has he served as a Chair of the Board in the past, and is current Member of the Advisory Council, but whenever a major disaster strikes anywhere in the world, Khalid is invariably among the first to mobilize the community in the Greater Toronto Area and to raise significant funds to help the survivors.

Winston Kassim, C.M., Chair of IDRF Board, said “Khalid Usman is most deserving and we thank him for his ongoing dedication to various communities throughout Ontario, Canada and the world at large. He is just a great inspiration for all of us.”

Congratulations Khalid!

Monsoon rains have once again devastated large swathes in Pakistan, specifically the southern province of Sindh where 80 people have already died and 4 million have been displaced. As several UN agencies prepare to visit the region over the next few days to survey the damage and conduct a needs assessment the government of Pakistan has asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to launch an international appeal to assist the people in the flooded areas.

IDRF’s response once again has been immediate and we are already in touch with our local partners in Pakistan and are preparing emergency relief measures that will focus on the distribution of essential items such as clean water, hygiene kits and medicine.

For the devastating floods of August 2010 which ravaged more than half of Pakistan, IDRF received a tremendous outpouring of support from its donors. The survivors there have not fully recovered yet with their crops and livelihood destroyed. With this new calamity yet again upon them, we once again urge everyone to assist the people who are on the brink of another humanitarian crisis.

Call IDRF at 416-497-0818 or Toll Free: 1-866-497-IDRF or CLICK HERE to make a secure online donation marked
“IDRF 2011 PAKISTAN FLOOD RELIEF”. Donations to IDRF are eligible for tax receipts.

For more information about a 2011 Pakistan Flood Project,
click on the organization name below.