The Results Are In!

As e-bulletin subscribers might recall, in May we asked you to take part in a short survey. The results gathered from this survey provide a glimpse of who is reading the e-bulletin. In this article we are sharing some of the interesting facts that we learned, for example:

• CHF has a large and active female constituency, with 65% of the respondents being women.

• A large number of readers have a background in international development. Roughly a third of respondents stated that they have academic or professional experience in international development. Seven percent of respondents are currently working in the field of international development.

Overall, survey participants gave the e-bulletin a positive rating of 4 out of 5. In general, readers would like to see more stories about beneficiaries and more updates of projects.

Follow along with our upcoming issues as we incorporate more of what you want.

SAFIRE: Helping Those Who Help Others

With infection rates as high as 40%, Zimbabwe is one of the countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. To respond to this crisis, volunteers have taken on the responsibility of helping families infected and affected by the disease.

CHF partnered with SAFIRE, a local NGO, to help support and train the volunteers caring for these vulnerable families. Caring for individuals infected by HIV/AIDS goes beyond basic first aid skills.

“The trainings offered to us provide an increased understanding of home-based care standards,” says Mrs. Trusida, one of the volunteers. “They include communication skills, how to deal with sexually transmitted infections and infection control, counseling, nursing skills, and food and nutrition.”

Care-giving is not without sacrifice. By dedicating time and energy to care for others, the livelihoods of the volunteers are frequently compromised. SAFIRE helps these individuals engage in income-generating activities that also allow them to care for members of their community.

Of these activities, sunflower processing is one of the most successful. With an oil press provided by SAFIRE, volunteers are able to turn sunflower seeds into wholesome cooking oil. Volunteers can also generate income by selling the oil in the community.

“We sell any surplus product that isn’t used by the participating families,” explains Mrs. Trusida. “We use this income to pay for school fees, purchase food and accumulate assets for use in the home.”

To learn more about SAFIRE’s work, visit www.safireweb.org/