JF: I am pleased and honored to share my thoughts about a phone call yesterday with Dr. Helene Gayle and Rigoberto Giron. I was particularly struck with Dr. Gayle's description of job training and opportunities that help men feed their families. When these opportunities are not sustainable, many of these men become mercenaries so that they can have a source of income. What a terrible dilemma for a father to have to face.

©2006 Daemon Baizan
Helene D. Gayle
HG: CARE is presently working in areas where other agencies are not working. Security in Pakistan and Afghanistan has deteriorated in the past few months. We must consider if we are putting our workers at risk. This is a constant concern for us. In Afghanistan men are taking up arms and fighting just to earn enough money to buy bread for their families.

 JF: Helping men and women with micro-business hits home with me because it is what we are attempting to do with the Web Women Giving Circle, take this project in small steps. One small donation can enable one person buy seeds or flour to bake bread. Each and every donation we get is going to touch the life of someone who, up to now, hasn't had the means to take care of themselves.

HG: We help people worldwide. We don't take a political stand. We are in countries where the need is great regardless of the politics of the government. We don't give money directly to governments. We work through them but we do not feed their treasuries.

Joeann Fossland
JF: While I know many are opposed to what they perceive as handouts, we must understand that many people are in situations that they cannot control. When marauding gangs come into your village and home and take all you have, as well as impacting your spirit through acts of rape and violence, we are not providing handouts, we are providing a way to rebuild self esteem.

RG: The Darfur conflict erupted in early 2003. Fighting among various factions has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million, most escaping to larger towns where they stay in camps for "internally displaced people," and some crossing the border into Chad, where they live in refugee camps, straining local resources. Attacks on civilians during the conflict have been brutal and include burning homes, killing and rape. CARE has worked in Sudan for over two decades. We been active in Darfur since April 2004 and currently provide direct humanitarian assistance to over 450,000 war-affected people. Some 1.6 people do not have homes. CARE's work includes water and sanitation, community services and distribution of food and other relief items.

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