Lives on the edge - Australian Red Cross

November 2008 | Issue 8
the Humanitarian
Lives on
the edge
Surviving conflict in East Timor
Double trouble
Living with HIV and depression
The year in pictures
A photo essay
P2 the Humanitarian
the inside
editorial
In this edition of the Humanitarian we are looking at some of the issues that
cause people to become disconnected from their communities and the ways
in which Red Cross is responding.
Walkley Award winning journalist Carmela Baranowska reflects on internal
conflict in East Timor and how decades of trauma have taken their toll.
Kelly Chandler explores the mental health issues confronting many people
living with HIV, and reveals that much can be done to support them.
6lives on
And while young people are communicating more than ever – by text, email
and social networking online – Janine Gray reports that there is still a great
need for emotional exchange on a tangible level.
Providing bridges back into the community for disconnected and marginalised
people is one of the seven priorities recently identified by Australian Red Cross
as part of a new direction for our organisation. For the first time in our history, we
have fully taken stock of ‘how we help’ with a comprehensive review of services.
In short, in our core work we will focus on:
• providing bridges back into the community for marginalised people
• strengthening disaster and emergency services
• increasing international aid and development
• championing international humanitarian law
• easing the impact of migration
• working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• working with the most disadvantaged people in the most
disadvantaged communities
the edge
8
unlocking
a world of
mystery
14
double trouble
How we work is as important as what we do
We will negotiate a role with communities, take an early intervention
approach, help communities to build on their existing strengths and give a
long-term commitment to those we work with. And we will work closely with
governments in our auxiliary role and with other not-for-profit and community
organisations to avoid duplication and make a real difference in the lives of
disadvantaged people.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Humanitarian and gain a greater insight into
the very real issue of the growing disconnect many people are facing and the
ways in which we are helping build bridges back into communities for those
who need it most.
Robert Tickner
CEO Australian
Red Cross
Michael Raper
Director of Services and
International Operations
Australian Red Cross
16
a year in pictures
Make a donation
1800 811 700
First Aid enquiries
1300 367 428
Give blood
13 14 95
Front cover: Ariana Viegas Amaral is a Red
Cross volunteer in East Timor who helps bring
health education to her local community.
November 2008 P3
clean water
Flood-affected people are evacuated to safer grounds by a rescue team at Chondipur village of
Madhepura district in India’s eastern state of Bihar. Photo: Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri
Flood-stricken residents in remote
north-eastern India now have clean
water to drink, following a devastating
monsoon season which caused
widespread flooding in areas of the
country unfamiliar with such disasters.
Two Australian Red Cross aid workers
travelled to Assam in September to set
up our ‘nomad’ water treatment unit in
the Puthimari area, where 100 families
sought shelter on higher ground.
‘I was saddened by what I saw in
flood-affected villages. Some houses
have been destroyed, others are badly
damaged and knee-deep with mud and
water,’ says water and sanitation expert
Paul Byleveld.
‘The villagers usually collect drinking
water from wells close to their houses.
After the flooding, people could not
reach their wells and were forced to
drink flood water. Some are sick with
fever, diarrhoea and hepatitis.’
At the height of the floods:
• in Assam, 2.5 million people over 21
districts were affected, with around
57,000 people seeking refuge in
relief camps
• in Bihar, 4.7 million people were
affected, with more than 240,000
seeking shelter in emergency relief
camps after their homes were
destroyed or damaged
• around 180 medical teams were on
the ground to manage water-borne
diseases and vaccinate children
against measles
Australian Red Cross’ portable water
treatment unit filters water from the
river and can produce up to 5,000 litres
of safe drinking water an hour. Water
is distributed through a portable ‘tap
stand’ with six taps.
‘I am very happy with the water, it is as
clear as glass,’ one woman told Paul as
she filled her container from the tap stand.
Relief teams and goods were sent to
affected districts immediately through
Indian Red Cross.
Now that the monsoons have eased
and the flood waters are receding,
people are leaving the relief camps
and returning to their homes to begin
the clean-up. The water treatment
equipment will remain in India to provide
clean water to vulnerable communities.
Paul Byleveld tests levels of contamination in the
water. Photo: Supriya Mehta
The India Floods Appeal 2008 will be
open until mid December.
Funds from the appeal will be used to:
• support the relief and recovery
needs of households and
communities affected by the floods,
and the ongoing need for clean
water and sanitation.
• assist the Indian Red Cross to
prepare and respond to this and
future emergencies.
To donate to the India Floods Appeal:
Make a secure online donation at
www.redcross.org.au
Call 1800 811 700
Send a cheque or money order
marked ‘India Floods Appeal
2008’ to: GPO Box 2957
Melbourne VIC 8060
P4 the Humanitarian
news in brief
Much needed food distribution underway in Zimbabwe
Are you ready for an
emergency?
As summer approaches so too does the
escalated risk of fire, cyclone, flood and
storm activity.
Masvingo, 300kms south of Harare. Photo: IFRC
The skyrocketing cost of food in Zimbabwe has reached crisis point, with millions
of people across the country requiring urgent help. In response, initial distributions
of maize beans and cooking oil by the International Red Cross have reached
almost 24,000 people in eight of Zimbabwe’s provinces. Distributions will continue
throughout 2008 and into 2009, supporting 260,100 people infected or affected by
HIV and AIDS with 35,000 metric tons of food.
This group, explains Françoise Le Goff, head of the International Red Cross’
Southern Africa zone, is particularly vulnerable to food shortages.
‘Many of these people are on anti-retroviral medication. For these drugs to work
effectively, people need food. Without a full stomach, many of those on medication
are now choosing to default on their treatment as they can’t cope with the
debilitating side effects,’ says Le Goff.
The chronic food situation in Zimbabwe is the result of an accumulation of a number
of negative factors. Alternating droughts and rain, influenced by climate change, has
resulted in a disastrously underperforming 2008 harvest, one that is widely seen
as the worst in the country’s history. In addition, ongoing socio-economic decline
has contributed to a severe lack of agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers,
leaving even fertile fields unsown.
On top of this, the country’s record hyper-inflation is now estimated at above
11 million per cent.
‘This is a critical period for these communities,’ says Peter Lundberg from the
International Red Cross in Harare. ‘They have already faced months without
enough food.’
As a key agency in Australia’s integrated
emergency management arrangements,
Red Cross has developed Emergency
REDiPlan: a community education
program to help people prepare for,
respond to and recover from emergencies
more effectively. Emergency REDiPlan,
proudly supported by the First National
Foundation, provides easy-to-follow
advice on emergency preparedness
based upon four simple steps:
Step 1. Be informed
Step 2. Make a plan
Step 3. Get an emergency kit
Step 4. Know your neighbours
These four steps are encapsulated in
a range of resources available from
the Red Cross website, including, Four
steps to prepare your household - a family
friendly workbook, and a children’s
activity book called Get ready!
For more information please
visit www.redcross.org.au
November 2008 P5
news in brief
Georgia region prepares for winter after conflict
The people of Georgia/South
Ossetia are preparing for
a harsh winter in the aftermath
of recent conflict in the region.
Much rebuilding needs to
be done and the International
Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) is one of the few
humanitarian organisations
working in the region.
‘Even in areas where there
were no active hostilities,
residents have been and
remain adversely affected
by the conflict,’ says René
Boeckli, head of the ICRC
office in Tskhinvali, South
Ossetia.
‘In villages from which most
young people fled, older
people stayed behind. Now
winter is approaching and they
have to face it on their own.’
Woman receives food for her family at a camp for displaced
people in Gori. Photo: J Barry/ICRC
Many residents have not seen
relatives since 7 August, when
the hostilities started.
‘My sister and I decided to
stay here. Many people left,
and most of them lost their homes,’ says Tamara, a 68-year-old resident of Avnevi.
‘It is extremely important for us to know that we have not been forgotten and that
there is still hope that some day everything will return to normal.’
With support from Australian Red Cross tracing expert Jessica Letch in Tskhinvali,
the ICRC has reunited many people separated from their loved ones by the fighting.
Food parcels, hygiene kits and clothing are being distributed in Avnevi and other
villages. Distribution of tarpaulins and window coverings to the most vulnerable
in the region has begun, and longer-term assistance will include corrugated iron
sheets for roofs.
Many residents doubt that they will be able to prepare adequately for the cold winter
months. Harsh weather conditions may indeed soon render many of the villages
visited by the Red Cross inaccessible.
‘We will go on delivering food until winter arrives,’ says Aslan Tukhuzhev, an ICRC
economic security specialist.
‘We hope that this will help people cope with the difficult months ahead.’
Volunteers needed to
support prison visitors
Volunteers
are urgently
needed to
support people
visiting family
and friends
at the Fulham
Correctional
Centre in Sale. ‘Many first-time visitors find entering
a prison extremely stressful,’ says
Judd Kilkenny of the Prisoner Support
Program. ‘We provide a supportive
person to explain the process, and
sometimes that’s all that is needed to
give people a sense of relief and a little
more control over the situation.’
Research has shown that a prisoner is
less likely to reoffend if family links are
maintained during their sentence, and
visitors who have bad experiences may
be reluctant to return.
The program, which has been running
successfully at Port Phillip Prison in
Melbourne, was officially launched in
Sale in September with the signing of
an agreement between Red Cross, the
Victorian Association for the Care and
Resettlement of Offenders and Fulham
Correctional Centre.
Volunteers will be well supported and
trained on family issues, mental health,
communication and problem solving
in addition to orientation around the
prison. As well as a friendly face and the
offer of a cup of tea, they will provide
information, brochures and referrals to
specialist support, information that is not
otherwise easily accessible. They will
also provide activities for children.
For information on how to become
a volunteer at Fulham
Correctional Centre, contact Judd
Kilkenny on (03) 8327 7726 or
email jkilkenny@redcross.org.au
P6 the Humanitarian
lives
The people of
East Timor have
inherited a damaged
country. Walkley
Award winning
journalist Carmela
Baranowska shares
her impressions of
the people she met
while working there
since 1999.
Modesta and her son Jose, in Dili where many internally displaced people sheltered in 2006. Photos: Carmela Baranowska
November 2008 P7
Leonisia with baby Carmela.
sedge
on the
Imagine you are Leonisia. At 21 she
is expecting her third child. Leonisia
lives under a tarpaulin tent with her
husband Tinho and extended family.
She cannot return to her house because
it is an empty shell, burnt down in recent
regional violence. Leonisia’s options
are stark and uncompromising. Life
and death are never far away. Issues
of mental health are more than mere
theory – they are extremely real.
It’s 2006 and East Timor is on the
brink of civil war which began with
the sacking of 600 Timorese soldiers
for defying the government, feeding
ethnic tensions. Two years later, many
of these people remain displaced. One
of the questions I often asked was:
how are people affected mentally and
emotionally by decades of trauma?
When the conflict is between neighbours
even a simple trip to the hospital can be
like organising a military operation. It’s
past midnight when Leonisia goes into
labour. ‘We came with a taxi but we ran
out of petrol so we had to go back and
come with another car,’ Tinho says. ‘We
were accompanied by two Australian
peacekeepers’ cars part of the way.’
During the crisis many pregnant women
are camping in the hospital grounds.
The hospital has become a huge
displaced person’s camp. The women
are too afraid to stay in their homes or
refugee camps. The hospital faces its
own challenges. ‘Today we don’t have
running water,’ the nurse midwife tells
me. ‘Since the refugees moved in they
have been using our water. They go and
fetch water from the front of the hospital.’
There is a mistaken impression, often
reinforced by tabloid journalism, that
people who have endured traumatic
circumstances – those who have lost their
homes and have become refugees – are
only victims. One of the comments I often
hear about my films is, ‘this is the first time
we have seen these people as people.’ It
may be surprising, but while Tinho lives
with Leonisia and his children in a camp,
he still holds down an important job at the
Ministry of Planning and Finance.
In East Timor people’s mental health
is exacerbated by the dire economic
situation. East Timor is the poorest
country in South East Asia. I asked
Tinho how he survived, both emotionally
and financially.
Although Tinho works as a public
servant, his salary is not enough. He still
has to pay off a bank loan for the next
year-and-a-half, even though his house
As the long road
to reconstruction
and development
commences, Red
Cross is there
to set up water
and sanitation
projects, provide
emergency
assistance and
help reunite
families
separated by
conflict.
has been totally burnt down. Tinho’s
salary is US$155 a month, but after his
loan and taxes he only has six dollars left.
‘My life is hard,’ Tinho says. ‘I had to drive
a taxi to make ends meet. But then the
taxi was attacked, the car battery was
stolen and the ignition key damaged.’
Despite these hardships, life goes on.
‘I now have three children,’ Tinho says.
‘I want their future to be better than now,
to be able to work towards developing
East Timor. I want Sergia to be a doctor,
I want my son to be a pilot and I want
little baby Carmela to be a good journalist
for East Timor – and for the world. The
future is in the hands of the young.’
Ernest Hemingway once defined courage
as grace under pressure. After fifteen
years working in Burma, East Timor,
Afghanistan and West Papua I have
often marvelled at and reflected on how
people survive and thrive, often against
insurmountable odds. And sometimes it
is the small every-day triumphs like the
birth of a healthy baby girl that see them
ultimately succeed.
Carmela Baranowska won both a Rory Peck
and Walkley Award for her journalism and
filmmaking. She has been working in East Timor
since March 1999.
P8 the Humanitarian
unlocking
a world of
mystery
Communication
is key when
it comes to
dealing with
matters that are
bothering
teenagers,
discovers
Janine Gray.
Claire Bradshaw (middle) with friends.
When you’re young, few things are worse
than being teased, as year nine student
Jack Douch has experienced. Despite
becoming upset when his schoolmates
pronounced his surname in a derogatory
way, Jack would keep quiet. However,
after participating in a Red Cross ‘Talk
Out Loud’ session at his school, where
students discussed problems that
bothered them, he felt able to voice his
concern. ‘Once I brought this up, my
mates said they would back me up and
make sure no one called me that name
anymore,’ the Bendigo South West
Secondary College student says.
Peer support trainer Kylie Miller says
the Red Cross program encourages
young people to speak freely about
anything that might be bothering them.
It also promotes positive mental health.
‘Bullying and name-calling can lead to
further problems, so it’s really important
A Talk Out Loud session
meant Jack Douch
stopped being teased.
to take a preventative approach.
Learning the right words and being able
to find language is very important for
young people.’
Sixteen-year-old Claire Bradshaw, who
participated in the all-day session at
her school in Bendigo, was surprised
to hear that one in four people were
affected by mental illness. ‘It taught
me that mental illness is nothing to be
ashamed of. Some people think they’re
a harm to society or something, but
that’s not the case.’
‘It opened my eyes to a lot of things and
helped me deal with certain situations.
A couple of my friends have had some
problems such as body image issues
and self-harm. In the past, I would have
waited for them to tell me if there was
anything wrong, but now I’ve learned
that it’s best to ask outright, “are you
hurting yourself?”, rather than beating
November 2008 P9
‘Our society
has more
communication
but a lot less
intimacy.
There’s lots
of texting and
information
exchange but
not emotional
exchange.’
around the bush. Just let them know
you know,’ says Claire.
Psychologist Rob Gordon, who
specialises in group therapy programs
for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services, says that young people
sometimes find it hard to express their
feelings. ‘If you really get them to explain
how they feel, they might say they
don’t really feel like they’re understood.
They’re in a world of mystery to
themselves. They often can’t tell you
what’s going on.’
therapy comes in. Providing networks
for young people who have formal and
informal mental health problems is a
good thing. Kids who are otherwise
misfits can find a place, they have a
group identity,’ says Dr Gordon.
To combat this world of mystery, Dr
Gordon suggests that establishing a
relationship with the child is a first step.
‘That sometimes means you have to
develop a language for that inner world
so they can let you in.’
While there is a greater degree of
understanding about mental health
issues in today’s society, Dr Gordon
believes there is a lack of emotional
exchange which needs to be addressed.
‘Our society has more communication
but a lot less intimacy. There’s lots of
texting and information exchange but
not emotional exchange. Young minds
are over-stimulated, with so much horror
presented and it’s all detached and
disconnected. This really encourages
them to be detached.’
‘Continuity in relationships with peers is
terribly important. That’s where group
For Jack, the fact that his friends were
talking about their problems helped him
open up about his own. ‘A couple of the
guys who were in the program shared a
lot of stuff and what’s going on in their
life. A few of them were the quiet ones
who normally wouldn’t talk about it.’
Talk Out Loud is a Red Cross initiative
for young people and is run in partnership
with beyondblue: the national depression
initiative. The program aims to increase
knowledge and understanding of mental
health, decrease stigma and increase
the confidence of young people to talk
about and seek assistance for mental
health issues.
For more information go to
www.redcross.org.au and
search for Talk Out Loud.
P10 the Humanitarian
A little help in the
right direction
can sometimes
make a world of
difference for
those struggling
to get through
day-to-day
difficulties, writes
Peter Rochman.
‘I couldn’t have stopped using drugs
without him,’ explains John as he talks
about his personal helper from Port
Pirie. ‘He taught me how to take a
different outlook on life and not to focus
on the bad things. He’s helpful, caring
and has a wicked sense of humour. He
really guided me.’
greatest. A couple of times, the worker
has been able to drop everything and
‘be there’ for the person,’ says Lyn.
Prior to making some substantial
changes in his life, John was struggling
with substance abuse problems, mental
illness and financial difficulties.
getting on
John’s problems were made even harder
because he lived in a rural area and had
no regular way to get into Port Pirie for
help. So John’s helper went to his home
and gave him the lift he need to get him
back on track. ‘I got the transport to get
to appointments that would have been
impossible otherwise,’ says John.
With proper medical help and psychosocial support from Red Cross, John
says he has been able to make real
progress and gain the motivation to
change his life.
‘I’ve been able to do a lot of things I
couldn’t have if I hadn’t been part of
the program. My worker helped me
organise my finances and pay my bills.’
The Red Cross Personal Helpers and
Mentors Program based out of Port Pirie
in South Australia is a non-clinical mental
health service and is making a difference
in the lives of 47 people in the area.
Manager Lyn Heynen, says workers
travel to outlying rural communities to
offer support where it is really needed.
‘The program is accessible and works
around people’s personal needs which
don’t always fall around appointments.
‘It’s timely and flexible. The workers are
often able to respond when the need is
For Carol who has suffered mental
illness for most of her adult life, this is
the first time she feels someone
understands her situation.
She says her worker gave her
the support, encouragement and
confidence to find services suitable
to her. ‘It’s been my contact with the
outside world and given me hope that
I can get on top of the depression.
It has meant having a ‘one-on-one’
conversation with someone who was
totally non-judgemental.’
The program started in January 2008
and is already helping people manage
everyday tasks and put personal
relationships back on track, while
helping them get involved in community
and personal development activities.
Clients don’t need a clinical diagnosis to
be part of the program. They can refer
themselves or be referred by family, a
friend or another local service.
There is no time limit on the length of
time participants can stay in the program.
*The names of the Personal Helpers and Mentors
Program participants have been changed.
For more information contact
Lyn Heynen on 08 8633 8103 or
email lheynen@redcross.org.au
November 2008 P11
‘It’s been my
contact with the
outside world and
given me hope
that I can get
on top of the
depression. It has
meant having
a ‘one-on-one’
conversation with
someone who
was totally nonjudgemental.’
track
Photo: Alan Attwood
P12 the Humanitarian
far from
Wall Street
The link between
homelessness and
mental illness
is strong, writes
Alan Attwood,
editor of
The Big Issue,
but the stigma
surrounding
mental health
issues is slowly
changing.
There’s an irony to media coverage of
the economic crisis: the most attention
is paid to those with most to lose.
We hear about shrinking superannuation
accounts; the decline in the value of
share portfolios; pain being endured by
home-owners trying to meet soaring
mortgage payments. Meanwhile,
those who have less to lose tend to
be overlooked. After all, those without
homes don’t have to worry about
mortgages, let alone a plunging stock
market. As one recent US report put it:
‘poverty has become an issue applied to
the middle class, the poorest of the poor
seem shunted off’.
We see a lot of these people at The Big
Issue, which assists those who sell it by
giving them some income and a sense
of purpose. One of the misconceptions
about our vendors is that they are all
homeless. I’ve even had calls from
people telling me that they’ve bought
a magazine (which is great) but there
is an air of concern in their tone, as if
they’d been conned, when they exclaim,
‘The vendor didn’t look homeless.’
I explain there are a host of reasons
for people selling The Big Issue.
Many vendors will have experienced
homelessness and/or unemployment;
many have had problems with
substance abuse; many have differing
degrees of mental illness.
There is, in fact, a strong link between
homelessness and mental illness. It is
one of the risk factors for homelessness:
one study of homeless people over 18
in inner Sydney found that up to threequarters had a mental health concern.
Such statistics can be numbing.
But there is some good news. The
Federal Government has already made
tackling homelessness a priority issue.
Some of the stigma once attached
to mental illness has gone – largely
due to increased awareness of its
prevalence and the fact that most
mental health issues can be managed
with appropriate treatment. People with
mental illness can, and do, make a
contribution to society. Now, if we can
just give them a hand so they can worry
about mortgage payments…
Big Issue vendors Tim (left) and Allan.
Photos: Alan Attwood
November 2008 P13
even wars
have limits
Discussion between a village leader and ICRC personnel in Sudan. Photo: ICRC Boris Heger
A new handbook about the ‘laws of
war’ has been developed for Australian
parliamentarians, to help raise
awareness in the community about our
country’s obligations under international
humanitarian law.
We hope this handbook will assist public
officials to develop wider community
understanding of the laws of armed
conflict, the importance of protection for
those affected by conflict and the role
of Red Cross in promoting these laws
through the Geneva Conventions.
In particular, the Geneva Conventions of
1949 protect sick and wounded soldiers
or combatants, prisoners of war and
civilians and gives Red Cross a mandate
to undertake certain activities in times
of conflict.
Equipped with this knowledge,
parliamentarians will be able to
ensure that their nation’s military
forces and wider community have an
understanding of, and respect for, the
‘laws of war’.
The handbook is available
for download at
www.redcross.org.au
A set of rules that
seeks to limit the
effects of armed
conflict on people.
Also known as the
law of war or law
of armed conflict,
IHL protects
certain categories
of people and
restricts the
methods and
means of warfare.
P14 the Humanitarian
double
The silence is
deafening for
people living with
HIV and serious
mental health
issues, writes
Kelly Chandler.
The response floored Dr Eric Glare
when he finally revealed to his best
friend that he was HIV positive, after
six years of concealing his status. ‘Oh,
thank God!’ she replied. ‘I thought you
were a hypochondriac!’
their illness. Contending with emotional
and social pressures on their physicality,
relationships and career can be too
much to handle and as the illness
progresses, managing many medications
can become a ‘drug burden’.
He had long since given up his research
job as a molecular biologist and was
recovering from meningitis, coming
out of a relationship, adjusting his
medications and enduring mood swings
and depression.
For Eric there was a compounding factor:
bipolar type-two disorder, a serious,
but treatable illness marked by extreme
fluctuations in mood, from depressive
lows to manic highs. The cause is
unknown, but in Eric’s case the disorder
appeared only after he contracted HIV.
‘That comment in itself was a beautiful
little bit of support,’ says Eric.
Between 30 to 40 per cent of people
living with HIV can develop depression
or an anxiety disorder over the course of
‘HIV plays havoc with our brains, but the
silence is deafening. After all these
years, we still talk about HIV and mental
health as being ‘situational’: when you
lose your job, you get depressed – that
November 2008 P15
type of thing. It’s far more acceptable
to acknowledge these “situational”
effects rather than to acknowledge
HIV-related mental illness or the
preludes to dementia.’
HIV is a leading worldwide cause
of dementia in adults, according to
Dr Edwina Wright from the Asia-Pacific
NeuroAIDS Consortium. As well as
altering a patient’s personality, it can
impair their ability to stay in work, run
a household or remember to take their
medication.
‘One remarkable thing about HIV
dementia is that it’s treatable. At least
50 per cent of people with HIV dementia
can respond well to the treatment,
which is HIV antiretroviral treatment,
even if they’ve got severe dementia,’
says Dr Wright.
‘We should be raising awareness at
a medical professional level and a
community level about the prevalence
of HIV dementia, depression and
trouble
peripheral neuropathy in our HIV positive
populations,’ says Dr Wright.
‘If a patient is diagnosed with HIV
dementia then they should start HIV
antiretroviral therapy, preferably choosing
three drugs that get into the brain well.’
and mental health status from their family,
friends and community.
As well as raising awareness and
establishing anti-stigma programs
throughout Asia Pacific, Australian Red
Cross supports psychosocial programs
in places like Cambodia, Mongolia and
China, fostering support groups where
people can keep an eye on each other.
It’s particularly important to have a
network of people who understand each
other, as these remote communities
slowly come to grips with the fact that
HIV is spreading from high-risk groups
such as men who have sex with men,
sex workers and injecting drug users
into the general population, causing
massive social and economic rifts.
‘Being chronically ill creates its own
poverty,’ explains Eric.
‘You lose your job, career, friends.
Then the stigma of HIV and the
stigma of mental illness adds more
poverty of friends, finance and career.
You’re forced into repeated cycles of
downsizing,’ he says. The big dilemma
he faces as he prepares to return to
the workforce is the need to explain his
limitations without being seen as too
unreliable to be employed. And for that,
there must be more understanding of
the complexities of living with HIV.
In an important step, Eric recently
helped set up an online mental health
support group and regularly speaks to
groups about his experience of HIV and
mental health.
‘It’s about telling stories, really. When
people respond by asking intelligent
questions and by telling their own
stories, it’s the best support I have
found. It helps you work things out.’
This year the theme for World AIDS
Day on 1 December is ‘Leadership’
with the campaign slogan, ‘Stop AIDS.
Keep the promise.’
Useful links
Speaker’s Bureau:
www.plwhavictoria.org.au
Australian Foundation
of AIDS Organisations:
www.afao.org.au
National Association
of People Living with HIV:
www.napwa.org.au
Education and resource centre:
www.hivhepsti.info
Australasian Society
for HIV Medicine:
www.ashm.org.au
Positive Life:
www.positivelife.org.au
Dr Edwina Wright:
e.wright@alfred.owrg.au
In Asia Pacific, however, HIV populations
might not have access to antiretroviral
drugs, or the right combination of drugs in
order to treat their dementia and improve
their symptoms.
Creating a safe space where people
can share their experiences and feel
connected to a community also helps
relieve the feelings of isolation which
occur when stigma and discrimination
force people into concealing their HIV
In countries such as China (above), PNG and Cambodia, Red Cross is running HIV and AIDS programs
to break down discrimination and raise awareness.
P16 the Humanitarian
a year in
November 2008 P17
pictures
Photos from left to right, top to bottom:
1 Kalgoorlie, WA. Photo: Rodney Dekker
2 China earthquake.
Photo: Sho Huang/Federation
3 Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar.
Photo: Reuters courtesy www.alertnet.org
4 Queensland. Photo: Hamish Cairns
5 Solomon Islands. Photo: Mel Tolnay
6 Tskhinvali, Georgia.
Photo: Reuters/Denis Sinyakov
7 Cooloongup Primary School, WA.
Photo: Rodney Dekker
8 India floods. Photo: Reuters
9 Junee, New South Wales
10 New South Wales. Photo: Helen White
P18 the Humanitarian
lost &
found
Finding lost
loved ones is a
bit like playing
detective, as
Jessica Letch
discovers.
A mother and children reunited in Lubango, after three years stranded in the remote south-west of Angola. Photo: Jessica Letch
November 2008 P19
It takes me a moment to recognise
Ahmad across the fish and chip shop
counter, but then he tells me his name
and I recognise his dark eyes. I flash
back to the creased photograph of his
brother that we had looked at some
years before. The photograph of Noori
displayed a 20-year-old man in a white
gown, seated cross-legged on a blue
carpet. He had a soft adolescent beard
and gentle expression.
Ahmad came to the Red Cross tracing
service to find news of his brother in
2002, who had fled Afghanistan and
made his way toward Western Europe.
He contacted Ahmad whenever he
could and on his last call to Melbourne,
he told Ahmad that he was crossing the
Danube that night, and would be in touch
again from Austria where he planned
to seek asylum. With this knowledge, I
opened the file in the countries bordering
the Danube, however requests for
information from immigration detention
centres were fruitless. Then, reports
came of a sunken raft. Hungarian Red
Cross sent some photographs of the
waterlogged face of a mustachioed man
and an unravelled paper talisman found
in a pocket, decorated with Arabic text.
When I told Ahmad of the findings, he
came straight away and poured over
the photos, but there was no way the
old man could be his brother. Noori still
remains among the world’s missing.
In Australia, most of our clients in the
Restoring Family Links program are
refugees. Our case files reflect the
history of global conflict, like rings on
a tree. Every year more people come
forward to request information from Red
Cross offices in contemporary conflict
zones, and even ageing records of
transportation and concentration camps
that are archived by Red Cross.
We help local clients to find their families
abroad, and receive requests to search
in Victoria for lost family members.
A third of our new cases over the past
five years relate to conflicts in Africa,
including Liberia, Ethiopia, Somalia and
Sudan. The next group of files belongs
to Europe, with families still searching for
news of relatives from the Yugoslav wars
and WWII. Afghanistan, Iraq and Sri
Lanka figure prominently on the list.
Survivors who have braved the unknown
and ventured to Australia still have to
deal with the heartache of those they
have lost and left behind. They are
denied the right to mourn the family
they cannot find, they cannot organise
a proper burial, and often get caught in
limbo, lacking important determinations
on their legal status as an orphan,
widow or last remaining relative.
‘You will help me, please,’ came an
elderly voice down the line, Bach’s cello
suite playing softly behind her. ‘I have
been alone for 60 years,’ explains Helen.
‘I am the only one, out of 42 members
of my family.’ I often wonder how many
times she has repeated that phrase over
the years, or counted each name quietly
on ageing fingers, verifying the list of
each lost soul. ‘We will try our best’,
I reassure her.
In tracing, each caseworker must have
the grit of a detective and the demeanour
of a counsellor as well as a sympathetic
ear for stories of grief, loss and trauma.
Tracing is a technical job, requiring forms
and questions and bundles of data.
We arrive at most appointments armed
with an Atlas and world guide, country
directories, whiteboard markers and a
barrage of forms.
We must work gently with each new
enquirer to understand their family
history. It can be difficult for them to tell
their story of loss and dislocation from
start to finish. Together we plan the best
approach for locating the missing. As
we begin to hear the narrative we draw
on our knowledge and the experience
of the person in front of us to map out
the complexity of each unique situation.
Stories are rarely straightforward, and
many of our clients are from preliterate
societies, with a different sense of
narrative, time and space.
Our case
files reflect
the history
of global
conflict,
like rings
on a tree.
‘It was the day of the storm, when the
big tree blew down,’ my client tells me
when I ask her date of birth. So I start
to search for other clues to her age and
that of her missing children.
We provide solace to heartbroken wives
and mothers, and a glimmer of hope for
reunification. Two-thirds of our cases are
successful, but the sad reality for many
families is that the missing will never be
found alive.
Almost 500,000 hand-written Red
Cross Messages circle the globe
each year, conveying family news
between separated relatives, while
satellite phones are deployed to
transmit good news from the living, and
unaccompanied family members are
registered and reunited. Each success
story builds the resilience of
a community, bringing comfort and
safety to the most vulnerable.
Jess Letch works with Red Cross and has
undertaken tracing missions to Angola in 2005,
Liberia in 2007 and Georgia in 2008. Red Cross’
Tracing Service helps to reconnect families
separated by conflict and disaster.
* names have been changed.
For more information visit
www.redcross.org.au and click
on our services, across Australia.
P20 the Humanitarian
and we
dance
Berhane’s wife Mitsilal prepares coffee in the traditional Ethiopian way. Photos: Lisa Fitzgerald
Sometimes
reunions are
a long time in
the making,
but well worth
the wait if they
bring peace of
mind, writes
Karina Coates.
A little girl dances to an Ethiopian
children’s song as her grandfather looks
on and incense mingles with the pungent
scent of green coffee beans roasting
in a long-handled pan. It has been four
years since 83-year-old Assefa arrived
in Melbourne, but decades since he last
saw his own daughter dancing.
Assefa fled Ethiopia’s civil war in 1976,
leaving his family behind. He spent 24
years in a Sudanese refugee camp
where he remarried and had three sons,
but Assefa never let go of the hope he
would see his other children again. After
four years in Sudan’s capital Khartoum
and resettlement in Australia, the already
frail Assefa became seriously ill.
His 29-year-old son Berhane took on
the urgent task of finding his father’s
four other children.
‘My father was desperate for
information,’ Berhane says. ‘I started a
Red Cross tracing search for my halfsister Selamawit, hoping we would hear
news quickly. I just wanted to put Dad’s
mind at ease.’
Fortunately, it only took a few months
before Red Cross was able to contact
Selamawit, who responded with
excitement to a Red Cross message
that Berhane sent in early 2006. When
they spoke, she told Berhane that his
half brother Tilahun was also well and
working in another town.
November 2008 P21
Assefa’s granddaughter Rahel hasn’t been to Ethiopia but loves to dance to the music from there.
‘After my father heard the good news
he was determined to become well
enough to travel to see Selamawit,’
Berhane says as he takes a sip of the
sweet coffee from a small blue cup
rimmed with gold. ‘Even though she was
safe and living with friends, Dad wanted
to see for himself that she was OK.
We began planning our trip.’
Assefa’s health was not the only
obstacle to the journey. Due to his
political connections during the war, he
risked arrest upon returning to Ethiopia.
For this reason, Berhane kept the pair’s
plans a secret – even from Selamawit.
A year after Berhane’s first phone call to
his half-sister, he found himself dialling
her number from a hotel in her northern
Ethiopian town, explaining that he and
Assefa were just around the corner and
longing to see her.
Assefa and Berhane spent three
unforgettable weeks sharing Selamawit’s
life. Being able to spend time with his
daughter, 31 years after he last saw her,
was a dream come true for Assefa.
He is acutely aware of the enormity of the
loss. ‘I wasn’t there while Selamawit was
growing up, and even now I’m unable to
provide for her as I wish,’ Assefa says,
his eyes following his 18-month-old
granddaughter as she twirls and spins.
‘Although the trip was short – just three
weeks in three decades for my father
to spend with his daughter – meeting
Selamawit has put his mind at rest,’
Berhane says. ‘The important thing
is to be back in contact and to know
that she and Tilahun are well and safe.
We hope they may one day be able to
join us in Australia.’
Red Cross is now searching for Assefa’s
two other children missing in Ethiopia,
another son and daughter. Berhane
hopes that this search will be as
successful as the first. ‘Otherwise there
will always be a hole in our lives,’ he says.
P22 the Humanitarian
everything in
triplicate
Lena Bodger is lucky she was lying
down when she discovered she wasn’t
having twins.
‘I nearly passed out when we found out
we were having triplets. We thought it
might be twins because I got very big
very fast, but it was a whole extra baby.
It would have been nice to have twins,’
says Lena.
It can be hard to get out with a new
baby at the best of times, let alone
negotiating the individual wills of
three strapping nine-month-old boys.
The living room of her Perth home is
completely given over to toys and soft
surfaces, and even little things, like
putting the boys in their stroller, can be a
challenge in triplicate.
‘It’s very hard to get out. While Sebastian
is more laid back than he used to be,
William and Joseph are more demanding
now,’ says Lena. After the boys were
born, the King Edward Hospital referred
Lena to Red Cross who provide support
for mums with multiple births. Once a
week, volunteer Christine Rae comes
over to take the pressure off.
‘It’s good to have the extra help, to be
able to get stuff done during the day.
The hardest part of having triplets is
organising everything. But you just get on
with it. Every day is different,’ says Lena.
William Bodger, nine-month-old triplet, in front of mum, Lena Bodger. She’s holding Sebastian, while
Family Support volunteer Christine Rae (left) cares for Joseph.
A self-confessed triplet specialist,
Christine Rae has been volunteering
with Red Cross for 12 years.
‘I’ve worked with six or seven sets
of triplets, lots of twins, and lots of
women with postnatal depression
over the years,’ says Christine, who’s
volunteering with two mums and six
children at the moment.
‘You have to be caring, and willing to go in
and be an extra pair of hands. Sometimes
they just need someone to talk to – with
triplets you don’t get out much and it’s
fairly normal to get a bit of depression.
‘This girl’s organised, she’s a trooper!’
says Christine. She has been visiting Lena
for about five months now, and she’ll
keep coming until the triplets turn one.
So what will she do when Christine
stops coming? ‘I guess I’ll go on without
her! I’ve got my mum, so that’s ok. Many
women don’t have their mums so I’m a
lucky one,’ says Lena.
By Kelly Chandler
November 2008 P23
every day someone
thanks
Donations of blood, plasma and platelets helped John recover from the accident.
Farmer John Heffernan is passionate
about life on the land, and knows better
than most how devastating a bushfire
can be during hot summer seasons.
John and his dad, both rural volunteer
fire fighters, were called to help fight
a bushfire in their Junee community
(NSW) on New Year’s Day in 2006.
While fighting the fire from the back of
a trailer, the wind suddenly changed
and 24-year-old John was engulfed in
flames. His clothes literally incinerated
and he suffered burns to 85 per cent of
his body.
John can’t remember much of the
following six weeks, as he was put into
an induced coma to help his body heal.
Treatment for his burns continued for
five months and relied on huge amounts
of blood and blood products. In total
he received a massive 54 litres of red
cells, plasma, platelets and countless
amounts of precious plasma products.
At least 114 people, through their
voluntary blood donations, helped to
save John’s life.
John’s mum Christine was constantly
at his bedside and says how difficult
it was to see her son having to cope
with such injuries, but the whole
experience reinforced the importance
of blood donors.
John still undergoes surgery two years
on, but can now drive the farm’s tractor
again. ‘Thanks to blood donors I am still
here today and I will get back to doing
what I love best – working on the farm.’
Do something special.
Give blood. For further
information or to
book an appointment
call 13 14 95 or visit
donateblood.com.au
you
‘If it wasn’t for
blood donors,
John wouldn’t be
here. My family
and I thank blood
donors every
day for my son’s
life,’ says John’s
mum, Christine.
P24 the Humanitarian
the trueof community
spirit
Almost four years
after the tsunami,
Lachlan Quick
visits Banda
Aceh to find a
real sense of
community for
those settling into
their new homes.
The house is bright, welcoming, clean,
and above all else, incredibly busy.
Children of all ages pass through, some
stop and speak briefly with my host,
others simply disappear into another
room with a giggle.
Rahmawati is unfazed by the commotion
as she explains the process of opening
her home for the people of the Ladong
housing community.
‘A lot of women and children stay
here,’ she says, ‘especially when their
husbands go away, or there is domestic
violence. My parents always told me
when I was growing up, you have to
help anybody without discrimination, no
matter who you are, and you never ask
for anything in return.’
Children explore their new neighbourhood in Ladong. Photo: Lachlan Quick
As one of the new residents of the
Ladong housing project, Rahmawati has
been tirelessly pushing for women to be
involved in the process of reconstruction
and recovery from the start.
‘Each village has a ‘Tuhapeut’ like a
small parliament that makes decisions
for the village,’ Rahmawati explains.
‘But they would not let any women ask
questions about the new houses, about
the kitchen, or where the water should
be. So I stayed until I was answered,’
she adds with a smile. ‘Now, there are
women on the Tuhapeut for the first time.’
But it is not only a new house that has
allowed Rahmawati to move on. She has
thrown herself into each program made
available to residents, from community–
based first aid to livelihoods training
– even basic hygiene and sanitation
practice to help the children learn.
‘Livelihoods are a big challenge, people
are trying to work out now what they
can do here,’ Rahmawati declares with
an authoritative nod. ‘It is a very good
start, that we now have homes.’
A significant part of the planning for new
homes constructed by Red Cross is
focused on ensuring the sustainability
of the lives of the new residents. This
means good access to basic services
– like health and education – and in
addition, proximity and access to
opportunities for new employment.
November 2008 P25
‘My parents
always told
me when I was
growing up, you
have to help
anybody without
discrimination,
no matter who
you are, and you
never ask
for anything
in return.’
‘There is a port opening seven kilometres
away from here,’ says Rahmawati, ‘and
we are discussing with them about new
jobs for the people at Ladong.’
There are also several livelihood project
groups in Ladong – Rahmawati is
involved in the bakery group with other
local women, and her husband Saifuddin
is about to begin working with his
carpentry group, producing and selling
furniture in Ladong and Banda Aceh.
‘My training was very helpful,’ says
Rahmawati. ‘I try to learn as much
as I can and help the community’.
It’s clear the community of Ladong
is settling into their new homes and
lives with purpose. Gardens are being
established, small stores have sprung
up in the community to serve the everincreasing population, and the grass is
growing around the community centre
and playground.
us from the heat and the rain,’ says
Rahmawati. ‘And it’s more than enough
for my family. And for babysitting,’ she
adds with a grin.
Rahmawati has not had a simple path
to her new life. During the tsunami she
lost her daughter, but tells me that she
remained calm throughout, as she
believed she had a duty to help others.
‘I helped seven other children in the
tsunami, I told them I would be their
mother until we found theirs again.
They were lucky, they were reunited
after not long.’
‘Now, it’s like finally getting back to
normal life, with a house that shelters
Rahmawati has an open door policy at her new
home in Ladong. Photo: Ade Sonivil
P26 the Humanitarian
the power to save a life is in
your hands
phone,’ says Robert Tickner, Red Cross
CEO. ‘While we know there is no
substitute for an approved first aid
course, it will serve as a crucial prompt
should the time arise when people are
required to give CPR.’
Abby McDonald (right) was saved by her neighbour who knew CPR. Both Abby and Jasmyn (left)
attended the launch at Federation Square, Melbourne. Photo: Lachlan Quick
Imagine you
are standing in
line at the movies
or waiting your
turn at an ATM.
The person in
front of you
collapses. Do you
know what to do?
The answer to this question is much
easier if you have ready access to
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
instructions. In a world first, that is
exactly what anybody with a mobile
phone can now get.
Expanding upon its role of providing
quality first aid training and products,
Red Cross has partnered with Multi-ed
Medical, a Tasmania-based education
software specialist, to develop new
technology enabling CPR instructions to
be downloaded onto mobile phones at
the touch of a button. The six-minute
animation gives step-by-step
instructions on how to deliver oxygen
and artificial circulation to a nonresponsive person until medical help
arrives. It costs just $3 per download
and is compatible with most mobile
phones, smart phone devices and PDAs.
‘This groundbreaking technology will
literally put the ability to save a life in the
hands of all Australians with a mobile
The revolutionary CPR download was
launched earlier this year at Melbourne’s
Federation Square, where former
Australian Olympic swimmer Matt Welsh
performed the first download. Also in
attendance was Sherrie McDonald,
whose daughter Abby was saved by a
neighbour who knew CPR. Sherrie is
impressed with the technology’s
accessibility and ease of use.
‘I know when Abby was revived, we
were fortunate to have someone who
knew first aid nearby,’ said Sherrie, ‘but
this technology means you can have a
reminder of how to perform CPR
properly, in your hands all the time. It’s a
fantastic piece of information for people
to have on their mobiles.’
The CPR download is a great way to
reinforce your skills after completing a
first aid course. Downloads are available
in bulk and businesses are encouraged
to purchase them for their employees’
mobile phones.
To download the animation,
text ‘CPR’ to 19 951 515 or visit
www.redcross.org.au/ourservices
Contact your local
Red Cross office for
more information.
In all activities, Red Cross staff and volunteers are
guided by the following Fundamental Principles.
Humanity The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, born of a desire
to bring assistance without
discrimination to the wounded
on the battlefield, endeavours,
in its international and national
capacity, to prevent and
alleviate human suffering
wherever it may be found.
ts purpose is to protect life and
health and ensure respect for
the human being. It promotes
mutual understanding,
friendship, co-operation and
lasting peace among all people.
Impartiality It makes no
discrimination as to nationality,
race, religious beliefs, class
or political opinions. It
endeavours to relieve the
suffering of individuals, being
guided solely by their needs,
and to give priority to the most
urgent cases of distress.
National Office
155 Pelham Street,
VIC 3053
Tel +61 3 9345 1800
Fax +61 3 9348 2513
www.redcross.org.au
Neutrality In order to continue
to enjoy the confidence of all,
the Movement may not take
sides in hostilities or engage
at any time in controversies of
a political, racial, religious or
ideological nature.
Independence The
Movement is independent.
The National Societies, while
auxiliaries in the humanitarian
services of their governments
and subject to the laws of their
respective countries, must
always maintain their autonomy
so that they may be able at all
times to act in accordance with
the principles of the Movement.
Unity There can be only one
Red Cross or Red Crescent
Society in any one country.
It must be open to all. It must
carry on its humanitarian work
throughout its territory.
Universality The International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, in which all
Societies have equal status and
share equal responsibilities and
duties in helping each other,
is worldwide.
Cover image Tim Page
Designer Miguel Valenzuela,
housemouse design
Editor Janine Gray
Proof reader Rohan Bassett
Printer DPA printed on Monza Satin
recycled 200 and 130 gsm.
the Humanitarian is published three
times a year by Australian Red Cross.
Mailing address 155 Pelham Street
Carlton VIC 3053, Australia.
Telephone 00 11 61 3 9345 1800
Voluntary Service It is a
voluntary relief movement not
prompted in any manner by
desire for gain.
ACT
Cnr Hindmarsh Drive
and Palmer Street,
Garran ACT 2605
Tel 02 6234 7600
Fax 02 6234 7650
NSW
159 Clarence Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel 02 9229 4111
Fax 02 9229 4244
NT
Cnr Lambell Terrace and
Schultze Street,
Larrakeyah NT 0820
Tel 08 8924 3900
Fax 08 8924 3909
TAS
40 Melville Street,
Hobart TAS 7000
Tel 03 6235 6077
Fax 03 6231 1250
QLD
49 Park Road,
Milton QLD 4064
Tel 07 3367 7222
Fax 07 3367 7444
VIC
23-47 Villiers Street,
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Tel 03 8327 7700
Fax 03 8327 7711
SA
207-217 Wakefield Street,
Adelaide SA 5000
Tel 08 8100 4500
Fax 08 8100 4501
WA
110 Goderich Street,
East Perth WA 6004
Tel 08 9225 8888
Fax 08 9325 5112