InsIDE Up Close and Personal

reachingout
VOLUME 33, SPRING 2011
Up Close
and Personal
IPPF/WHR Donors Travel
to Colombia
It’s been said that seeing is believing.
For the six International Planned
Parenthood Federation/Western
Hemisphere Region donors who
traveled to Colombia last October,
seeing also means giving.
The donors were on a mission to
observe firsthand the triumphs and
challenges of IPPF/WHR Member
Association PROFAMILIA—and there
was plenty of both on display.
On October 26, donor Suzanne
Sunshine blogged about the group’s
journey “two hours up a very unpaved road in Bogota” with one of
PROFAMILIA’s 32 mobile health units
to a community living without sanitation or clean water. “Colombian
families are lined up by the dozens,”
she wrote. Like so often during the trip,
Sunshine saw many young women—
14 to19 years old—pregnant and
with children who were often sick
and without access to pediatric care.
“One mother described a three-hour
bus trip for 10,000 pesos (all her
family’s savings) to a hospital with a
4-year-old with high fever, vomiting,
and diarrhea,” Sunshine blogged.
“The hospital said he was fine and
sent the mother and son back home
with no care and no medication.
The mother was distraught.”
Colombia has a population of 44
million; 47 percent of those live below
the poverty line.“Colombia is second in
the world in displaced persons,” says
Jerry Cunningham, another IPPF/WHR
donor on the trip. “The multitudes of
people run out of their homes by drug
traffickers and armed guerrillas have
created challenging environments to
provide services.” PROFAMILIA supplies
contraception, diagnosis and treatment
of sexually transmitted infections, HIV/
AIDS testing and treatment, and administration of the human papillomavirus
vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, the
major cause of cancer mortality among
women in developing countries.
What’s more, PROFAMILIA has a vibrant
and diverse program to bring SRH
services to young people, including
youth-friendly, subsidized services, more
than 1,500 peer educators and educational programs on family planning and
Inside
Reaching
the Poorest
of the Poor
Up
Close
and
Personal
A Note from
Nikki Speer
Major Donors
Officer
Up Close and Personal
ending violence against women and
girls. The donor group witnessed the
power of PROFAMILIA’s youth program
on October 25, during a visit to the
Zoraida Cadavid boarding school. For
the past six years, PROFAMILIA has
been a presence at the school; the
organization even has a psychologist
on staff for students to talk to. Since
PROFAMILIA launched its education
program, there hasn’t been a single
pregnancy at Zoraida Cadavid.
That day, five scraggly young men,
who make up the rock band Wamba
(all PROFAMILIA peer educators), were
there to talk to the students about
violence—physical, psychological and
sexual. “The liveliest interchange from
the students came when the topic of
sexual violence came up,” blogged
Alex Sanger, the chair of the IPPF/WHR
council. “Rape and incest are epidemic
in Colombia; these girls knew it and
some had experienced it. The girls
were riveted, and they were participating and learning.”
Seeing the great need of displaced
and marginalized people in Colombia,
combined with the profound impact of
PROFAMILIA, reinvigorated the dedication of the donors after their return
to the states. All made generous
Reaching out
•
Volume 33, Spring 2011
gifts to continue the work of
PROFAMILIA and IPPF/WHR’s other
Member Associations throughout
Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Whether providing basic health
services, lobbying the government
or tackling a culture that treats
women to less opportunity than men,
PROFAMILIA is getting it done,” says
Cunningham.“I know. I saw it and
stand forever inspired.”
Be a part of our network!
The Bikini
Visit the IPPF/WHR facebook page for the latest news
from the field as well as photos, publications and videos
that document our projects. Search for International
Planned Parenthood Western Hemisphere Region.
Follow us on twitter for the latest news on sexual
and reproductive health in Latin America and the
Caribbean. www.twitter.com/IPPF_WHR
Visit our online video collection at YouTube, The Hub,
and Blip.tv where you can find quality footage of
IPPF/WHR projects and activities throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean.
Free Choice Saves Lives online advocacy center
informs and educates its members on a broad range
of sexual and reproductive health and human rights
issues. Become a member today and TAKE action!
www.freechoicesaveslives.org/ippfwhr/join
We’ve proudly launched the
International Planned Parenthood
Federation’s Western Hemisphere
Blog: The Bikini, covering all
of the key sexual and reproductive
health areas.
The Bikini will keep you informed of the latest happenings from the IPPF network. The Bikini will give our
followers a first-hand perspective on our work and
a glimpse of the sexual and reproductive health landscape on the ground throughout the Americas. The
blog will include photography and other visuals, as
well as informed opinion pieces from our community
of dedicated staff and volunteers.
We invite you to take a look at The Bikini and share
your feedback with us. We look forward to reading
your comments and we are thrilled about the conversations to come. Visit www.ippfwhr.org/en/blog
IPPF/WHR MAs recognized at the Pill Gala
In October staff, donors, and supporters attended
the 50 & Fabulous Gala: Celebrating 50 Years of
Women’s Advances since the Pill at the Pierre Hotel
in New York City. The Gala brought together leaders
in women’s health, business and the arts to salute and
honor pioneers in the sexual and reproductive health
community. Alexander Sanger, grandson of Margaret
Sanger, was honored.
The program also honored three organizations who
have made significant contributions, including our US
Member Association, Planned Parenthood Federation
of America, and our Haitian Association, PROFAMIL.
IPPF/WHR and Profamil staff members pose with
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Reaching the Poorest of the Poor
provides essential sexual and reproductive health services for
many young people, men and women.
When we hear the words “internally
displaced persons” or refugees, as I
call them, we think of Sudan or other
African countries torn by civil war.
Yet the nation of Colombia has the
second highest number of refugees
in the world, (after the Sudan), who
have been displaced by the endemic
violence that has wracked this country for years. Settlements
have been established in or near all the major cities. They
uniformly have dirt roads, steep hills, jerry-built huts, little
electricity, no running water and no sewage system.
I recently visited one such settlement which Profamilia,
the IPPF/WHR’s Member Association in Colombia, goes to
on a regular basis. Once a month the neighborhood
community center is converted into a health clinic and
Most of the mothers I talked to gave birth as teens.
Nationwide, the incidence of teen pregnancy is one in
five. Here it is one in three. Malnutrition is more common
in the settlements than in the rural areas these refugees
came from, since they cannot harvest their own food in
the city. Jobs are hard to come by too since the refugees’
farming and fishing skills are not transferable to an urban
setting. Only one woman I spoke to worked outside of the
home, and she was doing odd jobs as a cleaner. The men
scavenged. As a result, children are often exploited in the
sex trade. This population is the poorest of the poor, but at
least health care is an option for them through Profamilia.
Without Profamilia, these women and their families literally
have nowhere else to go.
Alexander Sanger is the Chair of the International Planned Parenthood Council and author of Beyond Choice: Reproductive Freedom in the 21st Century.
A former Goodwill Ambassador, he is the grandson of IPPF founder and reproductive rights pioneer Margaret Sanger.
Last Year We Delivered Over 28.1 Million Essential
Sexual and Reproductive Health Services.
Making Every Dollar Count
We are proud of the way we manage our funds. IPPF/WHR strives
to operate with efficiency while minimizing its fundraising and
management expenses. As a result, over 89 cents of every dollar
we spend goes directly to our programs and services.
89%
Programs
“A Rating”
American Institute of Philanthropy
“Met all Standards”
“Highest Rating”
Better Business Bureau
5%
Charity Navigator
6%
Fundraising
General
Administration
Creating a Legacy of Choice
A note from Nikki Speer, Major Donors Officer
Create a Charitable Gift Annuity
As a fundraiser,
donors often
ask me how
their money
is being spent.
I can tell them
about the high
standards IPPF/
WHR maintains
to keep our
administrative and fundraising costs low or about the
financial transparency that allows them to access information about where their money is being allocated, but this is
a little impersonal.
When you set up a charitable gift annuity
(CGA) with IPPF/WHR, you receive fixed lifetime
payments, as well as numerous tax benefits.
Unlike falling bank interest rates, your CGA
payout rate will be fixed, guaranteed, and at
a highly competitive level. Your legacy gift
supports our family planning and reproductive
health work throughout the Americas and the
Caribbean for all future generations.
Age
Payout Rate
504.4%
554.8%
605.0%
655.3%
705.7%
Recently, I gained a very personalized perspective on how
donor money is being invested in the poor and marginalized
in our region. I traveled with six major donors to visit IPPF/
WHR Member Association in Colombia, Profamilia to
learn about their work first-hand and the dynamic role that
Profamilia plays in providing vital sexual and reproductive
health services in a country that faces numerous socio-political challenges. We visited projects including a mobile health
unit where families gained access to the only health care for
miles, teenage mothers received reliable contraceptives and
counseling to prevent future pregnancies and some women
received their first Pap Smear.
Age
Payout Rate
756.3%
807.1%
858.1%
90+9.5%
I want to learn more about creating a charitable
gift annuity in the form of cash, real estate and/or
appreciated stocks or bonds ($5,000 minimum
gift; 50 minimum age).
Please provide an illustration based on the
following information:
It’s incredibly poignant to see the impact of donations first
hand, especially on individual women who work hard, but
need help. The trip inspired an even deeper understanding
for how the ability to control one’s health and reproduction
is so key not only to individual families, but to entire communities, nations and the world.
Name: ___________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ____________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________________
E-mail: ___________________________________________
If you are interested in traveling with us to see the work
on the ground or would like more information on making
a tax-deductible gift to support programs like those in
Colombia, please contact Nikki Speer at 212 214 0285 or
by e-mail at nspeer@ippfwhr.org.
Birth Date(s) ___/___/___ and ___/___/___/
Donation: $_______________________________________
&
Mail to:IPPF/WHR, Office of Planned Giving
120 Wall Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10005-3902
Phone: 212 214 0286 or 866 IPPFWHR (477 3947 x 278)
Email: nspeer@ippfwhr.org
Spring11RO
Three of the Many Reasons to
Donate to IPPF/ WHR:
cents of every dollar
189
you donate is spent
directly on programs
to help the poor and
marginalized.
Twice as many poor women
2
have an unmet need for
contraceptives compared
to wealthy women. IPPF/WHR
strives to guarantee that
all women have access to
contraceptives. A donation
of $100 pays for a one year
supply of birth control
for 21 women.
REACHING OUT is a publication
of the International Planned
Parenthood Federation/Western
Hemisphere Region, Inc.
Director of Development and Public Affairs
Pierre La Ramée
120 Wall St., 9th floor
New York, NY 10005-3902
Tel: 212 248 6400
Fax: 212 248 4221
www.ippfwhr.org
Writer
Rachel Dowd
For questions regarding donations,
please contact Office of Major
Donors and Planned Giving at
212 214 0286
or nspeer@ippfwhr.org
Photography
Mamen Saura and Jocelyn Ban
Production & Design Coordinator/Editor
Jocelyn Ban
Design
Designlounge, Inc., NY
3
ur high quality services
O
are grounded in the belief
that health care is a basic
human right for all people,
regardless of their
socioeconomic status.
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF),
based in London, is the world’s largest private sexual
and reproductive health and rights organization.
The Federation’s health services are carried out by
Member Associations located in 176 countries. All
of its Member Associations are managed in accordance
with local custom and law.
International Planned Parenthood Federation/
Western Hemisphere Region, Inc. (IPPF/WHR), located
in New York, is a tax-exempt, charitable organization,
providing technical and financial assistance to 40 IPPF
associations in the Western Hemisphere.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and
the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (formerly
the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada) are
separately incorporated IPPF/WHR Member Associations
in the United States and Canada.
Opinions expressed in REACHING OUT do not necessarily
reflect the views or policies of IPPF/WHR.