2018 Recap
The holidays are on us, the year is coming to a close and it's time to reflect back on what illuminAid has accomplished over 2018.
MSI Reproductive Choices - Mali
Our first project of 2018 was in Mali where we held a workshop for MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI). MSI has been doing incredible work in the country, promoting positive family planning techniques and maternal care. As one of the world’s poorest nations with one of the highest infant mortality rates, maternal and family health are very important.
Using the training and equipment provided by illuminAid, MSI has been able to strengthen the reach and efficacy of their message. They can demonstrate the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, how to practice safe sex to prevent unwanted pregnancies or the spread of the sexually transmitted diseases. To learn more about our collaboration with MSI Reproductive Choices in Mali and to see some of the videos they produced, visit our project summary.
UNICEF - Burkina Faso
The first of our back-to-back workshops was also our second time working with UNICEF. When we last collaborated with UNICEF, it was during the West African Ebola crisis and was one of our biggest workshops ever. This time, UNICEF brought together over ten different organizations, most of them based in Burkina Faso itself, to attend a workshop in Burkina Faso, covering disciplines such as health care to WASH to agricultural techniques.
In addition to representatives from UNICEF itself, organizations such as GASCODE, a Burkina Faso-based non-profit working in health services; CAMECA, a communication center that works for local change; the Children Centre for Education and Social Welfare (CERESSE); the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA); and Catholic Relief Services, an organization illuminAid has partnered with several times over the years, including workshops in Guatemala, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. To learn more or see photos and video from the workshop, visit the project page. Read about Kristin’s experience in Burkina Faso here.
CARE - Malawi
Our last workshop of the year was with CARE in Malawi. It was our first time working with CARE, an organization that works in nearly 100 countries across the globe. CARE works in a variety of disciplines and, among the videos they’ve created and intend to create cover subjects such as WASH, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.
CARE Malawi was unique compared to most of the countries we work in in that one of the primary languages of the country is English. Being able to connect on a personal level with the people we were training and serving helped us form incredible, long-lasting memories. To learn more about the project and to see photos and videos, visit its project page. To read about illuminAid’s experiences in this beautiful country, check out Laurie’s reflections on the trip.
Looking forward to 2019
And so, with this year coming to a close, we also want to look forward to our work next year. We have several potential projects, including a return to Mali as well as workshops in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Nigeria. It’s too early for many details, but subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with our plans for 2019.
Thank you to all of our newsletter subscribers for your thoughts, prayers, donations and encouragement throughout 2018. We are so grateful for your support, and we know we couldn’t do this amazing work without you! We look forward to 2019 as a year in which we help even more of the world’s poorest, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and seek out hope in the new year.