Past Programs
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Asia
Central Asia
Czech Republic
El Salvador
Macedonia
Ukraine
Asia
In January 2001, India suffered its strongest earthquake in 50 years. The most severely affected areas were in Gujarat State, on India’s western coast. Thousands of people died and even more were injured. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed and close to 1 million were damaged. In total, close to 15.9 million Indians were affected by the earthquake.
The Jewish community in Ahmedabad suffered some property damage but no casualties. They did, however, donate time and money to several agencies in need of aid. They raised funds that provided medical and surgical supplies to the Vadilal Sarabhai (V.S.) General Hospital in Ahmedabad, which cared for hundreds of earthquake victims. Jewish community representatives have personally distributed supplies to residents in three transit camps.
JDC collaborated with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help provide assistance to the earthquake victims. JDC also convened the Jewish Coalition for India Earthquake Relief, which includes 30 member agencies from North America and Great Britain. JDC contributed to programs that procured and distributed supplies and helped to cover medical costs for some victims in desperate need. JDC also helped to establish child care services, provided water purification tanks, and rebuilt a primary school utilizing the labor of students and nearby residents that also strengthened their skills and allowed them to earn income.
A partnership with World Vision enabled JDC to construct Community Education Centers. A program in collaboration with Handicap International trained local professionals to serve individuals with disabilities.
For more information about JDC's India earthquake relief, including its partnership with MASHAV, please click here.
Central Asia
JDC supported two non-sectarian projects in the Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Euro Asian Jewish Congress.
The "Special Education Project" took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan and Tashkent, Uzbekistan and trained primary school teachers in the early detection of learning disabilities in children and in the integration of children with learning disabilities into mainstream classes.
This project maximized the benefits of early intervention while helping to boost children's confidence levels. The teachers were trained in how to identify learning difficulties experienced by children in the first grade, and in advanced corrective techniques. Professional therapists were also utilized. Parents were sensitized to their children's disability and how best to cope with it. This project drew on the expertise of JDC-Israel and partners in the Israeli educational system, and had the full support of the local authorities.
The second project benefited a unique residential facility for children with extreme physical disabilities in Petropavolvsk, Kazakhstan. This home was established and is headed by an individual who suffers from severe physical disabilities. The method utilized enabled the children to participate in mainstream educational activities. A grant from JDC helped furnish a custom-made physical therapy room and enabled the director to publish information regarding the method he uses in the hope that it may become a model for other facilities.
Czech Republic
Click here to read about Non-Sectarian Initiatives in Czech Republic
El Salvador
In response to the devastating earthquakes in 2001, JDC's "Open Mailbox" raised funds to aid the hundreds of thousands left homeless. Immediate assistance was provided to Direct Relief International and Latet, an Israeli NGO, to help cover the costs of shipments of essential relief items. In coordination with the Jewish community of El Salvador, JDC supported the building of a school in the hard-hit town of Jerusalem. The local government and Ministry of Education were also partners in this effort.
In partnership with Doctors of the World, four health posts were erected, and parish-based healthcare workers were trained. The Jewish Coalition for El Salvador Earthquake Assistance convened by JDC supported two local agencies to build permanent housing and construct a local market. In addition, Coalition support enabled a local partner to provide psychological services, training to health workers and trauma counseling to women and children.
Ukraine
Macedonia
For over a decade, ethnic tensions, political unrest and relentless poverty have besieged Macedonia. Further destabilizing the region was the influx of ethnic Albanian refugees who arrived during the Kosovo crisis. The health clinic established by JDC in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provided basic medical care and support.
With the IRC, La Benevolencija-Skopje (the welfare arm of Macedonia's Jewish Community), and UKJAID (United Kingdom Jewish Aid and International Development), JDC initiated a back to school program for Roma children. New books, clothing and winter shoes were acquired and the children received free medical and dental health screenings.
JDC also donated hospital linens and uniforms to several Macedonian hospitals.
JDC and PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) concluded their project to assist women affected by breast cancer in Ukraine. Using lessons learned from the "Women's Health Empowerment Program," carried out in the Czech Republic and the Middle East, American breast cancer survivors worked with their counterparts in Ukraine to prioritize needs, develop self-help support and public education activities, and strengthen non-governmental organizations managed by and for women who have had breast cancer. The work also involved the medical community and government policy-makers. Today, 22 new organizations comprised of breast cancer survivors have been established in 17 of Ukraine's 25 provinces. Project services are currently being expanded into the Jewish Community of Ukraine.
August 2005
