2009 - More Points for More Food?

[Former Member]

I probably just overlooked the respective announcement, but does someone have an idea what the status of the Points for Food program in 2k9 is? Has it been restarted for this year? I really hope so, but the counter on the homepage looks a bit stuck at some 2k8 level to me.

Any info welcome. anton

[Former Member]

Maybe some investment banker got a hold of it

(just kidding)

[Former Member]

Personally, I would also like to see that the 200K translated into much more than 200K of sustainable benefit which addressed the problems.

If the UN programs follow that policy for donation accounting and do not deduct administrative costs etc from them, then that would be fair play for donors, and I suspect many donors would participate transparently in such a system.

I grew up in Africa (most part Southern Africa and later North Africa) and I have seen the damage which ill thought out "help" programs have caused. I suspect that community folks from South America etc can comment as well.

So, if this money is going to something really good and the reporting on it should be squeacky clean and closing "the books" 36 hours after the first "shareholder" asks for the ROI... then the UN needs a cool ERP system with integrated mobile networks and a powerfull reporting tool...

Perhaps a "bump" info would have been appropriate, but I think we can give them a bit of time still.

My 2 cents,

Julius

[Former Member]

hi julius,

Perhaps a "bump" info would have been appropriate, but I think we can give them a bit of time still. 

If they need time to check it out they shall have it of course. I just didn't expect at all that such a time is needed, because, actually, it's almost mid February and I really thought that the photos of a little cheque-giving ceremony for last year's achievments have already been shot and only the Flickr-link to be provided as well as I supposed that the procedures and targets for 2009 should have been defined.

regarding you ERP remark I got to admit that I am a bit sceptical. Although I pay respect for SAPs enablement activities together with global and/or humanitarian organisations, I am not convinced that such organisations should be run as enterprises and that such organisations really should set their priorities at ressource planning rather than at ressource funding. If I look at the cost charged of me for my ESS portal account only....well I'd rather see that money turned into food and teacher's salaries instead of bits and bytes.

just my - probably ignorant - 2 cents, anton

[marilyn_pratt]

Actually Anton, I shared your concern so imagine how delighted I was with an unofficial update I received from one of the receipients. This was a personal and unexpected note emailed to me about 2 weeks ago from Laos, from the program director of the World Food Programme there.

She showed me a picture of the "school" (simple outdoor village structure) which was beginning to service the children who are some of the recepients of the wonderful community activity that is the SAP Feeding Knowledge initiative.

In fact she was overwhelmingly surprised and delighted to have Laos be a chosen country and designation for this award. She only just discovered this herself. I also felt extreme excitement around this as I had visited her in Laos last year (Dec 2007) on a personal trip and had learned quite a bit about the situation in Laos and the work of her organization, having made it a priority to visit WFP on my own vacation time during the winter holidays. I never imagined that the few hours we spent reviewing the present School Feeding Program plans in the poorest villages of Laos would materialize into an award to her country from our community.

I begged her (Caitlin Makin) to blog about her firsthand experiences as she is deployed in some of the remote villages in Northern Laos, and is personally working with the program (moved from her WFP director job in the capital of Vientenne where I met her to do actual field services with the children). She even sent one picture to me, but I wanted her to share more (she claimed to have more pictures but had no bandwidth to send )

I am guessing that there is absolutely no communication channels for her to use now where she is at present and therefore her silence,

I didn't want to "spoil" her first person journaling and thought her personal thanks were best articulated directly to the community without my "reporting".

But I guess since you folks prompt here, I'll just share her brief note to me and upload the first picture to my flickr account and let you see what she sent.

I would have prefered you to have seen these directly from Caitlin.

This was sent on January 20th (I called her that night from my home and spoke to her about blogging)

Dear Marilyn and Iris 
thank you so much for your support for the School Feeding Project in Laos.   We just got the news that SAP has donated funding to us here!   
Since we were last in contact,  I've have relocated to Southern Laos to set up the School Feeding Project in Attapeu Province - were enrollment is especially low.  I just got back from visiting our target villages and I'm excited that we can start reaching out to these communities.   
You might be interested in these photographs I took of a school where 14 students are enrolled in Houy Kieng village, Phouvong District, Attapeu.   
All the best 
Cait 
Cait Makin
Head of Sub Office 
Attapeu Province 
World Food Programme of Lao PDR
**************************************************
Karin Manente
WFP Representative and Country Director
Laos
NEW MOBILE: (856-20) 222 4710

The picture she sent is actually quite sad as it is before there are children and aid. But I'll attach it to my flickr account and share with you anyway.

[Former Member]

I have to say that it saddens me quiet a bit that no one - most of all no 'official' - can answer this question within a 36-hour time.

I wonder what that means ...

[ThomasZloch]

I'd like to know as well. Also, have the u20AC 200K for 2008 been converted into food already? Sorry if I missed a relevant announcement.

Thomas