I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
Integral Disaster Management: Integral Responding to Pakistan Flooding
Integral Q&A: Working for Global Impact
INTEGRAL Q&A
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INTEGRAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Integral Responding to Pakistan Flooding
As has been well reported in the media, the rains in Pakistan in July/August have been the most severe in over 80 years causing widespread flooding in four of five provinces. Current estimates indicate that over 1,500 people have been killed & approximately 20 million people have been affected. Breaching of dams & river banks has contributed to the devastation & there is clear evidence of large scale destruction of homes & other buildings, clean water sources, loss of cattle & crops. Although the Pakistan Government is responding, the scale of the disaster is such that international assistance will be required for some considerable time to come.
Umer Hazrat & his family caught in the flood waters.
Photo: Ashraf Mall/Tearfund
Integral Members are currently sharing information & funding needs regarding the current crisis in Pakistan brought about by the flooding. A teleconference was held as soon as the crisis happened & initially four Integral Members responded. CRWRC, Integral’s newest Member from Canada/US, are raising funds for emergency food aid, ongoing food aid & non-food items such as mosquito nets & tents. MAP International from the US is continuing to work out some of the logistical issues & funding issues for the delivery of two Inter-Agency Emergency Health Kits. Each kit is capable of providing essential medicines for the needs of a population of 10,000 people for three months & weighs almost one thousand kilograms. Both are working with local NGO partners on the ground. Mission East, Integral’s Member in Denmark, is currently carrying out an initial assessment, with a view to providing emergency relief funds to a local partner organisation on the ground.
Integral’s UK Member Tearfund are also working with their partners on the ground to do emergency distributions & given the scale of the problem & the likely funding to be available, it has been agreed to provide a Tearfund operational response to complement existing partner activities. Tearfund’s Disaster Management Team will be working with their Country Representative in Pakistan to determine the detail of an operational response which is likely to be a combination of expatriate & national staff, managed carefully given the political & security environment. At least seven of our co-operational Members are raising much needed funding from their supporters. TEAR Fund New Zealand is working hard with their government & are looking at more long-term approaches to Disaster Preparedness.
Fiona Boshoff, Integral’s Director says, ‘We are pleased to be linking our Members efforts to help those in Pakistan most affected by the floods. It is great to see how our different Members are responding in their niche areas which are so complementary to each other – WRC is supporting a CFGB coalition providing food aid, CRWRC with food aid & non-food items, MAP with medicines & hospital equipment, Tearfund UK with emergency distributions & sending in relief personnel, & other Members such as Mission East & TEAR Fund New Zealand raising much needed funds, along with other co-operational Members who are launching appeals in their own countries to support the work on the ground.'
INTEGRAL Q&A
Working for Global Impact
Dr Ravi I. Jayakaran works for Integral Member MAP International in Georgia, USA. He is MAP's Senior Director of Global Programs & is currently the Chair of the Integral Program Group (IPG). The IPG is made up of the International Program Directors of Integral's Members & will be meeting this month in the Netherlands ...
Dr Ravi I. Jayakaran, Senior Director of Global Programs & Chair of the Integral Program Group ...
Where are you from?
I am originally from south India, but my wife Vimla & I lived for some time in the Northern part of India. We were also in Cambodia for nine years & two years in mainland China, before moving to the US.
What has been your most interesting job?
I have been blessed to have interesting jobs right throughout my career in India, Cambodia, China, the Greater Mekong sub-region & now globally; but I believe I love what I am currently doing the most because of the wide range of things involved across 5 continents & multiple cultures. Another interesting aspect of my work is that it has involvement at the grass roots level as well as at the macro & mega levels.
How many languages do you speak?
I speak about 7 languages…though I am losing some of them now due to lack of practice!
What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
The fact that God has given me an opportunity to work with the marginalized & the poor around the world in whose lives we can have a direct impact. Sometimes, opportunities when they arise, also keep me up for most of the night!
What has been your most memorable country visit with work & why?
It’s very hard to pin down a particular country because I find all the countries I have visited fascinating with their own unique ways of doing things & their unique culture, whether it is Northern Sumatra, East Africa, West Africa , Latin America or Europe.
What do you enjoy the most about your current job?
The opportunity to impact lives globally.
What do you find the most challenging?
Apathy of individual development functionaries towards the needs of the poor.
What do you find inspiring about Integral?
The opportunity to partner with a Christian global network that is committed to working with constituent members to collaborate in serving the poor & marginalized.
How do you relax?
Reading, listening to music. Watching movies (with happy endings!!)
Where would be your favourite place to live in the world?
Currently Decatur in Georgia where Vimla & I live. In the past we loved living in Mainland China.
What skill do you have that many don’t know you possess?
Drawing & sketching (especially drawing cartoons!)
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