Directory Tag: technical guidance

The Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM) is an international development aid organization.

assignment
It struggles to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities based on Christian values in the world's poorest regions. And she is committed to preventing disability. In Germany, CBM inspires supporters for this goal.

vision
The Christoffel-Blindenmission wants to break the cycle of poverty and disability together with the people in developing countries. It wants to create a world in which people with disabilities get the same opportunities and rights as everyone else and can live free from illness and poverty.

Core values
The basis for the actions of the Christoffel-Blindenmission are their basic values. They define their organizational and working culture. The values should determine thinking, acting and decisions.

These are the basic values of the Christoffel-Blindenmission:

Christian : We believe that our mandate can only be achieved by relying on God's help.
International : As an international, globally active organization we want to make optimal use of our human and financial resources.
Professional : We strive for quality in everything we do.
Integrity : We manage well with the resources entrusted to us.
Communication : We communicate honestly and respectfully.
Inclusion : We are committed to ensuring that people with disabilities receive full participation in society.

For more than 45 years, Développement international Desjardins (DID) has been working with developing and emerging countries towards the goal of sharing the expertise and experience of Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada. Our goal is to provide disadvantaged communities around the world with access to secure, diversified financial services that fit their needs.

A pioneer in the deployment and development of microfinance around the world, DID today is a leading contributor to the sector.

Isemonde Joseph grew up in Haiti’s notorious Cité Soleil slum and was the top girl in her high school class. In 1997, shortly after she graduated, she asked her former teacher, Conor Bohan, for $30 to register for secretarial school. Conor encouraged Isemonde to pursue her dream of studying medicine and paid for her first year’s tuition and books. Realizing that many high school graduates never reached their potential due to extreme poverty, Conor began matching other deserving students with sponsors and HELP was born.

From 1998 to 2004, HELP operated without salaried employees or a fixed address. We moved into our first Student Center in 2004 with 40 students. By 2010 that number had risen to 110 before the January 12th earthquake seriously injured 40% of our staff and destroyed the Center, forcing us to move into a new building in July 2010.

At first, HELP scholarships covered only tuition and books. Over the years we expanded our support to assist students from outside the capital who need housing, students who were not able to get enough to eat at home, or who could not afford the $1 daily bus fare. We now recruit nationwide and provide students with a complete range of services including stipends, housing, academic counseling, language classes and a leadership curriculum, computer training, library access, internships, and career services.

Dr. Isemonde received her MD degree in 2005 and immediately found work as a staff physician at the renowned Gheskio Center in Port-au-Prince. Her starting annual salary was $14,500.

HELP has graduated more than 110 students to date, more than 95% of whom are either employed or pursuing graduate studies.