ARGENTINA- HISG is providing free dental care for impoverished people in the southern part of Argentina.  HISG has partnered with an organization based in the city of La Plata to outfit a 16-foot trailer to serve as a mobile dental clinic.  The mobile clinic will offer dental care throughout the the poorest areas of Argentina.

The clinic will travel to areas where people cannot afford dental care and will focus on preserving dental health, limiting damage and decay, and in some cases using prosthetics for rehabilitation.  The clinic will also promote healthy habits in order to prevent tooth decay and disease.

The economic situation in the rural Argentina has forced many families to go without dental health care.  HISG and our partnering organization are reaching out to the poor communities with the mobile dental clinic.  To connect with HISG on this project, or for more information on similar projects, please contact us.

ESPERANTINA, BRAZIL- HISG staff traveled to Brazil in the fall of 2007 to teach International Disaster Response (IDR) to community groups there.  This training course outlines practical ways for groups to get involved in meaningful disaster relief.  Some of the participants from the fall session have used the IDR training to respond to floods and mudslides in the state of Piaui, in northeast Brazil.

Nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by the floods.  The organization working with HISG has provided clean water, hygiene services, first aid, and food to the people in Piaui.  They have also coordinated their efforts with local groups and the Brazilian Civil Defense.

HISG has subject matter experts who have taught IDR courses in Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia.  This is an example of how HISG partners with local organizations to provide training that can offer enormous benefits to a community.  To view HISG's International Disaster Response Model, please click here.

One of the new developments at HISG in the past year is the opening of new regional offices to meet needs in specific parts of the world.  One of these regional offices is in Nairobi, Kenya.  This office serves the east African nations of Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda.  Here is a closer look at HISG's Kenya office:

HISG Presence:  The Nairobi office opened officially in 2007, but HISG has been working closely with our partners there since 2005.  Currently, HISG is supporting a clinic in Garissa and micro-financing to rebuild some of the businesses affected by the post-election violence in January.

Challenges:  Humanitarian workers in east Africa have to deal with the same obstacles that exist in many other parts of the world.  One of these challenges is dependency on foreign aid; as more aid comes in, communities lose their incentive to be self-sufficient.  There is also difficulty in distributing humanitarian aid.  People make accusations of favoritism, even when clear and fair methods are used.  The most recent challenge for Kenya came in December and January, when widespread violence erupted as a result of elections.  Homes, crops and businesses were destroyed and more than 1,000 people were killed. 

Needs:  People in Kenya need seeds and fertilizer to re-plant crops lost in the riots.  There is also a need for food supplies, to combat prices that have skyrocketed since January.  Finally, businessmen need money to rebuild the businesses that were looted and burned.  Please contact us if you would like to help the people of Kenya.