WE Day

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SPECIAL FEATURE | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 | PAGE 9 Y our news feed is a non-stop stream of distressing images of refugees fleeing Syria. Flyers seeking supporters for a new community women's shelter clog your mailbox. Your sis- ter-in-law, a passionate breast cancer survivor, asks you to back her run for a research hospital. You want to help, but you're spoilt for choice. In Canada alone, there are about 88,000 registered charities. But how do you know if your donations make a difference? Here are four ways you can be a discerning donor. 1. THINK LIKE AN INVESTOR. Giving can be more than a visceral response to a yank at our heart- strings — it can offer real returns. Jason Saul, author and CEO of Mission Measurement, advises some of the world's biggest companies, government agencies and non-profits on assessing their social impact. He says we need to think of donations as investments in our communities, and then ask what organizations deliver the best outcomes. For example, do you want to give to a non-profit that hands out winter coats to the homeless? Or support an organization that helps people off the streets and into mental health services and skills-training programs? Saul argues that both are noble efforts, but the latter is the in- vestment in a lasting solution. 2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. You wouldn't book a trip or buy a car without sizing up the com- petition — or scrolling through endless online reviews. Your dona- tion dollars deserve equal analysis. Explore the websites of the charities that interest you and read their financial FAQs and annual reports. If you still have ques- tions about an organization, contact their fundraising department to find out what portion of donations go directly to support pro- grams, and what is spent on administration. 3. PICK AN INNOVATOR. Your donation dollars go further with an organization that's inno- vative and looks for ways to deliver low-cost impact, says Saul. He cites Free The Children as an example. The charity has cre- ated curriculum and programs on social issues that are embed- ded in the education system. As students take action on local and global causes, they also build leadership and problem-solving skills. Independent research shows the young people involved in this pro- gramming become more engaged in their schoolwork and ac- quire skills that better prepare them for the workplace. 4. BE A CONSCIOUS CONSUMER. We allot a percentage of our budgets to charity, but we give even more when we buy brands that give back. Look for fair trade prod- ucts, companies that align themselves with a charitable mission and support social enterprises, which make doing good a core part of their business. A recent Ipsos Reid and Cause Marketing Forum study finds that 84 per cent of us would switch brands (if price and quality were similar) to one that has a social impact. Spend with a social conscience. Spread the word and soon ethi- cal shopping will be the norm. START A NEW TRADITION AT WE.ORG Our students strive to make ever y day We Day Community Begins Here T he day they called a minga to lay the foundation for a health clinic in the remote community of Mondaña, a torrential storm turned the forest floor into a sea of thick, squelching mud. Free The Children's Ecuador staff dared to hope that 20 people, at most, from neighbouring villages might leave their work, crops and families and navigate the high waters of the Napo River by ca- noe that April morning, to help mix and pour cement for the base structure. To their surprise, more than 100 people appeared from across the water and faraway villages to lend a hand. This minga — an Ecuadorian tradition where people come to- gether to work for a common goal — was one of the most unique moments in Free The Children's history in the region. It also laid the groundwork for the success of the health clinic. "It was incredibly humbling to see how many people showed up," says Carolina Arcila, manager of the international charity's proj- ects in the Amazon. "They did so because they knew how import- ant this clinic was for them." The new facility will replace a makeshift clinic that served Mondaña and a dozen other communities for 19 years. This previ- ous structure, an old, converted building, was unable to provide a safe or hygienic space for treatment or retain professional health care workers. It was set to close down, leaving no other health care options in the vicinity. After consulting community leaders, Free The Children sought support from the local ministry of health to create a brand new fa- cility. While Free The Children committed to building the clinic, the government pledged to pay the salaries of doctors. But for any project to be viable, it also needs buy in from the peo- ple it will serve. "Even though Free The Children helps them build their structure — be it a school room, kitchen, or a clean water system — it belongs to them because of their hard work and dedication," says Arcila. This community-led approach is central to the organization's development model, Adopt a Village. In Free The Children's ex- perience, when community members contribute resources, skills and time to a project, they have a vested interest in helping to en- sure its long-term sustainability. "We work with the idea that we want to exit a community know- ing that projects are going to be successful and sustainable in the long run," says Sarah MacIndoe, director of international pro- gramming. "The only way that's going to be achieved is if commu- nity members are a part of them from the beginning." Free The Children has worked in Ecuador since 1999, beginning in the province of Chimborazo and recently expanding its opera- tions into the Amazon region, home to more than 200 Indigenous groups. With limited authority over land use, educational access and employment opportunities, these isolated communities are among the most vulnerable groups in Latin America. Guided by a rights-based approach to development, Free The Children helps communities realize the goals they identify for themselves. "We don't see ourselves as an organization coming in to give out charity," says MacIndoe. "Rather, we see that people have the right to access health care, education, clean water. We are their partner in helping them access those essential services." In the weeks before the clinic's ground breaking, a Free The Children community mobilizer travelled up and down the river to meet with families and local leaders in the villages that would benefit from the new facility. She invited communities to send two representatives each to join the clinic's first minga. Despite the difficult weather, the women, men, and even chil- dren who came out to lend their support were unfazed. Knowing that the job had to be completed that day, or the cement would go to waste, they laboured alongside Free The Children staff, trans- ferring sand in wheelbarrows, mixing and pouring cement, work- ing together to level the ground. Progress has been steady since that first day. Now, the roof is up, the walls are plastered; electric lining and bathroom pipes are already being installed. And community members from along the Napo River have been a part of every step. "We live in the jungle, which is a hostile environment with differ- ent diseases and dangers," says Magaly Tapuy from the Mondaña community. "I am a mother, and I am especially concerned for the health of my little daughter, Kendy. So when I participate in a min- ga, I think of her and her future." For Arcila, preserving and revitalizing the minga tradition has been vital to the success of the project. "When people see with their own eyes that they can achieve ev- erything they set their minds to, it's very empowering and in turn helps break the cycle of poverty," she says. "This is one of the rea- sons why the rest of the clinic could be built. Because of the solid foundation that was laid." By Deepa Shankaran A MINGA LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW HEALTH CLINIC IN THE AMAZON e new health clinic in Mondaña will serve families in 12 communities along the shore of the Napo River in Ecuador's Amazon region. Local families help lay the foundation for a new health clinic in Mondaña, Ecuador, in April 2015. The global health care gap • Every year, 6.6 million children under the age of five die, mostly from preventable causes. • Life expectancy ranges from 46 years in the poor- est countries to 84 in the richest. • Children of educated mothers — even mothers with only primary schooling — are more likely to survive than children of mothers with no education. • The deaths of 300,000 mothers could be prevent- ed each year if a doctor, nurse or midwife was present at birth. Four tips to make your donations count By Kathryn Dorrell INVESTING IN STRONGER COMMUNITIES

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