Millennium Project Highlights

Click on a country to see their projects: Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Macedonia, Morocco, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey,  and Yemen.

Afghanistan - Education

2007 Children's Dari Encyclopedia Project.  When the Taliban raged through Afghanistan they not only closed schools, they destroyed them.  And in that wanton destruction were the tools of learning, including books.  Schools are now being rebuilt and teachers are holding classes, but they do not have proper teaching materials.  They cannot give assignments for students to delve deeper into specific subjects because there are no books for them to refer to.  Even as Afghan families struggle to give their children the gift of knowledge, they realize the gift is incomplete.  Learning is quite limited as text books and teaching materials are few in number and inadequate in scope.

That has begun to change for some students in northern Afghanistan thanks to a Millennium partner who responded to this need.  They developed a project to translate the Kingfisher Child’s World Encyclopedia into Dari, the major language in the area.  This wonderful book has 500 full color pages, over 2500 illustrations and scores of fun activities, puzzles, quizzes and experiments.  Each section also contains stories from around the world, giving students a flavor of different cultures and traditions.  Furthermore, the creative methodologies introduced in the encyclopedia will empower teachers to expand their teaching abilities.

In Fall of  2007 distribution of the book began in rural schools.  Principals and teachers who attend the presentation ceremonies tell us that these encyclopedias are good not only for the children but for the teachers themselves!  The information contained in the encyclopedia is outside the scope of the teachers’ training.  As word of the encyclopedias has spread, teachers exclaim when they see us: “Oh, you’re the ones coming to bring us the encyclopedias!  We’ve heard many good things about you and this book!” 

School officials are excited about the children's encyclopedia because they believe it is the kind of book that will allow the educational system to develop as it should, enabling its steady progress forward.  Everyone says that they want more copies of the encyclopedias, requesting that we give one to every teacher and to other individuals as well.  Overall, they are very, very pleased with the book.  And we are pleased to have brought such a gift to the children of Afghanistan.

These young boys are anxious to begin
exploring the world with the new encyclopedia.
Below is a page about rockets

2005 Afghan School Project Wraps Up Another Successful Year. 2005 ends another successful year for Millennium in Northern Afghanistan. Two more schools were constructed, providing 28 new rooms giving 1600 students a place to study. Three new smaller satellite schools were built bringing education to remote villages where girls must study closer to home. One school in bad repair was remodeled, painted, received new desks, and was supplied with textbooks for every student. The first teacher training was completed with 220 teachers in the district receiving certificates. Other schools received various improvements such as a generator, wood heaters, 640 desks for 2 schools, a computer, and equipment for the teachers.

Plans for 2006 are already underway to bring more opportunity and hope to the region. A winter teacher-training seminar will provide ongoing in-depth training where it is needed. Project staff wants to begin a new program that will train secondary school teachers in science and math.  Ongoing construction and repair projects are scheduled for the coming year. The project plans to continue to build up and support the schools and teachers they have been working with through providing additional textbooks, playground equipment and meeting other needs. There are many opportunities for giving to the children of Afghanistan in the coming year.

If you would like to partner with us in Afghanistan, click Donate Now, and designate “Afghan Education”.

Go to the regions page to find out more! Go to our photo gallery by clicking here.

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2007 International Teachers Program. Four teachers from Tajikistan took part in Millennium's 7th annual International Teachers Program in Houston, Texas.  The program is for teachers and other education professionals in English programs in schools and universities in Central Asia.

In addition to the educational experience, the program improves the teachers' understanding of Americans and the West as they live and interact with American host families.

Teachers return to their countries with greater English proficiency, as well as new teaching skills they can incorporate into their local programs.

One result of the program has been the opening of a Central Asian English Language Center, developed through the initiative of teachers who participated in the program in cooperation with the local government.

A 2002 participant was one of the 14 people in Uzbekistan to receive a 2-year fellowship in education through the 2004 Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program.

Teachers took a break from class and enjoyed a sunny game of chess during their trip to historic Galveston, Texas.  Participating in various field trips first hand experiences of American culture.

Americans who have participated in the program in previous years as hosts and volunteers have developed a new understanding and appreciation for these teachers, their cultures and worldviews and the obstacles that many of them face in their own countries.

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Gujjar Education Proposal, Summer 2005.  In the rugged Himalayan Mountains of India where the literacy rate is less than 50% there lives a nomadic people called the Gujjar whose literacy rate is less than 10%.  It is in this region of isolated villages and independent nomads that MRDS workers want to offer a creative solution to the great need for education. We are seeking permission from the Indian government to begin an education plan that would involve the leaders of local communities with assistance from state, national, and international organizations. 

The plan provides for basic education community by community at key points on the seasonal migration route.  MRDS hopes to have permission for the project soon so we can begin the training of teachers and facilitating resources and support for them in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, working under the auspices of the Gujjar Bakarwal Conference.Further projects, including Adult Literacy, Health Education, Agro-Forestry and indigenous language media programs will also be implemented in various phases.

Go to the India regions page for more.

South Indian Tsunami Research, 2005. With this year's Tsunami devastation effecting coastal communities in Southern India, the MRDS Center for Applied Science is conducting research on the effected areas.  One of the long range needs highlighted by the recent tsunami is for a reef assessment team able to conduct underwater ecological research. The Center for Applied Science has been working with the Institute for Environmental Science and Social Education for the past several years to develop such a team. They have completed several projects, but the team's capacity needs to expand.  Find out more about the Tsunami's effects on these coastal habitats. Or check out the results of our latest survey project.

Villagers along the west coast of India rely primarily on subsistence-level fishing to feed their families, but over-fishing and pollution threaten the fish population and the villagers' livelihoods. The Center for Applied Science MRDS is conducting research that will help local fishermen conserve coastal resources and improve fishing conditions. 

In 2002, the Center for Applied Science completed the first ever underwater assessment of coral and rocky reef habitats along the coast. Because few Indian scientists are doing this type of research, one important result was training several local scientists to conduct underwater ecological research. Analysis of the data collected showed 182 fish species, including 18 previously unknown in the region. The assessment was conducted through a grant from the National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration.

See India regions page for more. 

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Indonesia - Economic Development

Healthcare. Funding is needed to train and monitor up to 140 volunteer health workers in communities with severe poverty, low literacy rates and limited medical access. Child malnourishment, anemia and sanitation are major problems, as are unsafe drinking water and dengue fever and tuberculosis.

Volunteer workers will educate their own communities on preventing and treating common diseases, prenatal and maternal care, infant and child care, hygiene and nutrition.

Cost for the four-month training program is just $30 per volunteer.

Through volunteer health workers, children in the Tasikmalaya region of Indonesia will grow up healthier.

New techniques can help poor rice farmers improve the quality of rice, the staple diet in Indonesia.

Agriculture. About 70 percent of Indonesia's population are farmers living in villages who struggle to provide for their families on small plots of land. Villagers live simply, cultivating their rice paddies by hand with hoes. Many parents can't afford for their children to go to school.

As rice is the staple diet in Indonesia, farmers seek ways to increase the production and quality of rice but cannot afford to risk new methods of farming.

Millennium's partner helps farmers work together on experimental plots to try new techniques, such as varying the way rice is planted and managed.

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Iraq - Relief Effort
 

Health. A MRDS Mobile Dental Clinic traveled from Erbil to a nearby city to do a dental cleaning and education program at a local orphanage. The Mobile Dental Clinic also treated all the women participants of the Women's Project. MRDS provided free toothbrushes and toothpaste for participants. Many of the children had never been shown how to brush their teeth or even had toothbrushes. Two local television stations covered the program.

MRDS is working with Azadi Hospital to begin a clinical mentoring program of labor and delivery staff. The program is designed provide hands-on mentoring by a professional American midwife. Evaluations and observations of the staff and their training is underway.

Earlier this month the newest office in Iraq participated in the nationwide Polio vaccination project. This governmental project is aimed at vaccinating every child under five in Iraq. MRDS staff, along with trained volunteers, traveled door-to-door assisting in administering oral vaccinations and recording names and ages. The MRDS Director of Health Programs has met with both hospitals and governmental officials to survey the health needs of the community. She has also participated in multiple radio interviews about causes and preventive steps in diseases like Typhoid and AIDS.

For more information, see Iraqi health initiatives.

A MRDS physical therapist is partnering with a Dutch Physical Therapist and consultant for ACORN, a Dutch NGO, to create a long range plan to improve the training and government regulations on physical therapists in Iraq. The plan will be presented to local government authorities and healthcare workers. The MRDS Physical Therapist recently assisted with training related to cerebral palsy.

Current physical therapy in Iraq is well below international standards set by the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Most local healthcare professionals are uneducated in the advancements in the profession made over the past 30 years.

Read more in our Third Quarter Newsletter

ESL Classes: Millennium has completed the first ever Conversational English summer program at a university in Northern Iraq. Over 400 students  enrolled in two locations. These classes provided  needed experience for those who wish to speak or teach the English language better. There is a high need for English teachers in Iraq, and this program is focused on meeting that demand.

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Macedonia - Education

Business Instruction: Millennium is improving the country's understanding of business management through The Successful Business Principles Course. The course, created by Highmark Business Seminars, presents practical instruction in four essential business management disciplines: marketing, finance, human resources, and strategy. These principles have proven successful in the highly competitive global marketplace.

Scholarships: The Albanian Scholarship Foundation is assisting talented Albanians in Macedonia through scholarship funds. By increasing the educational level of Albanians in Macedonia their contributions to society will likewise increase and benefit all the peoples living in Macedonia.  ASF focuses their efforts in developing professional Albanians in crucial fields where they are as yet under-represented.

In 2004 ASF gave scholarship to 7 Albanian university students who are studying in the fields of medicine, physics, mathematics, biochemistry, computer science, business administration and English.  In 2005 ASF hopes to provide 34 scholarships totaling euros € 75,000 ($93,000) to undergraduate and graduate students.

In all its work ASF demonstrates honesty and accountability.  ASF's Transparency Policy states that donations are received only through legal channels.  Cash-in-hand donations are not accepted.  Annual financial statements will be available to the general public.  Scholarship winners will also be published in the media.  Through its commitment to transparency, ASF hopes to influence the cultural mindset on ethical issues, restoring hope and a solid base for the society.

To donate online, click on Donate Now.
Visit ASF's web site at www.fshb.org.  

Training improves the country's business management.

Supporting the higher education of talented
Albanians in Macedonia.

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Morocco - Advancing at the Grass Roots Level
	July 2008: The goal of Advance is to empower local associations with development training and resources.  In 2007 we completed our first year of survey work.  We worked “shoulder to shoulder” with people of initiative from seven different associations, to encourage sustainable solutions.   Advance co-hosted two trainings led by national development leaders, and one cultural exchange which joined three associations and over 60 students.    In addition, Advance invested in four local initiatives: a women’s sewing/literacy project another women’s bakery project which also teaches literacy and hygiene classes a school library and playground project a village water project.	Morocco is a land of stark and majestic scenery.
	Women’s Sewing & Bakery Projects:  Advance works with two different associations, both with proven histories of successful literacy training.  These associations have developed innovative ways to empower non-traditional students in the community.  The bakery project provides needed income for women.  A mentoring aspect of the project partners educated women alongside those who want to learn literacy and basic hygiene.  In another project, women who have benefited from previous sewing projects train new students.  In its next phase, this project envisions launching a training and marketing cooperative for women.  Additionally, this group has other education programs that continue to draw people eager to learn.    Playground Project:  An environmental association, which recognizes the potential of children, has equipped their local school with library and playground resources.  Advance encourages the association’s leaders in their efforts, and recognizes their potential to implement other strategic projects in the future.       Water Project:  Increased drought is a serious threat to many rural villages and their traditional farming methods.  Advance is pleased to partner with a small village that has demonstrated exceptional unity and foresight by developing a multi-faceted approach to guarantee their water supply.	The baking and sewing programs taught women new skills and opened up a way to generate income
		This forward thinking village will soon reap the benefits of their ingenuity.
Playgrounds have been unusual in Morocco, but are understandably becoming more popular.
		Advance workshops provide the experience and expertise to those eager to begin successful development projects. Outside the city, young girls wash clothes as their mothers' mothers have done for years.
July 2007: Advance, our affiliate in Morocco has settled into their new offices, just around the corner from the lively, colorful souk (market).  Advance is involved with local organizations in workshops that are encouraging grass roots innovations in sustainable development.  The focus of the workshops is launching and managing projects that the local community or development leaders identify as needed in their area.  During these workshops the participants receive practical experience defining solutions for both real and potential problems they could encounter.    The range of needs in any community can be quite large, so we anticipate being able to work on a wide variety of projects.  Recently a representative of local association asked Advance if they could provide summer English classes.  When asked how he thought this would help people, the gentleman promptly replied, “English is the key to the future”.  In our ever-shrinking world, knowledge of major languages can open many doors.  It was not long before Advance was able to recruit two teachers and set up a program for late summer 2007. Advance continues to look for and accept new challenges as it works “shoulder to shoulder” with locals to help them realize their dreams of improving life in towns and villages in Morocco. The souk sells everything from food to furniture, spices to shoes. As a central gathering place it is at the heart of the community.

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Tajikistan
FURUZ -- Micro Enterprise Development
Youth Athletic Programs
 

The micro enterprise development program started by Millennium Development Partners in 1999, not only provides loans, it assists enterprising Tajiks in developing and maintaining their businesses.  A successful business will not only provide a  regular income for the owner but can also supply jobs for others in the community.

As one viable answer to the poverty plaguing Tajikistan, the program was created to raise living standards and reduce poverty by developing capacity among families to create profitable businesses and new jobs. Training in good business practices and onsite consultation, supervision and accountability helps clients achieve their business goals.

This program  has been operating for eight years.  In 2006, Furuz had 865 clients, 95% of the businesses were operating successfully during the loan period and they created 1,283 jobs.  Furuz enjoyed a remarkable repayment rate of 99.3%.  This is not only a testament to the tenacity and ingenuity of the Tajik people but it is a direct result of our team's commitment to pouring their skills and knowledge into the business owners. (July 2007)

Ruhsoramo's fabric business tripled its selling space
as it earned as substantial profit.

Tajik boys enjoyed games and tournaments, which were broadcast on local television stations.

Youth and Sports Program. Tajikistan, one of the Central Asian countries that had obtained nearly 100 percent literacy during the Soviet Era, is now quickly losing it. The civil war following independence and the ongoing economic downturn have had a crippling effect on the educational system. In fact, the new generation is growing up without the means for a proper education or even a place for meaningful social activity. Many families cannot afford to send their children to school. So instead of school, many children work odd jobs to help their families survive; some even turn to crime.

Athletic programs provide a safe, supervised environment for boys and girls to develop their social and physical skills as well as to find a place to excel and be encouraged.

The primary goal of the program is to instill positive values in youth such as honesty, hard work, discipline, and teamwork. It also strengthens the self-esteem of the children and develops their athletic skills. In 2003, 1,800 boys and 1,000 girls participated in Millennium's sports programs.

Read more about Tajikistan:
First Quarter 2004 Newsletter 
Spring 2007 Newsletter

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Certificates were given to teachers after they completed the course.

Turkey - Education

Education. MRDS Turkey sponsored its first Adult Literacy Trainers course. This is the beginnings steps to launching an adult literacy initiative by MRDS Turkey. The first training workshop was held by a group of bi/tri-lingual expatriates who want to empower other women to reach and teach others to read.

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As a budding young scientist, this boy is thrilled to be looking at his magnified hand!

Training and Equipping Science Teachers (TEST).  As a science major, Emad’s demanding coursework includes three years of Biology, three years of Chemistry, and three years of Physics.  At his rural high school in the rugged northern mountains of Yemen, Emad studies hard memorizing the notes that his teacher Mr. Ali writes on the blackboard, but he knows this is not enough.  Emad needs to work out his knowledge of science; he needs to conduct laboratory experiments. Emad’s high school has a lab room and boxes full of science equipment.  His student lab workbook contains many hands-on experiments.  But there is no one to lead the students in these activities.  The missing component is teacher training.  Though Mr. Ali works diligently giving the students the knowledge they need, he has never done experiments himself, let alone taught a lab class.   To meet this growing need among bright high school students in Yemen, Millennium developed the TEST project.  Through this project a science education specialist will be sent to train Mr. Ali and other science teachers in their own schools and equip them with the remaining lab supplies which they need.  During a series of hands-on workshops throughout the year, teachers learn how to set up laboratory equipment and lead their classroom science experiments. As the TEST project trains and equips science teachers, Emad and students in many other mountain villages are excited to be conducting science experiments for the first time.  As they test their knowledge they are discovering new ways of thinking, learning and investigating the world around them. You can help Yemeni high school science students.  Click Donate Now and designate ‘Yemen – TEST’.

Science teachers are eager to be able to open new doors for their students through laboratory experimentation

Emergency Assistance for Strained Emergency Rooms.  Hospital services are unavailable in many areas of Yemen. In the capital city of Sana’a, the facilities that do exist are extremely busy and the medical teams are stretched. The hospitals lack necessary drugs as well as basic equipment such as clean needles, syringes and gloves, causing obvious frustration for patients and staff alike.

As in any typical emergency room situation, patients must wait a long time to be seen. But here, once diagnosed, they are immediately sent out to buy their own drugs, dressings and equipment from shops in the neighborhood around the hospital. This not only delays the emergency care, but many patients cannot afford the supplies and simply do not return. Their wounds and illnesses remain untreated.

Millennium is helping to provide essential drugs, equipment and training to the ER in one of the largest hospitals in the center of Sana’a. The Republican Hospital serves a large population of the very poor. For most patients they provide these services at much needed discounts. The hardworking staff and the strained facilities are in urgent need of practical support.

If you can assist us in this important initiative please click on Donate Now and designate Yemen – ER

Contract with Sana'a University.  Millennium Relief & Development Services has signed a contract with the Sana'a University in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, to bolster the school's educational programs. Components of the program include a Visiting Expert Program (VEP) to bring in university professors and professionals for short-term lecture assignments; research opportunities for post-graduate students; short-term conversational English instruction and curriculum development. MRDS-Yemen also will assist in gathering books, technical journals and equipment to improve the university's libraries. For information, contact Millennium at millennium@mrds.org

Healthcare for street sweeper families.  Millennium has enlisted the help of the British Embassy, the Sana’a Ministry of Health, and a Street Sweeper Association to begin a three year health project in a shantytown in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. The 6,000 individuals who live in this tightly packed area have extremely limited access to healthcare.

Millennium and its partners opened a small clinic and pharmacy right in the center of the slum. Local doctors staff the clinic, while MRDS medical and community development specialists have trained and equipped community health workers to be the front line of health care in the shantytown.

Long-term sustainability of the project is being implemented. The government has agreed to employ a doctor and pharmacist and to donate essential medicines. The Street Sweeper Association will continue paying the clinic and pharmacy rent as well as the salaries of the village health workers. Rooftop container gardens are being planted to provide a sustainable supply of vegetables for the many families with malnourished children. To read more about this worthwhile project click on Newsletters: Second Quarter 2005
 

The MASTERY Project (Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Reform in Yemen).  This project concentrates on curriculum reform for secondary Mathematics and Science teacher education programs. MRDS is an implementing partner, along with lead partner Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The project is funded by the Nuffic (Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education) NPT program for institutional strengthening.

Professors from Sanaa, Thamar, and Al-Hodeidah Universities are working together with Millennium staff, the Ministry of Education, and curriculum reform experts from Holland to upgrade science teacher training from the ground up. Yemeni staff have written comprehensive standards for graduate teachers in both content and cross-cutting pedagogical issues such as methodology, use of ICT in education, assessment, gender, etc.

Current activities include program review and pilot innovations in teaching and learning in both Science and Education faculties. An equipment component is intended to meet the demands of the new curriculum for upgraded teaching aids and laboratory equipment.  For more information contact us at millennium@mrds.org

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