The AVSI Foundation The AVSI Foundation is an international, Over the course of forty years, AVSI has 118 projects non-profit, non-governmental orga- developed a method of work which takes realized in 38 countries in 2010 nization (NGO) founded in 1972, with into account the various realities experienced headquarters in Milan, Italy and an office in all parts of the world. This method is a in Washington, D.C.. Globally, AVSI’s conceptual framework of the values which africa mission is to support human develop- AVSI means to promote through its pres- 52% ment in developing countries according ence in the world, and can be defined in five to the social teaching of the Catholic principles: eastern Church, with special attention to educa- europe 6% tion and promotion of the global dignity 1. Centrality of the Person: Every person is a unique being connected to humanity by mid east 6% of every person. latin america his/her own particular needs, beliefs and 2% and the asia carribean Since 1991, AVSI has been registered relationships. This is what provokes AVSI to 34% as a PVO with USAID, and is officially share this sense of life through educational recognized by the Italian Government encounters leading to a help that goes far and the European Union. AVSI holds beyond poverty conditions or material needs. 700 partners general consultative status with the It is precisely this that makes beneficiaries government institutions, education, UN Economic and Social Council, equal to project staff, and reduces class or health, non-governmental and New York, with UNICEF, New York cultural differences to a simple acceptance of religious organizations and is listed in the ILO Special List of life events within a global meaning. NGOs. At present, AVSI is operating in 38 countries in Africa, Latin America, 2. Starting from the Positive: Positivity is a 38,642 donors Eastern Europe and Eurasia, the Middle sign that goodness is present and possible; it 79 public (municipalities, provinces, East and South-East Asia in the fol- indicates points to hold on to, and allows for regions, Italian Government, EU, bilateral cooperation, international organizations, lowing sectors: social and educational, hope and possibility of change in one’s life. development banks) distance support, urban development, Each person is a capital without which hu- 9,907 private (firms, individuals, banks, healthcare, work, agriculture, food secu- manity would be poorer. AVSI starts an action foundations, schools and families) 20,656 distance support rity and water, energy and environment, from what is present in terms of competence, (at times coincides with private) humanitarian emergency, migrations, resources, expectations and desires - not international adoptions. from what is lacking. european unicef union 15.1% 12.1% More than 60 organizations now make 3. Doing With: There is a risk in developing usaid and up the informal AVSI network, which countries that people are made the objects world bank works systematically on the implementa- of help, and are not active participants in others 11.2% tion of projects and common reflections their own development. Little can ultimately 11.2% on development, sharing methods and improve in one’s life if he or she is not able experiences. The network is one bound to be a protagonist for change. AVSI aims to by operative friendship and includes “do with” rather than to “do for.” By establish- italian private founding members, participating mem- ing a relationship with the beneficiary through government 16.5% bers, as well as partners. dialogue and sharing responses to needs 10.6% becomes a mutual endeavor. Drawing on AVSI’s methodological ap- distance support 23.3% proach that focuses on the needs of the 4. Subsidiarity: The development of inter- person in his/her entirety and on part- mediary bodies represent the first level of a nerships with local institutions, AVSI’s society’s response to its own needs. With programs and those of networked a logical solidarity, localized groups and organizations often extend into more organizations can express initiative for the 1,481 staff than one sector and across the divisions common good. employees, expatriates, consultants, of civil society, business, and the state. volunteers and interns This cross-sectoral and community-level 5. Partnership: Forming partnerships gives approach makes each intervention more sustainability to actions by empowering local 33,338 children effective and sustainable. mechanisms with support, guidance and resources without sacrificing their freedom supported in education through the AVSI Distance Support Program of action. It is these organizations which can then continue to act as positive agents for change within their communities. * AVSI briefing pg. 1/4 Ngandu, Mwenga Territory, South Kivu AVSI D.R.C. The history of the AVSI Foundation is Focused on providing holistic support rooted firmly in eastern DRC. It was in to children and families through emer- 1972 that the first AVSI Volunteers ar- gency and early recovery interventions rived in the Ruzizi Valley of South Kivu to targeted at those most in need, AVSI begin work on the “Centre de Dével- recognizes that advances to the educa- oppement Communautaire de Kiringye” tion of a society result in benefits which north of Uvira to advance the socio- last far beyond project activities. As such, AVSI DR Congo economic recovery and development in educational aspects are incorporated Avenue des Ibis 134, Goma République Démocratique du Congo an area suffering from prolonged conflict into AVSI’s emergency and stabilization following independence. Expanding interventions alike. Recognizing also that Federico Berto Country Representative, AVSI DRC in the late 70s to Bunyakiri in South community involvement is one of the keys [email protected] Kivu and Walikale in North Kivu, then to fundamental changes within eastern Brett Morton to Goma in 2002 and Bukavu in 2006, DRC, AVSI has developed a strategy to Communications Officer, AVSI DRC AVSI DRC has remained committed to address needs through innovative ap- [email protected] its’ principle of “working with, not for” proaches aimed to involve the communi- the beneficiaries; stressing the impor- ties involved. tance of each individual’s participation health wash in project goals, a sense of accom- Mobile training teams were established 3% 5% construction education plishment and confidence is nurtured, by AVSI for the first time in 2007 with a 7% 23.5% allowing knowledge passed on through project in North Kivu as a way to improve 1.5% projects to transform beneficiaries into the quality of education through teacher m&e protagonists of his or her own future, training in targeted schools in remote with a resilience and ability to solve areas. Since February 2010, the same problems from within. approach has been adopted in South nfi Kivu, particularly in the context of the 22% Forty years later, as the original rice mill RRMP Program. In addition to the nearly in Kiringye continues to operate, AVSI 500 classrooms built since 2006, AVSI food security DRC has expanded to include three has trained more than 3,500 teachers 23% operational bases and 12 field bases and 1,200 members of school parents msa 5% with more than 300 Congolese and committees as a way to spark community 10% protection expatriate staff and more than 200 com- investment in education. munity volunteers. Funded by donors including UNICEF, ECHO, the Pooled Through the Fair approach, AVSI has pooled Fund and private Italian donors, AVSI been involved in broadening the way in fund 8% avsi echo DRC is currently involved in the Food which materials can be delivered to those private 23% Security, Non-Food Items (Emergency), in need, involving local traders and sellers 12% Education, Protection, WASH, Con- which otherwise would be left out of the struction and Health sectors in eastern process of providing for the communities DRC. AVSI currently implements ECHO in which they live. Having applied the Fair Food Security projects in North and approach to RRMP Education and NFI South Kivu, numerous Education and distributions as well as to ECHO food and Protection programs in North Kivu and seed distributions, it’s become clear that is serving as an implementing partner of by promoting involvement of beneficiaries the multi-sectoral UNICEF RRMP and great improvements can be made. unicef PEAR+ programs in South Kivu. AVSI 57% is registered in DRC at the central and Whether it be a large-scale emergency local level, with specific agreements distribution, the coordination of a Child with the involved Ministries to carry out Friendly Space, a training of a School its humanitarian and recovery activities, Parent’s Committee, or the establish- 10,791,740 budget and is an active participating member ment of fish farming activities for a family, in U.S. $ in the cluster system in both North and investments in people are at the core South Kivu, co-leading with UNICEF the of the AVSI activities in DRC. Building 518 staff Education cluster in North Kivu and the synergies within our partner organizations 300 national staff, 18 Early Recovery cluster (RRC) in South and with local organizations AVSI, thanks expatriate staff and 200 community volunteers Kivu. In South Kivu AVSI also serves as to the integral support of donors such secretarial focal point for the Education as UNICEF, ECHO and the Pooled Fund, Sub-cluster in Uvira. continue to search for ways to further improve the effectiveness of humanitarian aid in eastern DRC. * AVSI briefing pg. 2/4 Chambucha, South Kivu The Fair Approach While the direct distribution of Food and As a way to illustrate in more detail the Fair Non-Food Items (NFIs) has proven to be an process, what follows is a description of an effective way to bring life-saving materials RRMP NFI Fair.