Whaay they say about ICROSS

what people say about ICROSS

Ian Kamau(right)

I beieve in Africans determining their own future. ICROSS for me is exciting because it is driven by local ideas and not other peoples' thoughts of how we should develop. I think this is the future where development comes out of what the communities want to do not what donors want to fund. For me this is the way to go, and my contribution is in multimedia, developing the net , awaremness and sharing what we are doing.

Brett Harvey

brettI chose to become involved with ICROSS because it is different to other organizations. Working with ICROSS gives me a clear idea of people’s needs in Africa. What amazes me the most is the extent in which ICROSS works at the local level, basing plans on their beliefs and cultures.Each ofseveral existing projects are carefully determined after interacting with the targeted communities themselves. Medical and anthropological research is used to determine the exact objectives and modes of implementation. For example, ICROSS research on cost effective ways of disinfecting water and creating fly traps has created simple solutions to prevent diarea and trachoma in nomadic areas. The results, such as dramatic reduction in child mortality rates, are measured and it allows us to determine what actually works. More and more of our projects are being handed over to the communities to be successfully continued.

Dr Davida Dela Harpe

davidaI have been visiting ICROSS projects as a Public health Doctor. One of the most poignant moments for me was when a young mother with a baby who was showing all the signs of protein deficiency asked me was it all right to share the foods supplements I had given her with the others in her family. She knew that I was upset at the condition of her child, and that it was important the child got food supplements, but she explained that she and her extended family had not had adequate food for many weeks. Most of the projects I visited recently were among pastoralists, and the areas they live in have been devastated by drought. However some other areas in Kenya continue to be able to support crops. In these areas ICROSS has given support to community groups to cultivate small areas so that they provide fresh vegetables and the surplus is also sold to provide an income. ICROSS also supports HIV/AIDS patients in communities by community development projects, and by basic care for individuals- ensuring they get medications, and the necessary food supplementation. ICROSS supports nursing staff in a number of clinics, and continues to build clinics to provide care in very isolated areas. Not everything can be looked after by a nurse, and for many patients, a hospital investigation or care may be required. Getting to a hospital and paying even the nominal charge for basic investigations such as x-rays or blood tests is often outside the capacity of many- ICROSS helps to give support to patients who need to be seen in hospital or who need surgery.

What can we do? - I have seen how well the ICROSS staff and volunteers work within the communities they serve. I have seen how, despite inflation and other difficulties, a small amount of money can help individuals and communities. I have seen how the generosity of donors and the local knowledge and determination of ICROSS has built clinics and provided care that has saved countless lives. I have also seen the current drought, starvation and violence problems in Kenya, and I have seen how the overall reduction in donations and grants to NGOs has also been felt by ICROSS. I will return to Kenya again soon.

Dr Thomas Ernst

I am a Consultant Acute Physician and Geriatrician at a major London Teaching Hospital and visited ICROSS the first time in 2007 and again in 2009. In the meantime I have been supporting the work of ICROSS and NWI with great pleasure knowing the great and important work that is being done. It gives me great pleasure to contribute with my knowledge about disease and pain and suffering as I experience it as a doctor in the UK. Working with ICROSS always gives me great strength and inspiration and the people I have met are vibrant and enthusiastic and full of joy, something that is rare to find in the UK and Europe. I am looking forward to many more opportunities to work with this community aiming at reducing poverty and suffering.

Dr.Tristan Barber

tristan"I am a doctor working in HIV and sexual health in central London, completing my higher professional training. I first met Mike Meegan via the internet in 1997/8 and was a visitor with ICROSS back in May 1999. We reestablished contact over the last few years and I am proud to have been consulted on plans for sexual health and HIV goals for both NWI and ICROSS. I hope to visit ICROSS again in the field in the next 1-2 years and to work more closely with ICROSS and NWI in the future, mainting and improving links between HIV services in the UK and Kenya particularly."



Julius Konttinen

juliusFirst time I met Mike of ICROSS was when he was visiting the Ashorns here in Finland, as he is a good friend of them. And when it came out that we're going to make a few month trip to Malawi with Mikael Ashorn, it was self-evidence that we would do a visit in Kenya as well. The plan was to stay there for two weeks and explore ICROSS' operations. At first, the plan went well: we met some of the employees of ICROSS and visited some ongoing projects. After spending few days in Kenya with ICROSS, something unexpected happened - I had an enlightenment and delayed my flights for two weeks. With so much extra-time I got a great opportunity to visit more projects and go deeper into ICROSS. Taking photographs during the trips was a natural choice for me as I'm a photographer. It was great to see how some people still care. I appreciate greatly the work that people at ICROSS are doing. It really was an eye-opening experience to me.

Clare Hanbury-Leu

clareFor the last 20 years I have been involved in an effort to promote the part that children and young people can play in improving their own and others health. My work in this field has largely been with or through The Child-to-Child Trust a very small NGO based the University of London’s, Institute of Education. Professor David Morley was one of the two founders of The Child-to-Child Trust, a project he set up with the education visionary Hugh Hawes in 1979, the International Year of the Child. Child-to-Child was based on David’s idea (observed in Nigeria) that children were important messages of information and action for other children and especially those younger children often in their care. Long time friend and mentor to Mike Meegan, David was also the person insisted I contact him and we have been friends from the moment we met in 1995. Mike was wearing a pink shiny tracksuit and shades at the time - not his own - and I was looking out for a monk! He is an extraordinary development professional who truly lives his work. Whenever I feel stuck with a project or idea I check it out with Mike and he with his friends and colleagues at ICROSS. If the ideas pass the ICROSS test I know they are sound. I look forward to many more happy years of collaboration with ICROSS and NWi. www.child-to-child.org can also go to www.clarehanbury.com

Mikael Ashorn

arshonFirst time I met Mike a couple of years ago in Finland - it was also the first time I heard about ICROSS. The next fall I went for a month to Malawi with my friend Julius, and since we all ready where on the same continent mike invited us to visit ICROSS in Kenya, and so we did. I't was an really eye opening experience to see what they did in concrete, but unfortunately I had only a week to visit the projects, so I decided to come back and learn more. Last summer I had the opportunity to go back to Kenya and stay a full month - to see and learn what ICROSS does and to help. It really was an incredible feeling to work amongst the people who really needed the help and to see how thank full they where for ICROSS. Now that I'm studying public health as my main subject I hope to bee visiting ICROSS a lot more often and be able to continue working with it..

Dimitri

dimitriI found ICROSS when looking through the website idealist.org, a website that, bluntly put, attracts people who care about the future of our planet and of people less fortunate than ourselves. Funny that I would find an organisation such as ICROSS, one with more commitment to the betterment of and relief of human suffering in one way or another, on here! The bridge was made, and I haven’t left the connection to this day!

I met the ICROSS team in summer2007, during which time I had the chance to intern at ICROSS. I was involved in research, grant proposals, medical drug delivery and making field observations in remote clinics. It is this latter experience that I believe really helps to conjure my view of ICROSS’ work. In the heart of Maasai land, an area that is dry, often over-grazed and troubled by malaria, TB, dysentery and the list continues… Here I witnessed ICROSS’ clinic serving the community daily, conducting education talks with leaders, women and in the local school as well as helping to develop water sanitation projects. Witnessing Maasai born and raised there working through ICROSS, in their local language of Maa, was and remains to me, one of the most effective ways positive health changes are made in communities.

I am presently in my last year of university at Macalester College, in the USA, graduating in Anthropology (Medical Anthropology) and Public Health. Next year I intend to pursue a Master’s in Public Health and sooner or later find my way back to Kenya, my home, and continue to implement changes in healthcare much the same way as ICROSS does.