CSSW observes the International Volunteering Day [Archives:2004/701/Reportage]

The Charitable Society for Social Welfare had last week celebrated the International Volunteering Day. On this occasion the society had organised recreational tours in honor of the volunteers included the cities of Aden and Hudeida. The event also included distribution of pamphlets and organisation of health campaigns for treatment of contagious diseases and treatment of children and mothers in the governorates of Al-Mahweet, Hajja, Hudeidah,and Sana'a. Foodstusffs and winter clothes were also distributed among some of the poor on the occasion.
Behind the benevolent efforts of the Charitable Society Welfare (CSSW) is the spread of more than (12,000) volunteers in several of governorates of the Republic's. They provide various services in fields of poverty alleviation, health and relief (including Somali relief), education, population, environment, social aspects, as well as seasonal projects, training and rehabilitation etc. since its establishment in 1990, the CSSW is considered to be a focal point of collaboration with NV. It works as the program's national coordinator in Yemen. The CSSW represented the Republic of Yemen in the conclusion forum of the International Volunteering Year, Nov. 2001, in Geneva in recognition of the society' s role in identification, promotion, and facilitation of voluntary work on the Yemeni arena. Since the current year logo of the UNV program focuses on the millennium developmental objectives in the fields of poverty control, child mortality reduction, environment, girl education, the CSSW implemented various programs in poverty control as follows:
– Food support: to about (1066) families and a regular support to (5229) families.
– Small project development program: A developmental program which provides a connected series of small amount of funding of easy repayment to people of manual skills, handicrafts and small establishments aiming at developing their projects. Until last April, the project was able to fund (2935) projects with a total amount worth (93) million YR.
– Sponsorship of (16,000) male and female orphans.
– Medicine free distribution through mobile clinics in rural areas and through Sowda control program (Mectizan tablets).
– Health caravan project and surgical operation camps: the CSSW was able until the end of 2003 to mobilize (120) health caravans and established (7) surgical operation camps in a number of governorates in which (354,765) individual benefited from.
– Health care for Somali refugees: this project is being implemented by the CSSW for the Somali refugees in Kharaz Camp since 2001. The CSSW also implements another project for Somali refugee in Al-Basateen, Aden governorate, since 1993. The total number of beneficiaries from these two projects reached up to 23,700 refugees until the end of 2003.

Reducing child mortality rate:
-The CSSW through the Reproductive Health Project, established in 1998 in cooperation with (UNFPA), provides ante natal care, family planning and awareness activities through field visits by the CSSW Women Section volunteers. These services are provided within a complete primary health service bouquet besides social services to poor families offered through the CSSW's (22) branches and (270) volunteering committees in the Republic's governorates and districts. The program printed two guides: one for health workers and the other one is for mosque preachers vis-a-vis reproductive health, family planning, and population issues.

Encouragement of girl enrollment in education:
– One of conditions required by the CSSW for supporting poor families (monthly food support) is the obligatory enrollment of those families' girls in public schools. The CSSW also stipulates that sponsored girl orphans should go to school.
– Establishment bag distribution at the beginning of every school year. Until the end of 2002, (17,198) bags were distributed to schoolgirls of needy families.
– Educational sponsorship for needy schoolgirls: Until the year of 2003, (39) girls' students have been sponsored by the Women Sector.

International Volunteering Day
On the occasion of International Volunteering Day, the CSSW greets Mrs. Sharon Capeling-Alakija, the former UNV executive coordinator, who passed away last November as a result of a chronic disease. Alakija is regarded as one of the volunteering movement champions in the world.
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