Speaking into the mike is Bill Austin, CEO of Starkey Laboratories and Founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation

The Public-Private Alliance Foundation, along with the Rotary Club of New York and the Madagascar Mission to the United Nations, got the ball rolling with the Starkey Foundation in 2010.  The Madagascar Mission to the UN continued to stimulate and encourage the project and its achievement.  Foundation board members Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo and Scott Wright, along with Senior Fellow John German, and staff of the Madagascar Mission worked hard to make this come about.

Kids with Hearing Aids with Rotary and Starkey Volunteers

The project started in Madagascar in November 2010 with a visit by Starkey Foundation staff and organizational work by the Rotary Clubs to screen potential recipients.  The Rotary Clubs continued screening in spring 2011 in advance of a ten-day visit by the Starkey team in October.

 We asked these experts to come because whether we are working in Haiti, the Dominican Republic or Madagascar, people want and need clean energy and local electrification, simple, affordable housing, and better cookstoves. 

PPAF Executive Director Dr. David Stillman opened and moderated the session.  Presenters included BioGen (Dominican Republic and U.S.), Medesco (U.S.), Habitech International (U.S. and Dominican Republic), WECAN, Inc., and Project Gaia (U.S., Ethiopia and Brazil).  A presentation was also made on Viridian Energy, whose program for non-profits will benefit the Foundation. (See article.)

BioGen manufactures modular and scalable equipment to provide 200 to 700 kw of electricity for communities and agro-business sites, through gasification of a wide variety of biomass and organic waste.  According to the BioGen team, its gasification process is a clean energy solution which combines strong temperature control in the reactor with an exclusive closed loop tar recovery process.  Specialized systems clean the synthesis gas virtually tar-free, and the filtered tars are recycled as fuel in the reactor.  The result is exceptionally clean synthesis gas that will run a wide variety of genset engines, a closed-loop process free of wastewater emissions, and  the ability to operate with numerous varieties of biomass.  BioGen’s manufacturing takes place in the Zona Franca of Santo Domingo, D.R.  Brad Godfrey, Founder/CEO, Bill Yeates, Chairman of the Board, Eng. Giovanni Capello, Board Director and Alfonso Rodriguez, Sales and Sustainability Director and Frank Ciufo participated in the meeting, as did Rick Lafond and Alex Krutansky.

Medesco builds on the experience of its principals in engineering, health care and management.   Marty Borruso presented Medesco’s technology which maximizes the round-the-clock energy needs of hospitals and such institutions.  He described its flagship project, with Atlantic Health Systems / Overlook Hospital in New Jersey for a 4 Megawatt State of the Art Trigeneration system for electricity, heating and cooling.  The system will operate at over 90% efficiency, providing electric, heat, steam, hot water and airconditioning to the hospital while reducing the carbon loading by 10,891 tons per year.  Medesco’s analyses have demonstrated significant financial advantages, showing reductions in total energy bills from 45% to 60%, a simple payback of investment of fewer than three years and lifecycle ROI ranging from 250% to 400%.  Medesco principals Alfred LoBiondo and Frank Ciufo, Robert Peake, corporate director, Facilities at Atlantic Health, and John Borruso also participated.

Habitech International provides equipment, technical and financial assistance to establish building material production facilities to supply projects for construction of low-cost housing, commercial and institutional buildings, including in seismic-prone developing countries.  Its products include soil-cement interlocking bricks, concrete interlocking bricks and blocks, concrete joists for floors and flat roof structures, and concrete roofing tiles. John Weatherhead gave a PowerPoint presentation showing the equipment and the actual building, step-by-step, of 15 houses in the Dominican Republic in 2009.  He emphasized involvement of the community and prospective homeowners in the construction.  Ten houses were delivered to the NGO headed by the Country’s First Lady. The remaining five were private units for sale. This provides an effective demonstration of a successful experience which can be replicated in the D.R. and Haiti where the geology is similar.
 
WECAN, Inc., a consulting firm based in the U.S., provides training of trainers and best practices in management to support the expansion of Habitech International’s low cost innovative housing technology. These organizations are currently preparing plans for work in Haiti.  Francisco Di Blasi highlighted that these plans can also promote community mobilization, youth employment, and other steps to address local needs.  The first phase is to identify a community in rural Haiti for a “demonstrated” deliverable product, and to help design a blueprint for replication and expansion.  They are seeking funds from public, private and NGO sources. 

Project Gaia Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is part of a global initiative promoting clean-cooking fuels, particularly alcohol cooking stoves, for those living in poverty.  Brady Luceno and Harry Stokes presented the CleanCook stove, produced by Dometic, A.B.   The stove burns alcohol fuel without smoke, is easy to use, is highly efficient, and affordable to run. The stove is stable, and the fuel is stored safely in a non-spill fuel tank.   Project Gaia is working with SImACT, Inc., the Public-Private Alliance Foundation and others to manufacture the stove in Haiti and to ensure production and marketing of sugar-based ethanol and the stoves.    

The Haiti Southwest Sustainable Development Project is the 21-month $8 million launching project of a 20-year, $200 million project known as the South Coast Initiative for 10 Communes in the southwest of Haiti.  This, in turn, is the first stage of a larger program known as the Haiti Regeneration Initiative.  The UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are jointly responsible for the project, which was approved by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission and funded by the Haiti Recovery Fund.   The South Coast Initiative also receives funding and support from Catholic Relief Services, the Green Family Foundation, and others.

Andrew Morton is the Haiti Program Manager for UNEP-Geneva and the Director of this Project.  He spoke about the project and the potential for working with some of the presenters at this PPAF meeting.  He noted that the region suffers from serious land degradation, relatively low levels of investment, difficult transport links and high vulnerability to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. At the same time it has significant agricultural and beach and park tourism potential.  The project aims to: (a) Reduce poverty through the introduction and expansion of sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, forestry and energy programs; (b) Reduce the vulnerability of urban populations to flooding through restored catchments and improved river basin; and (c) Increase the contribution of sustainable forestry to help meet Haiti’s energy and timber needs.

Viridian Energy is an energy supplier serving New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois. Viridian Energy offers premium renewable energy products that meet or exceed the proposed 2020 federal environmental goal of 20% renewable energy. Many states have already adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards, which require electricity suppliers and utilities to source a minimum amount of their electricity from clean energy sources. Viridian exceeds this requirement in each state in which it operates.  Alex Stillman briefed the group on Viridian’s offerings.  See a separate article on how you can help the Public-Private Alliance Foundation by selecting Viridian as your electricity provider.  For more information or to become a customer, contact ppafoundation2@gmail.com

Other participants included Dr. Lesly Kernisant President of SImACT, Inc.; Josiane Radjoelson, Counselor, the Mission of Madagascar to the UN; Serge Beauzile and Claudel Seide, Haitian-American technical experts; Lord Kevin Lumb and Elaine Ward of Global Investment Summits;  Maria Teresa Lasa of Columbia University’s Earth Institute; John M. Finan, New York City Consulting Group, and Jonathan Hanson, photojournalist.   PPAF Board members attending included George Garland, Jeanne Betsock Stillman. Secretary and Scott Wright, Treasurer.   PPAF Senior Fellows attending included V. Judith Bowman, John Edgar Stillman and Michael Ambrozek

WHAT:      Global Summit for Strengthening Public Private Partnerships to Accelerate Global Electricity Technology Deployment 

WHERE:     UN Headquarters. 

WHEN:      June 2, 11 am to 6 pm. 

HOW TO REGISTER:       https://www.SignUp4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=E8GL10E  

Registration will close soon.  Also, please notify David Stillman, ppafoundation@gmail.com so we will know that you are attending.  We look forward to seeing you there. 

Mike Morris, the Chairman and CEO of American Electric Power and of the e8 and Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, the head of UN Energy are extending the welcome to additional participants for the Global Summit.    

UN-Energy is the interagency mechanism on energy.  It was established to help ensure coherence in the UN system’s multi-disciplinary response to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and to ensure the effective engagement of non-UN stakeholders in implementing WSSD energy-related decisions. It aims to promote system-wide collaboration in the area of energy with a coherent and consistent approach since there is no single entity in the UN system that has primary responsibility for energy.

The e8 is a non-profit international organization, composed of 10 world leading electricity companies.  Created in the wake of the 1992 Rio Summit on environment, Its mission is to play an active role in global electricity issues within the international framework and to promote sustainable energy development through electricity sector projects and human capacity building activities in developing and emerging nations worldwide. 

Meetings were held with several potential private investors, with Ambassadors to the UN from Madagascar and Haiti, and with UN officials.  On the 15^th SImACT, a Haitian-American investment group, organized a session with more than 50 participants at their Brooklyn headquarters for discussions on both the clean cookstoves and the distilleries. 

On January 14, Blume Distillation represented and investors joined Stillman at the Conference for Teaching About the UN.  Blume staffed a display table at the conference along with Project Gaia.  Stillman addressed the conference on the topic “Fighting the Silent Killer in the Kitchen: Achieving the MDGs.”

Photos are available on the Foundation’s Flickr account.

Malagasy children - All deserve to hear

The Public-Private Alliance Foundation is pleased to announce the first steps for a project to provide long-term hearing aid support to Madagascar.  It will involve government, business, non-profits and the community. To facilitate this, PPAF board members and a senior fellow have met with Starkey Hearing Foundation President and CEO, Bill Austin and its Executive Director Brady Forseth.  Discussions with Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy of the Madagascar Mission to the United Nations have led to follow-up by Rotary Clubs and the Government in Madagascar.  Information on Starkey, a well-known American NGO, can be found at:  www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org   It began in 1984 and works in countries around the world.   

Mr. Austin has recently sent a letter to the President of the Transitional Authority of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina and Mme. Rajoelina, offering assistance and outlining how the foundation would work.  The letter notes that Starkey is already working in the region, in Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana and Mozambique. 

Mr. Frederic Rondeau, International Director of Starkey, will visit Madagascar from November 25-30, for high-level meetings with the Government and Rotary, initial training of volunteers and identification of patients and other preparations toward implementation early next year.

In a meeting held in Antananarivo on November 10, representatives of Rotary Clubs, the Ministry of Health and other participants agreed to make “Aid for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing” as a Rotary program with Starkey Foundation.  Three Rotary Clubs in Antananarivo:  Ainga, Dean and Mahamasina, will take the lead.   A Memorandum of Understanding will be established between the Ministry of Health and Rotary.

The World Health Organization has estimated the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing in Madagascar to be approximately 1.8 million people.  Background information can be found in a very informative article and accompanying video from French TV:  Deafness in Madagascar    The video asserts that while about half of all Malagasy school-age children attend school, only about 1% of deaf children are in school.   Gallaudet University, the premier American university for the deaf, maintains a list of deaf organizations and schools by country, including in Madagascar.  The Public-Private Alliance Foundation previously facilitated donations of medical supplies and equipment to Madagascar through Project C.U.R.E., and corporate funders, which resulted in delivery of nine 40-foot shipping containers to several hospitals and clinics.

Raoul of the Mahaleos, New York City, May 2008

 Photo: Scott Wright

The Mahaleo website refers to him as the eldest of the group, the Landmark, the pillar, whom the other members of the group nicknamed the “dinosaur.” He had studied medicine in Romania and returned home with a heightened social awareness.  He wanted to convey to many the importance of land value and common sense farming in Madagascar. He was a doctor at the clinic of the port of Tamatave, a luthier and also built guitars using bike cables.  According to the Mahaleos, “He left us, but his songs are opening avenues of thought and action both pragmatic and poetic….they deserve to be reread and pondered as they are more topical than ever.”  Read more at http://www.mahaleo.com/ ; the siite also has links to the Mahaleos’ musical tributes to Raoul on Youtube. 

The Public-Private Alliance Foundation had collected donations for a solar panel for the school at Ambalarandra, the village where Raoul volunteered his services.  We are waiting to hear about next steps, and will inform donors as soon as we can.

Raoul has asked PPAF to help raise $1,000 for solar panels to provide electricity for the village school in Ambalarondra.   This small school has been built with donations from within Madagascar and abroad, and with community labor.  Now, a canteen building has been added, for preparation and serving of meals for the children.  Providing a daily meal encourages families to send their children to school; it gives kids the nutrition they need and the opportunity to learn.  In the country as a whole, 42% of children under 5 are underweight for their age.  Education of children, and nutritious meals as part of their education, are their path to a better future. 

To help, follow this link  for donating on-line and in the remarks, designate Solar Power.  Or, you may send a check to PPAF, 166 Edgars Lane, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706.     

Schoolchildren at Ambalarondra

End of School Celebration in the Canteen

Raoul, un des membres du groupe Mahaleo, est actuellement Dr. Raosolosolofo RAZAFINDRANOA,  un médecin à Toamasina. Le Mahaleos sont connus pour leur passion pour leur pays, et pour l’esprit d’aider le peuple malgache.

Raoul a demandé a PPAF de lui aider à recueillir 1000 $ pour des panneaux solaires pour fournir l’électricité pour l’école du village Ambalarondra. Cette petite école a été construite grâce aux dons locaux et à l’étranger, et avec le travail communautaire. Maintenant, un bâtiment de cantine a été construit, pour préparer et servir des repas pour les enfants. Fournir un repas quotidien encourage les familles à envoyer leurs enfants à l’école, elle donne aux jeunes de la nutrition dont ils ont besoin et la possibilité d’apprendre. Dans le pays, 42% des enfants de moins de 5 ans présentent une insuffisance pondérale pour leur âge. L’éducation des enfants, et des repas nutritifs dans le cadre de leur formation, sont leur chemin vers un avenir meilleur.

Pour aider, suivez ce lien pour faire des dons en ligne et dans les remarques,  « panneaux solaires ». Ou, vous pouvez adresser un chèque à PPAF, 166 Edgars Lane, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706, Etats-Unis d’Amerique (USA).

The Ministry of Health has assured customs clearance and verification of the goods, while the Ambatovy Nickel Project is providing costs of shipping.   Mialy Razakandisa Rajoelina, wife of the transitional head of state of Madagascar, and Patrick Hickey, the CEO (President Director General) of the Ambatovy Project, received the supplies at a January 30 ceremony in Toamasina.  

The first container is being provided to the university hospital, Hopitaly Be.  Future containers will go to two basic health centers in Toamasina and to Moramanga, Brickaville and Ranomafana.  Information is available on the Madagate website.  

Working closely with the Madagascar Mission to the United Nations,  PPAF underwrote the initial needs assessment carried out by Project C.U.R.E., and helped make contacts with officials and potential funders for the shipping as well as for other arrangements.  The Madagate article also points to the value of such public-private partnerships.

The Ambassador writes that he is personally coordinating preparation of official ceremonies of arrival.  He notes that pictures speak for themselves of the success of our common actions.

Faces of Youth

As the year 2009 draws to a close, we in the Public-Private Alliance Foundation wish to thank all partners who have supported us, believed in our work and joined with us to help reduce poverty through partnerships.

Your involvement and your efforts help make a difference in peoples’ lives.

We wish you Season’s Greetings, health and happiness and look forward to working with you in the New Year at the United Nations and in the Dominican Republic, Madagascar and Haiti.

By bringing together business, the international community, governments, NGOs and the aims of sustainable development, we can be stronger and can make the world a better place.

Best wishes for 2010.

David Stillman, PhD

Executive Director