2008 Program Highlights

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Southern Africa

African Public Health Leadership and Systems Innovation Initiative

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this initiative in Namibia is developing a replicable model for improving public health leadership and service delivery.
  • Comprehensive assessment of national health care system identified key areas for improvement.
  • Identified maternal health as critical focus area for pilot projects.
  • Opened office in Namibia with four new staff.
photo of waiting area in health clinic
The newly launched African Public Health Leadership and Systems Innovation Initiative in Namibia aims to improve public health service throughout the country.

Leadership and Innovation Network for Collaboration in the Children´s Sector -- LINC

Focused on country-wide issues in South Africa, LINC brings together senior leaders working with orphans and vulnerable children to enhance the effectiveness of these leaders and test new approaches.
  • Selected and convened 45 leaders working with orphans and vulnerable children, their caregivers and communities for a two-year professional development and team-building program.
  • Held professional development activities for more than 40 Fellows representing government, donors, non-governmental organizations and research institutes.
  • Launched innovation teams focusing on service delivery, building community capacity, and engaging local government.

Regional Orphans and Vulnerable Children Initiative

Launched in 2008 in partnership with the Foundation for Community Development of Mozambique and the Nelson Mandela Children´s Fund and support from Kim Samuel Johnson, this effort addresses the challenges facing orphans and other children placed into vulnerable circumstances due to HIV/AIDS and other crises. These challenges include isolation, lack of household income, food insecurity and poor access to education and health services, as well as children being forced to take on adult responsibilities (such as caring for siblings in the absence of deceased parents).
  • Launched a pilot to support child, family and community-centered care in two rural communities in South Africa and Mozambique, and share best practices.
  • Efforts underway to unlock the strengths of local African traditions in creating support programs for isolated and vulnerable children.

Southern African Community Grantmakers Leadership Cooperative

Formed in late 2005, the Cooperative is a network committed to strengthening philanthropy in Southern Africa through professional development.
  • Launched initiative to create synergy between modern and traditional grantmaking practices.
  • Held workshops and forums that focused on critical issues in grantmaking.
  • Secured support from the Ford Foundation for work into 2010.

LGBT Sustainability and Partnership Building Initiative

This initiative aims to strengthen the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in South Africa.
  • Launched anti-hate crimes campaign.
  • Offered leadership and capacity development workshops.
  • Explored partnerships to generate sustainable resources for this issue.

Middle East/North Africa

Arab World Social Innovators Program

Conceived in 2007, this program identifies and supports 22 social entrepreneurs who are implementing successful projects in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine to address outstanding economic and social problems. Synergos is helping them transform small-scale projects into sustainable organizations.
  • Network launched with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and other donors.
  • First class of 22 Innovators selected from more than 160 applications.
  • Regional Advisory committee formed with leading figures from the region to advise the program.
  • Strengthened and broadened network of institutional facilitators and partners in the Arab world.
photo of kids
Synergos´ programs in the Middle East and North Africa continued to expand in 2008, both through the launch of our Arab World Social Innovators Program and also through activities of the Global Philanthropists Circle; these girls were met by the GPC during a learning journey to Morocco.

India

Partnership for Child Nutrition

This newly independent partnership was formed as an initiative of Synergos, Unilever and UNICEF to develop solutions to undernutrition in India, where an estimated 40% of children are undernourished.
  • Partnership is now fully independent and locally run.
  • India´s Integrated Child Development Services and local NGOs provided health and nutrition services for children of migrant workers at major construction sites in Mumbai.
  • Girls Gaining Ground program began training adolescent girls as “change agents” for improved nutrition within their families and communities.
  • Taj Hotels chefs developed recipes for affordable, nutritious and delicious food; training programs helped local communities prepare these recipes.
  • Other pilot initiatives included improvements in the supply chain of essential medicines and nutrition supplements to communities and a campaign to promote handwashing to prevent the spread of disease.

Brazil and Latin America Regionally

Inclusive Urban Development Initiative

These partnerships aim to give the poor a voice in city governance and community development programs throughout Latin America.
  • In Rio de Janeiro, the Rio Como Vamos initiative engaged communities in programs that define health care, quality-of-life measurement, and public policy.
  • With the Avina and Rockefeller Foundations, research began to develop methods to advance community participation in urban renewal and slum upgrading in Brazil.
  • Synergos helped develop Brazilian and Latin American Networks of Just and Sustainable Cities.
photo woman at work in trash center
Waste pickers cooperative in São Paulo

US-Mexico Border

US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership

This newly independent partnership formed as a collaboration between 19 border foundations and a coalition of funding partners to improve quality of life for low-income border families. Synergos helped create the Partnership in 2002 and served as managing partner into 2008.
  • Partnership transitioned to an independent nonprofit organization with $1.2 million in funding secured for the new entity.
  • Current membership furthered commitment to addressing poverty and equity issues along the border.
  • Report produced documenting the role of community foundations in promoting economic success among families.

Canada

Ahp-Cii-Uk (formerly the Aboriginal Leadership Initiative)

This consortium of government, First Nations, business and nonprofit organizations aims to improve quality of life among Aboriginal people and enhance the relationship with non-Aboriginal societies in Canada.
  • Three Aboriginal communities identified economic and social development opportunities and are designing pilot initiatives with partners from corporations, governments and civil society organizations.
  • The initiative was renamed Ap-Cii-Uk (AHP-see-yook), meaning “from many paths to one direction.”

Global Networks

Senior Fellows

The Fellows are a network of 100 civil society leaders from 34 countries and geographies.
  • Ten Fellows welcomed as class of 2008.
  • Seven new Fellows selected for class of 2009.
  • Global Fellows Meeting, held in Brazil, focused on influencing public policy.
  • All-Africa Fellows meeting brought together Fellows from across the region to explore partnerships in Africa.
  • Fellows consulted in the Dominican Republic and Mozambique.
photo of discussion
Senior Fellows meeting with activists who run a program in São Paulo, Brazil to rehabilitate chemically dependent mothers without separating them from their children.

Global Philanthropists Circle

The Circle is a network of more than 225 people from over 25 countries committed to using their time, influence and resources to reduce poverty.
  • Eight new member families joined the Circle.
  • Learning journey to Morocco explored education and job training, as well as gender and human rights.
  • Philanthropy workshops and events in Brazil, South Africa and the United States addressed poverty and girls´ empowerment, intergenerational giving and promoting peace.
  • Member interest groups focused on climate change, children and systems change in Southern Africa.
photo of three people smiling
Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement and Columbia University’s Jeffrey Sachs shared perspectives on the link between climate change and poverty in a discussion at the Circle’s 2008 Annual Meeting that was moderated by Adele Simmons (left) of Synergos’ Board of Directors.