Armenia

Doctor PASQUALINI, in 1992, during a mission of surgical help invited by the RED CROSS, along with other two brain surgeons, at the Hospital of Stepanakert, in Karabagh, in the midst of Armenian territory, under fire during the attacks of the coalition azerie-turkish, decided to create an organization based on the ideals of a foundation made to help during crisis situations all over the planet, that could fulfill the immediate demand for reliable and organized sanitary help.

There was very little information in the media about what was going on in Karabagh, after its decision to become part of Armenian territory in February 1998. Owing to the Russian's government handling of all information. But the genocide committed there was comparable to that done in Rwanda.

Salta, Argentina, Cholera Epidemic

MEC had its first experience in the North of Argentine, in Santa Victoria del Este, Salta Province, in 1993, during the Cholera epidemic spreading over the region, organizing and sending a sanitary mission.

Argentina-Bolivia

To raise funds for the anti-cholera drive that was being done in the frontier zone of Salta and Bolivia, MEC organized a marathon of 3.200 kilometers from Buenos Aires to Yacuiba on the Bolivian border. Also charity concerts were held. All the proceedings and donations obtained were used in the mission.

Bosnia

In 1994, a six-month sanitary mission was accomplished in Tulza Hospital and its surrounding area.

Sri Lanka

During 1994, MEC sent a surgical mission to an area close to the Peninsula of Jaffna,

Somalia

On 1994, MEC deployed extended medical aid to a hospital in Mogadisio with a medical team consisting of a physician, a surgeon and an anesthetist.

Rwanda & Zaire

During 1994, the whole world was beginning to realize the real extent of the civil war between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda. This became the most atrocious genocide since that of the Nazis in Second World War. Premeditatedly, a million or more beings were killed in Rwanda, with machetes and any kind of weapons. As consequence of these killings more than two million refugees were displaced to the surrounding countries

For the UN, REFUGEE is: “any person that, obliged to leave his country, because his life, security or freedom, have been threatened by natural catastrophes, or by generalized violence, foreign aggression, internal conflicts, generalized reject of human rights, or any other circumstance that has gravely perturbed the public order, and is under real fear of being prosecuted for motives such as ethnic, religion, nationality, social belonging or political ideas, finds himself away from the country of his nationality and cannot or, by cause of said fears ,will not, accept the protection of said country, or that lacking a nationality as consequence of such actions , outside of the country where he has his habitual residence, owing to those fears cannot or will not return to it.

In the case of persons with more than one nationality, it will be understood that the definition “the country of his nationality” refers to any of the countries whose nationalities they own; and they will not be considered lacking the protection of the country of their nationality the persons who, without any valid reason based in a founded fear, has not resorted to the protection of one of the countries whose nationality he owns”.

Thus was stated at the Refugees Statute Convention, adopted for the United Nations General Council from 1951; extended and updated later, on 1971, with the Cartagena Statement for Refugees.

MEC 's international baptism under fire, consisted in urgent assistance to that country, managing to act there before the war had ended.

The complexity of MEC 's duties consisted not only in rebuilding two hospitals, but also attending them and attending their patients. These hospitals were on both sides of the combat zone. This effort made communications extremely difficult and the supply chain suffered continual interruptions. Crossing the dividing line was achieved after long negotiations, complications and delays. During months our professionals had to travel long distances on trucks and jeeps, over mined roads, to cover the hospitals needs.

After that job, in June 1994 MEC was assigned the rebuilding of five reference hospitals in Rwanda. After they were reopened MEC remained in charge of their medical assistance. During that period we had to guarantee primary health care for fifteen surrounding Health Care Centers in that region of central Africa.

At the end of 1994, a Cholera epidemic, followed by one of Meningitis, began in Rwanda. MEC collaborated on the massive vaccination campaign, complicated by the geographical distribution of the population, the lack of means, and the lack of registers. In a matter of days thousands of kilometers were covered, through hills, in trucks, bicycles or sometimes on foot, improvising emergency centers of vaccination where thousands of people were attended.

During the year 1995, MEC was in charge of the Hospital of Mugunga (Goma, Zaire), as well as the Adi-Kivu Reference Hospital (Bukavu, Zaire). Using these places as a basis for a the permanent activity of health teaching, combining at the same time medical attention covering primary and secondary needs. This continuity in the permanent teaching of health assistance, being characteristic of MEC

Rwande & Zaire

During 1996 MEC continued to be responsible of the health services at Rwinkwavu, Muhororo, Mbuye and Nyamata Hospitals, all of them in Rwanda, with five Health Centers attached to each one. At the same time the medical care and training on Adi-Kivu Hospital continued.

From 1997, two Hospitals in Bukavu, and their perypherical Health Centers were added to MEC 's responsibilities. MEC was on charge of the medical care of the Transit Centers of Kanzenze Province, on Rwanda, and the construction and management of the Community Hospital of the same name, that became a Transit Center for those that returned to Rwanda after the war.

The massive return of Rwandese refugees from the areas of Goma, Zaire, began on November 15, 1996. During five days, more than 500.000 refugees returned to Rwanda. The return of the Rwandese who had escaped the ethnic war between the Hutus and the Tutsis, and spent two years as refugees in a neighboring country, started the civil war against the Mobutu tyranny that had impoverished most of the country.

MEC was in charge of the building and administration of the Transit Center at Kanzenze where in no more than two weeks 50.000 refugees passed on their way back home.

The activities of this Center consisted of the reception of refugees, providing them with shelter, the distribution of water and daily food rations, and others so called Non Food Items such as soap, cooking elements, tools and blankets to start the rebuilding of their production capacity. This was always done under the assistance of the United Nations with the intention of making their resettlement as permanent as possible.

MEC was also in charge of their primary health care, with a tent-dispensary installed in the Center.

Liberia

The first consequence of the civil war in Liberia was the death of a huge quantity of the population, and the second was the economic destruction of the country.

The necessity of rapid and efficient action to provide water and food for these people was the only form of stemming the number of deaths.

MEC organized, from Argentine, a campaign for food donations to help Liberian people in the emergency allowing UN, the needed time to organize a more complete help.

In close collaboration with the World Food Program, the UN agency that is in charge of the alimentary help in emergency situations two containers full of food, were sent from Argentina to Liberia, by MEC.

Zaire

On October 1996, on East Zaire, border with Rwanda and Burundi, a revolution began, against the tyranny that was controlling the country for more than thirty years. MEC was the only NGO that stayed in the country, providing during the emergency a team of surgeons that saved many human lives.

Argentina

In July, 1997, MEC undertakes a project of agro economic educational development in the community of the Wichi tribes living in Sauzalito, Chaco Province, the object of which was to teach the building and maintaining of hothouses and give all the information and techniques needed for the self supplying of food for the Wichi

During 1997. MEC decides to reinstall in Argentina, in the North, using the Province of Chaco as base.

Every time that a non government organization like MEC tries to do something in our country we run into the same problem that we experienced in Salta in 1993: How can we finance ideas, or plans that can lead to the intellectual, cultural or ecological evolution of our country?

Thanks to the collaboration of the Bettel Community, MEC managed to accomplish this project.

The Wichi form an ethnic group that inhabits the NW of Chaco, East of Salta and part of SW of the province of Formosa.

Better known as MATACOS, name that was given to them after the conquest, they still have their own language and cultural traits. . They were originally a group of hunters that practically from one day to the other found themselves confronted with forms of life absolutely unknown to them. Not being able to integrate this new form of life, this native group as so many others has become marginal, and their life conditions are much more fragile than before.

Near them and in the same frame of extreme poverty lives the Criollo Community. Both of them conform the poblacional geography of “El Impenetrable”. The place known as Wichi-El Pintado has approximately 80 houses, over 50 per cent of them inhabited by aborigines, but the area of influence of this small town is centered around the Escuela, (School) and contains a approximately 700 inhabitants, amongst which you can find Criollos.

The Wichi distrust profoundly all the promises of the Government, promises that having been made in election time were never fulfilled.

Knowing this and with the experience gained through years of field working MEC understood that the assistencialism that characterized the humanitarian help, bring us to nowhere. It's necessary to educate for real development of each group, respecting their culture. MEC studies detected which were the needs of these people, their internal and external communication code, their timing, etc. In this way, MEC intended to develop their initiative, to allow them to find and propose the solutions for their most transcendental problems, and then, to act, trying to generate a culture of self sustaining work for themselves.

This was the origin of the Educational Project of Farming in Hothouses. That seeks the improvement of the nutritional condition of school age children, with the active participation of not only aborigines but also Criollo adults

They in an unusual way, worked together to collect canes and wooden posts to build the structure of the winter gardens (two of 7m x 20 m each), also cleaning the field around the school, showing by their enthusiasm they wanted to be a part of the job MEC was proposing.

The School Director, Prof Jose Luis Falleau, and the Prof Marilyn Falleau, continued this work on an educational approach, developing a project that consisted in improving the manufacturing of handicrafts, produced for the Wichi and Criollo women, so as to better the production quality and permit them offer their products in the market, and thus obtain a small income to satisfy their basic needs.

MEC is planning too, to develop a project in which, three or four pupils of the school Wichi-El Pintado, receive a sponsorship to continue studying in Buenos Aires, so they can become bi-lingual professionals, eventually teachers.

MEC's target isn't only to help a group of people or organize their resources but to extend its help over wider areas of our country, with projects tuned to each one of them employing its determination, stamina and know how to this end as shown by its actions in our country and throughout the world.

Guatemala

On May 1997, MEC started a mission in the Republic of Guatemala, the object of which was to aid the recent peace process of that country.

In total cooperation with the Peace Agreements established in Guatemala, our organization offered its collaboration during the process of resettlement of the communities of repatriates and internal displaced people and helped organize health care of it.

This developed into a project of Health Assistance that benefited the inhabitants of Sayaxché and La Libertad , of the Departamento de Petén . This program's objective was to create a strategy of community development that would benefit the internal displaced people and repatriates and the total population. It is endorsed by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, and is supported by the Governments of Japan, Denmark and the Netherlands; which contribute to its financial backing through the Program of the United Nations for Development. Representing Guatemala.

The leadership is addressed to provide health services in an integral way in Sayaxché and the communities south of La Libertad, in a model of attention inside this micro-region, because in the resettlement areas the conditions of health care services are particularly limited and become acute when facing the specific and punctual needs of the eradicated population.

The health services to which the populations of Sayaxché and south of La Libertad actually have are totally limited. It is an area covering around 140,000 inhabitants that covers the geographic points of Laguna Mendoza, Perdida y Larga, San Diego, Santa Elena y Grupo Campesino. More than two thirds of the population of this micro-region has no possibility of access to essential health services and environmental drainage. The application of Primary Health Attention in the field and the Community Organization will allow the lowering of indexes of morbid-mortality by helping to modify the habits harmful to health, and the development of its socio-cultural and economic infrastructure.

The term of this project is three years, and from the fourth on, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare will take charge. The funds for the development of the project derive from the funds of trust created by UNDP (United Nations Development Program) to support programs of Community Development for the eradicated population due to the internal armed conflict. Parallel to it, MEC is negotiating with the Ministry of Health of Guatemala the possibility of extending the project, with the incorporation of new areas.

During three years, three intra and trans-sectorial groups of Medicos en Catastrofe will develop their Jobs in the field; besides completing the infrastructural and organizational rehabilitation of the Health Center in Sayaxché, with the purpose of getting it to function as a Reference Center, Operational Derivation, and Coordinator of Fields.

In MEC 's staff we have five international professionals and 20 national professionals who lead the implementation of the project in the jungle of Petén, where the communities totally lack the basic socioeconomic resources for human beings. MEC got into action, in the first place with teams formed by Medics and Technicians, reaching the communities of repatriates and eradicated people, some of which are not even officially registered, to give them medical support and health education.

The project equipment was: 1 truck equipped with a laboratory and X-Ray equipment, 3 equipped ambulances, 2 hospital boats, that were used to transport the medical equipment to the communities and the sick people that needed special attention to the Health Center, since it is the only way to reach the isolated communities, and other vehicles in which MEC team moved from the base to the communities.

While this medical deployment was under way, the Guatemalan personnel was being trained so that, when the mission of MEC in Sayaxché were concluded, with the total support of the Ministry, the personnel would be trained and organized so as to give the same specialized attention and be self sufficient to manage its development.

*Insert Guatemala news

Complementary Support

Desiring the improvement of the general conditions of Sayaxché Hospital, apart from the rebuilding and re equipment provided by the funds of the project, that had been awarded to that end, MEC obtained a donation of medical equipment The Church of Christ of the Latter Days Saints , from USA, sent 7.500 pounds of medical equipment destined to the hospital.

MEC mediated with the donors, informed the Ministry of Health and coordinated the transport and arrival of the equipment to Sayaxche Hospital, improving by that way, the health services the hospital was bringing to the beneficiaries.

Nutritional Emergency

During the implementation of the health project, at the beginnings of May 1998, a nutritional emergency occurred in the area covered for the project.

Caused by the resettlement of ex displaced people, the adverse weather conditions, and the lack of rapid response of the authorities, over two towns, Las Pozas and Huacut, both being Concentration Centers of the ex-displaced that were going back to their original communities, the lack of food and seeds to plant, caused a nutritional emergency that would affect the most vulnerable part of the population: women and children.

The fast intervention of MEC , intermediating with The Church of Christ and the Saints of the Latter Days requesting their support, avoided this catastrophe.

Therefore, only a few hours after this emergency was detected, MEC distributed on both towns, food rations enough to cover the 929 people urgent needs for ten days, time enough to cope with the emergency, and corn seeds too, enough to allow that families to begin to prepare their self-production of food.

Partnership with other NGO

During 1999 and due to the lack of funds needed to develop this type of projects in Argentina, because this country is not considered a country in emergency in the United Nations, and owing to a characteristic of its society lack of solidarity, MEC with no financial support, but with a staff of highly trained medics and technicians with no financial support but with its staff of highly trained medics and technicians continued developing this type of help in the country

MEC decided to assign their professionals to other international NGOs, to continue their training on catastrophe prevention, from the sanitary and logistic point of view.

Dr. Pasqualini started a world tour to take contact with any NGO acting in this field, and sharing experiences with them.

Partnership with International Medical Corps, through Mr. Alejandro Rayces, in a project of the rehabilitation of the Centro Maternal Infantile, Uige province, Angola.

Zaire

MEC was the only international NGO that continued assisting in Goma, during the volcanic eruption that devastated the area on January 17 th , 2002.

On March 25 th , 2002, MEC assisted the victims of a grenade attack, on a Catholic community.

MEC established an information, medical support and preventive and curative logistic center, on Ngangi.

MEC organized Health Centers on Kihumba, North Idjwi, including Maternal Child centers.

Over Goma health region, MEC headed the HIV and other sexual transmission diseases prevention campaign.

MEC distributed non-food items to support the victims of disaster on Goma, Bukavu, Kalehe, Kavumbu and Idjwi.

MEC directed the study of the impact of the volcanic eruption on the population health.

*Insert photo of Goma under the volcanic effects.

Partnership with Aide Medicale Internationale, through Mr. Alejandro Rayces, in a project of medical-sanitary support, on Kabul and three areas of the country, Afghanistan.

Partnership with COORDAID, NGO form The Netherlands, through Dr. Pasqualini, in a surgeon capacity training project, on Sri-Lanka.

Partnership with the Danish Refugee Council, through Mr. Alejandro Rayces, in several emergency relief and resettlement projects, for ex internal displaced people, on Uige and Malange, Angola.

Democratic Republic of Congo (ex Zaire)

Idjwi Island , on Kivu Lake , border between Rwanda and Burundi, and DRC, has a population close to ten thousand inhabitants, and was always, over the years, in the middle of all conflict that occurred in the region, as well as the Rwanda and Burundi civil war and, as the massive refugee invasion, as the DRC civil war; all these disasters affected negatively the island.

MEC is developing there a project for the rehabilitation, enlargement and equipment of Kihumba Maternal Center, with the goal to improve its functionality, update the health services for one of the most vulnerable part of the population: pregnant women. This project is founded by the UNDP in cash and the WFP with its program “Food for work”.

At the end of the rehabilitation works, the Center will have better infrastructure, more hospitalary capacity (more beds), and better hygienic conditions; and with the last generation equipment, better effectivity in the birth services.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (EX ZAIRE)

MEC is still present at the DRC, the project for Kihumba Maternity continues, other projects were proposed to the United Nations Agencies, to repair the lack of sanitary conditions of the region.

ARGENTINA

The best wish of MEC is to continue his support to the aborigine groups of the interior of the country, this wish will be done, once ...

Sri Lanka

After the devastation of Tsunami on Sri Lanka, MEC, in collaboration with CORDAID Holland, was in charge of the construction of 5000 fishing boats for the affected fishermen.
This was the biggest fisher project of history. 5000 fishing boats of 16 and 22 feet were built in the record time of 4 months. 12 factories, working day and night, in a non-stop production.
Nets and tools were also distributed, and 5 months later, all fishermen who had lost their working tools, were fishing out on sea again.
MEC owes 5 fishing boats, in which 30 families work the tuna fish.
This project is 5 years long, and different international donors provide the funds.

Philippines

In Mindanao Island, MEC assists aborigines with bio-diesel production, extracted from coconuts, in farms of 2000 to 4000 has.
Also coffee and chocolate production, with direct sale to Europe. In this way, producers obtain better gains, and working as cooperatives, the aborigines remain owners of their farms.
An experimental production of flowers and plants is carried on a 200 has farm, exporting directly to Europe markets.

Argentine

MEC gave medical-sanitary support to the mission group of the school Nuestra Señora de Fátima, form Martínez, Buenos Aires, which supports the rural schools of Taton, Catamarca Province, from years ago.

Chad

An Exploratory mission is being carried on to help refugees, in partnership with UN, in an Aids prevention program.

Haiti

MEC is negotiating with UN Haiti, to organize a developing program, in which production and job creation in the Sud Region, is the objective.

Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since the end of 2005, UN is reinforcing their policy to promote the return of refugees from the neighboring countries. MEC’s collaboration consists of a compromise to perform 3 medical sanitary projects, one funded by the UNHCR, and the other two by OCHA.

The UNHCR project’s objective is to afford emergency medical attention for the huge amount of returned people that, day to day, come to Uvira, South Kivu Province, from the neighboring countries: Tanzania and Burundi. MEC is present there with a medical logistics team, plus an important number of local staff.

The main objective of both projects of OCHA is the rehabilitation of 5 Health Centers each, in the Bukavu region, limiting with Rwanda and Burundi, also in the South Kivu Province. MEC sent a medical logistics team to direct the organization of these projects that will work together with the local staff, accorded to each one.

This numerous group of Health Professionals, departed on the 21st of April, form Ezeiza Airport, Buenos Aires, to join the ranks of the Volunteers that make it possible for the missions to help successfully that they need.