History CARE (relief agency)

1 history

1.1 1945–1949: origins , care package
1.2 1949–1956: transition out of europe
1.3 1957–1975: transition broader development work
1.4 1975–1990: care care international
1.5 1990–present: recent history

1.5.1 microfinance
1.5.2 acronym redefinition , 50th anniversary


1.6 presidents of care
1.7 care today

history

a care package shipped in 1948.


1945–1949: origins , care package

care, cooperative american remittances europe, formally founded on november 27, 1945, , intended temporary organization. world war ii had ended in august of same year. after pressure public , congress, president harry s. truman agreed let private organizations provide relief starving due war. care consortium of twenty-two american charities (a mixture of civic, religious, cooperative, farm, , labour organizations) purpose of delivering food aid europe in aftermath of world war ii. organization delivered first food packages in 1946.

care s food aid took form of care packages, @ first delivered specific individuals: americans paid $10 send care package of food loved 1 in europe, family member. president truman bought first care package. care guaranteed delivery within 4 months in europe, if had left last known address, , returned signed delivery receipt sender. because european postal services unreliable @ time these signed receipts first confirmation recipient had survived war.

the first care packages in fact surplus “ten-in-one” army rations packs (designed contain day s meals ten people). in 1946 care purchased 2.8 million of these warehoused rations packs, intended invasion of japan, , began advertising in america. on may 11, 1946, 6 months after agency s incorporation, first care packages delivered in le havre, france. these packages contained staples such canned meats, powdered milk, dried fruits, , fats along few comfort items such chocolate, coffee, , cigarettes. (several on care board of directors wished remove cigarettes, deemed impractical open , reseal 2.8 million boxes.) 1946 marked care s first expansion out of establishment of office in canada.

by 1947 supply of ten-in-one ration packs had been exhausted , care began assembling own packages. these new packages designed of nutritionist. did not include cigarettes , tailored destination: kosher packages developed, , example packages united kingdom included tea rather coffee, , packages italy included pasta. 1949 care offered , shipped more twelve different packages.

although organization had intended deliver packages specified individuals, within year care began delivering packages addressed example teacher or hungry person in europe. these unspecified donations continued , in 1948 care s board voted narrowly officially move towards unspecified donations , expand more general relief. founding member agencies disagreed shift, arguing more general relief duplication of work of other agencies, donors reacted favourably, contributions increased, , decision mark beginning of care’s shift towards broader mandate.

between first deliveries of 1946 , last european deliveries of 1956, millions of care packages distributed throughout europe, on 50% of them germany including many delivered part of berlin airlift in response 1948 soviet blockade of berlin.

the agricultural act of 1949 made surplus agricultural products available shipped abroad aid either directly government or ngos including care. in 1954 public law 480, known food peace act, further expanded availability of surplus food aid. act allowed care expand feeding programs , disaster relief operations considerably, , between 1949 , 2009 care used hundreds of millions of dollars worth of surplus commodities in disaster relief , programs such school lunch provision.

1949–1956: transition out of europe

although organization s mission had been focused on europe, in july 1948 care opened first non-european mission, in japan. deliveries china , korea followed, care described aid areas implicated wwii . in 1949 care entered developing world first time, launching programs in philippines. projects in india, pakistan, , mexico began after. 1949 marked care s first expansion non-food aid development of self-help packages containing tools farming, carpentry, , other trades. in 1953, because of expansion projects outside europe, care changed meaning of acronym cooperative american remittances everywhere .

as europe recovered economically, care faced need re-evaluate mission: in 1955 several board members argued european recovery care s mandate finished , organization should dissolve. other board members felt care s mission should continue albeit new focus on developing world. in july 1955 board of directors voted continue , expand care projects outside of europe. paul french, care s executive director @ time, resigned on debate. new executive director richard w. reuter took on in 1955 , helped lead organization in new direction. twenty-two of care s forty-two missions closed, in european countries, , efforts concentrated on food distribution , emergency response in developing world. in 1956 care distributed food refugees of hungarian revolution of 1956, , among last of care s operations in europe many years.

1957–1975: transition broader development work

care commemorative u.s. stamp

with broadened geographic focus came broadened approach care began expand beyond original food distribution program. in order reflect these new broader aims, in 1959 care changed meaning of acronym second time, becoming cooperative american relief everywhere . reflecting broadened scope, care became involved in 1961 president john f. kennedy s establishment of peace corps. care charged selecting , training first group of volunteers, later deployed development projects in colombia. peace corps assumed greater control on training of peace corps volunteers in subsequent missions, care continued provide country directors peace corps until care-peace corps joint projects ended in 1967.

in 1962 care merged , absorbed medical aid organization medico, had been working closely several years previously. merger considerably increased care s capacity deliver health programming including trained medical personnel , medical supplies.

during transition original care package phased out. last food package delivered in 1967 , last tools package in 1968. on 100 million care packages had been delivered worldwide since first shipment france. although 1968 marked official retirement of care package format used again, example in care s relief republics of former soviet union , survivors of bosnian war. concept revived in 2011 online campaign encouraging donors fill virtual care package food aid , services such education , healthcare.

1967 marked care s first partnership agreement government: construction of schools in honduras. partnership agreements governments led programmes become country-wide rather targeted few communities. care s programmes during era focused largely on construction of schools , nutrition centres, , continued distribution of food. nutrition centres in particular become 1 of care s major areas of concentration, linking school feeding programs , nutrition education aimed @ new mothers.

in 1975 care implemented multi-year planning system, again allowing programmes become both broader , deeper in scope. projects became increasingly multi-faceted, providing example not health education access clean water , agricultural program improve nutrition. multi-year planning system increased scope country-wide projects , partnerships local governments. 1977 project example provided construction of on 200 pre-schools , kindergartens throughout chile on several years, jointly funded care , chilean ministry of education.

1975–1990: care care international

although care had opened office in canada in 1946, not until mid-1970s organization started become international body. care canada (initially care of canada) became autonomous body in 1973. in 1976 care europe established in bonn following successful fund-raising campaign dank care (thanks care). in 1981 care germany created , care europe moved headquarters paris. care norway had been created in 1980, , cares in italy , uk established. popularity of care offices in europe attributed fact many europeans remembered receiving care assistance between 1945 , 1955.

in 1979 planning began establishment of umbrella organization coordinate , prevent duplication among various national care organizations. new body named care international , met first time on january 29, 1982, care canada, care germany, care norway, , care usa (formerly care) in attendance.

care international expand during 1980s, addition of care france in 1983; care international uk in 1985; care austria in 1986; , care australia, care denmark, , care japan in 1987.

1990–present: recent history

along broader development work care s projects in 1980s , 1990s focused particularly on agroforestry initiatives such reforestation , soil conservation in eastern africa , south america. care responded number of major emergencies during period, notably 1983–1985 famine in ethiopia , 1991-1992 famine in somalia.

the 1990s saw evolution in care s approach poverty. care had viewed poverty lack of basic goods , services such food, clean water, , health care. care s scope expanded both geographically , topically approach expanded include view poverty in many cases caused social exclusion, marginalization, , discrimination. in 1990s care adopted household livelihood security framework included multidimensional view of poverty encompassing not physical resources social position , human capacities. result of this, 2000, care had adopted rights-based approach development.

one of buildings attacked, , people killed , wounded, during september 2016 kabul attacks.

microfinance

in 1990s care developed become important model cooperative microfinance.

this model called village savings , loans associations (vslas) , began in 1991 pilot project run care s country office in niger. pilot project called mata masu dubara (mmd) , care niger developed vsla model adapting model of accumulating savings , credit associations (ascas). vslas involve groups of 15-30 people regularly save , borrow using group fund. member savings create capital can used short-term loans , capital , interest shared among group @ end of given period (usually year), @ point groups re-form begin new cycle. because bookkeeping required manage vsla quite simple groups become independent (needing no outside management help) within year , enjoy high rate of long-term group survival. care has created on 40,000 vslas (over 1 million members total) across africa, asia, , latin america , in 2008 launched access africa aims extend vsla training 39 african countries 2018.

the model has been replicated in africa , asia , other large ngos including oxfam, plan international, , catholic relief services.

care uk later launched lendwithcare.org, allows members of public make microloans, including green loans, entrepreneurs in africa , asia. avoids many of criticisms levelled @ kiva.org.

acronym redefinition , 50th anniversary

in 1993 care, reflect international organizational structure, changed meaning of acronym third time, adopting current name cooperative assistance , relief everywhere . care marked 50th anniversary in 1994.

care expanded confederation twelve members in 2000s, care netherlands (formerly disaster relief agency) joining in 2001 , care thailand (called raks thai foundation) joining in 2003, becoming first care national member in developing country.

care s well-known powerful campaign launched in usa in september 2006 , intended bring public attention organization s long-standing focus on women s empowerment. care states programs focus on women , girls both because world s poor disproportionately female , because women s empowerment thought important driver of development. care emphasizes considers working boys , men important part of women s empowerment, , women s empowerment benefits both genders.

in 2007 care announced 2009 no longer accept types of food aid worth $45 million year, arguing these types of food aid inefficient , harmful local markets. specifically, care announced forego monetized food aid (surplus food shipped charities in developing world sell food on local market finance development projects) , food aid intended establish commercial advantage donor, , increase commitment buying food aid locally. care announced no longer accept usda food through title 1 (concessional sales) or section 416 (surplus disposal) because these programs intended establish commercial advantage agriculture.

in 2011 care added first affiliate member, care india, , in 2012 ci board accepted care peru care s second affiliate member. care india became full member in november 2013. ci board accepted care peru full member of confederation in june 2015.

care 1 of major ngos make database of project evaluations publicly available, , regularly conduct meta-analysis of evaluation methodologies , overall organizational impact.

presidents of care

clarence picket, temporary chairman 1945

murray lincoln, president 1945 - 1957

harold s. miner, president 1957 - 1978

care today

care takes care of variety of issues, range cleaning disaster stricken places work on curing aids.