https://soundcloud.com/gangbusters504/gangbusters-rain-down-in
Organization Name: World Vision Canada
Industry: Charity
Name of Contact: Paola Philip
How does charity get done locally, regionally, nationally or internationally? Local charity is simpler to facilitate – many churches have feeding & clothing programs etc. What about large scale global issues, humanitarian crisis, Ebola outbreaks and the like? How do charities arrive within the crisis area within 24-48 hours? Deployment with full scale solutions seem to drop like manna from heaven. Really? No. These large scale humanitarian organizations have supply chain principles & strategies positioned prior to and in preparation for global disasters long before they happen. So what are the “linkages”? 
What are the pieces that come together that facilitate charity and relief? IF, the simplest definition of supply chain management is the management of the flow of goods, how do charities do it? How do they move goods across international and intercontinental borders, seemingly with ease? There is a predetermined and predefined chain gang in place to meet global need. What are the linkages resulting in the chain of charity reaching out to a needy world? How is social media enhancing the movement of goods (supply chain)? To respond to a global crisis the 4C’s are required: Collective Intelligence, Collaboration, Communication and Communities. It’s interesting to note that in many places in Africa cell phone usage and on-line access to social media is growing more every year. Africans are accessing Facebook & Twitter. Country Specific Examples of Smart Phone and Social Media Websites
Perhaps the most well known charity out of the 85,000 here in Canada is World Vision. When asked of Paola Philip, of World Vision Canada, “What is the significance of social media and supply chain management?” she said,
“Social media is one of our best utilized real time communications tools. We actively monitor all communications around a humanitarian emergency. We specifically look at what’s trending on Twitter, Facebook as well as blogs. Careful review of social media helps us with an early read on the crisis, better understanding of the situation, as well as its scale and scope. We want to understand the “chatter”. With this understanding we are in a good position to use social media and other communications strategies to raise much needed emergency donations. This helps us mount a humanitarian response as quickly as possible wherever the need is greatest.”
How World Vision Works
The Clinton Foundation: Clinton/Giustra Enterprise Partnerships
The Clinton Foundation went to Cartagena, Columbia where there was potential in every area of society, only the “opportunities” were not evenly distributed. There was no lack of ambition or talent. People want a future for their families and only wanted to release their sustainable potential. The goal for the foundation was two fold: 1) financial returns and 2) social impact. The test case was simple; in the restaurant industry they required access to fresh produce and skilled employees. Farmers needed irrigation and fishermen needed guidance. There was a single solution; the requirement of working capital, training and access to effective logistics. This combination provided a simple supply chain for the hotels. The results: a) families who previously made $40 per month were now making $200 which meant annual income more than doubled and tripled b) communities became empowered. Further insight on the Three Perspectives on the State of Food Systems Today.
Another one of our Canadian charities committed to disaster relief is Global Medic, founded and directed out of Toronto by Ruhul Singh. They are a group of specialized tactical units comprised of police, fire rescue and ambulatory/paramedic services. Global Medic run into disasters head on with little regard for their safety. As first responders, they’re ready to go within 24-48 hours notice. Most aspects of their supply chain is predetermined; tents, water filters, pipes & buckets. The one large variable is flights. They are one of the first global teams to land in West Africa and respond to the Ebola virus threat.
Lessons Learned
- People want to work and take care of their families
- There is no shortage of supply, there is an issue with distribution
- Leaders need to create evenly distributed opportunities
- Developing countries require working capital to fund initial projects
- Supply chains provide trifecta wins for capital investors, sellers and consumers
- Many of the Toronto rescue services pay out of their pockets to assist people all over the world.
- Canadians are some of the most generous people in the world.
- The developing world is using Facebook and Twitter
- The world continues to come up with new ways to use and leverage social media
- We are ONE. We ARE our brothers’ keeper.
Web References
Submitted by: Jaye Torley
To contact the author of this entry please email at jtorley@rogers.com
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