Yesterday was by far the most eventful day of my journey so far. Cherie and her Girlfriend, no it wasn't a typo, I really did say girlfriend - kate who's here from London for 2 weeks needed to be dropped off to the Wilson's local airport as they were going to Mombasa, the costal city of Kenya for a 2 week lying in the the sun on the beach trip.
Elle and I were the unlucky one's to drop them off. On the way to the airport I saw a huge mosque (Fatima - tuz - Zahra). It was a very inspiring feeling, can't really explain why but made me feel very proud. Got back, started working on the Annual Report for ICROSS, about an hour later different field officers started showing up and we all were called into a monthly ICROSS meeting. Now before I go into what happened next, I would like to tell everyone what ICROSS is. ICROSS was started about 30 years ago by Dr. Mike Elmore Meegan a very famous anthropologist from Ireland, and Dr. Joe Barns (www.icross.ie); it has created numourous rural health programs in Western and Southern Kenya to reduce the rate of preventable deseases, malnuitrition among the locals (including the very famous Masaai people), improving community water and taking care of the terminally ill, ones mainly infected with HIV aids. There's a lot more to what they do but if anyone wants to know I will be glad to send out their annual report for 2006.
Now back to the meeting. None of the field members were Mzungo's (white people), everyone was local, everyone one who was incharge of their respective areas was from that area, Slyvia was a nurse who worked in the South was from there, Saroni worked with the Masai and was a Masai himself. The only 2 people who were not Africans by birth were Dr Meegan and myself.
The first thing that struck me about these people was that they were more genuine and true to their cause than anyone I have ever seen in my life. They really believe in what they do and it is not about the money, cause there is no money. These people get paid barely enough to support their families, an amount so insignificant that we might spend that much on our groceries or on laundry in a month. For me it was a great experience as I heard stories from everyone on how they are touching the lives of people everyday, Habeseeba, a nurse and local health worker for ICROSS was works in KISII in western Kenya was telling us an incident in which there was a guy from that area who had HIV aids and other STD's that had infected the entire area around his groin, he couldn't move, couldn't go to the bathroom, couldn't eat and was left alone in a secluded part away from his house to die. That according to Habeeseba is very common in Kenya where everyone will abandon the sick and leave them to die. When ICROSS got to the patient he couldn't move, couldn't talk, even his mother had stopped cleaning and trying to help him out. Habeeseba and her team cleaned the guy, got him on nuitriants and antibiotics, they kept coming back and doing that and in 2 weeks time miraculously the guy walked several kilometers to the ICROSS office is KISII one day to meet the team himself. He was healthier, talking and could walk, someone who was left to die by his own family. To the people who ask me why I'm here; tell me, would anyone be at a place other than in the company of these great people. If I could become a fraction of the human beings that they are, I will feel that I have succeeded in life. We all read about Mother Teressa and Nelson Mendela and the work they did and you feel that the world needs a lot more people like them, but I witnessed 10 mother Teressa's today and have no doubt in my mind that I will see hundreds of them in the coming months.
These people have suffered most of their lives but are HAPPY, a lesson that all of us need to learn sitting in our airconditioned homes watching Grey's Anatomy and feeling depressed. Shame on all of us. Saroni taught me something this morning that I hope I never forget for the rest of my life. I saw him and said "Habarigani - hello" and he like always replied "Mzuri sana", Mzuri meaning fine and sana meaning 'very', I asked him why does he say he is "very fine", rather than just "fine" and he told me that as long as you are not ill - sick, everything is very fine isn't it? So my dear friends these people have nothing that we feel is important in life but have everything that they feel is important for being 'Mzuri Sana'
After the meetings that lasted most of the day, Elle - who was given birth by Dr. Meegan and is considered his son, took me to his birth parent's house. Its was about 10 km from the ICROSS base, a shanty town by the name of NGANDO. Elle wouldn't consider them slums as he said that houses are not entirely made of mud but the closest reference that I have in my mind to where his parents lived are the French Colony's in Islamabad where the poorest Christian community lives. He took me to all of his relative's houses and then to see his grand parents who where in a traditional Kikuyu kitchen where a pot of water was boiling on a wood fire and there was smoke all over. I sat with them for a while, like everyone they shook my hand, they were very old but their spirit was very young, you could see through to their heart with the way they smiled at you.
After that we walked on the main street or downtown Ngando where they were no street lights, kids running all over the place, seemed like a carnival and when I asked Elle if that happened only on the weekends as it were a friday, he told me that this was what happened every night.
Elle then took me to a local diner, where we choose what type of meat we would have downstairs with the buther and then went upstairs to wait for our lamb feast to be cooked. It was an unbelievable sight upstairs, everyone was dancing whether they were eating or not, music was playing so loud that you couldn't hear the person next to you even if you yelled. It was all Kenyan music with bad sound quality so I wouldn't say I was enjoying it but I loved watching everyone dance. I think dancing is in the blood of all Africans, everyone had a sense of the beat and was dancing with rythm. Finally an hour later, i'm not kidding an hour later the meal arrived, it was in a big platter, only MEAT, the lamb meat we choose, I loved it cause I love lamb but only meat! no bread, no rice.
By the time I got back from there I was too tired to even think. Set my alarm for fajar which I again did not wake up too, being the mushriq muslim that I am and called it a night.
43 comments:
I really enjoyed reading this entry. Very thought-provking, interesting and certainly more eventful than the previous entries.
Btw, I'm glad I don't watch Grey's Anatomy nor do I have the airconditioner on (it's too cold as it is). Otherwise the guilt would've just killed me. hehe.
Anyway, could you please send me the report that you mentioned?
youhave no idea how 'famous' Mr Meegan really is...like how he is being investegated for stealing money from the governments, (google him and the articles recently published in Ireland) and many another sordid issues. By the way, he also insnt a Dorctor at all. He bought an onlnine degree, just for your info. I would be quite careful how much you let this person into your life. He is danger. I am not kidding and I am not spreading lies. I know it looks good to othe eye, and the local employees look happy, but think again. I know Elle and all the folks who work there from years ago, so I know what I am talking about. Dont be dupped and if you are interested in doing NGO work in Africa, do yourself a favor and find another organization....
Good to hear you are feeling fulfilled. Apna khayal rukho.
Yaar Ali,
Phone ka kya scene hey? koi number mila hu to bhaijo. Hope everything this well with you. Sounds like u'r having a lot fun. miss u tons.
Hey, it was great to read this entry! BTW I also did a search on Dr Meegan, and all I found were good things about him.. don't know what this rachel person is talking about.. anyways keep up the good work. Cheers!
Irish Independent Thu, Jul 13 06
(http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1650290&issue_id=14333)
A RENOWNED charity boss famed for his work in Africa lied about his qualifications when attempting to apply for a multi million grant in the United States.
'Doctor' Mike Meegan now admits he got his doctorate from Knightsbridge University which trades from a Danish post office box.
Mr Meegan is a former International Man of the Year (2003) for his work as the head of a charity called Icross in Africa.
However, events that same year led to an audit being ordered by the development arm of the US government into the financial affairs of Icross Kenya.
Former FBI consultant and 'degree mills' expert, Dr John Bear, said: "Knightsbridge most emphatically is not licensed or recognised by the Danish government (or any other government on Earth), and its degrees are as useless in Denmark as they are in Ireland or anywhere else.
"It is my belief that if 'Dr' Meegan were to call himself "Doctor" (in person, in a speech, or a letter) in New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, Texas, and the various other such states, he would be committing a criminal offence, subject to fine and even, in some places, imprisonment."
Earlier this year, Meegan received an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland for his "services to humanity".
Two members of the NUI committee, Caroline Hussey and Benedict Reid, in proposing him for the prestigious award, signed a statement on November 3, 2005 stating Meegan was a doctor and "an NUI medical graduate (RCSI)".
Contacted yesterday, NUI register Attracta Halpin said: "His qualifications are not a concern for us. It's not an issue."
The nomination also stated he was a "research collaborator" with Duke University. Duke University did consider collaborating with Meegan in 2005. However, his qualifications became an issue when he applied with Duke to obtain a grant of $2.5m (€2m) from the US National Institute of Health for a major study of home care of HIV/AIDS.
Meegan stated in his part of the application that he had a PhD in medical anthropology.
The proposal was revised several times but at no stage did Meegan inform Duke his doctorate was not recognised by the US government or anywhere else.
He also attended a major US conference where his official bio, which he approved, stated he had a "doctorate in medical anthropology from Trinity College in Dublin Ireland".
Concerned
Duke became concerned about his academic qualifications; and with Meegan refusing to state where he received his doctorate, was forced to drop him from the grant consortium.
In a separate development, serious financial management issues at Icross Kenya led to USAID ordering PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to carry out an audit of its accounts which was completed in 2004. Icross received funds from USAID via Family Health International (FHI), a major non-governmental agency.
Meegan said: "The report and the FHI financial controller concluded that FHI and Icross field staff in 2002 did not account for funds and further that those staff were fired by both organisations."
The conclusions of PWC issued in 2004, however, point to a much more serious problem. The report makes three recommendations to Icross Kenya, which was set up in 1979 but appears at the time of the audit not to have developed proper financial controls.
Recommendation number one stated: "We recommend that USAID/Kenya determine the allowability of questioned costs totalling $94,685 and recover from Icross any amounts determined to be unallowable."
Recommendation number two stated the organisation had 10 "reportable internal control weaknesses". Items questioned included monthly payrolls and errors in reports.
Its final recommendation was that: "USAID/Kenya ensure that Icross corrects the four material instances of non-compliance (excess grants received, questioned costs, questioned cost sharing contributions, and procurement policies)."
The Irish Independent was unable to confirm whether the PWC recommendations had been implemented in Icross Kenya and Meegan has declined to furnish copies of his latest Kenyan financial accounts and audits.
From the early 1990s until around 2001, the accounts of Icross Kenya were audited by a man called Pal Tethy, whose brother Davinda was on the Kenyan board of Icross for many years. Nyagari & Associates replaced Mr Tethy and in 2002 concluded Icross Kenya had "weaknesses" in its financial performance.
Tom Lyons
Sunday Times February 11 2007
not available online as Times put up new website.
also go to www.timesonline.co.uk and do a search for mike meegan...you'll find another article.
Colin Coyle and Tom Lyons
IRISH AID, the government agency that
distributes public money to organisations
in the developing world, has suspended
its funding to Icross, a leading Irish charity.
The agency said it would not process
any further applications for funding from
Icross until it received “detailed financial
and audit-related information”.
The news is a serious setback to the
charity, which has lost funding from other
sources following a series of other
investigations.
The Sunday Times has learnt that the
Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF) abandoned
plans to continue funding the charity
after an investigation into how its first
donation was spent. Last December this
newspaper reported that Icross was no
longer being funded by USAID, the American
government’s funding body for developing
world charities.
The review of Irish Aid’s funding to
Icross, founded by Mike Meegan, an
award-winning charity worker, was
prompted by a series of newspaper articles
revealing he had falsified qualifications
in an attempt to win grants. Icross
has also been the subject of a complaint
from Brion O Loinsigh, a former volunteer.
O Loinsigh, who worked with Icross
in Kenya in 2005, said money and medicine
sent from Ireland wasn’t reaching its
intended recipients in Kenya because of
poor organisation.
Irish Aid has given Icross ¤453,788 in
funding since 2000. It granted the charity
¤225,964 in 2005 and ¤137,988 in 2004,
but reviewed its policy late last year.
“Whereas no specific allegations were
made in relation to Irish Aid funds, the
nature of the allegations obviously gave
rise to concerns and were taken up with
Icross in the interests of public accountability,”
it said.
Icross, whose high-profile supporters
include the actor John Hurt, Liz O’Donnell,
former minister at the Department of
Foreign Affairs, and Garret FitzGerald,
the former taoiseach, said it received a
request for financial information in relation
to its operations in Kenya in late
2006 and that it hoped to meet with Irish
Aid in the near future.
Evidence has now emerged that problems
at Icross have been evident to funding
organisations for a number of years.
Elton John’s foundation donated ¤36,000
to Icross in 2000, but decided not to grant
further funding after visiting Icross’s Kenyan
operations. Robert Key, EJAF executive
director, said: “There were certain
things we were unhappy about . . . the
concern we had was they couldn’t adequately
account for their activities.”
In 2003 USAID, which funds charities
through Family Health International
(FHI), a non-governmental organisation,
asked PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to
carry out an audit of Icross’s accounts in
Kenya. Both the report and FHI’s financial
controller concluded that neither FHI
nor Icross staff had accounted for funds in
2002 and Icross had “internal control
weaknesses”. USAID discontinued its
funding. Icross said it is now receiving
funding from the G8 Global Fund.
In the wake of PWC’s findings, Icross
commissioned an audit by Nyagair &
Associates. This identified “weaknesses”
in the organisation’s financial affairs in
Kenya. The report stated: “Management
should ensure donation and grants
recorded in the books actually related to
monies given by donors and sponsors in
order to reflect an accurate position
regarding the status of these funds.”
Meegan was due to receive a Meteor
Humanitarian Award this month, joining
previous winners Bono, Elton John and
aid worker Adi Roche. But organisers
postponed the ¤100,000 award over concerns
Meegan was about to part company
with the charity he had founded. Icross
has since stated that, following an independent
review, Meegan is to stay on as
head of policy and research in Kenya.
The Icross boss was embroiled in controversy
last year when it emerged he
overstated his qualifications in an attempt
to win a ¤2m grant from the US National
Institute of Health, for a study into home
care for Aids sufferers. It emerged Meegan’s
doctorate was from Knightsbridge
University, which trades from a post-box
address in Denmark.
An official biography prepared for a US
conference also claimed Meegan had a
PhD in medical anthropology from Trinity
College, Dublin, although it has since
transpired his only qualification from
the university is a masters in community
health. On the Icross website,
the charity’s founder is still listed
as Dr Mike Elmore Meegan.
On Friday he gave a
speech to students from
University College Cork
on “the role of epidemiology
in altering patterns
of disease in Ireland”.
In the press
release for the lecture
he was again referred to
as Dr Mike Meegan.
Last year he received
an honorary degree from
NUI Galway. In his citation,
Meegan was accredited with having a doctorate
from the Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland, which turned out to be false.
In the 1980s, he represented himself as
a priest and received a donation from Garret
FitzGerald addressed to “Fr Meegan”.
When questions about this title were
raised, he said he intended to return to
his studies to eventually become a priest.
In subsequent interviews, he was referred
to as “Brother Michael Meegan”.
A statement from Icross Kenya said:
“Due to the nature of Mike Meegan’s
personality, life and work, he may have
been perceived to be a priest. Given the
Irish missionary tradition in Africa, this
perception would be quite normal.”
From The Sunday Times
December 10, 2006
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/sunday_times/ireland/article666452.ece
Doubts over charity worker 'delay' humanitarian award
Colin Coyle
AND the winner of the Meteor Humanitarian Award for 2007 is . . . not Mike Meegan.
The prestigious award, previously won by Bono, Elton John and the aid worker Adi Roche, was to have been bestowed next February on Meegan, an international director of Icross, a developing-world charity.
But organisers have told the aid worker that he will not be given the prize, which comes with a €100,000 cheque, at next year’s Meteor Music Awards. He may be given it in 2008 instead.
Organisers say they changed their minds due to concerns that Meegan is about to part company with the aid agency he founded. But the charity boss was also embroiled in controversy earlier this year when it emerged he overstated his academic qualifications in an attempt to win a €2m grant from the US National Institutes of Health, for a study into home care for Aids sufferers.
Justin Green of MCD, the music-promotion company that organises the awards, has denied Meegan was passed over for the award because of the controversy. “The award recognises people who change lives, not people with postgraduate degrees. It didn’t have an influence. We hope to be able to give Mike the award next year,” Green said.
MCD confirmed that a different winner has now been chosen for the show on February 1.
Meegan said he was disappointed that Icross’s infant mortality and child survival programme won’t benefit from the award, but vowed to continue his work. “I was delighted to be considered, but we are not in Africa for awards,” he said.
Rebecca Burrell, a director of Icross, confirmed that the charity is currently restructuring. “We are a small charity and €100,000 is a huge donation, but the award is given in a personal capacity, not to a particular charity,” she said.
Meegan, who is based in the remote village of Majiwa in western Kenya, confirmed he is considering his future role in Icross after an organisational review. The charity boss hopes to play a greater role in lobbying politicians. “We want to Africanise the administration,” he said.
Meegan’s work in East Africa earned him an International Person of the Year Award in 2003 and an honorary degree from NUI Galway earlier this year. An RTE documentary, When You Say 4,000 Goodbyes, chronicles his efforts to fight Aids in Kenya and Tanzania. It has picked up awards in America.
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has collaborated on a number of Icross’s African projects, saying it was impressed by Meegan’s “low-tech, evidence-based, sustainable solutions”.
But his reputation was dealt a blow in the summer, when it emerged that Meegan, who is listed with the title doctor on Icross’s website, had received his doctorate from Knightsbridge University, which trades from a post-box address in Denmark and is not recognised by the Danish government.
An official biography prepared for a US conference also claimed that Meegan had a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin in medical anthropology, although the university confirmed last week it could find no record of his place on the course. He eventually lost the American grant over concerns about his academic achievements.
The charity boss now says he has a masters in community health from Trinity College and confirms that he pursued a correspondence course with Knightsbridge. “I was in the remote bush in rural Africa with no phones or electricity. It was done in good faith and examined by a qualified supervisor. As it turns out, it was not especially useful,” he said.
In 2002 USAID, a US government body, asked Price Waterhouse Coopers to carry out an audit of the organisation’s Kenyan accounts after it became concerned that funds were being mismanaged. The inquiry found that the charity had a number of “internal control weaknesses”.
Meegan would have joined an illustrious list of humanitarian workers had he been given the award. Over six years the recipients have included Fr Peter McVerry, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Christina Noble, as well as Roche, Bono and Elton John.
Thank you sooo much Sean. Me and my team had once worked with him, hence my knowledge. Ask him about his PhD.
I worked with Mike a few years ago. I felt sick by how he carried on. If something or someone seems to good to be true... I just wonder what Rachel knows... my only regret is that I didn't make enough noise when I came back.
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