When Typhoon Haiyan swept into the Philippines, it caused catastrophic damage, destroying homes, tearing families apart, and knocking out all electricity. For days, a lack of communication in and out of devastated areas left the extent of damage unclear. For Rev. Dave Cosmiano, district superintendent in Eastern Visayas, this meant days of wondering what had come of his community.

In times like these, ham radio is a lifesaver. For ham radio enthusiast Genaro Cuaresma, it meant hearing from his colleagues that they were safe even after all the houses had been wiped out. “I had goose bumps,” he said of hearing from his friends.

In areas where power outages and dead spots prevent newer communications tools like internet and cell phones from working, ham radio allows emergency response to prevail. Trained, equipped, licensed radio operators can still direct messages so that rescue teams can be dispatched and recovery supplies can be delivered.

STRATEGIES

for Same-Day and Sustained Communications

Ham radio is just one of the many strategies used to provide same-day and sustained communications to communities around the world. In addition to this off-grid communications method, your partnership also expands other methods.

In the Philippines, where an average of 20 typhoons hit each year, five of which are destructive, off-grid communication systems, particularly ham radio, not only remains at the tip of the spear for preparedness and response, but also provides hope and peace of mind. Rev. Cosmiano hopes more people will be trained, better equipped with present-day technology, and given ham radio operating licenses. His hope and prayer is that when disaster strikes again in the Philippines, or anywhere in the world, the voice of hope and the actions of the people of the United Methodist Church will bring relief, encouragement, and recovery expertise when life suddenly changes.

By supporting the work and programs of Global Communications Technology, you can make Rev. Cosmiano's hope a reality by equipping and training clergy and laity disaster management teams on the use and maintenance of ham radios.

For a team of doctors and administrators at a health facility in the North Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), tracking inventory is a cumbersome and laborious task that never seems to end. Stock must be monitored and recorded by hand, before a staff member physically delivers the paper records to a health board office in Kinshasa. The journey is long and, due to poor infrastructure, sometimes not even possible. But if the records don't reach the health board office in time, life-saving resources and supplies dwindle, and are sometimes simply out of stock when they're needed most.

An exciting new prototype using UMConnect is being launched to address this perilous paper trail. The new model will gather and monitor critical HIV and malaria supply inventory in clinics and other health facilities across the DRC. The system will allow clinicians to submit their reports directly to the health board via text messaging. This new, more efficient model, fueled by a partnership between Global Communications Technology and the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), will not only prevent stock-outs, but also save lives!

Solutions like this are made possible through strategic partnerships that allow us to leverage our communications expertise to collaborate and dream with others who have specialized knowledge in areas like health, education, or peace building. When we build channels to connect with subject matter experts in many areas, we can solve problems, respond to evolving challenges, and deliver creative programming to address critical needs.

STRATEGIES

for Partnerships

With your support, strategic partnerships with other organizations can provide innovative solutions, reinforced by improved communications channels and technology infrastructure, around the world. Using text messaging to track life-saving medical inventory is just one exciting way that technology can be used for good.