Program Areas
TAPFIRE has four core program areas that assist poor communities to become healthier, safer and more self-sufficient.
- Disaster Preparedness
- Improving Medical Services and Care
- Increasing Access to Clean Water
- Building Community Capacity and Self Sufficiency
Disaster Preparedness
TAPFIRE strives to reduce the risks and impacts of disasters in indigent communities. Our disaster preparedness approach is as follows:
- Team visit to a potential area
- Assessment of disaster preparedness, medical and safety needs
- Forging of linkages and partnerships with policy makers, national governments and the private sector
- Development of assistance plan, including equipment needed, equipment transportation strategy and training needs for disaster preparedness and safe and appropriate use of apparatus provided
- Collection of used emergency and medical equipment
- Fundraising to support assistance plan
- Training of emergency service personnel
- Distribution of equipment
- Follow-up
Projects:
Fire Fighting and Emergency Assistance in El Grullo, Mexico
Transportation Assistance for Emergency Service Personnel in New Orleans
Fire Fighting and Emergency Assistance in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Fire Prevention and Protection for the Rural Community of Anjoma Itsara in Madagascar
Fire Fighting and Emergency Assistance in Kherson, Ukraine
Kherson, Ukraine is another community slated for future assistance.
Improving Medical Services and Care
Illness can create a significant economic impact on a household, especially in developing countries. Asset depletion, decreases in consumption and indebtedness are often the result. TAPFIRE is dedicated to decreasing the economic burden of health care by improving medical services and care in impoverished communities.Through careful analysis of a community’s medical situation, needs are assessed and projects designed to decrease both the financial and physical burdens of communicable disease on the poor. TAPFIRE partners with local health providers, policy makers, national governments, non-government organizations and the private sector to achieve sustainable results and improvements that are owned and managed at the community level. Fundraising, training of health service providers, distribution of equipment and follow-up are all integral components of this programming area.
Projects:
Basic Diagnostics Laboratory for Community Health Centers in Madagascar
Increasing Access to Clean Water
Access to water and sanitation equips people to get themselves out of poverty and contribute to national prosperity. “Not having access to clean water” is a euphemism for profound deprivation. It means that people live more than 1 kilometer from the nearest safe water source and that they collect water from drains, ditches or streams that might be infected with pathogens and bacteria that can cause severe illness and death. In rural Sub-Saharan Africa millions of people share their domestic water sources with animals or rely on unprotected wells that are breeding grounds for pathogens (Human Development Report, 2006).
TAPFIRE, in partnership with community associations, local governments, policy makers, national governments, non-government organizations and the private sector, is committed to increasing access to water and sanitation in indigent communities. TAPFIRE analyses a community’s water situation, assesses water needs and designs projects that improve water access and sanitation. Selected community members are trained in the improvements, managerial technique and maintenance. Communities then become the owners, managers and maintainers of the water improvements. Follow-up is an integral component of this programming area.
Projects:
Water and Sanitation Services for the Rural Community of Anjoma Itsara in Madagascar
Building Community Capacity and Self Sufficiency
At the heart of all TAPFIRE’s efforts is our drive to help communities help themselves. Our experience compels us to share our knowledge, and also learn from the communities we support. Together we arrive at solutions to development problems and achieve sustainable results. Building community capacity and self-sufficiency entails discovering together a community’s strengths and weaknesses, examining existing social structures and organization, and infrastructure, and determining ways to meet the needs. As a group, TAPFIRE staff, area leaders and stakeholders analyze the situation and design projects that will benefit the people. Communities then become the owners and managers of the improvements. Follow-up is an integral component of this programming area.
Projects: