(SuperForest is beginning a series of interviews with inspiring young cats and kittens from around the world, from all walks of life.
The first one is with Miss Jamaica Walden, program associate for Op USA!)
First, a bit of background, from wikipedia:
“Operation USA (OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non profit humanitarian organization dedicated to helping communities alleviate the effects of disaster, disease, and endemic poverty throughout the world by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction, humanitarian aid and development aid. It is exclusively privately funded, receiving no assistance from the United States Federal Government. OPUSA had a revenue of over $21 million in fiscal year 2007 and has shipped over $300 million worth of “high-priority medical, nutritional and shelter supplies” since its inception.”
Op USA have helped after Katrina:
They provided humanitarian relief after the 2005 Tsunami, organized a women’s conference for extraordinary Sri Lankan women:
INTERVIEW
Firstly, thank you Jamaica for taking the time to do this interview, we hope that it helps spread the word about the wonderfully uplifting work Op USA does.
SuperForest: When did you first feel the call of working toward the common good?
Jamaica Walden: My father started Operation USA, an international relief and development agency, almost 30 years ago, so I’ve been exposed to the idea of helping people and making the world a better place for as long as I can remember.
SF: How did you end up working for OpUSA?
JW: By the end of college, I had come to realize that I wanted to follow a path similar to my father’s and start doing relief work. I started working at Operation USA following graduation.
SF: What do you do within the OpUSA organization and what does it require of you?
JW: As a program associate for OpUSA, I basically assist our program officers, who oversee the all the projects we support. My responsibilities include, but are not limited to, writing grant proposals, tracking the progress of projects through site visits, and event planning/fundraising. In the last few months, I’ve started specifically working on our projects in Southeast Asia and China. Currently, we are rebuilding a school that was damaged in the Sichuan earthquake, and we are supporting a number of micro credit, livelihood and health programs in Vietnam, Cambodia, and on the Thai/Burma border.
SF: Do you get to travel to the places that you’re providing aid to? (If so, do you have any highlights?)
JW: I have had the opportunity to visit all the projects I am currently working on. Visiting a project is a necessary component to the whole process; by seeing everything first hand, you get a better understanding of how the project runs, and whether it is fulfilling its purpose. The highlight is talking to the people who benefit from the project itself. Hearing their stories, dreams, and aspirations keeps me going.
SF: Along with food and medical supplies, does OP USA distribute technology that would allow folks to interconnect? (Laptops, sat phones? etc?)
JW: Operation USA has built several computer centers to give people in remote areas access to computer training and the internet. We are also in the process of creating programs that can allow children in one community where we work to connect with children in another community using different forms of technology (computers, cameras, etc). We hope that by starting a dialogue between children of different cultures and ethnic groups, we can break down barriers and show that even though we seem different, we are in fact very much alike.
SF: Are there any plans to team up with the One Laptop Per Child Project?
JW: We are hoping to include laptops from the One Laptop per Child project in future educational projects, as they are an extremely useful and extremely affordable educational tool.
SF: What has your work at OP USA taught you about conflict, specifically about conflict resolution?
JW: Working in areas recently affected by war, I have witnessed first hand the difficult and long-lasting affects conflict has on both the individual and the community. My experience working at this organization as well as the mediation and conflict resolution training I received separately have taught me that diplomacy is the best way and the only way to resolve issues without sacrificing the well-being of innocent civilians and the country as a whole.
SF: With so many in need, how does Op USA decide who to help?
JW: When a disaster strikes anywhere (natural or manmade), Operation USA does everything it can to help those affected. After assessing the damages, we work with other organizations and try to fill the gaps by providing the materials and funding they may not have access to. For our long term development projects, we work with partners who have a longstanding history of good practices, good reporting, and overall success with the projects they have carried out in the past. We also tend to choose projects in areas where OpUSA has longstanding relationships with community-based organizations and/or government agencies.
SF: What tools do you use to do what you do? (A computer? Ichat? Final Cut Pro? A phone? A shovel? Twitter?)
JW: The majority of my work takes place on the computer through email, as almost all the partner organizations I work with are abroad. Of course, I do use the phone as well, particularly for talking with programming staff and donors. We also actively update our website, www.opusa.org, as it is the best and easiest way for people to learn more about the agency.
SF: What steps do you take personally to maximize your efficiency? (biking, composting, hybrid car, etc.)
JW: I try to carpool whenever possible (with friends, co-workers, etc). I also keep my electricity usage to a minimum, and avoid the air conditioner by just opening windows (even during unbearable LA summers).
SF: Is there a way to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to the basic necessities of life? Is that what Op USA is working towards?
JW: There is no way to really ensure that everyone everywhere has access to basic necessities. Our goal at Operation USA is to not only provide basic necessities to as many people as we can, but also try to maximize our own impact by advocating for governments to do the same.
SF: If President Obama could grant you or Op USA one wish, what would it be?
JW: I wish that Pres. Obama would do what none of his predecessors has ever done—not use trade and aid embargoes against governments and dictators we don’t like. That has never worked and has caused literally millions of premature deaths, especially among children. The people in power, moreover, use these embargoes to justify further deprivations of human rights and the redirecting of scarce funds to military and security pursuits.
On a lighter note, I’d also love to stay a night in the Lincoln bedroom and hang out with the Obama family, especially Sasha and Malia!!
SF: Do you have an immediate goal you are working towards? Is there any way SuperForest could work with you to help accomplish those goals?
JW: My goal is to raise funds on behalf of the organization, so that we can continue to support our projects in this current, uncertain economic climate. There are many benefits to being a small, grassroots organization as we are not slowed down by a large bureaucratic system. However, the drawback to being small is that we are overshadowed by large organizations that have the funds to maintain a presence in the public eye. Superforest is a medium through which OpUSA can inform the public about who we are and the work we do.
SF: What do you use to help yourself through hard times and challenges? Who, what inspires you?
JW: I look for guidance from my family and friends to get through hard times and challenges. My father is my inspiration. He opened my eyes to the world around me, and his drive and compassion motivates me to be a better person.
Thank you very much, Miss Jamaica Walden!
What a comforting thought to think that when disaster or war strike, there are capable and passionate people who have dedicated their lives to helping those in need. Op USA is a great organization and we wholeheartedly encourage anyone sympathetic to their mission to contact them and ask where one can be of assistance.
For more information about Op USA and the noble work they do, check out OpUSA.org.
And if anyone has follow up questions for Jamaica, leave them in the comments and we will forward them along for a later post.
Love to All,
SuperForester Jackson
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