By Bruce Barton

Mark Walker of MAP International talks with Jack Melchor, right, and other Los Altos residents last week about the organization’s progress in helping victims of the tsunami.

When the devastating Dec. 26 tsunami pummeled Southeast Asia and India, it also triggered a wave of relief efforts from all over the world. In some cases, this contributed to the problem. But a few organizations, such as MAP (Medical Assistance Programs) International, played a major role in bringing some order to the chaos.

Mark Walker, a MAP senior representative, visited Los Altos last week on the heels of the Town Crier Relief Fund contributions. The paper raised more than $30,000 through the fund, created in the wake of the tsunami. MAP International and World Vision were the two designated beneficiaries. Both are known for their efficiency and low overhead. They also are Christian-based, although their primary focus is humanitarian aid.

Talking to a small group of Los Altos residents about MAP’s ongoing efforts in the tsunami-wrecked countries, Walker called the tsunami “one of the most impactful events in history” with more than 200,000 lives lost. “It provided a lot of challenges for an organization like ours. It was also a challenge to deal with all the people who came immediately to the scene.”

Norma Melchor, who with husband Jack was a major contributor to the Crier’s relief fund, noted, “MAP is extremely efficient and they actually got in those countries.”

MAP had an advantage cutting through the political and logistic challenges some countries posed because of its established reputation - 50 years’ presence in developing nations - working with the indigenous groups. “We have partnerships with local organizations,” Walker said, which aided the distribution of essential medicines. MAP also provides education and training so that local communities can help themselves.

Walker made note of Forbes magazine’s “brag sheet,” naming MAP the most effective Christian charity for six consecutive years. Walker said MAP administration costs are less than 1 percent of the budget. “We get the money and it goes out immediately” to relief efforts, he said.

One example of MAP’s immediate impact after the tsunami was its access to and distribution of gloves to prevent the spread of disease. MAP dispensed $20 million in essentials to survivors, and dispersed several medical kits, each meeting the needs of 10,000 residents over a three-month period.

MAP’s next project is a partnership with Cure International, out of Pennsylvania, to build health clinics in Sri Lanka and India. Walker said MAP also wants to increase its presence in Southeast Asia by establishing a coordinator there.

In addition, Walker told the Los Altos group MAP is focusing on work in eight African countries to address the devastating HIV-AIDS epidemic. “HIV-AIDS has totally destroyed entire economies in these countries,” Walker said.

Addressing the poverty and disaster-stricken countries in Central America is another focus, Walker noted. The people of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala are still smarting from the onslaught of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, he added.

Walker said MAP workers, although Christian-based, are sensitive to the values of the people they help, whatever religion, and they stay out of politics. As a result, “We can partner with groups in over 100 countries that we’ve developed (relations with) over a 50-year period.”

MAP raises money through a direct-mail program, grants and private donors. Walker said MAP’s effectiveness after the tsunami triggered 11,000 new donors.

For more information about MAP International, log on to www.map.org.