Médecins Sans Frontières was created in 1967 and to this day is one of the few NGOs worldwide that functions purely on private donations.
RTL Today Radio welcomed Esther Leick from MSF to The Home Stretch, to speak about how 119 association members, 80 volunteers, 9 members of the Board of Directors and more than 27,000 active donors enable MSF to pursue their mission.
Esther explained to Melissa that MSF made the decision in 2015 to stop receiving public funding because the organisation directly opposed European policies that forced migrants out of Europe. By relying solely on private donations, MSF is able to offer aid and assistance to those in need, regardless of location, religion, race or political affiliation.
Esther explained that because of the organisations extensive network and logistical planning, MSF is able to react to crises relatively quickly, dispatching medical aid and volunteers usually within a 48 hour window.
The Luxembourg section of MSF was created in 1986. Today, 35 employees work within the association to raise awareness among the Luxembourg population of humanitarian issues, collect the funds needed to finance interventions, supervise MSF volunteers who leave for the field and carry out dozens of operational research projects directly related to operations in order to make them ever more effective.
MSF is holding a Mapathon event on 22 March at the University of Luxembourg in Belval where volunteers will map-out parts of the world that are not yet mapped. These maps will help MSF plan logistical missions to reach people in need in areas that are harder to access.
If you want to learn more about how MSF can have boots on the ground in 48 hours, make sure to listen to the complete interview here on RTL Play or via the player below.
If you want to get involved with the Luxembourgish section of Médecins Sans Frontières or make a donation, you can check out their website here.
