D
ear friends,
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines “partner” as one associated with another, especially in an action.
In the last year, IMA World Health and its partners have certainly been engaged in action–so much so, that our programs have touched 46 million people around the globe. Yes, that’s right: 46 million people.
That’s a huge number that is only possible because of the commitment and investment of donors. It is only possible because of the dedication and diligence of our partners. We never go it alone. We engage Ministries of Health, community service and faith-based organizations, secular groups and other key stakeholders who share our vision of health, healing and well-being for all, and are willing to take action with us to realize it.
We celebrate our partners in this annual report because they are critical not only to our day-to-day work, but also to our belief that helping local organizations meet and master their own public health challenges is the most effective, sustainable and ethical way to achieve our common vision.
Our partners know their communities best. They intimately understand the needs of their people. They know the challenges that make health, healing and well-being for all elusive. In partnership, we discern and address those challenges. IMA shares its knowledge, expertise and resources. Our partners share their community understanding, experience, and relationships. Together, we create change that lasts well beyond our direct involvement.
We often describe our approach as capacity transfer or capacity building. What we’re really doing is joining our partners on their journey toward self-sustainability. Our partners learn from us the very best practices in public health, which they continue and build upon; and what we learn from them we pay forward to the next community we serve. Done correctly, what develops is a powerful cycle that creates momentum bigger than any single organization can achieve.
I hope you feel that momentum reflected in this annual report of our work—work you make possible. For that, we are immensely grateful, and even honored to call you partners, too.
In partnership,
Rick Santos
CEO & President
IMA World Health
IMA World Health is pleased to share our 2015 Annual Report with you. Readers can either view the report on our 2016 Annual Report website or by downloading the print version here.