Amistad International: News from Amistad International

Webpage of this email: http://amistadinternational1.blogspot.com/

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9

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Dear Loren,

Welcome to our very first issue of e-Notas! So many things happen from month to month in our Amistad family, that I wanted to have a way to communicate with you more frequently than just once a year.

It's very important to us that we don't add to the stresses of your life though,so if you don't want to receive our e-Notas newsletter, just click the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this letter.

Those of you who have been with us for awhile know our Amistad philosophy: we find a limited number of worthy projects run by people with a high degree of responsibility, creativity and accountability. We try to stretch the money we receive to help as many as we can (we use only a minimal amount, about 8%, on running the foundation!) And we're very proud that we communicate to you clearly and directly what effect your gifts are having on those we help, and seek your help in solving problems. In this issue, we'll get you up to date on a lot of wonderful things that are happening among our matchless Amistad recipients-and some major challenges, too.

Please note, too, that we are facing especially desperate needs at our orphanage in Zimbabwe. Our own Paula Leen continues to work in the midst of this terrible situation. Please see the story, below. You may also see our blog page for frequent updates on all Amistad projects. Our contact information is at the bottom of this page.

With love and appreciation,

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Murwira Orphanage: Continuing Crisis
Cholera, starvation surround our Murwira Orphanage

Reports from our Murwira Orphanage in Zimbabwe paint a desperate picture. You have heard in the news about Zimbabwe's collapsing economy, civil unrest, and cholera outbreaks. Paula Leen and Murwira are in the front line in trying to care for these folks. Here's what we know so far:

Paula is feeding an average of 2,200 people every day. Amistad and ZOPOM of Australia just purchased and delivered over 6 tons food - but we need more. The cholera epidemic is all around the orphanage - none of our students afflicted so far! With the help of the Maree Noble and Elizabeth Stumpf Memorial Foundation, and the Agathos Foundation, Amistad has arranged to send several more tons of food in late February. More information, below.

Our crucial needs? Food and medicine. Two volunteers from Walla Walla University, Becca Parshall and Ryan Eggers, have delivered hundreds of latex gloves, but we also want to ship as much medicine as we can. We will continue to need to send food, until

there is a change in the political scene there.

We know this is a hard time for everyone: but even pinched a bit in our domestic needs, we have so much more than those at Murwira! If you have a little extra (perhaps a tax refund you didn't anticipate?) would you consider designating it for Murwira Orphanage?

Pictures: Above, HIV positive Vaiso carries another orphan. With medicines, good food and love, she is enjoying fairly good health. Left, a food line at Murwira.

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Two Members of our Amistad Family to Receive Awards from the Dalai Lama
Urmi Basu and Rajan Kaur receive the Unsung Hero award in April

We've always known these two women were heros, but now their work is being recognized by Wisdom in Action, a San Francisco group that recognizes great people for their contributions.

Urmi Basu is the director of the New Light Center and Soma Home, serving Calcutta's prostitutes and untouchables. Rajan Kaur runs the incredible Buddha's Smile School in Varanasi. See this page for more information.

Thank you for supporting these wonderful programs through your gifts to Amistad!

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Amistad Ministries Featured in International Magazines
Two international stories about our wonderful Amistad caregivers

In the October issue of Adventist World, a Christian magazine with a global circulation of 2,000,000, Loren Seibold wrote about Amistad's connection to Urmi Basu's New Light Center for the prostitutes of Calcutta. You can read the article here.

In the November 15th issue of World magazine, Mark Bergin writes about "Auntie" Paula Leen's orphanage in Zimbabwe. As you know, Paula is working against incredible odds to keep the orphanage alive - and so far succeeding, with your help. (This article requires a subscription to read on line, but you can see the beginning of it here.)

The online magazine for ADRA Canada also had a story about Paula, which you can read here.

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Visit to the Sierra Huichol
In January Karen visited our lunch program in San Miguel Huaixtita

In the tiny Mexican village of San Miguel Huaixtita we sponsor three food programs at Huichol schools for 310 students. At 11AM we found cook Leticia and her volunteer mother helpers making hundreds of tortillas for the 75 children who'd soon arrive for lunch. Also cooking on the open fire: a kettle of beans and another of thick soup, and I saw a 10 gallon pot of posole, a warm milk and corn drink that the children love. Just across the kitchen yard was the new chicken house where the cooks gather eggs daily. I couldn't help but think that our Huichol students are receiving better nutrition than American students who live on fast food.

The preschool children, ages 4-5, came first, followed by grades 1-3. They arrived in an enthusiastic but orderly line, first washing their hands in a big pot outdoors, then filing into the adobe dining room. The children ate with serious concentration: few spoke, for all interest was on the warm delicious food. It was clear this was their first meal of the day-for some, their only meal of the day.

Thank you, Amistad friends, for providing these children nutritious food to eat!

See more pictures of the San Miguel Huaixtita food program here.

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"Slumdog Millionaire" up close

"Slumdog Millionaire" is an award-winning movie currently playing in American theaters. The slum scenes you will see there picture the very people that Amistad serves in Varansi and Kolkata.

Last year Karen visited the projects that Amistad supports in India with Amistad treasurer Melanie Boyd. They found themselves in the midst of the children and families of the "untouchable caste". These people live by the side of the street under a small plastic tarp, on the edge of the dump, or in one room shanties in the back streets of the red light district. "Every day," writes Melanie, "we were overwhelmed by the need for food, education, medical care or even just a good bath and laundry soap." (You can read Karen's detailed account of our visit to these wonderful India projects at our blog page, here.)

The work that you wonderful donors support is accomplishing amazing things by providing an education, a safe place for the children, a daily hot meal, uniforms and some medical care. Amistad is changing lives in India one child at a time.

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Amistad Program Updates
Here's the latest news from our projects

By Karen Kotoske, Amistad Executive Director

Huichol settlements, Mexico: Drought has brought crop failures to seven areas of the Sierra Huichol. Mexican farmers have donated through Amistad 1,000 pounds of beans for distribution there.
Achlal School, Mongolia: This school in Ulan Bator boards children who used to live at the city dump. Just got news that they've harvested a potato crop to feed children. Amistad is sponsoring two months of food for entire school.
Buddha's Smile School, Varanasi, India: Two new classrooms for upper grades have been completed and a water well dug, as well as new desks for all classrooms. We received help for this project from the Flora Family Foundation and Herant and Stina Katchadourian. We are grateful to the tour group to India led by Judith and Hans Steiner of Palo Alto, California which took a large amount of teaching and art materials to BSS, and also raised funds for the medical needs of the students. On April 28, 2009 Judith and the India travelers will be hosting a fundraiser in Palo Alto, CA for BSS and Rajan Kaur will be there too! If you'd like an invitation please write us an e-mail: tomamistad@aol.com.
Murwira Orphanage, Zimbabwe: Cholera is sweeping the area of orphanage, and the hospital has closed its door to victims. Orphanage director Paula Leen has been given a list of 565 children under age of five needing food. Amistad and ZOPOM are shipping several tons of food from South Africa. A new orphanage co-director, Suzette Anderson, has arrived.
Lambano Sanctuary, South Africa: They're caring for 25 children infected with the HIV virus, and helping families affected by HIV in the Katlehong township. They've got a partially finished building for sick and dying babies that they've not enough money to finish.
Amri School, Kenya: Amistad is renting land for Amri to grow crops providing basic foods for 120 students and staff. We've purchased sewing machines so they can make uniforms.
Community Initiatives for Rural Development, Kenya: The third group of young girls, sponsored by Amistad, are graduating from a new program of community- and church-designed coming-of-age rites designed to replace the traditional female-genital mutilation.
Pathfinder Academy, Common Ground Program (CGP), Kitale, Kenya is building seven classrooms, library and learning center. This community-based program in Western Kenya was founded in 1995 by teacher and community organizer Joshua Machinga for 360 elementary and middle school students who are either orphaned, heads of households, or living in vulnerable situations. The school has one of the highest academic ratings in the district, and also teaches the children how to grow their own food. Amistad is helping Pathfinder build seven classrooms. The foundation and walls are completed. There is urgent need for funding for the floor, windows, doors, wiring, and labor. We thank Terri and Jeannie Dietrich for providing the slab for the second story library (soon to be poured.) We also give a special thanks to the Worthington, Ohio, SDA church who have provided $3,500 for purchase of 200 chairs, and 10 tables for the new dining-multi-purpose room.