Michael Freed, 12, gave a solo violin concert in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana on August 22 raising $435 for Tarahumara Indian outreach in Mexico.

Michael has been studying the violin since he was four and a half with teacher, Khin Yee Lo, who accompanied Michael for the concert. The program included Bach, Vivaldi, Pachelbel and Andrew Lloyd Webber. We are told that the music was so beautiful that many were moved to tears.

During the concert intermission, Michael’s sister, Jennifer Freed, played a slide show of her ‘08 mission trip to help the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, traveling with Amistad Amistad volunteers Elidia Walker and Diane McDermott.


Thank you Michael, teacher Khin Yee Lo, Michael’s mother, Michele Freed, and sister Jennifer for your wonderful event blessing the people of the Sierra Tarahumara.

A letter from Paula Leen at Murwira Orphanage

A letter from Paula Leen at Murwira Orphanage:

9-10-09

Dear Karen

To my dismay, yesterday morning when I arrived I was informed that our 14 wells have insufficient water collectively for drinking, dishes and laundry, and no water at all for keeping vegetables and fruit trees alive.  When I arrived at the flat here at the orphanage there were so many ants- not by the thousands, but the millions.  I had to kill them with Shumba, and sweep them up by the dustpan full.  This is a sign of a very severe drought.  In fact, it is so bad that I ended up washing my hands with milk, that I had brought!.  The little rural hospital here is out of water so doing deliveries is risky, as well as trying to treat festering wounds, etc.  The Lord must have impressed me to buy a few bottles of drinking water the day before!.A friend just left and has talked to the ruling board of the conference here and we can go to the camp-ground to get water.  It is a ways, but it may be a good source as they managed to take care of the needs of the 25,000 at camp-meeting.  

 

The hospital has pleaded with us to carry some bowsers of water for them.  Where we recently sent a crew to dig down in the riverbed a distance of about 4 meters, that source has run dry as well.  We did find one place 5km away which has some water, and will be using that as long as we can, but if that runs out---  There is one man, the counselor who has some water from his boreholes and says he will share, for a price!   The leaves of our lemon and orange trees that we have nurtured for many months are shrivelling up.

Fed 150 or more pre-schoolers this a.m.  Tomorrow there will be at least 144 more, since we are including first grade, and by Monday possibly grade 3 though I don't know how many will be who need nourishing.   Have sent quite a bit more food with Sr. Saurombe for her feeding program.

 

Teachers are on strike-- our children were sent home yesterday except for a few of the higher grades.  We hired another teacher here at the orphanage starting today.  She has a small baby she'll have to bring, but the kids won't mind that!  

 

We are upping our job skills training for the children.  They have started sewing classes, and will be doing that.  We are also teaching the boys domestic tasks which is foreign to their culture.  Even assessing the weights of the children in the general population it is more girls than boys under-weight.

 

Two of our orphans need glasses, the first one child's glasses will cost  $112. but not sure what the next will be.  Poor little Solomon needs surgery for his hernia and undescended testicles.  A friend just left and has talked to the ruling board of the conference here, I guess and say we can go to the camp-ground to get water.  It is a ways, but it may be a good source as they managed to take care of the needs of the 25,000 at camp-meeting.  When I got to the gate a few minutes ago was told that Dr. M had been looking for me, that it was an emergency.  I had just arrived w ith an emergency of a baby that presented breach.  The mother is very poor and doesn't even own a pair of shoes.  I'm going to try to find her omething!  --

 

The clutch on Big Blue is going out, and Martin is having the 4 new tires fitted. Much to do so will close.

 

Love,

 

Paula

Buddha’s Smile School Update: Child Murdered, Sukdev Saini Struck in Motor Accident

By Rachel Davies - republished from www.spectrummagazine.org

Some sad news has come to us since the printing of our recent story on Buddha’s Smile School (BSS) in the summer edition of Spectrum.

Several weeks ago, the husband of BSS director and Unsung Heroes awardee Rajan Kaur Saini, was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. Sukdev was nearing his house in Sarnath, India, one dark evening when he heard the sound of a car coming toward him. Seeing no headlights, he moved his bike over to the side of the road to let the vehicle pass. But rather than passing, the vehicle sped up, struck him, and then bolted from the scene. Neighbors came to fetch Rajan, who quickly took her husband to the hospital. Things did not look good for Sukdev, and for nearly a week his life hung in the balance. Sukdev sustained numerous lacerations, broken ribs, internal injuries, a crushed hand, and damage to his right leg that was irreparable. After receiving 22 units of blood, Rajan finally made the hard decision to have her husband’s leg amputated.

Sukdev is doing well now. He is recovering at home and is keeping himself busy by searching for new recipes to try at his café once he is mobile again. He will be fitted for a prosthetic leg in a couple months. Meanwhile, the driver that struck him has not been found. It is likely that he was targeted because of the family’s commitment to serving Varanasi’s “undesirable” residents. Besides Dalits and the children of people with leprosy, BSS also educates Muslim children of the Bangladeshi immigrant community. Varanasi is one of Hinduism’s most historic cities, and the Sainis have already received threats connected with their openness towards Muslims. Some speculate that the accident was an expression of Hindu extremism.

More tragic than Sukdev’s accident is news we received only a few days ago. A twelve year old graduate of BSS, Pankaj Kumar, was murdered. Pankaj was attending a local middle school on scholarship funds and was receiving evening tutorials at BSS. He was a talented child, mentally strong, compassionate, and liked by all who knew him. Investigations have revealed that last week Pankaj came across four boys raping a young girl in Sarnath, which he threatened to report. Out of revenge, the four boys took Pankaj from his home later that night and murdered him, throwing his body above a temple. He was found several days later in a road drain with his hands tied behind his back.

The teachers, friends, and sponsors of BSS are grieving right now. There are no words to express the meaning of this act; it wounds us in our deepest inner places. Rajan is in the beginning stages of setting up a BSS scholarship fund in his name. Please join us in prayer for the friends and family of little Pankaj, who is yet another unsung hero.

News from Amistad International

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

J U L Y    2 0 0 9     ....................................................................................................................................................................... Dear Friends of Amistad, Has it been a tough economic year for you? It has for many of us. And when the economy suffers in the wealthy nations, those who live in poor countries suffer even more. The recession has hit Amistad International hard. Our giving is down 35% from this time last year. We will reduce several programs, and as noted below, we were precariously close to closing Amri School/Kenya for the final school term, August-December, until an angel donor sent $3,000 of the $5,000 needed. Still, with your help we continue good work in Africa, Mexico and India and I thank all of you who have been able to continue helping us. By the way, churches of several faiths have adopted specific Amistad projects and raised significant amounts of money through donations and fund-raiser events. If the place of worship to which you belong is looking for a project that has minimal administrative costs and provides lots of news about how your gifts are making a difference, please contact me. We'd love to personalize a project for your group. If you'd like to send e-Notas to a friend, just send us an email. We'll be glad to add to our mailing list. Also, check out our Amistad Newslog, where you'll find our newsletter and other pictures and stories. With deep appreciation, ..................................................................................................................................................................... Zimbabwe: Baby Found in Toilet Pit Recovers at Murwira Orphanage Murwira Orphanage a spot of hope in a shattered country Zimbabwean authorities recently brought a nearly dead baby to Murwira orphange. The tiny boy had been found in the pit of an outhouse toilet, where he'd been intentionally abandoned. Police were able to pull him up by the handles of a bag he was in. He had maggots in his nose and mouth and was very ill. Initially he was hospitalized, but Paula reports that he's now drinking a rich baby formula and gaining strength. She feels confident that the baby, who they've named Moses, will survive. Other news from Paula: "Unemployment here is 94%. 7 million are undernourished, and are eating bark, wild plants and roots, and bugs and worms. We now have 37 orphans, seven of them under the age of two. Sometimes the children are quite near death when they arrive. Their recovery and healing can be dramatic.   "We have 12 women working in three shifts around the clock taking care of the children. Older children help with the work. Both boys and girls are learning to wash, iron, cook and clean. The older children take care of the babies and it is wonderful to see how they care for the little ones.   "A number of our children have been either emotionally or sexually abused before they arrive. Some are developmentally delayed, and even though we don't have professionally trained counselors, it is rewarding to see how they thrive with love and care." Mature volunteers are needed at Murwira. Please contact Sandy Schultz for an application. ..................................................................................................................................................................... Zimbabwe: Tons of Food for the Hungry A coalition of donors and volunteers sends food to Paula Leen's program Amistad has participated in delivering nearly fifty tons of food from South Africa to Paula Leen's Murwira Orphanage from December '08 to June '09, to feed thousands of hungry people in the Marenge/Mutare area. The shipment contained maize, flour, peanut butter, cooking oil, rice, powdered milk, beans, baby formula, and a nutritional drink. This was been a team effort involving Amistad International, ZOPOM of Australia, the Maree Noble and Elizabeth Stumpf Memorial Foundation, Agathos Foundation, and others. Adventist Women's Ministries of Washington state paid the shipping, and Feed My Starving Children Foundation donated and packed the 22 tons of chicken flavored soya, rice and vegetable meals. Marc Fulmer of Agathos Foundation, Pilgrim Foundation, and Amistad International all worked  together smoothly to get the food to Paula Leen's volunteers, who are now delivering it to the needy. Thanks to the Noble/Stumpf Foundation another shipment of food will arrive in July or August. ..................................................................................................................................................................... San Francisco: Amistad Program Leaders from India named "Unsung Heroes" Congratulations to Rajan Kaur and Urmi Basu The founder/directors of two programs which Amistad International assists have been given awards as Unsung Heroes of Compassion from the Wisdom in Action Foundation in San Francisco, California, April 26, 2009. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama presented awards to Rajan Kaur of Varanasi, India who is the founder/director of Buddha's Smile School; and Urmi Basu (pictured at left), the founder/director of New Light in Kolkata, India. Rajan and Urmi and 47 other honorees were the guests at a reception of 600 who came to pay them their respects. These Unsung Heroes were selected because "they have set the course of their hearts toward truth and love. In doing so, they have become beacons, lanterns, mentors, inspirations and exemplars for us all. " The Dalai Lama gently, and with a spark of humor, reminded everyone that like the 49 awardees, we too can do something for the world. We need not see the results in our own lifetime: we do good simply because it is the right thing to do. Since returning to India, Rajan tells us she has never felt more peaceful. She feels that she has even more strength and energy to teach and inspire her students. ..................................................................................................................................................................... Kitale, Kenya: Pathfinder Academy a Scholastic Success Amistad is helping Pathfinder Academy in Kenya with strategic campus improvements, including building seven classrooms, kitchen and dining hall. Pathfinder Academy is a school for 360 economically deprived students grades 1-8, many of whom are AIDS orphans, at risk-children, internally displaced children (from '08 political strife) and children who are heads of households. The school is one of the scholastically top ranked schools in their region. The students are also trained in sustainable agriculture methods which will enable them to grow their own food throughout their lives. (One of our partners in funding Pathfinder Academy has posted a video about it here.) Pathfinder Academy has made good progress toward completion of seven ground level classrooms. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous family, the slabs for the seven classrooms were poured, the walls raised, and a staircase built to reach a second floor library that will be completed when funds are available. The slab for the second story library was poured thanks to Jeannie and Terry Dietrich.  Thanks to those who helped us to purchase of building materials for both the classroom complex and for roofing materials on Pathfinder Academy's new kitchen/dining hall, and to the Worthington, Ohio Seventh day Adventist church for their gift to provide chairs and tables for the dining/conference hall.   ..................................................................................................................................................................... Kenya: Amri School Needing Funds for Autumn Term The 150 students of Amri school in Kenya have been receiving not only an education but also one nutritional meal per day day, thanks to Amistad International donors. These are often children who are  in "child-headed households" (having neither parent), so there is little or no food at home. We especially thank Don and Wanda Krein and Paula and Russell Owens who have  shared their blessings with this school and have helped keep open the doors of Amri school this year. Amri was in danger of closing their doors before the final '09 term (August-December) began until the Maree Noble/Elizabeth Stumpf Memorial Foundation donated $3,000 toward the $5,000 needed for salaries for teachers, principal, and cook schoolhouse rent, food for daily meals, books, and papers. We are still lacking $2,000 for the final term '09-contact me if you think you might be able to help. If you are looking for a good place to get an excellent return on your investment, Amri School will pay rich rewards. ..................................................................................................................................................................... From Amistad director Karen Kotoske: Special thanks to Our Helpers! Thanks to Maree Noble and Elizabeth Stumpf Memorial Foundation for your donation to purchase 30 brain shunts for hydrocephalic babies in Zimbabwe. We are deeply grateful to you for this compassionate aid for these children who'd otherwise not be able to receive surgery. Their generous gift included a one year grant of $5,000 for a nurse to monitoring the post surgery progress of the hydrocephalic babies.   The Noble/Stumpf Foundation is also providing a July-August 2009 shipment to Murwira, including beans, rice, flour, soya, infant formula, soap, peanut butter, and yeast. Thanks to Donna and Larry Peters for tremendous help to our projects in India. Donna and Larry not only assist in the day to day operations of Buddha's Smile School but have purchased a video projector, science videos and new uniforms for the children. They've also just purchased a washer and dryer for Soma Home, the New Light home for daughters of prostitutes in Kolkata. Thanks to all who contributed to the medical fund for Sukdev Saini, 37, husband of Buddha's Smile School director/founder, Rajan Kaur. Sukdev was struck by a hit-and-run driver on June 12 near the school necessitating his right leg be amputated. He remained in hospital for over one month due to complications of infection. We hope Sukdev will soon be able to be fitted with a prosthetic leg. (Sukdev is the owner and chef at Sarnath Café in Sarnath, India.) We are especially grateful to Judith Steiner, Carol and Mahlon Hubenthal (and many of their wonderful friends), Hana Bagully, Karen Harris, Vipin Kothari, John and Inge Holman, Amy Symons, Mirian Sicherman,  and other angels who gave generously for Sukdev's hospital bill. Thanks to Lotte Cherin for procuring and shipping laptop computers for Joel Amutabi, director of Amri School in Kenya, and Dr. Talent Maphosa, medical director of Marenge Hospital in Zimbabwe - both of whom had had their computers stolen. Lotte also donated laptop computers for Local Solutions, a community-based nonprofit in Mongolia. Thanks to Norrine Keesee and an anonymous friend for providing the funds for 49 windows and the doors for seven new classrooms at Pathfinder Academy in Kenya. Norrine also knits cozy bright sweaters for Amistad babies all over the world. Thanks to Yvonne Wyer and her city of Canberra, Australia. Yvonne opened her beautiful garden to the public to raise funds for Zimbabwe food shipments, and the people of Canberra responded generously. ..................................................................................................................................................................... Sierra Huichol, Mexico: Ivett, Malnourished and Abandoned, Gets a Mommy Maria Luisa is an employee of Casa Huichol, a place of refuge for Huichol people who have to come to the city of Guadalajara. She does work of all kinds for the lodgers, for very little salary. One day at Casa Huichol, Maria Luisa faced a difficult dilemma. A few months before a Huichol mother arrived at Casa Huichol, unwrapping a severely malnourished child. The baby's mother, thinking her child would soon be dead, then disappeared. (Sometimes Huichol people will abandon a starving or deformed infant with an agency or refuge thinking that probably the child will die anyway.) Maria Luisa took baby Ivett into her heart and began to give her tender love, along with the simple diet provided at Casa Huichol. Discovering that she had fallen in love with this tiny mite of a child, 25 year-old Maria Luisa, deeply impoverished, had to decide what to do. As a single woman who wanted also very much to be a mother, and no marriage prospects in sight, Maria Luisa decided to adopt Ivett. When friend of Amistad, Kay Prins of San Luis Obispo (herself a mother of a grown adopted son) learned about Maria Luisa adopting tiny Ivett she asked what she could do to help.  Kay and her husband Steve are providing special pediatric nutritional supplementation and clothing for Ivett. Thank you, Kay and Steve! Dagoberto Cirilo, Amistad's pilot for the Huichol project, writes, "Please remember Maria Luisa and her new adopted daughter Ivett. We're grateful for Amistad International's support for the Huichol air ambulance and clinic, that has helped hundreds of people over the last 29 years of service. God bless all the donors who have been a financial support for our work here." ..................................................................................................................................................................... Contact information: To telephone Amistad International: 650-328-1737 To send a check: Amistad International, PO Box 455, Palo Alto, CA 94302 To e-mail executive director Karen Kotoske: tomamistad@aol.com Our website: http://www.amistadinternational.org/ Our blog: http://amistadinternational1.blogspot.com/ Our Facebook page: Amistad International

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Pathfinder Academy

Here's a gallery of some pictures from Pathfinder Academy, a school in Kenya that you help support through Amistad.

Fan Mail

I want to thank you for the Amistad news. I really enjoyed it.

Better than waiting all year for the Notas.

Love

Iris Joy Donaldson

With Rajan's family at the Museum of Science

It may come as no surprise to you by the time she left the Museum of Science at closing time yesterday, Daisy knew nearly every employee at the museum. I'm almost exaggerating. Their experience yesterday was probably the peak experience that the museum designers had hoped for in their dreams. My problem was moving them on from exhibit to exhibit, and no, of course we didn't see them all, but we saw most including the rainforest, planatarium, aquariums and lab and teaching center. The woman in the silver coat (auburn hair) you will see in some photos is Donna Peters, who came from Florida to meet Rajan. Donna has been a sponsor of Buddha's Smile School since 2005. She was in love with Rajan before she ever met her and after yesterday they are sisters. Donna bought a large sack full of science DVDs for BSS in the gift shop including the BBC's marvelous many-hour series Planet Earth. After presenting them to Rajan, who was overwhelmed, Donna and I were told that the school doesn't have a DVD player or screen. So guess what Donna has now offered to provide? Thank you, Donna!!!

Each of them saw the museum through a different lens. Rajan as a teacher, Daisy as an enviromentalist-in-the-making, Rosy as Alice-in-Wonderland, and Sukdev as a man on another wonderful planet. Daisy was just fascinating to observe. She made sure that after the museum guide had finished their presentation, or anytime she saw anyone at a desk who looked like they might have the secrets of this magical kingdom, Daisy would introduce herself and tell where she was from and why she was there in San Francisco. It went something like this, "Hello. My name is Daisy Saini, and I am from Varanasi, India. I am visiting San Francisco because my mother (who would be standing beside her) is being given a beautiful honor by the Dalai Lama for her school for poor children. I am going to be an enviromentalist. I very much appreciated the wonderful information which you just presented to us. I would like to know________? Or would you happen to know how I could learn more about ________? Or would you be able to share any of those brochures with me? By the time she left she had their e-mail addresses and everyone was going to be in contact. Daisy our networker. I stood back in awe. I told Rajan and Sukdev "Your daughter is going to be the president of India someday." He said "shhhh, don't say that in front of Daisy" as he smiled.

The Academy of Science is something we in the Bay Area can be very proud of. It truly lifted this family from India off into another realm of dreams for the children in India. Daisy, intent to the point of ignoring the African lion and gazelles we were standing near, had a light burning in her eyes asking me, "This city is so clean, the air is to pure, the streets have no garbage. You have something called recycling. How does this work? You have bins where people put their bottles and glass. Where does it then go? How do you get people to put them in the bins? We want to do this for India. How can I do this for India?"

What would you have said?

I hope that next week Daisy can have at least a few minutes with some of the enviromental movers and shakers who are coming to the fundraiser. I confess I did tell Daisy that Stanford has a fabulous Enviromental Science course of study. I told her that she will be able to see the campus next week :)

Karen

in the tower of the De Young before going to the Academy of Science. You can see its Living Roof in the background.

Little Rosy and Big Giraffe

Daisy holding a butterfly in the Rain Forest

I'd like to be under the sea with an octopuss' garden in the shade.

Penguins in San Francisco? Karen Kotoske, Rajan Kaur, Donna Peters and Daisy Saini (Rajan's daughter)

Rosy