tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55667646051216313782024-03-05T03:15:05.714-08:00Airline Ambassadors InternationalAAI provides humanitarian aid to children and families in need as well as relief and development to under-privileged communities worldwide. We escort children in need, hand-deliver humanitarian aid to orphanages, clinics, and remote communities, raise public awareness and involve youth in humanitarian efforts around the world. Join us in protecting, advocating and providing for orphans and vulnerable children worldwide!Nancy Rivardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02153177941731129525noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-64885367747347602502012-02-22T11:40:00.003-08:002012-03-05T09:04:46.772-08:00Haiti's Children "Change the world, Be a voice and Save a child"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7NMCi-vs1Nu57VXrY9dfpEymP4ybWUlEs-iqpIiEwdJEYC8a9L9Plfeme8fD3ZkggWNe94BwFm1WDSlrRikpEvwUKhw2rpH7r5g93x2bGR0qzR-fT33gJLBSG7D334NaR2pyw6jjypo/s1600/Haiti+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7NMCi-vs1Nu57VXrY9dfpEymP4ybWUlEs-iqpIiEwdJEYC8a9L9Plfeme8fD3ZkggWNe94BwFm1WDSlrRikpEvwUKhw2rpH7r5g93x2bGR0qzR-fT33gJLBSG7D334NaR2pyw6jjypo/s1600/Haiti+Girl.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">Join Airline Ambassadors on a Haiti Mission<br />
<a href="http://www.airlineamb.org/documents/April26-28MissiontoHaiti.pdf" target="_blank">Visit our site today!</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">Nancy Rivard, founder of Airline Ambassadors International(AAI), presented a volunteer opportunity that would educate and train me about safe houses, orphanages and tent camps in relation to the issue of human trafficking in Haiti. The CNN Freedom Project came with us to document our journey.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"><br />
We visited the DCPG Police Station in Port au Prince where I witnessed children being held behind bars for their own protection against exploitation. I was able to see the safehouse being built behind the jail by AAI to give children a safe place to lay their head down at night. My heart was filled with joy to know that change has begun but more safehouses are needed. One safehouse can change the lives of many children and this is just the beginning.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"><br />
I had the privilege to meet Yves Prophete in charge of All Gods Children Orphanage and see the great work of love being given to the children there. My heart was touched when I met a trafficked boy who had arrived 4 months prior to our visit. He was once filled with fear and now he smiles and laughs with other children. His smile filled my heart with joy. However, my heart dropped as I walked through Delmas 31 Tent Camp. Many children are unable to attend school and families are destitute. However, AAI delivered 60 school kits from kids in Pennsylvania to help continue the education of children there.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ITlP6V52-D42EBciHS3Hs_sMauUNxvUweCm8w1KlAKnXHUTF3Qcc2ryrCNW0-uDR6Azab3L-Ctk-G3J8U_vrsYRQ7mMXGKYw-faVNc48b6RJ49NvPXDpCXP0gw42hyphenhyphenOrC8CTzUA_zxw/s1600/Delphia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ITlP6V52-D42EBciHS3Hs_sMauUNxvUweCm8w1KlAKnXHUTF3Qcc2ryrCNW0-uDR6Azab3L-Ctk-G3J8U_vrsYRQ7mMXGKYw-faVNc48b6RJ49NvPXDpCXP0gw42hyphenhyphenOrC8CTzUA_zxw/s1600/Delphia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delphia Roberts, USAir Flight Attendant</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"> This humanitarian experience has changed my life. I thank Nancy Rivard for giving me an opportunity to make a difference in this world. I will continue to advocate, educate and train others to help combat human trafficking. " Change the world, Be the voice and Save a child".</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">USAIR Flight Attendant, Delphia Roberts</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.airlineamb.org/TopLevel/5_Trips/2011_Calendar/Trips_2011_new.htm" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">Visit the Airline Ambassadors Travel Calendar for trips....</span></a></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.airlineamb.org/documents/April26-28MissiontoHaiti.pdf" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: x-small;">Join Airline Ambassadors on a mission to Haiti!</span></a></span>Webmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-5338938200252836902012-02-06T14:26:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:01:01.944-08:00Human Trafficking News and Awareness<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flight attendants, like Sandi Fiorini, are on-board with cracking down on human trafficking, a rapidly growing crime. She says, "Flight attendants could put a huge dent in the trafficking of children". Read the latest in a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/01/bwi-dulles-human-trafficking-transit-points-71805.html">BWI, Dulles human trafficking transit points story..</a>.</span></span></h6><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="412" id="flashObj" width="486"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1412300821001&playerID=180211731001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAGuN0bcE~,rS1wzGXkRNnKZBuQ4FRjFM7e28yVdmek&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1412300821001&playerID=180211731001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAGuN0bcE~,rS1wzGXkRNnKZBuQ4FRjFM7e28yVdmek&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.airlineamb.org/TopLevel/3_Programs/Child_Trafickking/Child_Trafficking_Media.htm" target="_blank">Human Trafficking News</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.airlineamb.org/TopLevel/3_Programs/Child_Trafickking/Child_Trafficking_Media.htm" target="_blank">on the Airline Ambassadors Fight Human Trafficking Media page.</a></span></div><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</h6>Webmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-56820698277930331912011-11-15T12:41:00.000-08:002011-11-15T13:33:17.257-08:00Escort Story, by Terry Bobbitt<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My two traveling friends...Olivia and Danielle.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifISX3bzMC06VvQ1K0IWO5ebw2bUUn1FRGylNF1Jl6Bb5oTcklGNqpptGdwz48t77xaYC1YKrlAD3IAhD1ibaLFyqKrbKRiclkAcLvwZVieT3ykeqAv3DJmVSYKWiWRcDHnx9Qu0U6cVQ/s1600/IMG_2269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifISX3bzMC06VvQ1K0IWO5ebw2bUUn1FRGylNF1Jl6Bb5oTcklGNqpptGdwz48t77xaYC1YKrlAD3IAhD1ibaLFyqKrbKRiclkAcLvwZVieT3ykeqAv3DJmVSYKWiWRcDHnx9Qu0U6cVQ/s200/IMG_2269.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">No longer destined for a life of deformity, where adjustments must be conquered to make one’s way, Olivia and Danielle are two medical miracles...and what FUN it was to spend my days flying with these precious little ones! I had the privilege of escorting these sweet girls on a journey of healing recently, and am proud to share in their courageous efforts...thrilled I could have just one small part of a day in the life with God’s greatest gifts. A memory that will certainly remain as one most precious to me.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_iCgcpGXJiczV7ZBoE0n261GBeM4pI4U_HukbzaOJIKUhpSdoHiL84KDtzJV4fDwatV8MuWQw29Za6bBwMJBqP5C5_JdZ3Lt0c99Azq3zbWMZIbh5rQ3bH8crB988q0rDp5uDOGGmTs/s1600/IMG_2276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_iCgcpGXJiczV7ZBoE0n261GBeM4pI4U_HukbzaOJIKUhpSdoHiL84KDtzJV4fDwatV8MuWQw29Za6bBwMJBqP5C5_JdZ3Lt0c99Azq3zbWMZIbh5rQ3bH8crB988q0rDp5uDOGGmTs/s200/IMG_2276.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It always amazes me to see the people He brings together to make the medical journey a success as these children come one step closer to healing. A trip in which the children who are in need of life-saving operations, travel half way across the world, in the arms of people they have never met, bravely battling the needed operations and recovery while staying in loving host family homes. This new chapter in the lives of these children all take place while being away from their own families. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Such courage it must take in their own little hearts...and yet they soldier on!</span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I enjoyed my day of fun with Olivia...quite the princess, as we made our way to Paris. She was on her way home to the Ivory Coast after medical treatment in the United States. Olivia eagerly ran my way as I approached her at the gate in Chicago, somehow knowing I was going to be her flying friend for the next few hours! Sitting in the lap of a friend of mine in the Chicago Ohare airport, she flew in after being treated at a Children’s Hospital. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">At the age of three, Olivia was discovered by Doctors in Africa and flown into the United States by Airline Ambassador Children’s Medical Escort. She received the medical treatment she needed through Children’s Medical Mission team...was loved on and cared for by her wonderful host family and then ready to head home. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">That is when I met this adorable princess!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It seems Olivia knew no strangers...and her favorite thing to say...”Oh Man!” </span></span> <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">She quickly captured the hearts of the crew and those in our paths that day as we traveled abroad, one step closer to the reunion with her family in Africa.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">What a delightful and brave little girl!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Danielle, also in need of surgical correction on her club feet and webbed hands is just shy of two years old. She was my traveling friend on my return from Paris into the United States, also from the Ivory Coast where she was discovered by the same Doctors to be in need of medical treatment.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Danielle wore a smile that never left her sweet angelic face! And, her need to cuddle on my lap, while she checked out her surroundings on her new venture was just fine with me as it brought me such JOY. Even though I don’t have daughters, God always provides in other ways!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It didn't take me long to figure out that raisins and cheese are two of her favorites, she doesn't care too much for spinach and would prefer sugar in her milk! What a team we became as we got to know each other!</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I could only imagine what was going on in Danielle's little mind as she checked things out on this new journey...the flight, the people, her surroundings...and all of this was done in such stride! What a trooper my flying child was on this trip!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Danielle will be in the United States for a few months while she receives the treatment she needs and when she is ready to return...who knows, maybe I can be the one to take her. But if not, I am sure whoever is blessed to be her traveling friend for the day will have the time of their lives with her...if only for that day. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And this I know, the memory left in their heart will be forever written as a gift from God!</span></span> </div>Webmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-32801677772625547382011-08-10T12:40:00.000-07:002011-08-10T12:54:39.691-07:00Living the Life of your Dreams by Marilyn Tam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12dBW8ZqWTbmJLD7_Q4zWeuMffMF20kWGOG12pBPVq4H-0OivIdroVBJB7jXmdZDurrTu38Ar9wNJfDHtk-1266UMUUws0dP7WSWki-FVTSzrKkrtDPZ0iOjkDvZykdKnGwU_PQF6oPg/s1600/tam-300b.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12dBW8ZqWTbmJLD7_Q4zWeuMffMF20kWGOG12pBPVq4H-0OivIdroVBJB7jXmdZDurrTu38Ar9wNJfDHtk-1266UMUUws0dP7WSWki-FVTSzrKkrtDPZ0iOjkDvZykdKnGwU_PQF6oPg/s200/tam-300b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639315991912836498" border="0" /></a>
<br />“Living the Life of Your Dreams - The Secrets to Turning Your Dreams into Reality”, written by AAI member, Marilyn Tam, is launching on Tuesday, August 16th.
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<br />The book is available in ebook format (Ipad, kindle, nook, etc.) as well as in print.
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<br />Check it out and pick up your copy today!
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<br />Webmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-40910833305332963382011-04-13T12:17:00.000-07:002011-04-13T12:48:34.943-07:00South Africa Aid Escort<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tN5w1bDhwuXXipy0IAflnO0SumeA-wuIKMkCaVN0yevUJcKUPiDxKTphTK7khxXi7XqZrTLjKbbqWiENMgBIy7o5Ak_HW_neLisH9wBPFRZG4KiMQyvCZuYYWs61prKrW5fJeEm2v0I/s1600/Robin+with+child+at+Maria+s+creche++5228.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tN5w1bDhwuXXipy0IAflnO0SumeA-wuIKMkCaVN0yevUJcKUPiDxKTphTK7khxXi7XqZrTLjKbbqWiENMgBIy7o5Ak_HW_neLisH9wBPFRZG4KiMQyvCZuYYWs61prKrW5fJeEm2v0I/s200/Robin+with+child+at+Maria+s+creche++5228.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595154042017453106" border="0" /></a>Wanted to let you know we arrived safely in Johannesburg last night. Amy (my niece) and I arrived to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Silviya</span>, Gilbert, Sharon & Grant, and all the children from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sinethemba</span> waiting anxiously for us at the airport. It was an incredible welcome and filled our hearts with so much joy! The bags carrying the items I collected for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sinethemba</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mpumelelo</span> arrived safely.<br /><br />Today we started out by going to the wholesale market. I was able to purchase diapers, baby formula, rice, beans, cooking oil, sugar, fish in tomato paste, and toilet paper for Maria and the children at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mpumelelo</span>. It was utterly amazing to hear the excitement for all the crayons, construction paper, pens, flash cards, and posters we brought from America. All in all, I was told over and over again, the items I brought were "exactly what we needed". Maria kept asking "how did you know that I needed 'that'?" With almost 200 children under her care, I only wished we could have provided more.<br /><br />Amy and I jumped into action by asking what we could do to bring a little joy and sunshine to the center. Maria did not skip a beat by asking us to paint one of the walls in a classroom. We painted the walls light pink and yellow to make the place look a little lighter and "airy". My hope is they will be able to put up some posters to brighten up the other walls. If I had the resources, I would get them carpet for the flooring, as the concrete is very hard and the carpet that is there is extremely dirty and worn.<br /><br />The children are so very blessed to have someone like Maria and the other workers looking after them. Truly an amazing woman...and an amazing day!<br /><br />We will find our way back to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Sinethemba</span> ... although I think I am still full from the dinner they made us last night. I will be buying groceries to make homemade pizza, with all of the kids, for a special surprise birthday for Amy (she is turning 19) . What an amazing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">AAI</span> experience! Thank you!!<br /><br />Robin Schmidt<br />Airline Ambassadors member and volunteerWebmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-68445422196304329562011-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:002011-02-10T10:24:52.854-08:00Rotary, Gift of Life Foundation Gala<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme1xHVtNFQQRbqIAagbHE7Dd9f3LBCGipHVRdmUVR4fpGfzF5sr7qQ1UslR3fblVvLWz2gMir5VupcIohMj0yiynMIP0R9L8GjUZMXP0YDZn8rYnUwiK4ZlZ_DA1kcPUwDKbPWaKjROY/s1600/Nancy+Receives+Crystal+Airplane+Award+from+Gift+of+Life.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme1xHVtNFQQRbqIAagbHE7Dd9f3LBCGipHVRdmUVR4fpGfzF5sr7qQ1UslR3fblVvLWz2gMir5VupcIohMj0yiynMIP0R9L8GjUZMXP0YDZn8rYnUwiK4ZlZ_DA1kcPUwDKbPWaKjROY/s200/Nancy+Receives+Crystal+Airplane+Award+from+Gift+of+Life.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572128582538392962" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; ">It was so special to be honored by the Rotary, Gift of Life Foundation Gala and receive a beautiful airplane in pure crystal that symbolizes to me how we bring light and love around the world. AAI helped Gift of life transport 37 children from <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297360353_0" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">El Salvador</span> last June for life saving heart surgeries. Last month we broke all monthly records utilizing AA's Miles for Kids in Need and transported 44 children. One of these was a Haitian girl, Lovely Adjuste, who received surgery in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297360353_1" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">New York</span>. She will return to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297360353_2" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Haiti</span> next week escorted by our first Airline Ambassadors <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1297360353_3" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Rotary mission! George Solomon</span> and team will escort Lovely home, and then travel to La Gonave providing solar panels, clean water and refurbishing the surgical clinic. Like light shining through a crystal, the good just keeps increasing!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-74295433346573699922011-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:26:55.158-08:00Anti-Trafficking Work at the Super Bowl<div><p class="MsoNormal">The training was a huge success.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We trained over 50 attendees, including flight attendants, TSA officers, and hotel personnel.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Traffick911 gave a great training, and attendees left feeling they had a better sense for how to recognize and respond to cases of human trafficking they encounter in their everyday lives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Together we discussed what the airlines could do to prevent human trafficking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>An idea that came up several times was to add human trafficking training to the already existing terrorism training, and to develop a standard procedure for flight attendants, pilots, dispatch, and other personnel to follow in cases of suspected human trafficking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">The training was blogged about on Free the Slaves' blog! Check it out: </span><a href="http://ftsblog.net/2010/10/07/airlines-should-be-on-frontline-of-anti-human-trafficking-efforts/?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d51c132ed54dd83%2C0">Airlines Should Be on Frontline of Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the training ended, I spent the rest of the week at the Command Center, a building that had been generously provided for our use during our outreach campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Unfortunately, the snow prevented us from going out as much as planned, but we kept busy despite that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We spent our days scrubbing the web, looking at the pictures on escort ads, saving the ones that looked underage, and comparing them to pictures of missing children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Through that work, we were able to tip off the police, leading to the rescue of two children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I must admit, it was one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever done, looking at pictures of children, some of them badly beaten and bruised, for sale.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When the weather was clear enough, we took to the streets for our business outreach efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We went to hotels, 7-11’s—anywhere the staff was likely to come in contact with potential victims of human trafficking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We showed them pictures of missing kids and asked if they’d seen them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We then encouraged them to keep the posters, and explained that we believed some of these children may have been brought to Dallas by child sex traffickers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We gave them a list of indicators that sex trafficking might be happening in their hotel, and asked them to keep an eye out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Overall, the businesses we approached were very receptive.</p><p class="MsoNormal">This past week was an incredible experience. I have been indirectly involved in fighting human trafficking for ten years. This week, I was part of a direct effort that freed two children. I know it is something I will never forget.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-41112530360056671842011-02-03T14:20:00.001-08:002011-02-03T14:28:32.793-08:00Training flight attendants on Human Trafficking<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Monday, AAI coordinated with Deena Graves of Traffick911 to train <span style="font-weight: bold;">over 50<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>flight attendants on human trafficking. Attendees learned how to <b>recognize</b> and <b>report</b> cases of <b>human trafficking</b>. The trainers also discussed topics like how traffickers control their victims, and the dangers of confronting a potential trafficker.<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For those who missed the training, <b>never confront a potential trafficker</b>. If you suspect there may be a trafficking situation in flight, <b>tell the pilot</b> to call dispatch with a detailed description of the situation and the people involved. Dispatch will then contact the appropriate ground authorities, which may be ICE, FBI, and/or local police. Once you've landed, call the national human trafficking hotline: <b>888-3737-888</b> and report the situation. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you see a potential trafficking situation on the ground, again, <b>never confront a potential trafficker</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Ask for a TSA Behavior Detection Officer and inform airport police. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please add your name to our campaign to <span style="font-weight: bold;">make human trafficking part of standard training for flight attendants</span>. Sign on to our Change.org petition <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.change.org/petitions/help_major_airlines_become_leaders_in_the_fight_against_human_trafficking">here</a>. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Keep your eyes peeled for announcements of <span style="font-weight: bold;">future trainings</span>!</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-40596834901356780392011-01-24T12:42:00.000-08:002011-01-25T11:54:33.595-08:00Orfanato Ninos y Ninas de Cristo, Dominican Republic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkURkAlPV-EhQO5HlYI3iqhR8OswosO7C6SMQ2DAp4926xihuhlarFlLL41l95Snyc4XkCsNtW7d-Vx42Q9vB-uvG_57bMBRzNmjqm6EGg37D6atJAVhRfMqarzNJq8722ioZl38du80/s1600/sheth_headsot.jpg"></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMyti2Rn_WmCRDHjtCI8Y6Ej9ZMrCh-AlIuHJizQjsI3Jqd8rSMbxJAKMuy1nTGJtP449jDQEUsmGH77YQw8bbzdL_hBUkRK0r6dVw73yvFu3yDgGnY-JEpcs5shsvHuvq4N7VXASY10/s1600/sheth_headsot.jpg"></a></span><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Just returned late last night. The trip was very productive and was nonstop Friday through Sunday. Bottom line is that we really made a difference in the lives of 172 children - ranging from food security (health), holiday gift giving (child welfare), Lisa's acquisition of water heaters (infrastructure), electrical components to install the air conditioners that Lisa bought last summer (infrastructure), stocking their library with purchased Spanish books and encyclopedias (education) and so much more.<br /><a href="http://airlineamb.org/Gallery/Dominican_Republic/index.html"><br /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkURkAlPV-EhQO5HlYI3iqhR8OswosO7C6SMQ2DAp4926xihuhlarFlLL41l95Snyc4XkCsNtW7d-Vx42Q9vB-uvG_57bMBRzNmjqm6EGg37D6atJAVhRfMqarzNJq8722ioZl38du80/s200/sheth_headsot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565856034058664098" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" border="0" /></span>Someone in the group said it well in that many go in with an expectation of trying to endure through all the strife they see but in reality meet the most loving group of 172 children anyone would have ever imagined.<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;"><br />Daniel</span></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;">Please visit the <a href="http://airlineamb.org/Gallery/Dominican_Republic/index.html">Airline Ambassadors Photo Gallery for more...</a></span></div>Webmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885207641973600147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-20328141751246953032011-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:002011-01-12T11:33:46.415-08:00Human Trafficking at the Super Bowl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s0eyQtpheOltIzVLdcMY3iFPv3NVW_97vfW8oqCAtw99LUTLTGhsyDOj1CmHJbdYLQesMFhscYOHAKHkz4_71dZH0BFk9hqXy5XBCQ2aFmKVoClpReQjydjEGAWX2GOrRU0eS9Itbgsp/s1600/human_trafficking.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9s0eyQtpheOltIzVLdcMY3iFPv3NVW_97vfW8oqCAtw99LUTLTGhsyDOj1CmHJbdYLQesMFhscYOHAKHkz4_71dZH0BFk9hqXy5XBCQ2aFmKVoClpReQjydjEGAWX2GOrRU0eS9Itbgsp/s200/human_trafficking.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561376903991715010" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What do you think of when you think about Super Bowl Sunday?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Football, good food, friends, tailgating, funny commercials, and parties all come to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here’s another one for the list: <b>human trafficking</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some groups estimate that thousands of children will be trafficked in Dallas during the week of the Superbowl.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We were horrified to hear that number, and just as determined to do something about it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That’s why we are partnering with Traffick911 to fight human trafficking this football season.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On January 31, we will help to train flight attendants and airport personnel to recognize and report cases of trafficking.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There will also be a massive awareness campaign entitled "<b><i>I'm Not Buying It</i></b>".<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">You can help by <b>spreading the word</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Whether you’re texting, typing, or talking, tell everyone you know that human trafficking is happening on a major scale and we can help to end it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">If you see something suspicious, please call the national human trafficking hotline at: <b>1-888-3737-888</b>.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3IK_9RP1Bv5zrC4V5ODuQcOiJw1VSD4h3ntHnCrkUGVGghsenHZPoh8YObTkNw3EmG4HXAdDfAoNk7vS6J7BCEBHYzgAeMPoCawi8nl0BmDMKKz19qgLV0kEPyrUSwn80IoO3TlaEu_v/s1600/Training+Poster.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3IK_9RP1Bv5zrC4V5ODuQcOiJw1VSD4h3ntHnCrkUGVGghsenHZPoh8YObTkNw3EmG4HXAdDfAoNk7vS6J7BCEBHYzgAeMPoCawi8nl0BmDMKKz19qgLV0kEPyrUSwn80IoO3TlaEu_v/s400/Training+Poster.bmp" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561377626958730322" /></a>Nancy Rivardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02153177941731129525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-50011235367613743192010-12-14T10:59:00.000-08:002011-01-13T08:54:30.885-08:00Unrest in Haiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT6hv6tWsTnY6XSgKQq1xDSjViwSiEVVuJ-SwEsliI8Ocod0y2cjp-iDVxyot-r1PIneVr6asZXFuiceWrpWk_R3xXpJdXXe651BXhdWu_htmlSgR5y7skYUuaUw2rCPYgNZ83M9e_siO/s1600/DaveCrop2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMT6hv6tWsTnY6XSgKQq1xDSjViwSiEVVuJ-SwEsliI8Ocod0y2cjp-iDVxyot-r1PIneVr6asZXFuiceWrpWk_R3xXpJdXXe651BXhdWu_htmlSgR5y7skYUuaUw2rCPYgNZ83M9e_siO/s200/DaveCrop2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550931904307613090" /></a><br /><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:black"><i>Dave Rivard writes to us from Haiti, describing the deteriorating situation:</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:black"><i><br /></i></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">12/08/10<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">Last night was pretty bad, today is worse. All airlines and borders are shut down. There is a complete (far as I’ve heard, blackout on news, excepting Metropol. A lot of gunfire and bombs et al. and an unsuccessful attempt to burn down several government buildings and the Kinam (right outside my window) last night.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">The airport is completely locked down with no flights from ANYONE till further notice. Needless to say, all roads are curfewed, and we saw the police carry away a guy walking down the street. The ones visible to us are all blocked anyway with hundreds of burning tires—that’s just from our little neighborhood. When you think of it, the government won’t budge, MINUSTAH is verboten on the streets, so that only leaves the Haitian police in control. They retreated with their limited resources to their police stations, so you do have in fact an anarchic situation. All UN staffers and I would guess all major NGO’’s are completely locked down. Our neighbors are all sitting on their roofs watching a serious 4<sup style="outline-style: none;outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial">th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of July celebration, complete with live ordinance for the fireworks. Recon helicopters are overhead—is this on CNN?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "><br /></span></p><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; ">12/13/10<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "> There are still tires burning in the streets and smoke everywhere… even the police seem sympathetic to the protesters--which is worrying, since if the re-tally is not what is wanted, I fear we will have an all out revolution in this country. There is absolutely NO food in the grocery stores except for a few bottles of ketchup. Today I had the last of cereal we had at the apartments. There is no more food or water….<span> </span>The UN is under complete lockdown. UN employees are ordered to stay in their apartments and commercial flights are not operating....<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black; "><br /></span></p><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv827299204msonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:14.4pt;outline-style: none;outline-width: initial;outline-color: initial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><i>To see Dave's videos visit our Youtube channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQfn4_yohg">here</a>.</i></span></p>Nancy Rivardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02153177941731129525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-16622052258060724272010-10-28T22:02:00.000-07:002010-10-28T22:14:24.198-07:00Somnang a Year Later<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5BsEE1sIL0xFvHmhVnuh-c9M4vN7PIFHU0nUgtweiEAkkznljFw9mEahHNUJIvsHiL17NAwIoYDHOR42e1Y-EEOmfiqKzod6xcPif0AaDLKMzlPU0uiPJz7iDkaHfYQHGD3cL0_O3JO4/s1600/Somang+%26+me.jpg.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5BsEE1sIL0xFvHmhVnuh-c9M4vN7PIFHU0nUgtweiEAkkznljFw9mEahHNUJIvsHiL17NAwIoYDHOR42e1Y-EEOmfiqKzod6xcPif0AaDLKMzlPU0uiPJz7iDkaHfYQHGD3cL0_O3JO4/s320/Somang+%26+me.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533331724324089170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFthML9d-EfU8n41AEyCZ3Iww-NylZpFoIG_QaGv-PVRtXcZm8qB5mC4p6TfNN4fGYsXgIH06n62TsduwknzMljxDUtXHmo8J4S8oay0B9rbwKtoKLYXfSXTzy9C4f0r6BvzPnOA8CHSx/s1600/Looking+at+herself+from+Oct+2009.jpg.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFthML9d-EfU8n41AEyCZ3Iww-NylZpFoIG_QaGv-PVRtXcZm8qB5mC4p6TfNN4fGYsXgIH06n62TsduwknzMljxDUtXHmo8J4S8oay0B9rbwKtoKLYXfSXTzy9C4f0r6BvzPnOA8CHSx/s320/Looking+at+herself+from+Oct+2009.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533331285654052002" border="0" /></a><br /><div id=":4e" class="ii gt"><div id=":4d"><div></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Pinch me!!! Pinch me!!! Pinch me!!!<br /><br />I've dreamt about this day since June - wanting to relive our day together, Somnang and I.<br /><br />Mr. "Rock'' - our tuk-tuk driver - drove us to Kerry's house, and Somnang was taking a nap. Srey Mau - the house mother - brought her downstairs and just the sight of her "healed" me.<br /><br />Of course I gave Kerry and her family a photobook of the pictures I had taken on my last visit to the orphanage and it was so interesting to observe Somnang looking at her pics of Oct 2009 when we found her</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > naked, homeless, motherless and nameless under a house</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br />Now she's safe & secure, growing, learning, AND PLAYING! Yesterday we brought Somnang and two of her older sisters (now she is the youngest of nine at Kerry's house) to our hotel pool. Ahhhh. Squeals of delight - and that was just me! Then to the ice cream parlor.<br /><br />Gotta run. We're off to Geraldine Cox's place to have lunch with her 100+ children there!<br /><br />Deb Quigley<br />AAI Volunteer<br /><br /></span><div></div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-14203894656940803292010-09-29T12:47:00.000-07:002010-09-29T13:41:41.953-07:00Living on Trash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5-UHiJjhvOCX2iTuu9omHcT6-tPWSz8FwVVwRWbuEOai0qrSuyO7_UI6bXbMDtLXJQ7cb-MXsJS8CG_aC4sMPq90GDjhxLoomSUk29rd2bT6HMn1CvyOkuSdUvoknyEz66ai3leIm5eU/s1600/DSC08135.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5-UHiJjhvOCX2iTuu9omHcT6-tPWSz8FwVVwRWbuEOai0qrSuyO7_UI6bXbMDtLXJQ7cb-MXsJS8CG_aC4sMPq90GDjhxLoomSUk29rd2bT6HMn1CvyOkuSdUvoknyEz66ai3leIm5eU/s320/DSC08135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522437766781295458" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >I’ve been frustrated for the last seven days that ‘aukun,’ thank you, is one of the only words I know in Khmer. But I’ve found that being equipped with ‘thank-you’ is better than nothing, and I am grateful that the Cambodians we’ve met so far are so forgiving. Today we find ourselves on the outskirts of Siem Reap, a major Cambodian tourist town thanks to the nearby temples of Angkor Wat.<br /></span><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >In the small community we have just driven into, our 4wheel-drive truck is the the only vehicle in sight, and the pot holes in the road made the experience closer to ‘off roading’ than driving. There is a small ‘store’ where a woman sells packaged sweets and some rice, although she explains through a translator that even that will be hard soon since her homemade roof is falling in.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >This impoverished community’s livelihood is the nearby trash dump, which boasts tourist hotel trash, and most ‘commerce’ revolves around this harsh economic reality.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >A visit from outsiders is not often seen and calls for an invitation from the village head. We crawl up a ladder to a one room house set eight feet off the ground on stilts for when the rains come. As always we are accompanied by children we’ve never met and some interested onlookers. The person in charge turns out to be an ancient-looking woman who holds the card to the rice distribution system managed by our guide, Kerry's, NGO called </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); text-decoration: underline;font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newhopecambodia.com%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFBhse2KO8-2QutNULRskiRwi8dXQ" target="_blank">New Hope Cambodia</a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >Every other week the village head goes to the rice distribution station and gets extra sacks of rice for everyone in her community.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >Most of those who have been lucky enough to find employment in this community are men who have been drafted into the Cambodian army. They are absent for long stretches of time and are paid about $50 a month. Their wives stay within the community and raise the children, occasionally collecting usable items or food from the nearby trash dump to live. Almost no one has a roof, let along a steady income. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >As we sit with the village head, Kerry tries to explain through her translator (a middle schooler who lives with her at the NGO base) that she is very sorry that they have not been able to fix the village well or sponsor any new families. A humanitarian organization put in a well about 6 months ago, but they did not dig deep enough, even though the villagers tried to explain how to get below the toxic upper layer of dirt, and now they have a new well that does not function so they’re still pulling dirty water from the old well. This is enough to make Kerry cry, since she feels that this community has depended on her and she has let them down.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >The village head looks a little confused by this blatant display of emotion in a culture where everyone has PTSD from the Khmer Rouge era, and it seems that only babies are given cultural permission to cry. But she smiles at Kerry and says that they are very grateful for the rice distribution and that it is okay, they are just glad we are here. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" >After our meeting we donate mosquito nets for the entire village, and when a guy selling frozen pops walks by, we can’t help but buy enough for the local kids. We ask Kerry if next time she comes she’ll bring toothbrushes to combat the sugar. She says, of course.<br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 0pt; direction: ltr;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Emma Blaxter<br />AAI Program Development</span><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-4994667812769117192010-08-28T11:54:00.001-07:002010-08-31T07:20:06.502-07:00Rebuilding in Cauquenes, Chile<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw2C43WATDCGfqrh6YCgMxy8ASFIGWkeB40DZYVMaQlCvevIinxa8VO3G78l1xxPIpxIV_rc1KMhJxcTMxFKnam9olUwK1J5DeiOPFyTOx75OHfkarg1crdBNm3z-fxyhAKAbo9lqYqSk/s1600/PIC_0378.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgw2C43WATDCGfqrh6YCgMxy8ASFIGWkeB40DZYVMaQlCvevIinxa8VO3G78l1xxPIpxIV_rc1KMhJxcTMxFKnam9olUwK1J5DeiOPFyTOx75OHfkarg1crdBNm3z-fxyhAKAbo9lqYqSk/s320/PIC_0378.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511578612628231666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">When an Airline Ambassadors team visited the town of Cauquenes at the epicenter of the huge earthquake that hit Chile on February 27th,</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> we were welcomed by 82 year-old Ilma who was still sweeping the floor of her partially destroyed home to keep it clean, appreciative of what she still had, despite hardly having walls or a roof. She and her husband had lost everything they owned.<br /><br />The couple had nothing to offer except grapes growing in their backyard, which they gladly picked and shared with us.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />In agreement with the local municipal authorities, AAI decided to help rebuild their house and we are pleased to report that their home is now fully rebuilt - a wood construction that is earthquake resistant.<br /><br />Other people's homes are at last being rebuilt under a government program that was long to get to the devastated community, where residents told us AAI was practically the only NGO that had been able to visit the epicenter so soon after the earthquake.<br /><br />Corey Aungst<br />AAI Mission Coordinator<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-size:11pt;color:transparent;" ></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-75592047160159169312010-07-31T12:20:00.000-07:002010-08-30T13:15:17.754-07:00So near, yet so far...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BP9j0W5454SQ9d5r2cXDZFtU5tlruQWchV8z7mCRdBBREv27J702Cnjn-E7JH6ziD7JOBcQK0R80P8yXsrTkqVWFFwJ-sAEDVqrK8QPsebac6Fip1-bH8gW5A64DvGFmDOrRg00oYjQ/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BP9j0W5454SQ9d5r2cXDZFtU5tlruQWchV8z7mCRdBBREv27J702Cnjn-E7JH6ziD7JOBcQK0R80P8yXsrTkqVWFFwJ-sAEDVqrK8QPsebac6Fip1-bH8gW5A64DvGFmDOrRg00oYjQ/s200/IMG_1217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501311749859000786" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span">As soon as we drive over the border, it is very evident we are stepping on foreign soil. Forget clean, sterile, and orderly, say hello to dirt, disorganization and poverty. The road that parallels the city provides instant saddening views of run-down shacks strewn down mountain sides along with their garbage. As we drive father down the coast to Ensenada, still in view is the ever present poverty, but the ocean views are spectacular.</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br />We have been conducting missions here for over two years. </span></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://airlineamb.org/TopLevel/5_Trips/AAI_Missions/Mexico/Brochure_Mexico_BGahman.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span">These missions</span></span></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> provide food and needed supplies to two different orphanages. The orphanages have approximately 40-50 children at any given time, some with special needs. Some of the children have been dropped off at the orphanages doors by parents too poor to feed them and more than likely have experienced some physical or sexual abuse. But they are the fortunate ones, at least they do not survive by living off the garbage dumps.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br />The downturn of the economy and violence between the warring drug cartels have all but dried up any support these orphanages used to receive. Too many times we have come down to find they were out of propane or the electricity was going to be cut off. Airline Ambassadors has set up a fund called the </span></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://airlineamb.org/TopLevel/3_Programs/Donate_To_A_Project_Template.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span">Mexican Orphans Fund</span></span></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> through which we have been able to help out one of the orphanages, Casa de Paz, for the last 20 months with their electricity and propane. They have been trying to be more self-sufficient, but they still desperately need our help.<br /><br />The other orphanage is called Pequenos Hermanos and we were saddened to find out on our last mission in July that their needs well exceeded what we originally thought. They had been cooking up rice, adding water to it and serving it as "rice soup" to the children. Our goal now is to be able to provide help and needed supplies to both orphanages through our fund.<br /><br />Most of the volunteers that go on these missions are repeat volunteers. It is easy to bond with the children and each other. Once they see the needs of these children it is easy to get hooked. Besides providing the help, we are also fortunate to stay in a gated beach front privately owned home. We make the time to enjoy the local cuisine and spectacular ocean views. The needs presented to us are overwhelming and never-ending but we do what we can a little bit at a time. After the missions are done, we are exhausted and filled with mixed emotions of fulfillment and sadness.<br /><br />As we drive back over the border again it is hard to believe such a foreign land is only two hours away.<br /><br />Becky Gahman<br />AAI Mexico Mission Coordinator</span><div style="margin: 1ex;"><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span><p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p> </div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-7336592799527715792010-07-19T18:49:00.000-07:002010-07-19T21:06:10.986-07:00A Trip to Mirebalais<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismrFHluEBO_S5EaehrRoWHx_STILhuEBX7Lg9qLwjCE5Jzj0MJRo7_JBcx2dN6DOBgzakeavKlUgWP3kBp-_MRZS9GcRyUSgw_lV15BHzTmLYD_myMmEOvCGKT_LEdCa8kzZkLFDKTyqS/s1600/2010_0629Temp0107(2).JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismrFHluEBO_S5EaehrRoWHx_STILhuEBX7Lg9qLwjCE5Jzj0MJRo7_JBcx2dN6DOBgzakeavKlUgWP3kBp-_MRZS9GcRyUSgw_lV15BHzTmLYD_myMmEOvCGKT_LEdCa8kzZkLFDKTyqS/s320/2010_0629Temp0107(2).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495834314993744866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The prevailing poverty continues to overwhelm me each time I return to Haiti, and the last trip was no exception despite the few slight improvements made to the country's infrastructure</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br />There really is no way to prepare those traveling with me what to expect, as full realization of the chaos caused by the earthquake has to be encountered first hand. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The poverty is too enormous, too widespread. New groups often get the feeling of: "<span style="font-style: italic;">Where</span> do we begin?" </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >It would be hard not to feel moved, frustrated, even futile.<br /><br />The difficult journey north to Mirebalais gave everyone time to reflect on the severity of the situation. By the time we arrived at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Orphanage for God's Children </span>the members of the group were naturally disposed to be captivated by the warmth of the children, demonstrating the effects of what a little kindness can do.<br /><br />We set to work with purpose creating a virtual classroom. You can imagine the buzz of excitement and the collective curiosity generated</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > by the forty individual laptops various AAI groups had donated</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >. One of the older children commented that "Airline Ambassadors is taking us out of the stone age".<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >We spent the next day training Haitian teachers on the use of the computers, and suggesting ideas for a curriculum as well as setting up educational seminars for the children. Sue Hanna gave a stimulating biology lesson to kick off proceedings. The children were like little sponges, soaking in every detail. One child mentioned that he "didn't think my body was like animal bodies".<br /><br />Education is clearly a crucial agenda for the development and future of Haiti.<br /></span><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Corey Aungst</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">AAI Mission Coordinator</span><br /><br /><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-29916266172093262062010-07-12T07:58:00.001-07:002010-07-12T19:11:15.342-07:00All Creatures - Great and Small...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5nWWdENqbKAefGjD5CEEloZgHxHycetF5qTSCC3ejwDfze4Amh4F426-T0lCWpShQycz5yNDVcfSLJxhYvqyEWAx-_fh6LC5vuDGtfbIzb4ivxqs4Qz5tXZbn7Ce3nFjwov_397Yk7MM/s1600/CIMG6242.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5nWWdENqbKAefGjD5CEEloZgHxHycetF5qTSCC3ejwDfze4Amh4F426-T0lCWpShQycz5yNDVcfSLJxhYvqyEWAx-_fh6LC5vuDGtfbIzb4ivxqs4Qz5tXZbn7Ce3nFjwov_397Yk7MM/s320/CIMG6242.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493035148285406306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>A passionate advocate for animals, Airline Ambassadors volunteer Kathy Casper has five dogs of her own. When she went to Haiti on an AAI humanitarian mission she met "Spy", a young Rottweiller owned by Gael Antoine, AAI's Haiti Logistics Director. Spy had been hit by a car, which had shattered the bone in his hind leg. Fearing the leg would have to be amputated, Kathy took the dog back to the US for treatment, paying the $150 in airline charges...This is her report back:<br /><br /></em>Just got home. Spy met with two doctors and one of the best orthopedic surgeons and had x-rays. Surprisingly, the advice was that the leg is healing nicely, and that surgery was unnecessary. He will walk with a limp because a pin is not an option as his bone was shattered, but new cartilage and bone is growing back. However, the dog is in no pain at all. They had him on an IV with antibiotics and a list of other things for two days and he is ready to go home to Haiti.<br /><br />We also did all the vaccines, so he is good to go. He has been a good patient and everyone loves him. Now I have to work on getting him back home. Ideally, it would have been great to have an x-ray machine in Haiti, but we certainly would not have gotten an expert orthopedic dog surgeon to work on Spy, so at the end of the day, Spy is a healthier dog.<br /><br />Kathy Casper<br />AAI Volunteer<br /></span> <div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote"><div vlink="purple" link="blue" lang="EN-US"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:'Garamond','serif';font-size:14pt;" ><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Garamond','serif';"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></div></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-12194312725229815772010-06-25T14:17:00.000-07:002010-07-02T22:27:14.882-07:00New Hope: A Life Transformed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMqxODyJgj9F2O0EIrdr2GPcjLgCFEf8thdv6SZitjLzo832X4uf2lQglkblzZNbiW_css3GkdF_NWeV5HHCJ0bi14M1vVKbrEPCsBvxdSGLsoy1-449qMajAUsAvotaW9KxVtnVpRLvZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-02+at+22.25.46.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMqxODyJgj9F2O0EIrdr2GPcjLgCFEf8thdv6SZitjLzo832X4uf2lQglkblzZNbiW_css3GkdF_NWeV5HHCJ0bi14M1vVKbrEPCsBvxdSGLsoy1-449qMajAUsAvotaW9KxVtnVpRLvZ/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-02+at+22.25.46.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489547222618398386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvo-AkPzI2ZXzuSE_YW391IVX8QjHRi8diaCBwrmrfUFZgvrPVbPtrkhxUgBUw3r8NhLP6D-CVAWzu8vqpB1t-nrMTLKJPKIf7-zat45HUpNlewkmddgKDWhO-xAYOIRJyYc3WbhR6o2K/s1600/DSC08091.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvo-AkPzI2ZXzuSE_YW391IVX8QjHRi8diaCBwrmrfUFZgvrPVbPtrkhxUgBUw3r8NhLP6D-CVAWzu8vqpB1t-nrMTLKJPKIf7-zat45HUpNlewkmddgKDWhO-xAYOIRJyYc3WbhR6o2K/s320/DSC08091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489544795920695250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:black;" ><div>I just spent the morning with Kerry at a place called <span style="font-style: italic;">New Hope</span> in Cambodia. It's a very impoverished community that this year has started to send its children to school for their first time.<br /><br />Last October, an Airline Ambassadors team identified a little girl in this village who had no name and no hair (the villagers called her "No Hair") - the daughter of a karaoke bar worker (involving sex work) who didn't want or couldn't raise her. She was a little two-year old who waited for her mother every day, just waiting, waiting, waiting.<br /><br /></div> <div>She is now safe in Kerry's loving home, speaking Australian English (Kerry's from Brisbane) and sooo eager to learn, so funny, so very full of life and hope. And she has HAIR. Her name is now <span style="font-style: italic;">Somnang</span> - meaning "New Hope" or "Lucky" in Khmer.<br /><br /></div> <div>I got to play with her today trying not to show my happy tears to see with my own eyes such a precious life transformed. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I am a witness</span><u></u>. Tomorrow we will bring her to our hotel to swim - Kerry said she's a little fish.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />Thank you everyone for your efforts, time, passion, and compassion.</div> <div> </div> <div><br />Deborah Quigley<br />AAI Volunteer<br /><br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-59598515838673371712010-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:002010-07-02T22:28:45.412-07:00Hope (& Tragedy) for Salvadorean Heart Children<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cwdXuiKGpmmQytSMriTNAhDTRDQvfr7UWb_QQECIfAVUIRj8IQCvS37r51Qa95x4MZRWcDT2eZKwz9lFnk_Dy2L90gLhJXX6zmKSz9_w0_DVu0xYeRnTOi3AcpI8JTq_pYJ6ZhofVse2/s1600/Arrival+in+DFW.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px; float: right; height: 240px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486182788084085426" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cwdXuiKGpmmQytSMriTNAhDTRDQvfr7UWb_QQECIfAVUIRj8IQCvS37r51Qa95x4MZRWcDT2eZKwz9lFnk_Dy2L90gLhJXX6zmKSz9_w0_DVu0xYeRnTOi3AcpI8JTq_pYJ6ZhofVse2/s320/Arrival+in+DFW.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Airline Ambassadors was honored to be a part of the recent <span style="font-style: italic;">Gift of Life</span> project that sent 40 Salvadorean children for heart surgery to 13 different countries.<br /><br />Each of the children was recognized in a special ceremony before leaving El Salvador. Airline Ambassadors had been able to work with American Airlines' <em>Miles for Kids in Need</em> program to facilitate the departure of 18 of the children to hospitals in the United States.<br /></span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The most memorable part of the trip was visiting little Gerson's house. The family truly has nothing. His mother's hug for each of us as we departed was especially poignant as she was putting all her faith and trust in us to take care of her little boy.<br /><br />Glenda and Stephanie Straub joined this effort as a mother and daughter team and participated at the ceremony, aid distribution, and as part of AAI's escort to Dallas Fort Worth.<br /><br />Pattye and Michelle from American Airline's <em>Miles for Kids in Need</em> met us in Dallas and helped facilitate SIX connections!<br /><br />Margaret Whitehead worked her usual magic and sent AAI escorts to facilitate the flight to Miami - David Coleman, Isabel Moss and Kathy Gonzalez.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />I met Brenda Small of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gift of Life</span> yesterday, as she returned to LA with the last of the kids. Bob Haynes, one of our pilot members, had bought each of the kids teddy bears and upgraded them all to first class!<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9HeKO5oJCf8m6GjgiO-FxiW5WB0nzQE3yQcJXru9LJUlSMb9S8_AuZYrjITHigcRk73X9_ZU2BtUQt8YPufJNpLI8V3_tH_GNcKF01-tNoyo8nmRgOJRod2ly9Mpzz_xYd7a3wzYzivl/s1600/CIMG6120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px; float: right; height: 240px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486184533312677730" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9HeKO5oJCf8m6GjgiO-FxiW5WB0nzQE3yQcJXru9LJUlSMb9S8_AuZYrjITHigcRk73X9_ZU2BtUQt8YPufJNpLI8V3_tH_GNcKF01-tNoyo8nmRgOJRod2ly9Mpzz_xYd7a3wzYzivl/s320/CIMG6120.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >Most of the children Airline Ambassadors escorted out have already had their surgeries and are doing fine, but nine-month old Brian Zameta (photo), who traveled all the way to Jordan, died </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >of kidney failure </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >shortly after his operation. He joined</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > little Christopher Alexander Aquino Castaneda</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" > who had died before even leaving El Salvador.<br /><br />We are planning an AAI mission back to help the families in August or September.<br /><br />Nancy Rivard<br />President, Airline Ambassadors</span> <div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-44825881034201933502010-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:002010-05-28T13:48:48.404-07:00Music for a Better Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fkk0VbWfsDPzS7WL5j75gQcGPHeRQSvu0zJ6R75TK50vQW9jQmd1NeaUia_kZPK_PyZR_Sl18qHAlNFWblyPUmkcZCHV1fr7Xk-otlm69ogLxY3jTYQchwHCW5RJLlEgifDeiF7E2Qri/s1600/0525101334-00.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fkk0VbWfsDPzS7WL5j75gQcGPHeRQSvu0zJ6R75TK50vQW9jQmd1NeaUia_kZPK_PyZR_Sl18qHAlNFWblyPUmkcZCHV1fr7Xk-otlm69ogLxY3jTYQchwHCW5RJLlEgifDeiF7E2Qri/s320/0525101334-00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476416365663492434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Ecuador's Music for Life program that AAI supports by facilitating the donation of musical instruments by the Inter-American Development Bank, was a treat for the ears.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The school provides a musical education to children from families with very limited resources who would otherwise not have the opportunity.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It was fascinating to watch children as young as six working alone or with a mentor (often a musician with the country's Youth Orchestra) in sound-proofed booths. The cacophony I expected before I entered the school turned into the faint sounds of well-played violins, flutes, clarinets and the gorgeously rich sound of cellos reaching me through the doors of the booths.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5d-ndewhpEqTc36UhyphenhyphenpWChzcB4brUTCvmuU9A38mWpa8-AYNoeZ7azfWna5kW9VQ5zuo2CehzTAtrFdBVuU6TcrKHFygDiWsVQ8XgGvEMrAlLaIE_CbTyQv-lWuu1vVd83GVjLAu-bjT/s1600/0525101359-01-1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5d-ndewhpEqTc36UhyphenhyphenpWChzcB4brUTCvmuU9A38mWpa8-AYNoeZ7azfWna5kW9VQ5zuo2CehzTAtrFdBVuU6TcrKHFygDiWsVQ8XgGvEMrAlLaIE_CbTyQv-lWuu1vVd83GVjLAu-bjT/s320/0525101359-01-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476418642040380242" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >One child of about eight, meditatively leaning on his cello waiting for a lesson to complete behind a classroom door, illustrated the school's notion of teaching children discipline and patience.<br /><br />Although the children come from under-privileged homes, studies have shown that by learning to play a musical instrument their chances of reaching university level increase by 10%.<br /><br />Joseph Mutti<br />AAI Administration</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-50355639626539332962010-05-26T08:36:00.000-07:002010-05-26T09:00:18.801-07:00Compassion in Action<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cEjoaKjN3CO38hz8IU_Rgo8I7i7qdbaYGzfCyM6Jyf7dqppFf5QY9kHMrC8riGXL7bCM4V0J7_hKkUR2kzphnhzIy7md_1B0_isDYbLd8ARs_NdpC5CrSrh4E-F5GGyMkzHv-IeiVoFd/s1600/2010_0428brianSaoPaulo0003.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cEjoaKjN3CO38hz8IU_Rgo8I7i7qdbaYGzfCyM6Jyf7dqppFf5QY9kHMrC8riGXL7bCM4V0J7_hKkUR2kzphnhzIy7md_1B0_isDYbLd8ARs_NdpC5CrSrh4E-F5GGyMkzHv-IeiVoFd/s320/2010_0428brianSaoPaulo0003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475608500613342114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">American Airlines flight attendant Brian McGovern recently escorted Ever, age 13, a triple amputee, and Cynthia, age 9, who received a prosthetic leg, back to Sao Paolo, Brazil. The children were escorted part of the way by F/A Gina Ozuna who flew from her home in California to Atlanta just to escort these children to Miami where Brian took over. The following are his comments.</span><br /><br />-------------------<br /><br />The kids are winners who won my heart.<br /><br />We traveled on AA 995 on the 26 of April from Miami to Sao Paulo. The first officer, George, offered his help right away after I explained what I was doing. He waited in Sao Paulo outside customs and immigrations for us to make sure everything went OK. He also waited in Sao Paulo on the other side of immigration to make sure I made my return flight and walked me to the gate.<br /><br />On board the entire crew were incredible. Marina, Bridget and Walter kept the children's dinners warm while they slept, offered cookies and other treats, and even helped me brush Cynthia's hair to make her pretty for arrival in Sao Paulo. Walter waited at the exit of customs to ensure we cleared without any complications.<br /><br />I was overwhelmed by their help and sincere warmth. They truly cared.<br /><br />When I arrived at the airport in Sao Paulo for my return flight to Miami, lead agent Eduardo was so on top of things he had me ready for a fast efficient check in. He walked me to the immigration line and since I was in uniform assisted me to the front. I was treated like a celebrity.<br /><br />The help from, the doctors, the host family, Candice from Childsping, Merrily from Airline Ambassadors, was the most important part for Ever and<br />Cynthia's trip. My part was, which was my honor, was to get them home, and what a<br />nice trip it was because of the everyone's kindness.<br /><br />Brian V. McGovern<br />American Eagle MIA Emp# 614563 </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"><span style="background-color: transparent;font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#000000;" ><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-79541826687479875942010-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:002010-07-31T15:12:04.841-07:00A Haitian Dream<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >The first person I spoke to, as I left the airport to enter the cacophony of Port-au-Prince, was a woman seeking to offer me taxi service. While we were driving I asked her the natural questions about "l'événement" (the event) as Haitians discretely refer to the earthquake, seeking to put it behind them by using a non-specific word.<br /><br />She told me she had lost her husband and that her dream was to own a tent where she and her new-born could live. A simple enough dream, but a huge challenge amidst the desperation of two million homeless seeking shelter.<br /><br />As the car negotiated the mountain of rubble that is today's Port-au-Prince I found myself wondering what her dreams had been <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> the earthquake when her husband, alive and hopeful, cradled their new daughter in his warm arms.<br /><br />Joseph Mutti<br />AAI Administration<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-87731727809890180592010-04-10T15:50:00.000-07:002010-05-01T09:14:36.517-07:00People who never miss an opportunity to show affection for others<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlRfr7iw1GAsVSFH5CJcLJuZ9LYdOLxQhKfYcs6kY3QkhIZYeFZJ7GW3_OJngvqblJJSCLsyK2bd8cgkPEhmUly9YmaxosVM_wjJrI7X9yLqteZlmFEH2L9z3v61SDrKnl5vedB1P1fab/s1600/Michael+Brewer+and+Richard.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlRfr7iw1GAsVSFH5CJcLJuZ9LYdOLxQhKfYcs6kY3QkhIZYeFZJ7GW3_OJngvqblJJSCLsyK2bd8cgkPEhmUly9YmaxosVM_wjJrI7X9yLqteZlmFEH2L9z3v61SDrKnl5vedB1P1fab/s320/Michael+Brewer+and+Richard.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458663376712516162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">On my way to one of the orphanages I met Michael Brewer. He lost three homes and two kids in the earthquake. Here he is pictured with Richard, a very loving child who lost a leg under a collapsed wall. Michael has already arranged a prosthetic replacement for him.<br /><br />Mike's a quiet man with few words who has been living in Haiti the last 10 years helping abandoned street kids with his organization <a href="http://hski.org/">"Haiti Street Kids Inc"</a>. He took us to Solino, a section of Port-au-Prince that houses the poorest of the poor. W</span><span style="font-family:arial;">hat immediately surprised me was that amidst the dirt and wretchedness people seemed genuinely happy. I guess when you have nothing, you have nothing to worry about. The search for material things in life seems to bring nothing but stress and unsought responsibility.<br /><br />It was in Solino that I met Benjy Salomon. Mike had found him begging in the streets as a 6 year old and took him in. Benjy is now 21 and is always there to help me and watch my back whenever I'm Haiti. On my last visit he picked me up at the airport and gave me a big hug just resting his head on my chest for about 2 mins. He lives in a tent that is pristine and clean with twigs shaped into shelves to accommodate the little stuffed animals I have given him. </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">He is one of the many street kids that Michael has given a chance to build a future for themselves.<br /><br /></span></span> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Michael has done wonderful things in Haiti. He has been the victim of vicious slurs because he doesn't insert himself into the norm, simply getting down to the work at hand ignoring the pettiness and jealousies of some of the international community in Port-au-Prince.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">It is thanks to Mike and his deep humanity that I have come to love the people of Haiti who, like him, never miss an opportunity to show affection for another human being.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ruth Matranga<br />AAI Volunteer</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-67294709166848969732010-04-07T16:08:00.001-07:002010-07-19T19:13:13.656-07:00Learning to make better judgements...<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Belinda Stronach Foundation continues to provide Airline Ambassadors with a weekly flight of 70,000lbs of aid on aircraft from Toronto to Port-au-Prince.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On two occasions, as I've opened the newly arrived cargo, I've wondered: "What on <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">earth</span> am I going to do with 1,000 dolls in this post-earthquake devastation that demands so much higher priorities?" or "Good to get flashlights, but so many <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">thousands </span><span>of</span> them?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, out of the unlikeliest gift comes salvation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The dolls, it turns out, are very good physio-therapeutic devices for children who have lost limbs or been otherwise injured. They've been a godsend for hospitals, clinics and orphanages tending to such kids.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And I'm told by grassroots women's organizations that flooding the tent encampments with flashlights has made it very difficult for prowlers to grab women in the dark and rape them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So, I now reserve judgment on what comes in on these flights from the wonderful folks at Belinda Stronach Foundation and thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they continue to do for the people of Haiti in the unlikeliest of ways. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Dave Rivard</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">AAI Board Member<br /><br /><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566764605121631378.post-56184796256758956242010-03-09T12:23:00.000-08:002010-03-11T06:51:10.782-08:00Further to the unfounded rumors of violence against foreigners in Haiti<span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);font-size:11pt;" ><span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:7pt;" > </span></span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" >We tell all of our relief workers to come to Haiti first as trusting humanitarians and secondly as a volunteers seeking to put that humanitarianism into practice.<br /><br />Engage the people on the street and spend your money lavishly. Haiti’s future economic condition will determine if this whole effort is a success or not.<br /><br />According to the US Southern Command, the countryside of Haiti has hardly ever had an incident in which a visitor has been harmed. Port-au-Prince is obviously different, but has now changed as everyone seeks to help each other. Now is the time to wholly experience a unique culture that is possibly the most spiritual, and poorest, on earth.<br /><br />Dave Rivard<br />AAI Board Member<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0