October 2006 All Together Now International
You Can Make A Difference,
But Together We Can Make A Change
www.alltogether.org | +1 (720) 565 8777 | info@alltogether.org | PO Box 7111 · Boulder, CO 80306 · USA
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE
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Assa's Story
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Announcements and Activities: Blogging with ATNI
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Peek into ATNI's Mongolia Project
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Project Spotlight: Philile and Nokuzola of Woza Moya
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News: Check out online articles concerning the developing world.
SHANTI SEWA GRIHA: Assa's Story
A few weeks ago, a severely handicapped 7 year old girl was brought to the doorstep of Shanti Sewa Griha (Nepal). The elderly woman who had brought the girl to Shanti's doorstep said she had been left behind by a couple staying at the woman's inn. Weighing only 11 kilos, the girl had no eyes. She was dressed in rags and unable to speak. Since no one could know the names of this poor child, the people at Shanti began to call her Assa, meaning 'hope' in Nepalese. Assa is now being looked after with love and kindness by the community at Shanti. She sits in the kindergarten room with the other children, who come to caress her now and again. She sleeps in a big bed where the night nurse watches after her, wrapping her in a warm blanket and gently stroking her cheek. The hope that Assa would smile one day eventually came true. This is the hope that Shanti has for all the suffering children in Nepal, and with continued support, more and more of these destitute children will learn to smile again.
Announcements and Activities
GRANTS...We thank Jon Krakauer for a generous grant from
his Everest ‘96 Memorial Fund, which will be used to support
our pediatric spinal care work with
GRANT WRITING WITH JARETT...Titled Support for ATNI, Jarett's blog looks to the importance of relationships, commonality, and focus in ATNI's growth. Go to http://www.alltogether.org/blogs/guestjz.shtml to read Jarett's comments.
HEADING TO WOZA MOYA WITH GWENDOLINE...As a graduate student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Gwendoline is doing research on ATNI's sponsored charity, Woza Moya, for her thesis work. To follow Gwendoline's progress, go to http://www.alltogether.org/blogs/guestgwendoline.shtml. If interested in donating to Woza Moya or in providing resources for Gwendoline's research, contact ATNI at www.alltogether.org or info@alltogether.org.
VOLUNTEERING AT
ATNI...Go to http://www.alltogether.org/2006/YouCanHelp2.shtml
for a list of volunteer opportunities!
THANK YOU! We owe many thanks to Matt Coburn who
volunteers his time to update our website. Check out Matt's graphic
design website at www.nuage9.com or
e-mail him at mariah4435@yahoo.com.
ATNI would also like to thank Connie of Sentient Publications for
providing us with great support.
MONGOLIA
Fifteen year old Zheng Haiyan of Mongolia, pictured in the center and right with Dr. Villavicencio and Dr. Odom, recently underwent surgery for her scoliosis. Dr. Odom, who has performed multiple scoliosis surgeries in tandem with ATNI, and Dr. Villavicencio traveled from the USA to collaborate with a team of Chinese doctors and nurses:
Pictured with his father, Zhao Haixiao also needs surgery for his scoliosis but requires a more involved procedure than what is currently offered in China. As a candidate for surgery in Denver, Zhao must first get a passport before making the journey. In cases like Zhao's, diplomatic issues prove unbearably slow when urgent healthcare is needed:
WOZA
MOYA: Meet Philile and Nokuzola
Like most of South Africa, the rural community of Chibini has been overwhelmingly devastated by HIV/AIDS. Widespread poverty, illness, and extremely limited resources are just some of the issues the community faces. Woza Moya has been working since 2001 to relieve some of the tremendous suffering that HIV/AIDS has caused in this community. Focusing on HIV/AIDS education, home-based care, and orphan assistance, the work of Woza Moya is uplifting individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.
Two such individuals
are Philile and Nokuzola, sisters of 15 and 6 years who lost both of
their parents in 2002 from HIV/AIDS. After their parents’ death, the
two girls continued to live in Chibini with their grandmother and uncle.
The eldest sister, Philile, was sexually abused by her uncle and
received no sympathy from her grandmother, who forced the girls to work
hard for their keep. Sadly, in these communities, the suffering of
HIV/AIDS victims and their families is often looked upon as deserved.
Lack of proper education and understanding about HIV
/AIDS
can lead to cruelty and rejection from the rest of the community.
When the girls’ uncle began to make advances toward her younger sister Nokuzola, Philile would not stand for it. She took her sister and ran away to Ixopo, where she contacted a social worker about the abuse. Fortunately, the uncle was arrested and charged.
When Woza Moya located the two girls in Ixopo, they were staying with a distant relative who was too poor to take care of them. Philile and Nokuzola were very cold and hungry, and Woza Moya provided them with warm clothing and food. Philile was especially afraid of being found and killed by someone from her village. Safety and security was of the utmost priority for the young girls. Working with the social worker, Woza Moya was able to make arrangements for the girls to live with an auntie in Durban. They also began applying for a foster child grant to help support the family. In the meantime, Woza Moya was able to find two overseas donors to help support Philile and Nokuzola for 6 months until the foster child grant came through.
Philile and Nokuzola are now back in school and doing much better. The girls are very happy in their new home, where they are cared for each day in a loving and supportive environment.
This is just one example of how the work of Woza Moya is creating positive change in the lives of those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. When you donate to ATNI, you can help Woza Moya to further their efforts to create lasting solutions to the devastating consequences of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Make your donations online at www.alltogether.org.
Donate, Volunteer or Support...All Together Now welcomes your tax-deductible contributions, your time and skills, and your support! For information regarding donations, volunteer opportunities, ways in which you can support ATNI's upcoming events, or to be added to our mailing list, please visit us online at www.alltogether.org, e-mail us at info@alltogether.org or call us at 720 565 8777.
News
Released in 2004, The Report of the World Commission assesses the dangers of our current globalization patterns. Covering many inter-related fields and facets, the report pushes for more equitable globalization practices and speaks of those who suffer from our current system: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/fairglobalization/report/index.htm.
With many seeking holiday vacations abroad, it's important to consider the impact tourism makes on indigenous cultures and environments. Take a look through these tips to see how you can be a more conscientious traveler: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1100182468244.
The United Nations declared the years 2005-2015 the Water For Life Decade in hopes of raising awareness concerning the worldwide water crisis. For more information, visit http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/.
How global is the Sustainable Development movement? Take a peek at the 2005 map of National Sustainable Development Strategies to check out various countries: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/nsds/nsds_Map2006.pdf.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jennifer Cleary · President | Cynthia T. Kennedy, Esq. · Treasurer | Steven Harrison · Author | John Odom, MD · Orthopedic Surgeon | Wendell Wallach · Business Consultant | Joe Braidish · Business Management Consultant
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Margaret Cleary · Rehabilitation Nurse | Scott Dimetrosky · Executive Director International Mountain Explorers Connection | Dorje Dolma · Surgery Recipient | Tsering Dolma · Surgery Recipient | Rick Doty · Certified Public Accountant | Michael Friedenberg · Real Estate Broker | Eric Jamrich, MD · Orthopedic Surgeon | Jill Kamon, MD · Pediatrician | Jon Krakauer · Author |
David Spiegel, MD · Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon