Greetings to Everyone,
It has been a VERY busy & productive year. We knew that 2010 was going to be exciting, but WOW!!!
We have grown tremendously & it is being measured with accomplishments not $ signs. We have stuck to our business plan of proving ourselves, not selling ourselves.
GHA – PANAMA Progress Report:
Boquete Red Cross Chapter – We have seen increased growth & support from the local community for the Comite de Boquete, Cruz Roja Panamena. We recently received support & a partnership from the President of the Commission for Public Health, a partnership that will help provide more efficient health solutions for local residents. This partnership is in coordination with a new & already approved 24hr. hospital for Boquete & surrounding areas. The land proposed will allow for a localized Red Cross facility & training area for K-SAR (K-9 Search & rescue). With numerous missing hikers last year, the need is growing for greater search & rescue operations for the dense mountain jungles that make up the area surrounding Boquete.
Trisker Red Cross Support - Because of our volunteer recruitment & National lobbying for support of the local children’s home, Casa Hogar Herbert & Selma Trisker, the home is now receiving Red Cross volunteer support, CPR/First Aid training for ALL staff & donated medical resources. We recently had the request & opportunity to design an evacuation plan for the children & staff. We will soon finalize & present the plan, train the staff & children & implement critical safety measures ( such as removing locks that are out of reach of children, therefore preventing an evacuation if needed). There is so much needed, that we are constantly having to prioritize & juggle all the needs.
Trisker Medical Station – One of our GREATEST accomplishments at the time of this newsletter is the newly proposed Red Cross Medical Station for Casa Hogar Trisker. More than 60 children make up the residency of this orphanage & many times there is only “1″ staff member. The new administration is wonderful, they just need more support. As you can imagine, the health issues & emergencies that can & do arise in a home of this nature can be devastating. General hygiene at times is not an option due to water outages. Thanks to Dead Wheat Intl. those issues are being addressed & solutions are being implemented. The new medical station will provide daily medical support & overnight emergency assistance. Imagine chicken pocks for 67 children, lice control, scabies… Well, we don’t have to imagine because we are witnessing it… The new center will come include Policies & Procedures to help prevent these outbreaks. Preparedness, then Response.
Thanks to Prestige Builders of Boquete, the labor is already donated, now we just have to raise the funds for materials & setting up operations – $5,000
DONATE NOW to help us reach our goal.
March Madness – We learned A LOT in the first couple of weeks of March. We learned how quickly & easily tasks/projects can be accomplished when you mobilize nearly 50 volunteers & staff members in just 2 weeks. We also learned that GHA’s impact was not just felt by volunteers or those in need, but also by local economies. The first 2 weeks of March resulted in @ $30,000 of economic stimulus for local business. Booking dinner for 30 can be challenging & rewarding… Special Thanks to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington & Columbia University!
Aids/HIV Education – With manpower from Columbia University students, we were able to organize one of the LARGEST distribution campaigns for Health Education materials for the Panamanian Red Cross.
Village walkway Phase I - One of my favorite moments! On one of our group expeditions we had all intentions of teaching English on Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama. There was alread
y an education program in place & we were just going to support it with volunteers. BUT, when the only village grandmother was presented with the opportunity, she spoke up! “We NEED a walkway.”
Not only do they have to run across an active runway, because of their location on the island (pinned between the water & the airport), but they have to negotiate their way through muck & mire. Children going to school, parents going to work or mothers going to market, ALL in need. So with our team of volunteers from University of North Carolina at Wilmington, we had a scavenger hunt!
While I picked up supplies for the day, volunteers scavenged the island & found an old dock that had been recently dismantled. The materials were graciously donated & in no time at all they were loaded into the back of a pick-up & on the way to the runway. Then came the fun part… With the sun beating down mid-day, we began making trips carrying the materials by hand across the runway. “Be careful, Look both ways & UP! Please, don’t drop anything.” Before long, we had successfully moved the materials into place without incident & decided it was time for lunch. After lunch we returned to the village to find the most amazing sight! The men from the village organized by a local volunteer, Mark, had taken the used materials, pulled all the nails, straightened them & constructed nearly 50′ of their new walkway! (while we were having lunch). They didn’t need us, they needed the supplies! So, we used the walkway with great pride & entered the village to carry on with the English classes that we had previously planned on.
Village Walkway Phase II – During our “think-tank” to figure out materials that could be used for the walkway, one of staff members, Esteban Fox, suggested using old tires. The more we thought about it, the more it made sense. Materials would be expensive to complete the entire walkway & the environment would be harsh on most items that could be used. So, with the help of local business owners Christian (Aqua Lounge) & Christopher (Barnes & Dixon’s Smoked Fish House), we were able to locate 70 old tires. Our project just became 2-fold. Not only were we providing the village with the needed walkway, but we were also using recycled materials.
The tires were put in place by local volunteers, Mark, Bernadette & Veronica with help from James & students from Spanish by the Sea. Gravel was purchased (courtesy of the BESOS Foundation) & used to fill the tires, which produced large stepping stones.
$350 is still needed to cover previous & upcoming expenses – to help with part or all of this DONATE HERE!
Comedor Infantil Library – Susan Aldrich of Charlotte, NC completed her partnership of support & donations for the Infantil Comedor Feeding Center’s Library/Learning Center in David, Panama. With her first library project in Panama complete, she has already begun her next in the Bocas del Toro Islands in partnership with Isla Solarte’s English Teacher, Candy.
Solarte – Home Sweet Home – This is the story of getting what you ask for. On one of our first visits to Isla Solarte, I had the pleasure of meeting an elderly woman. She had been kissed by the sun for many years & had a pleasant island energy to her. I had been told of her previously by the folks at the Solarte Inn. She cares for an injured son who can no longer work & she has developed emphysema. Certain folks on the island buy propane for her so that she can cook on a simple gas burner instead of using the open fires that are traditionally used by the indigenous throughout Panama & the rain forest belt around the globe. Open fires account for MANY health issues here in Panama as well as globally. From burns to respiratory problems to deforestation, our partner Dead Wheat Intl. addresses this & has developed a solution – smokeless stoves. Well on this early visit when we met, we also witness the dilapidation of her home & the steep stairs that she has to climb. We began discussing her needs & our desire to help make her life a little simpler… then GHA Board Member, Randy Robinson (of Robinson Construction Co. Hillsboro, OR) stepped up & sponsored the costs of the entire project, THANK YOU Robinson Family!
Smokeless Stoves – WOW! I hardly know where to start with this one… It has been a true pleasure to partner & support the work of Dead Wheat Foundation, Intl. We started by bringing their technology to the Red Cross in response to “respiratory issues & deforestation in the indigenous regions”. Dead Wheat has developed an appropriate solution, they designed a mold for a stove that burns cleaner & more efficiently. (You have probably ready about this in previous newsletters.) Well, the molds are here & our first expedition out to train locals on how to use them is next week! We will be back in the Bocas del Toro Islands with the band, “Ugly Kid Joe”. This is a very exciting time for all of us here as we continue to network & figure out the logistics of sharing this solution with the millions globally that need it. READ MORE
GHA/Red Cross Internships – At GHA we are constantly trying to design programs & procedures that are efficient & easy to duplicate. Well, with the response that we’ve been getting, we needed to find a way to handle more volunteers. So, we are launching what we anticipate to be a huge opportunity for our growth, extended volunteer opportunities & extensive volunteer/financial support for the Panamanian Red Cross – GHA/Red Cross Internships. This program is for volunteers who are ready to develop & implement solutions. Volunteers will be placed with Red Cross Chapters throughout the country based on their experience & areas of interest. Volunteers must be self-motivated & willing to help out with administration, project development, field time & lots of variables. “Patience & Flexibility”
VolunteerBoquete.org – Has been on the “to do” list for quite some time… We were able to complete this project with the help of Natalie, volunteer from Australia. We launched the site “under construction”, she found it online, contacted us immediately & was here the next day. So, naturally we put her to work on the site that brought her to us. Her motivation & work ethic were incredible. She coordinated the site, which is a virtual community center & online bulletin board for local organizations, volunteers & residents. The sites goal is to coordinate efforts & organizations for more efficient & effective re
sults. Thanks Natalie, the site has already proven a BIG success for the community & has truly networked a large number or resources for good. Thanks again Natalie!
www.VolunteerBoquete.org
Beans with Benefits – We have known for a while that people want to help & want to be a part of our programs & it is quite clear that the more accessible they are, the more people we can involve. So, we are working to “blend social responsibility into our daily lives” & one our latest ways to do this is through our “Beans with Benefits”. It’s a premium blend of coffee, grown right here in Panama at over 4,000′ & roasted especially for GHA. Place your order today, “Wake up & change the world.” Our exquisite coffee is available in whole bean 12oz bags for $10 & makes GREAT gifts.
To order simply email your order to rpickett@gogha.org
“Enjoy your Social Responsibility”
Humanitarian Happy Hour – Another “fun-raising” event! We launched the first one last month to celebrate the completion of VolunteerBoquete.org The idea, bring people, organizations & businesses together in a relaxed environment without having to spend a lot time & money organizing a HUGE fundraiser. (Make it simple, low-cost & easy to duplicate.) Well, it worked! Volunteers came together, Organizations networked with each other & the community. We raised $ with a simple raffle & that is just the beginning of its success… Businesses began contacting us the same night to sponsor the next event. Organizations, residents & the media thanked us for being able to provide such a valuable resource for the community & that is how Prestige Builders came about to donate the labor for the new proposed medical station for Casa Hogar Trisker! Additionally our “Humanitarian Happy Hour” will be held in just the 2nd month of launch in 10 different cities on 4 continents!!! These events are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month & June’s will be on the 24th, coincidentally the 151st Anniversary of the International Federation of Red Cross Societies.
If you are interested in seeing how you can participate, send an email to rpickett@gogha.org
“Enjoy your Social Responsibility”
We have been able to accomplish GREAT things in short periods of time, that is due to our supporters, volunteers & donors. Without you, we can’t continue. So, Thank You to everyone who has already supported us, to those of you who continue to support & to those of you supporting us now!
Photo Galleries & Slide-shows for the many projects will be live soon!
To ensure our continued progress, DONATE HERE
Cheers,
robb
If you’re not making a Difference, Do something Different”
Partnership between Red Cross & Trisker Children's Home
traditional open fire cooking stove
smokeless stove produced by Dead Wheat Intl.
