Assist International

Orphans Receive Shoes

2009-11-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of orphans at AOET villages in Uganda received much needed footwear this past fall. The young students received dress shoes for school and a pair of athletic shoes for play.

The dress shoes were donated by Stacy Adams, the makers of classic footwear styles. The athletic shoes were donated by END footwear, the environmentally sport shoe. Soles4Souls facilitated the donation.

Many of the shoes that the children were wearing were completely filthy with bald soles and split sides. The children were extremely excited to have new shoes, some were moved to the point of tears.

Assist International would like to thank our friends at Soles4Souls to help us receive the shoes. We would also like to thank END Footwear and Stacy Adams Footwear for their generous donations.

Medical Project in Cuba

2009-10-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

In September, volunteers and members of Assist International completed a medical project at the William Solar Teaching Hospital in Havana, Cuba. The Pentecostal Assemblies of Cuba, a group of 3,000 churches, invited AI to do this project for children in Cuba. The most critically ill children are sent to this hospital for treatment.

The hospital was fully equipped with Intensive Care and Critical Care equipment. With generous donations from GE, Assist International provided six new full perimeter cardiac care monitors and six “step down” monitors for post surgical care. Other equipment donated and installed included two ventilators, an echocardiography ultrasound, a general ultrasound, two baby warmers, two incubators and six oak wood bassinets. Training, medical supplies and accessories were also provided.

The staff at William Solar Teaching Hospital are very excited for these recent additions to lift the hospital to a new level of health care. The doctors and nurses are outstanding caretakers and fully dedicated in their work.

Clean Water Well Project in Uganda

2009-09-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

A well was drilled in May at an AOET village near Jinja, Uganda. In July, members of Assist International joined members of AOET and Rotary International in a dedication of the well.

Potable drinking water (below) flows from the pressure tank during the dedication. The well will provide clean water for over 400 orphans and other family members in the village. Bob and Charlene Pagett (2nd below) stand outside the building that house the storage tanks.

A diagram of the type of well drilled at the AOET village

Medical Project in Jinja, Uganda

2009-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

In August, a brand new state of the art ICU monitoring system was installed at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. Jinja Hospital the largest hospital in eastern Uganda, serving roughly 4 million people. The hospital has a bed capacity of 600, although many more patients are admitted, with some sleeping on the floor.

Members of Assist International were joined by GE Medical to help with the installation and training for the medical staff of the hospital. GE Medical also completely upgraded the surgical theaters with new equipment.

Shoes Delivered to Orphans in Uganda

2009-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Executive director, Tim Reynolds handed out shoes earlier this month to orphans in Bugembe, Uganda, near Jinja. More shoes are on their way to the village so that each child has a pair of shoes in his or her size.

The shoes were donated by END Footwear to Soles4Souls, a partner of Assist International. Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. They have a mission to impact the world with the gift of shoes.

Felix Family Village Thailand

2009-06-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

A letter from Caminul Felix Villages, Thailand:

Dear Friends!

What joy it is to write to you again. We have big news to tell you about the inauguration of Felixbyn May 8-10, a weekend we will all remember with great joy and gratitude. That this happened during the rain and monsoon period was proved by the evidence, when the storm broke out just before the flower decorated bands in the village would be cut. Children, parents and guests gathered under a tent that was set for the day. The rain eventually was over, and the party could begin. Several speeches were made, and again we were reminded of the great miracle we could see this day, by being able to open the four homes. It all began with a vision a few years ago to provide a mother, father and family to the lonely and abandoned Children.

The local mayor was there along with national and international leaders and guests. Along with one of our children, the mayor cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and the four homes. The Felix families showed their gratitude for the homes built by funds from private donors and the magazine Varlden Idag. Donors attending were Margareta and Jarl Josefsson and Jonas Adolfsson from the newspaper Varlden Idag. The Jim Sankey family from USA, who built two of the houses, was represented by Felix Caminul International Foundations Chairman, Bob Pagett from the U.S.

It was nice to see little Firn, dressed in a white dress for the day. Together with the Mayor and Bob Pagett, she cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and to her home. She was the first girl who moved in with family K with her brother Frank. What a joy it was to see her happy and pleased with her new parents and siblings!

After the ribbon was cut, the visitors greeted the different families. It was a day on which all enjoyed and delighted. We were invited to Thai snacks and drinks. A slide show was displayed that showed the different steps of the Felix Village from start to where it is today.

Thanks to all of you who sent a love gift to the inauguration. It meant a lot to us, to know that you are with us in the work. Thank you for your gift!

Olanchito, Honduras

2009-05-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Executive Director Tim Reynolds helps build a cement pad for a building that will protect a water filter for the Hospital in Olanchito.

Assist International members also installed a pressure gauge that collects data on the water systems to help complete the design of the new filters.

Darfur School Completed

2009-03-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

A teacher stands outside her classroom

With over 36,000 inhabitants, the majority of them Darfurians, the Deraige IDP camp houses thousands of children seeking refuge from the war-torn countryside. Families forced to flee their homes see the IDP as a temporary situation, but with the continued genocide in Darfur, many of the internally displaced children will end up spending their entire childhood in the camp.

In partnership with EDOOS (Educational Development Organization of Sudan), Assist International helped lay the ground work for two additional schools built in the Deraige IDP camp. The project required the hiring of local residents (men and women) to work with the contractors which boosted the local economy and instilled the community with a sense of community ownership.

The additional classrooms will allow continued education for children in primary school to complete all five primary grades, which is the minimum period required for achieving basic literacy.

Adidas Giveaway

2009-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Assist International sent boxes of gear, donated by Adidas to orphans of Abokobi, Ghana. Here are some pictures of the youths sporting their new tops, bottoms and shoes.

Otino-Waa Children's Village

2009-02-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Africa is very beautiful and majestic but it can also be dangerous, especially to the children who have been victims of civil war. They have become orphans and refugees in their own country. The squalor of refugee camps have now given way to a new home, The Otino-Waa Children's village.

Established in 2003 by Path Ministries, Otino-Waa Children's Village is located in Lira and means "our children" in the Luo language. It is home to boys and girls, ages 5-18 and is a place of safety, learning and healing. It offers family, protection, housing, education, health and spiritual guidance to orphaned children.

The twenty acre compound contains circles of homes for eight kids, with a widowed "house mom." This home environment recreates a family unit where care and love can be shared. The children have on site school, medical treatment, vocational training, sports, nutrition and 24 hour security.

Here is a video of the planning, the constructing, the sacrifice and the love that went into one home at Otino-Waa. This project coordinated by Assist International, led a group from Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA to the heart of Uganda to make a difference.

Progress in Darfur School

2008-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

The building of the school in the IDP camp is proceeding on schedule despite a few difficulties. The school will open in January to students in kindergarten, first grade and second grade.

Part of the plan has been to employ local people for their sakes and to boost the local economy. The women have also joined the labor force which is very unusual in Sudan. It has been a blessing for them to receive a salary and great for their families.

School being built in Darfur IDP Camp

2008-11-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Assist International team member Steve Savelich recently returned from the Southern Darfur region of Sudan, where he stayed in one of the IDP camps near the city of Nyala.

The IDP camps house around 36,000 inhabitants with thousands of children seeking refuge from the war-torn countryside. Families forced to flee their homes see the IDP as a temporary situation, but with the continued genocide in Darfur, many of the internally displaced children will end up spending their entire childhood in the camp.

Steve met with EDOOS (Educational Development Organization of Sudan), a local NGO that has started a school in the camp in order to give the children access to education and provide stability in their lives during this time of fear and uncertainty.

Initially working with 180 children in different classes, EDOOS was able to build two additional, temporary classrooms in 2007 to allow for a total of 259 children. In February 2008, at the end of the academic year, 212 of the 259 children had been advanced to the next class level. However, more schools, classrooms and teachers are needed to fulfill the growing demand.

With the approval to build another school in the camp, Assist and EDOOS began construction this fall. The school should be completed by the middle of December and it will hold over 300 children. There will be classrooms for kids in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, with an additional grade added each year until elementary education is fully functioning for all grades.

Water Filters in Honduras

2008-08-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of one of the pressure boosting pumps that was installed at the Gracias Lempira Hospital in Honduras. They will boost the water pressure coming from our filter units into the hospital.

In March, Assist International sent a team to construct buildings to house the water filters that were donated by GE technology. They will supply clean drinking water to the hospitals in Gracias Lempira and La Esperanza.

Assist International and GE Send Water Purification Systems to China

2008-08-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Assist International and GE worked together to send three water purification systems to aid victims of the May 12 earthquake that devastated the region of Sichuan Province, in central China. The water filtration systems were specifically earmarked for installation in small villages in the mountainous region near Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan Province. They will ensure safe drinking water for students and villagers struggling to cope with the effects of the earthquake.

"It doesn't matter where you come from or what language you speak, the tragedy in Sichuan Province was felt by billions around the world," said Assist International President Bob Pagett. "The pictures carried by the news into all of our homes touched a raw nerve ... we will never forget the anguish on the faces of the parents who learned their family members were killed in the earthquake," Pagett said.

One system was installed for a Kindergarten Facility; one installed in a local high school; and one provided for the villagers in a community center. All together, the three systems will give fresh potable water to thousands of Sichaun Province residents for many years to come.

"Our hearts go out to all the victims and their families for enduring one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory. In addition to other aid supplies and in conjunction with our partners at GE, we hope that these water purification systems will provide some measure of relief to those working to repair their damaged homes and communities," Pagett said.

Caminul Felix Updates

2008-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Choir

The Romanian Caminul Felix choir tour in Scandinavia was a success. The families got to meet and fellowship with many churches and good friends throughout the tour. We would like to thank Roland Nelsson and Lennart Larsson who planned the concerts and made the trip possible. The kids had a great time and they will remember this experience for life.

Thailand

Our sister village in Thailand is growing. There are three families now having received new children. We see the finest Thai leaders emerge with great integrity. Our friends Gunilla and Johan Akterhed are the hands, heart and mind of this worthwhile project. We ask for your prayers and support for the new families in Thailand.

For more information or to receive our monthly newsletter, email your address to llhornberg@aol.com. Write "e-mail update" on the subject space.

Medical Project in China Completed

2008-05-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Taojing County Hospital in China is a referral hospital to 850,000 people who reside in the city and to thousands of people who reside in the geographic area surrounding Taojing. Assist International provided six GE 4000 Dash Cardiac Care Monitors, one GE CIC Pro Clinical Information Center, six GE Dinamap Pro Care "step down" monitors and one LOGIQ 5 Pro Echocardiography Ultrasound.

The 4000 Dash monitors will measure vitals signs of the patients including ecg, respiration, temperature, non invasive blood pressure and oxygen in the blood, necessary information to keep the patients in the Intensive Care/Critical Care Department alive. It will change what some have called a "room of death" into a "room of life", a worthy Rotary Project.

Along with the equipment, Assist International provided an extensive training program for doctors and nurses on the use of the equipment and extensive training to the biomedical engineers of the hospital on the maintenance of the equipment. Manuals were provided as well to the departments affected by this project.

Soles4Souls partners with Assist International

2008-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Soles4Souls partnered with Assist International to donate over 2,000 pairs of shoes to poor families in Romania.

Soles4Souls, a non-profit based in Nashville, TN facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. The organization has distributed more than three million pairs of shoes since January 2005 (or one pair of shoes every 28 seconds).

Assist International has been involved with relief efforts in Romania since 1990. One of the projects that AI has been involved with is the building of the Caminul Felix villages, a place where orphaned or abandoned children join a loving family and find community. All of the children and adults in the Caminul Felix villages were delighted to receive the new shoes.

"They were so grateful for the gift of such quality shoes," stated Bob Pagett, the President of Assist International. "You can’t imagine the blessing that these shoes were and are to the children and poor adults of Romania."

Senator Radu Tirle, one of 35 Parliament members in Romania, helped distribute some of the other shoes to children from poor families in two of the poorest villages in Bihor County.

“I just cannot explain the sweet spirit of these meetings, the joy of the people receiving these shoes,” said Senator Tirle. "The people have told me of their struggles of sending their children to school due to a lack of financial resources. They were so grateful to receive shoes for their children."

The Shoes also went to at least 55 churches who distributed them to the poor and needy. Some shoes went to a Mental Hospital for Children, some to Romanian shelters and others to the city jail in Oradea. Bob Pagett said that no shoes were left over and every pair donated was used for someone in need.

"Each distribution has a story. If over 2,000 pairs of shoes were donated, there are 2,000 stories of appreciation," he said.

Abandoned Children in China receive some "California Sunshine"

2008-01-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

No one knows for sure how many children are abandoned each year in China. We do know that the abandonment of children in China has surged, in part due to the one-child population control policy and in part due to policies restricting adoption by Chinese couples who are not childless. Chinese official records fail to account for most of the country’s abandoned infants and children, only a small proportion of whom are in any form of acknowledged state care.

The Human Rights Watch has reported that the majority of abandoned children in China never reach the dubious security of a state-run orphanage. Many are sent instead to general-purpose state institutions, where they are confined indiscriminately with the mentally ill, disabled, elderly, and mentally disturbed adults. Many institutions, including some in major cities, appeared to be operating as little more than assembly lines for the elimination of unwanted orphans, with an annual turnover of admissions and deaths far exceeding the number of beds available. The enormous loss of life occurring in China’s orphanages and other children’s institutions calls for immediate action by the international community.

The California Sunshine Foundation

The California Sunshine Foundation is a new charity dedicated to abandoned Chinese children with a mission dedicated to preparing Chinese orphans for a healthy, loving and productive life through nurturing, medical care and education. With education as the primary focus, CSF volunteers has helped orphans improve in vocabulary, fine motor skills, creativity, behavior and social skills and reasoning. The medical care that CSF provides have helped children stand, walk and hear. These medical interventions provide the first step necessary to make it possible for these children to begin to reach their potential.

Last November, the CSF held it's first board of directors meeting. Bob Pagett of Assist International has volunteered to be on the board and he is joined by Daniel Brown of Coastlands, Richard Starr of Exquisite Designs Corporation, and California natives Brad and Emily Bauer and Scott and Judene Irvine. The board discussed the efforts that are currently underway to improve the lives of abandoned children in two local institutions and explored several ways in which CSF could impact the lives of children on a long-term basis.

The progress of the California Sunshine Foundation has made great strides in their first three terms, which was accomplished largely by volunteers. As the charity transitions into an even more robust, education program in September 2008, a financial foundation of $100,000 will be necessary to hire and train full-time, qualified teachers and project managers.

To make a donation through Assist International, please designate your gift for "Abandoned and Orphaned Children of China" by indicating in the memo section of your check. 100% of the funds go directly to the benefit of the children.

Assist International

P.O. Box 66396
Scotts Valley, CA 95067

New School in Uganda

2008-01-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Assist International has partnered with AOET (Action for Empowerment) in building a brand new High School in Uganda. The school is being constructed in Jinja on the Nierru side of the Nile River. Workers are moving at fast pace and making very good process. More details coming soon.

2008-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

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Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pecs, Hungary

2007-12-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

The Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pécs, Hungary is the regional children’s and teaching hospital for the southwestern region of Hungary. The city of Pécs has a population of over 160,000 people and the surrounding areas totals over 1 million residents. In 2006 the hospital had 7,113 in-patients and 51,671 out-patients. The hospitals areas of specialty include neurology, psychiatry, oncohematology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, urology, genetic disorders, and pediatric immunology. The hospital also has a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The Pediatric Teaching Hospital has well trained doctors and nurses with training comparable to that found in the US. The hospital currently has a staff of 34 doctors and 125 nurses. The hospital is a non-profit hospital open to all children, including the poor and needy. As a pediatric teaching hospital it deals with the most severely ill children in southwest Hungary. The hospital is requesting a major equipment upgrade to its Pediatric Intensive Care unit/Critical Care Department. The doctors and medical professionals understand the latest in patient monitoring technology but lack the equipment. Consequently, the staff is unable to diagnose and properly treat many of the severely ill children who are brought to the hospital.

Project Scope

The project will include the donation and installation of medical equipment to the hospital and a training program to teach hospital personnel how to properly use and maintain the equipment. The medical team from Assist International will include volunteer nurses and biomedical engineers who will install the equipment and provide 3-4 days of training.
All equipment will be warranted by Assist International for one year.

Project Equipment

Neonatal ICU:
8 – Full parameter monitor systems with central station w/ECG/Resp., SpO2, Temp., NBP, IBP (DASH 3000/4000)

3 monitors in one room

4 monitors in another room

1 step down

2 – Infant incubators

2 – Baby warmers

Pediatric ICU:

5 – Patient monitors, portable w/ECG/Resp., SpO2, Temp., NBP (DASH 3000 or Dinamap Pro 1000)

1 – Cardiac ultrasound

1 – Pediatric ventilator

Optional:

2 – Bilirubin blankets

Medical supplies

St. Istvan Hospital Burn Center Project

2007-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

St. Istvan (St. Steven) Hospital is located in Budapest, Hungary. It is strategic in both location and the scope of care it provides as a regional hospital. This 800 bed hospital complex is comprised of many departments including the Burn Center. The Burn Center provides care for those in the mid-Hungary region, but it also is the location where all critical adult burn patients throughout Hungary are brought.

The hospital is in a very critical situation. In the midst of budgetary problems from a weak Hungarian economy, St. Istvan now has to absorb the patients and medical needs of another nearby hospital forced to limit its care within this large city. Despite the difficult and seemingly hopeless conditions the medical personnel continue to persevere for the care of their patients. They maintain the importance of a clean environment and are personally committed to this cause. Recently the doctors took a collection from within their ranks to raise money for painting the rooms and hallways. They then went on to do the work themselves. This is representative of the level of care they desire to provide.

Unfortunately they lack the means to purchase the necessary equipment needed for a regional burn center. With only four working patient monitors, two functioning anesthesia machines, one fluidization bed, and two ventilators, they endeavor to provide the care that is expected of them. There is little hope that the government will be able to provide additional funding in the future and so it is imperative that the hospital receive assistance from other sources.

Project Scope

Project Equipment

6 – Cardiac Monitors on Roll Stands as follows.

4 Step Down Monitors w/ ECG, NBP, SpO2 (Dinamap Pro 1000)

2 Full Parameter Monitors w/ECG, NBP, SpO2, IBP, Temp, CO, CO2 (DASH 3000/4000)

2 – Defibrillators - The hospital has only one defibrillator and it remains on the 2nd floor ICU. In the event of an emergency on the ground or first floors they have to secure this machine from the storage room in ICU. Two additional defibrillators will allow one per floor.

1 – Ultrasound Machine w/general surface probe - The hospital has to transport burn patients to the diagnostic building for an ultrasound scan subjecting them to infection from one building to the next.

2 – Ventilators

6 – Infusion Pumps

1 – Anesthesia Machine - There are only two operational anesthesia machines leaving the hospital unable to sedate all patients when changing dressing or providing treatment. This also means they are unable to change the dressing as often as necessary due to the limited access to these machines. Must have EU Specs; cylinders and fittings must be universal or adaptable to EU standards

1 – Hill Rom Fluidization Bed

General Supplies (gauze, bandages, sterile items, disposable gloves, etc.)