Write-up about Internship: Karolyn Wojtowicz

When I started my internship at Asia America Initiative, I had no idea what to expect. I did not know the current situation in the Philippines, where the majority of AAI’s programs exist. I did not know how a non-profit international organization worked and achieved its goals in an economic recession. And I did not think that another intern and I would be starting a program in Afghanistan on our own during our first two weeks of being at AAI.

The process of creating Families for Hope began with researching information about the BiBi Mahroow and Afshar camps located near Kabul. Pictures and stories of families located there were collected by Marzia Meena, who leads MRSDO, an organization in Afghanistan that AAI occasionally partners with. Reading the stories of the people who are living in tents in the middle of winter, not getting enough food, and having no health care cried out to me as a dire plea for help.

The struggles of the families became more evident as the photos were looked over to create a one page handout and a powerpoint presentation. The powerpoint presentation led to the idea of a promotional video that would share the stories of the families on its own. The video begins with “Imagine - you've lost everything. You're a single mother, heading a household of twelve, including your sister and cousins… Then the Taliban came.” The entire video, located on this link, was created by Clare and I – we chose the images, wrote the script, recorded, compiled, and placed it on youtube. The families in Afghanistan don’t need much to survive and the hope is that with AAI’s Families for Hope program, these families will receive the food, water, shelter, health care, and education that they need.

As I near the end of my internship with Asia America Initiative, I can say this about my summer: I had an internship in Washington D.C. where I worked with an organization doing international humanitarian work; I worked directly with leaders, founders, and presidents of organizations and companies around the world; learned about the dire situation in the Philippines - where even the United Nations is no longer because it is deemed an unsafe area; learned the dedication that is required to successfully run an international non-profit organization; and another intern and I created a program and advertising tools on our own within two weeks that could help thousands of people in a country halfway around the world. What did you do with your summer?

The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes about AAI

A Washington-based non-government organization will distribute food and medicines to residents displaced by war between the military and Moro rebels in Mindanao.

In a statement posted on its website, http://www.asiaamerica.org, the Asia America Initiative (AAI) said its representatives, including its president, Pulitzer prize nominee Albert Santoli, would distribute relief goods to internally displaced persons in Maguindanao on July 27.

The AAI, which also works in other war-torn areas across the globe, is a non-profit agency engaged in countering terrorism and communal violence by promoting peace and prosperity.

AAI coordinator Rohaniza Sumndad said the plight of the Maguindanao evacuees caught the group’s attention.

She said the condition of the evacuees was pitiful as they have been living in “muddy open fields, under heavy rains with minimal plastic tarps to protect them.”

Click here for the link

Urgent War zone mission

On July 27, AAI president Albert Santoli will depart for the Philippines for an emergency relief mission to assist more than 90,000 men, women and children who have been displaced by heavy fighting in central Muslim Mindanao. The evacuees are living in muddy open fields, under heavy rains with minimal plastic tarps to protect them. The temporary encampments have no clean water or sanitation facilities resulting in high incidences of fatal fevers, diarrhea, viral infections and dehydration. AAI's interfaith Catalysts for Peace, led by AAI coordinator Rohaniza Sumndad, will distribute medicines, re-hydration salt and water purification tablets. At present, AAI receives no government funding. We are appealing for public donations to successfully conduct this mission.

As of June 30, the United Nations World Food Program and the Philippine government claim at least 359,000 Internally Displaced Persons. AAI is targeting a group of 30,000 evacuees in Lanao del Sur, 30,000 evacuees in Datu Piang, and another 30,000 in close vicinity in Maguindanao Province. In Datu Piang, the tragic death of a seven month old baby girl, Zaida (see photo above), epitomizes the danger to the most vulnerable - infants and grandparents - who have no protection from the elements. More than 65% are under the age of 18, with a high number of infants and toddlers.

Baby Zaida, her three brothers and sisters, and her parents had lived under harsh conditions in an open area surrounding a public school since Apil. Local authorities and the Red Cross are overwhelmed by the large number of families who have left their homes with only the clothes on their back. The UN has just ordered their agencies, including the WFP to temporarily withdraw from the area because of ongoing bombings and other incidents of violence.

AAI president Santoli reflects, "The ongoing tragedy in Mindanao, whether in Datu Piang and the surrounding area or in the deep southern islands of Sulu, is nearly invisible to the rest of the world. We have found that Christians and Muslims are willing to work together for peace and to help each other create a better future for their children. Our role is to make sure that they are not forgotten. Through saving the lives of innocents, not only is this initiative a local inspiration, but it is a positive example for other troubled regions of the world."

AAI and our Catalysts for Peace cannot do this alone. We need your help. No contribution is too small. One dollar of water purification can save the life of one child. Help us build peace, one child at a time.

For donation, please click here