9 months of 4th World in Mallorca

Resume: 4th World Program, Mallorca. November 2009 to July 2010

During this period, a group of approximately 30 enthusiastic and energetic volunteers have worked hard to constantly provide food, clothing, medicines, toys and supplies for personal hygiene to unemployed north Africans, subsaharian Africans, south Americans, Spaniards, and east Europeans amongst others. During nearly all the winter food was handed out for over 1500 meals a day. Given the well know generosity of the subsaharian people with  their fellow countrymen the food was probably going to a bigger population than we estimated.
We maintained our collaboration with Zaqueo and Can Gaza. We have been working with them for many years and we plan to continue doing so. Our volunteers carried out a remarkable effort not just helping Can Gaza in becoming self sufficient but in improving the centre so as to better the quality of life of the residents.

In reference to the food handed out, over 26379 kg were distributed. Of these 6.5 tons were rice, and over 6180 litres  was milk.  975 kg were delivered to Zaqueo, 7000kg were distributed in Palma Nova, 18000 kg in Palma and approximately 400 kg were delivered to Can Gaza.
The foods handed out included: oil, rice, garlic, broad beans, meat cubes, chocolate powder, onions, pasta, tinned fruit, flower, milk, salt, pepper, canned tomatoes and bread. At the same time, soaps, detergent, bleach and nappies were distributed.

We also started two school where unemployed people were taught to read and write, Spanish, English and introduction to computering. This was very important as giving them these skill better their job opportunities and also will enable them to act as interpreters and guides when they return to their home land. Those of you who know the third world will know how good it is to find a guide or interpreter who speaks your language.

The Crisis, unfortunately has not disappeared, and this winter we will find ourselves once again with people eating out of the garbage bins, people struggling not to slip in to the world of crime or prostitution so as to subsist and people that because of many reasons can not access the Establishment's help channels.

Thank you to all the team.
Michael Stoma

My first visit to the Abugida school in Ethiopia

Three weeks ago,  Victoria, Stefi and I returned from Ethiopia. It was my first visit to the Abugida school we have in the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
After driving south for about half an hour we took a left hand turn and drove up a very bumpy muddy  road which made me doubt that the car would reach the school in one piece. After driving approximately 350 meters up this lane, flanked by small houses made of bits of wood and tin, we arrived at a gate and there behind it stood majestically the Abugida school. The parents had painted it the two Mediterranea blues and it was like finding an oasis.
Little faces with big smiles came running out to meet us. They were all wearing their blue uniforms and looked very healthy and bubbly.

The main reasons for our trip were :
-to deliver all the supplies we travelled with to the nursery we had just built
-to set up the nursery and decorate it
-to deliver the computers we took with us to the Fitawrari school
-to give an introduction to computering lesson to all the teachers of the Abugoda school and the Fitawrari
-to meet and check out the situation of the senior citizens we have been asked to help
-to be present in the inauguration of the new classes and other  rooms (dining room, nursery, etc) we built in the school

I could write a long story about all that happened, about the people that came to the inauguration, about the speeches, the tears, the singing and dancing, the Ethiopian television, the clothes the women wore, the typical Ethiopian food, the religious leaders of different religions and how they were clearly friends and respected each other, the way they blessed each and every new space we had created,  but what really impressed me was something else.

When our volunteers return from Ethiopia we have a debrief, and then I study all the pictures and videos as I utilise them for the web and presentations. This procedure gives me a certain amount of knowledge about the school but these things I now noticed, were things this information did not transmit to me, and I only understood them when I was there. What really struck me was the feeling of deep rooted  happiness and confidence the children had. They were overflowing with happiness and humour. They looked healthy, strong, secure, wanting to make friends and were  always willing to sing and laugh. Children bought up in a happy surrounding tend to grow up to be happy, stable, healthy and friendly adults.

I was very impressed by the importance of this program in the lives of so many children.
I realised that the effort we make to enable this program to exist is very little compared to the good it does, and at the same time I understood the fear our team that runs this project has in reference to the sustainability of it.
It is actually a very complex program. The distance does not help, the lack of supplies in the country, and the idiosyncrasy of the people make it all the more difficult to run.
Often they do not understand us and more often we do not understand them. But summing up we went there to help  little people  have an education, be healthy and happy and we are clearly succeeding.
The Abugida model is so good we should export it to another school. If we had more members we probably could, but till then that is a dream and Abugida is a reality.

Victoria and her team of helpers have created a school, but probably what is more important than that, they have created happiness.

Thank you for being a part of Mediterranea, this success is also yours.


To see the video:http://www.youtube.com/ongmediterranea

Mikias spent two hours in the water. He loved it. He did not want to get out of the Mediterranea water
Mikias’ father does not want to go to the beach, the topless culture on the beach seems to upset him, so, Alexandra, who is helping a lot with Mikias, takes him to the beach with her children.
This was the first time Mikias went to the sea. The sea water will help to better his arm before he goes for the next operation.

The objective of the treatment for the osteomielitis is to eliminate the infection, to prevent its deterioration and to restore, as much as possible, the destroyed bone.
Antibiotics are given in order to destroy the bacteria’s that cause the infection. The antibiotics must be taken for a long time.

Surgery is also needed to remove the dead bone tissue. The open space left by the removed bone tissue can be filled with bony graft of his own fibula or with filler material able to stimulate the growth of new bone tissue.
This second option is in theory the one that will be carried out as it is the least traumatic but requires a longer convalesence.

“Chronic osteomielitis”, what a simple name for a disease with such a long and complicated treatment.

We do not think Mikias can return till September at the earliest so we will have to extend his visa. Lots of paper work here.

Mikias has been going to the Balearic International College for the two last weeks of the summer term. He made a lot of friends and has been very happy there.

This School has offered him, also, to join them during their summer period. For Mikias, that will give him the opportunity to have fun with other kids, his age, and at the same time to improve his English knowledge.


Many thanks to the Balearic International School for their generosity and hospitality with Mikias.

New Web Site in the US

We are very happy to inform you that we now have a USA web site.

Go to www.MediterraneaHelps.org to visit the site.

We could not pretend we had not seen the problem.

We have decided to begin to support an extremely vulnerable sector of the population in Ethiopia, the elderly.
In Ethiopia the old age begins at the age of 50, and in some cases before.
Initially we will help 10 elderly people from Akaki (an area 25 km from Addis Abeba), who live in poverty.
This help will be channelled through the Edir, which will be responsible for the program. The help will consist of purchasing basic food for these elderly people.
The selected beneficiaries are poor elderly people who live alone or are in charge of small grandchildren.
To give an idea of the circumstances surrounding these elderly folk, here is a resume of their situation.
C.D.  She lives alone; 80 years old and has a pension of 50 birrs per month (2,97 €)
L.N.   She lives alone; 70 years old and has a pension of 80 birrs per month (4,76 €)
M.D.  She lives with a grandson aged  10; the child's parents are dead. She has a monthly pension of 60 birrs (3,57 €)
F.B.   86 years old. She lives in a space made with plastic sheets  that some people gave her, and she can barely move. She has no pension.
K.M.  Lives with a grandchild of 3 years whose parents are dead; she has a pension of 60 birrs (3,57 €)
A.S.  66 years old and lives with a grandson of 10 years whose parents are dead. He has a pension of 60 birrs (3,57 €)
A.A.  78 years. She lives alone and has a monthly pension of 60 birrs (3,57 €)
E.B.  75 years. He lives with his wife and has no pension. Both of them will be helped.
K.T.  73 years. He has serious vision problems and lives alone. He has a monthly pension of 100 birrs (5,95 €)

In principle, we are not going to establish a system of sponsoring, as we are well aware of the difficulties it entails in this project.
What we need are partners, to be able to help more elderly people. 
This program will cost us 3.990,- birrs per month, about 237,- €.

Mikias' Story - An Ethiopian Child Gets Direct Help For Osteomyelitis

May 2010
Through the direct help of the Mediterranea Organization, an Ethiopian child, Mikias, who had chronic osteomyelitis in his right forearm, was brought to Mallorca for care and attention and his first operation towards successfully helping him toward recovery.

After several days with intravenous antibiotics, he was put in the operating room to clean up his damaged area.  It was found that there was a very important bone destruction, created by the infection, so it will be necessary to transplant a fibula bone from his leg , in order to save the forearm.

Mikias must be out of the hospital for one month- to be sure that the area is clean from bacteria’s - and after this month the second operation will take place and we hope it will be the final one one.

Mikias began with his osteomyelitis (infection in the bone) 3 years ago. He had a fracture that could have been cured, without any problem had there been the means and the antibiotics, but by not having access to them, he has spent a lot of time going to and from hospitals and slowly becoming worse.

He spent a  year in a hospital without specific treatment, only traction.  In another Hospital they wanted to cut his arm and in another one they put him a plaster cast for three months  ………

He was fortunate to find a Cuban traumatologist, who belongs to the Cuban medical brigades and works in the St. Paulo’s Hospital in Addis.

This doctor removed the plaster cast, and the wound, in Mikias’ arm, was swarming with worms.

The Cuban specialist has been giving him, during several months, antibiotics that he miraculously, managed to get (in Ethiopia all medicines have to be paid for), and this has allowed Mikias to survive.

We heard  about  Mikias, through this Cuban Doctor.

Mikias has a 7 years-old brother and his mother who is 5 months’ pregnant. He is here with his father.

When we were last  in Addis, we visited his mother. They live in an extremely humble house and she is helped by the solidarity of their neighbours. Her husband who is here now is the only bread winner.

Mediterranean is taking care of the Mikia's mother and brother while the father is unable to work and support his family.

 We have learnt that when we take on a responsibility like this we have to see if in helping the child we might be creating a problem or worsening a need in the family. Nothing is as simple as it may look initially and all angles have to be studied and evaluated.
When these families send us photos they put on their best clothes or a lent clothes by the photographer, so their real condition at times is hard to judge.

Mikias is a very good student. He learned, after he had the problem with his arm, to write with his left hand.    His illness has never been an impediment for learning.
He is also a very brave and resistant child who can put up with a lot of suffering and pain..
At present Mikias and his father are staying in the house Martha and the other Mikias stayed at in Portals Nous.