4th world Mallorca program for 2010-2011

We are preparing the 4th world Mallorca program for 2010-2011. We need help in all the different areas. If you would like to collaborate, do not hesitate, and get in touch with us right away.


4th world Mallorca project 2010-2011

Sections:
           Feeding:
                1)Distribution of food amongst the needy in Calvia.
                2)Distribution of food amongst the needy in Palma.
           Education for the future:

1) Reading and writing, Spanish, English and computer lessons in Palma Nova.
2) Reading and writing, Spanish, English and computer lessons in Palma 1 (San Fernando, Es Forti).
3) Reading and writing, Spanish, English and computer lessons in:Palma 2 (Son Gotleu)

          Help for senior citizens:
                       Volunteers organized according to languages and who are to visit on a regular basis,  senior citizens who have no familys to establish a relationship with them and to help them with minor problems.
           Supplies:
                        Sort and classify clothes and other goods that have been given to us for 4th world citizens.
                        Distribute the supplies amongst those in need.
                        Deliver the goods we can not use to Dexailles and other organizations that can put them to good use.
                        Select amongst the supplies given to us, the articles that can be used as Christmas presents and birthday presents for the senior citizens attended in the "Help for senior citizens"

AT LAST, ABUGIDA’S NURSERY SCHOOL IS NOW OPEN

06/26/10

Next Monday will see the kickoff of Abugida’s nursery school for children from the ages of 1 to 2, affectionately nicknamed “The Cutie Pies” by us and by Abugida’s workers.
We have 31 children starting out, 31 children with 31 histories – quite a few of them very difficult, and all of them, like the histories of their mothers, an example of survival.

"Even when children are valued, it seems their needs and rights are not.” This observation, which appears in a report that discusses the situation of Ethiopia’s children at www.omct.org/pdf/cc/ethiopie_esp.pdf, says so much.

It isn’t easy to be a child in Ethiopia, nor is it easy to be a child in other Third World countries, let alone our Fourth World.

And like the abovementioned report states, the poverty and ignorance in which Ethiopian society has sunk is even more clearly reflected in its children.

This alone we know for certain: by elevating the quality of life of Ethiopian children, we’ll achieve many things, in addition to the obvious, that they’ll grow up healthy and happy.
It will also ensure that no child will be left without an education when he or she leaves Abugida’s nursery, because their parents do not want them to stop going to school.  And those fathers and mothers who would not have taken their children to primary school if it weren’t for Abugida, will not hesitate to do so any more, once they see for themselves what their children are learning in preschool and once they see for themselves just how bright their children are.

In sum, just as we feel about our own children, they, too, have high hopes for their children’s future, and they are proud of them.

Elevating the quality of life of these children also helps advance the fight against discrimination, because no father or mother wants to miss out on getting their child in Abugida. And in living and interacting with one another on a daily basis, they see that their prejudices were caused by nothing more than ignorance.

This nursery school for 1- to 2-year-olds has sparked a revolution in the neighborhood. There are no other nursery schools of this kind where mothers can leave their children knowing that they will be properly fed and they can go to work at jobs that mostly consist of baking injera, washing laundry, working in construction. These jobs are vital to family economies, especially when the head of the household is a single mother, which is very frequent here.

These mothers can now go to work knowing that their children are well taken care of.

Three of the mothers at the nursery school will begin working at the Fitawrari School when its dining room, which we are going to build and maintain for 100 orphans attending the school and living alone, begins operating.
We have had to bring many things from here. We are advocates of developing the local economy, and we always do what we can; but in this case, the carpenter chose to take the Farengi for a ride, so we chose to buy many of the things we needed from a well-known Swedish store, which were cheap and easily transportable.

We’ve also brought swings, toboggans, seesaws, changing tables, waterproof mattresses, toys (which are very hard to find in Addis), baby care items ... it was a real challenge to transport it all, but it has been worth it.

We still have to install the cork flooring. The crisis in Greece has prevented contact glue from being available right now in Ethiopia.

Here are some photos of the day we had such a blast setting up and decorating the nursery school.

The next few photos will be of the kids inside the nursery.

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.