Many have been left homeless and the country is in shambles, the Military Junta run country is facing a catastrophe with them denying entry to most of the aid agencies from the West. Reports are beginning to trickle in that hundreds of thousands are dead and hundreds of thousands are without shelter, safe drinking water and food. The government had not allowed Western aid agencies to enter the most affected areas and reporters from Western news agencies are being told to go out. The government insists they can handle the distribution of aid which they are allowing into the country through aid flights from the US which has offered millions in aid. Many other countries have shown willingness to give aid and send in their aid workers but the government is standing firm and is still not issuing visas to foreign aid people for a proper distribution and mobilization of aid for those who need it most.
The UN has appealed again and again along with many aid agencies from overseas for the government to open air and waterways for aid transportation. The UN has expressed discontent and aid agencies are frustrated for they still could not send in their people to handle the disaster. Reports are trickling in that dead bodies are everywhere, in canals and rice paddies rotting which gives more urgency to the need for proper aid along with people who are better equipped and experienced in handling such situations.
The poor country is in disarray and without proper medical facilities even for a developing country and with little support infrastructure to ferry and distribute aid, many more deaths would surely result in the aftermath of the cyclone. Various aid agencies are now accepting aid and donations in hopes of the border being opened soon to allow foreign aid such as food, water, temporary shelter and many other basic necessities to help the people of Myanmar.

Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Children, Disaster Relief, News, Organizations | Tags: Cyclone Nargis, Death, Foreign Aid, Myanmar, UN

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The non-profit group has been running for quite sometime since the Tsunami’s of past and they have been filling the gap that left millions of people without clean drinking water. Founded by Curt and Cathy Bradner, an American couple who have given up everything to help the poor people of Myanmar (formerly Burma) many of whom lack basic necessities for safe and healthy living as most of Asia’s developing countries. Myanmar, being run by a Military Junta has been cut-off from the rest of the world by a military that reports directly to their generals. Suspicious of Westerners (mostly Americans) whom they distrust due to criticism they receive from most of the West. The couple have been working in the country for quite sometime and have bought Visas (long term) which is a rarity in the country. The tsunamis devastated much of the effected areas contaminating water tables, decaying animals and people who were left without proper burial have also contributed to the pollution which if not corrected, would kill just as many people that were killed during the disaster itself. Disease is the aftermath of any disaster and many of them are spread through contaminated drinking water. Many of the developing world’s diseases are water-borne and the couple who started it all has been working ever since to get safe and clean drinking water to all who needs it. They have focused their efforts on Myanmar due to the utter isolation of the country from the rest of the world.
They sold everything they had and made a promise to get clean and safe drinking water to all who need it. The tsunami ravaged Myanmar was a perfect area for them to operate in due to little or no contact with the outside world. They designed simple filters made of pottery and lined with coconut husks that are capable of filtering out almost all of the harmful bacteria and other contaminants that may be present in the water. It is estimated that every 15 seconds, a child dies form disease caused by drinking untreated or polluted water and they have been fighting ever since to bring their low cost water filters to poor people who do not have much cash to purchase commercial filtration systems. The coconut and earthen filter removes all but the tiniest contaminants with a colloidal silver solution mixed in to kill any deadly pathogens that may still be left in the water. They are then safe for all to drink, especially children whose small bodies can be easily ravaged by disease.
The country is so poor that most live in huts outside of the capital with not much in terms of modern infrastructures to support the country’s growing population. They need help in their projects and their children back home manage and maintain their web site which is one of the ways they earn money for their many projects. They have managed to produce filtration systems that run from car batteries and they are in urgent need of money for funding and other purposes for them to continue helping those who need it the most.

Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Disaster Relief, Environmental, News, Products, Websites | Tags: Children's mortality, Safe Drinking Water, Thirst Aid

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Unbeknownst to all, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been in existence as early as the laying down of the foundations of Humanitarian Law well before the First World War. From then till now, the organization has provided millions upon millions of people, assistance in terms of food, medical supplies and services from its current base in Geneva (where the convention of Humanitarian law was drafted and signed by most nations).

Anywhere there is conflict such as the current Darfur Humanitarian crisis, the Iraqi refugee crisis that has resulted from the American Invasion of the said country and many more similar incidents, the Red Cross is in the forefront for all these relief efforts. With local offices in its many member nations and along with its several arms such as the Red Crescent which handles crisis management in Muslim countries (which is necessary due to the many cultural differences in these nations) they have always provided the swiftest if not some of the first relief resources in cases of natural disasters. They conduct training of their personnel and country representatives through experts from Switzerland making them some of the most reliable and skilled response teams capable of responding to most disasters and crisis. Funds come from private and public sources mainly through contributions which can be aimed for specific crisis relief or the Red Cross organization as a whole. Switzerland has always been a neutral country ever since the First World War so it is the ideal place to have the headquarters for one of the world’s largest charitable organization.

Categories: Disaster Relief, Organizations | Tags: Disaster Relief, disaster-relief-efforts, Helping-the-needy, ICRC, International-Red-Cross, Red-Crescent, red-cross

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The several charities around all rely on manpower in the form of volunteers may they be aimed at people or towards nature. The many charities survive because of people who are dedicated to provide the proper care and help to those who may need it wherever they may be. Volunteer nurses and doctors go to distant lands to help people such as those who are currently suffering in Darfur helping the sick and injured as they live day by day in uncertainty.

Donations flow to those who suffer in the far reaches of the earth, delivered by volunteers who choose to do a little for their fellow man such as pilots, military men and others who just want to help. Financing is not the only aspect one can help with in terms of wanting to help. Habitat for Humanity has projects that construct free housing for the homeless relying on volunteer masons, electricians and the regular Joe to do the building. Thousands of houses have been built by these volunteers some of whom come back, time after time for the unseen reward of gratitude one gets from those who benefit from their hard work.

The people who need help are endless in this world and at any one time, a person dies in misery, his life becoming worthless and insignificant just because they are nobody’s. That is what we aim to change, everybody is somebody and all should know that. The children of Africa who have survived drought and famine now face AIDS and a life without parents due to the disease. Much can be done if everybody pitches in including businesses for they are the main source of funding besides governments and donations. Helping all those who need it is the goal, volunteering is the soul.

Categories: Activities, Charities, Disabled, Disaster Relief, Elderly, Environmental, Families, Fundraising, Jobs, News, Organizations, Programs, Religious | Tags: catholic-charities, charitable-organizations, Charities, Charity-Work, NGOs, Non-Profit-Groups, relief-efforts, Volunteer-groups, Volunteer-jobs, volunteer-work, Volunteering, Volunteers

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Many of us have heard of charities and some might have even supported one in the many non-profit groups that are out there. Whichever purpose a charity may serve which is the foundation of an organization being categorized as a charity Charities are grouped into four major categories which are; for the alleviation of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion and for purposes that is beneficial to the community. The first groups are those who work to improve the quality of life for those who are considered to be well below the poverty line. This has these organizations like Habitat for Humanity provide housing, clothing, food and other life necessities that the people they aim to help have none of. For education, there are organizations that subsidize or provide facilities such as schools, books and other aids to help promote better education allowing the people they help to help themselves in the future. Religious charities are often declared or treated separate from most other forms of charities for they have more bearing on the religious aspect of lives to which the constituents of a particular area they aim to serve may belong to several groups. The last form of charitable organizations, Community Charities, aim to help the community as a whole providing necessities tot heir constituents such as proper facilities that allow access to potable water, respectable habitat and more.

All these forms of charities rely on their armies of volunteers who provide the bulk of their manpower needs. Some are full time volunteers who regularly give time and effort for others who may need assistance in the many activities the charity they belong to conducts. Others are more on a per need basis which has them called to provide services such as doctors and nurses who give time and skills for a particular mission or activity such as a medical missions to a remote jungle towns. There are even casual volunteers who express their aim to help as they get to know of the aforementioned activities.Whichever form or type of service one commits; there is no better reward than to see a community that prospers with healthy constituents that have benefited the many activities you have partaken in.

Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Children, Disabled, Disaster Relief, Elderly, Environmental, Families, Fundraising, Ideas, Programs, Religious

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