 Love
In Action
Compassionate Help For Afghan
Refugees
Unexpected E-mails from U.S. Senator Al Santoli
brought urgent news about a heavy snow and an earthquake in Afghanistan.
A total of US$50,000 was needed to airlift emergency provisions to the
affected areas, but the relief program fell short of the target by US$30,000.
In response to Senator Al Santoli's sincere request for help, Supreme
Master Ching Hai immediately pledged a contribution of US$30,000 to
make up the required amount. When the Senator learnt of Her generous
action, he phoned personally to express his profound gratitude to both
Master and the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.
E-mail from Senator Al Santoli
Originally In English,
January 31, 1998
 Dear
Friends, My
name is Al Santoli. I am not a follower of Supreme Master Ching
Hai, however, I received an award from her in 1994-95 for my work
in helping refugees in Southeast Asia. I kindly received a gift
of a framed oil painting by Supreme Master Ching Hai, depicting
a bright sun over a mountainside.
Today, as a
staff member in the U.S. Congress, I am involved in an urgent
mission to assist close to a million persons in central Afghanistan,
including hundreds of refugee families (all are devout Muslims)
who are seeking shelter in mountain caves without heat or water
in subzero weather, around the largest statues of the Buddha in
the world at Bamiyan. They face famine this winter and are blockaded
by a violent organization that has bombed the local airport to
prevent a United Nations airlift of emergency aid. Some 200,000
men, women and children are in immediate risk.
Through the
humanitarian U.S. non-profit organizations, AmeriCares and Help
the Afghan Children, Inc. which has a clinic in the center of
the blockaded famine area, we have raised a large airplane load
(100,000) pounds of desperately needed medicine, nutritional supplements
and other supplies such as generators, water purification systems,
warm blankets and plastic sheets for the caves. A team of courageous
doctors have volunteered to accompany the medicine into Afghanistan.
One big problem -- AmeriCares still needs $50,000 to pay for the
airfreight cost... if we do not raise the funds by the end of
this coming week, much of the donated medicines will have to be
sent elsewhere because of expiration dates, etc.
For compassionate
and humanitarian reasons, and to save the lives of hundreds of
children, I am offering to exchange the award I received from
Supreme Master Ching Hai for a donation to AmeriCares, which is
tax-deductible for U.S. citizens, in order to cover the remaining
cost of the shipment of medical supplies to Afghanistan. The donation
can be sent directly to AmeriCares at 161 Cherry Street/ New Canaan,
CT, USA or wire transferred to their foundation, the AmeriCares
telephone number is 1-203-972-5500, attention: Drew Hannah. I
do not receive or touch any part of the donation. All proceeds
will be to help the children of Bamiyan. Please contact me if
you have any questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Al
Santoli |
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Feb. 8,
1998 (Originally In English)
Dear
Hung,
Thank
you for contacting me regarding Master Ching Hai's gracious and
compassionate consideration of a donation for the emergency aid
shipment to Afghanistan. Since last week the situation has become
more desperate because of an earthquake on Thursday that has left
thousands homeless in subzero temperatures and has killed more
than 5,000 persons. The earthquake area is neighboring the famine
area. AmeriCares is prepared to help in both areas.
The total cost
of the first shipment of 100,000 pounds of medical supplies is
$90,000. Last week we raised $20,000, leaving us $30,000 needed
to pay for the shipment to depart for Afghanistan by mid-week.
We are also trying to raise additional money to purchase more
blankets, water purifiers, generators and snow ploughs for the
high mountain roads. The enclosed news report describes how treacherous
travel is in those high mountains during winter. We have at least
two doctors traveling with AmeriCares to provide direct assistance.
Doctors in the famine area have reported to us that between a
dozen and two dozen children are dying each day in the famine
area due to lack of medicine, lack of nutrition, the cold and
lack of clean water.
AmeriCares is
one of the foremost private U.S. charitable relief agencies. It
distributes more than $200 million of donated medicines worldwide
annually to countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Nicaragua, North
Korea, etc. The Ambasador-at-Large for AmeriCares is Mrs. Barbara
Bush, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel, General Colin Powell
and actor James Earl Jones are on their Advisory Committee. The
AmeriCares web site is www.AmeriCares.org for further information.
All donations to AmeriCares are tax-deductible. All donations
should be sent directly to AmeriCares where vice-chairman Drew
Hannah is coordinating the shipment.
I am currently
working in the U.S. House of Representatives, specializing in
international relations and human rights. My office number is
1-202-225-2415. My home number is 703-255-6437.
Sincerely,
Al
Santoli |
<A Letter Of Appreciation>
Letter from AmeriCares
February
18, 1998 (Originally In English)
Dear
Madam Ching Hai:
In
our common pursuit to help those who cannot help themselves, on
occasion, a singular act of great kindness allows us to undertake
actions which would not, otherwise, have been possible. The Suma
Ching Hai International Association's splendid and generous gift
will permit AmeriCares to do exactly that.
Next
week, we will deliver an airlift of some 40 tons of medicines,
medical supplies and other relief materials to the people of Afghanistan.
As you know, the political situation in Afghanistan has created
tremendous hardship. The Rastaq earthquake has made difficult
circumstances far worse in the Takhar region. Great loss of life
and suffering have resulted. We are hopeful that our shipment
will help to alleviate, in part, critical shortages of basic medical
supplies. Additionally, materials will be provided for central
and western Afghanistan and, specifically, for the Bamiyan area.
Mr.
Ngo has graciously shared with me information on your organization's
activities over the last several years. Undoubtedly, our paths
have crossed in many places - Chechnya, Rwanda, Kobe, China -
to name a few. Our present activities are in North Korea, Iraq,
Congo, Peru, Ecuador and in California where AmeriCares is responding
to the El Nino calamity. I would hope that in the future we will
again have the opportunity to collaborate in providing help to
people in distress. For your information, I have enclosed some
literature on AmeriCares' work.
Madam
Ching Hai, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your contribution.
It is only through the efforts of people like you and Mr. Ngo,
and organizations such as Suma Ching Hai, that AmeriCares is able
to provide help and hope to those in need around the world.
 With
our best wishes,
Sincerely,
Andrew L. Hannah
Vice Chairman and
Chief Operating Officer
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