Orphans Receive Shoes

Hundreds of orphans at AOET villages in Uganda received much needed footwear this past fall. The young students received dress shoes for school and a pair of athletic shoes for play.

The dress shoes were donated by Stacy Adams, the makers of classic footwear styles. The athletic shoes were donated by END footwear, the environmentally sport shoe. Soles4Souls facilitated the donation.

Many of the shoes that the children were wearing were completely filthy with bald soles and split sides. The children were extremely excited to have new shoes, some were moved to the point of tears.

Assist International would like to thank our friends at Soles4Souls to help us receive the shoes. We would also like to thank END Footwear and Stacy Adams Footwear for their generous donations.

Medical Project in Cuba

In September, volunteers and members of Assist International completed a medical project at the William Solar Teaching Hospital in Havana, Cuba. The Pentecostal Assemblies of Cuba, a group of 3,000 churches, invited AI to do this project for children in Cuba. The most critically ill children are sent to this hospital for treatment.

The hospital was fully equipped with Intensive Care and Critical Care equipment. With generous donations from GE, Assist International provided six new full perimeter cardiac care monitors and six “step down” monitors for post surgical care. Other equipment donated and installed included two ventilators, an echocardiography ultrasound, a general ultrasound, two baby warmers, two incubators and six oak wood bassinets. Training, medical supplies and accessories were also provided.

The staff at William Solar Teaching Hospital are very excited for these recent additions to lift the hospital to a new level of health care. The doctors and nurses are outstanding caretakers and fully dedicated in their work.

Clean Water Well Project in Uganda

A well was drilled in May at an AOET village near Jinja, Uganda. In July, members of Assist International joined members of AOET and Rotary International in a dedication of the well.

Potable drinking water (below) flows from the pressure tank during the dedication. The well will provide clean water for over 400 orphans and other family members in the village. Bob and Charlene Pagett (2nd below) stand outside the building that house the storage tanks.

A diagram of the type of well drilled at the AOET village

Medical Project in Jinja, Uganda

In August, a brand new state of the art ICU monitoring system was installed at the Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. Jinja Hospital the largest hospital in eastern Uganda, serving roughly 4 million people. The hospital has a bed capacity of 600, although many more patients are admitted, with some sleeping on the floor.

Members of Assist International were joined by GE Medical to help with the installation and training for the medical staff of the hospital. GE Medical also completely upgraded the surgical theaters with new equipment.

Shoes Delivered to Orphans in Uganda

Executive director, Tim Reynolds handed out shoes earlier this month to orphans in Bugembe, Uganda, near Jinja. More shoes are on their way to the village so that each child has a pair of shoes in his or her size.

The shoes were donated by END Footwear to Soles4Souls, a partner of Assist International. Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. They have a mission to impact the world with the gift of shoes.

Felix Family Village Thailand

A letter from Caminul Felix Villages, Thailand:

Dear Friends!

What joy it is to write to you again. We have big news to tell you about the inauguration of Felixbyn May 8-10, a weekend we will all remember with great joy and gratitude. That this happened during the rain and monsoon period was proved by the evidence, when the storm broke out just before the flower decorated bands in the village would be cut. Children, parents and guests gathered under a tent that was set for the day. The rain eventually was over, and the party could begin. Several speeches were made, and again we were reminded of the great miracle we could see this day, by being able to open the four homes. It all began with a vision a few years ago to provide a mother, father and family to the lonely and abandoned Children.

The local mayor was there along with national and international leaders and guests. Along with one of our children, the mayor cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and the four homes. The Felix families showed their gratitude for the homes built by funds from private donors and the magazine Varlden Idag. Donors attending were Margareta and Jarl Josefsson and Jonas Adolfsson from the newspaper Varlden Idag. The Jim Sankey family from USA, who built two of the houses, was represented by Felix Caminul International Foundations Chairman, Bob Pagett from the U.S.

It was nice to see little Firn, dressed in a white dress for the day. Together with the Mayor and Bob Pagett, she cut the ribbon to the Felix Village and to her home. She was the first girl who moved in with family K with her brother Frank. What a joy it was to see her happy and pleased with her new parents and siblings!

After the ribbon was cut, the visitors greeted the different families. It was a day on which all enjoyed and delighted. We were invited to Thai snacks and drinks. A slide show was displayed that showed the different steps of the Felix Village from start to where it is today.

Thanks to all of you who sent a love gift to the inauguration. It meant a lot to us, to know that you are with us in the work. Thank you for your gift!

Olanchito, Honduras

Executive Director Tim Reynolds helps build a cement pad for a building that will protect a water filter for the Hospital in Olanchito.

Assist International members also installed a pressure gauge that collects data on the water systems to help complete the design of the new filters.