Colombia:

Airline Ambassadors, LDS Charities, US Embassy and Military

Join Forces to Bring Aid to Colombia

On September 24, 2008, 30,000 lbs of hospital supplies (valued over $1M) arrived in San Juan del Guaviare thanks to the combined efforts of the Colombian Army and the Colombian National Police. 

Airline Ambassadors put together this unique collaborative effort with The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Charities) in Colombia after a call for help from US Army Civil Affairs personnel stationed in Southern Colombia in April.

Join us on November 16 through 22 when we return with another $1M desperately needed aid for this strategic hospital. Arrive in Bogota International Airport where the U. S. Embassy will be waiting as your escort.

The first day will be spent visiting two orphanages we have been serving in Bogota. Airline Ambassadors first start giving annual Christmas parties to the disabled children at Hogares Luz y Vida, once known for horrific conditions for both children and staff as it is the only institution in Colombia that provides care for children with disabilities.

Sister Valleriana, the Mother Theresa of Colombia, had originally founded the orphanage and successfully ran it for over 14 years. When her religious order reassigned her to another post in a different country, she refused to leave the children and so, was left with no support from her church. It was during this period that Airline Ambassadors discovered her desperate situation. Because Bogota was such a violent city during these years, it was difficult to find volunteers to go there.  We resolved to provide Christmas parties, several times with Patch Adams. With the media attention we provided to their situation the business community of Bogota took interest, and then First Lady Nohra Pastrana. Now it is officially supported by the government of Colombia. Sister Valleriana is now a Knight of Malta and is forever grateful to Airline Ambassadors.

Also on the first day we will deliver supplies to Ninos Por un Nueva Planeta, where a young couple has taken in over 360 homeless children, literally from the streets of Bogota.

This AAI team will meet with the Governor of Guaviare, Oscar Cadavid on the next day to bring support to his Economic Plan of Action, which must start with providing urgently needed health care to the military, police and civilian populations in one of the most conflicted areas of Colombia. Hospital director, Nancy Sanchez Perez compiled a needs list for the Hospital de San Jose del Guaviare serving the region from the Venezuelan border to the northern frontiers of Peru and Ecuador, and we will deliver them with help from the Colombian military, who will provide transport into this jungle enclave with military DC3’s.

Colombian Army Director of Civil Affairs, Colonel Alfonso Yunda, will arrange transport of the humanitarian aid from Bogota to San Jose del Guaviare.  Colombian National Police Battalion Commander, Gustavo Chavarro plays a critical role by coordinating for the distribution of the aid once it arrives in San Jose del Guaviare. 

Captain Dianna Torres of the Colombian National Police is responsible for coordinating personal air transport for the donor volunteers of Airline Ambassaors.

Oscar Cadavid, Governor del Guaviare has developed an economic plan “Todos Por La Recuperacion Economica Y Social Del Guaviare” He has identified public health care as as an important element to this plan of action. The  Hospital in San Jose currently serves all sectors of society, including civilian, military and police.

Failure of the “Plan of Action” will cause increased war spending and heightened police actions in the territory. Success of the Plan will provide dependents in the drug trade (controlled by the FARC) with economic opportunities, jobs as well as increased peace and security.  

This first shipment of aid to Hospital San Jose de Guaviare will help scale up the health care facility to international standards, with the ability to supply outlying clinics. 

The Governor plans  to provide a jobs training program for technicians from the region to maintain and repair medical equipment in this hospital, giving those reliant on the drug trade an alternative means to provide for their families. 

Airline Ambassador’s assistance to the Governor’s “Plan of Action” is so innovative it is will featured in the upcoming Interamerican Development Bank’s upcoming 50th Annual Anniversary meeting in Medellin in March 2009.

This is the first of its kind collaboration of international NGOs, Colombian Army, Colombian National Police, and the Colombian government at the local, regional, national and international level in a coordinated effort to bring sustainable development to Southern Colombia.

Contact: 

David Rivard, AAI

571 316 415 7771            

dave@airlineamb.org

Land cost: $2,500