2009 Christmas Message from Will Grut (Sec.General Rose Charities)

I write to send  everyone closely or loosely linked with Rose Charities, or partner organizations the warmest possible festive wishes.  While here in Vancouver late December Christmas now has the highest profile of the festivities, almost every other religion has  its own celebration around this time, so the wishes of Annie and I are for all happiness which they bring everybody. The joy of so many of these occasions around this time  makes us realize how united we really all  on our planet and how we must actively strive to overcome dogmas and preconceptions which divide us and cause strife.  With the  problem of global warming on most of our minds not to mention continuing wars, abuse of human rights and freedoms the needs are ever more critical

The  ‘Rose tree’ in 2009 has continued to grow. This  growth has  been in the best possible way by the adding in  of small, energetic cooperative programs or parts of programs rather than simply expanding   bureaucracy.  Of particular note in this area has been on the African continent where Rose Charities supported projects are now in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Madagascar.  The Hillman Fund has been foremost in many of these programs, but the projects of Asolate Rwanda and Stand Tall Uganda must also be commended.   In S.E. Asia   Rose Charities Malaysia became formally registered in Penang and made a flying start with several  health screening projects and health promotions and the establishment of a wonderful high energy membership.

In early March 2009  a the 2nd Rose Charities International Meeting, hosted by Rose Charities Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Rose Charities International Charter and Board, carefully crafted over the previous 2years  by Linda Roberts formally came into being.  The Executive board was honored then to accept the appointments for 2 year terms,  established by vote of  Mr Lawrence Cheah (Malaysia)  as Hon. Chair,  Dr Basant Raj Sharma (Nepal)  Hon Vice Chair, Ms Linda Roberts (Canada) as Hon. Secretary.  I  (Canada, NZ, UK) was kindly voted to Secretary General.

Rose Charities Sri Lanka, one of Rose Charities most effective  programs had a huge boost mid 2009 by the award of a large three-year sponsorship from a Europe based charitable foundation for a program expanding early childhood care and development/education and women and girls education in its its programs.  This will augment is hugely successful micro-credit, counseling, sports and previous education programs.  Rose Sri Lanka has also founded   a small eyesight clinic/assessment center.

The last 3rd of 2009 sadly brought almost simultaneous natural disaster of earthquake (Sumatra), typhoon (Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia) and tsunami (Samoa, Tonga).  Rose Charities was able to provide assistance both by working with AMDA Canada (which links with AMDA International relief efforts) and assisting on its own. In the latter case, Rose Charities Vietnam director Mr Nguyen organized relief supplies to the mainly affected area.  Rose Charities NZ, linked with The WBDI organization and AMDA NZ in an effort which sent both medical supplies (AMDA) and a trauma counselor Mrs Liese Groot-Alberts. (Rose NZ). Liese’s work was considered so effective that Oxfam NZ and WBDI have now generously taken over and funded a continuing program managed by Liese.

In Cambodia Eye and Rehabilitation surgery programs run well. The former is considerably supported by Rose NZ who continue to provide training and equipment. Rose Charities Australia is now focusing on assisting with poly rehab services - physiotherapy, speech therapy etc to provide support to the rehab surgical services.

Simply describing projects however does not do written justice to the huge goodwill, dedication and commitment of so many wonderful people in the extended Rose Charities network.  You all form the most fantastic and critically essential foundation which keep the entire organization operational. Eric Vanderluit (Canada), Jane Midgley (New Zealand) and Barbara Reade (UK) all donate their professional accounting services and it is hard to find words to thank them enough.  In other areas, you donate expertise in fields ranging from  medicine, surgery and optometry through web design, to public relations, fund raising and media promotion. To everyone who donates these or other things -  time, enthusiasm, creativity  energy  etc Rose Charities must give its  most sincere thanks.

The Charity Rose Award for 2008 was given to Mrs Jan Johnston, one of the founders of Rose Charities Vietnam.  Having worked tirelessly to help those in need both in Ho Chi Minh City and other areas, Jan epitomizes the spirit of charity to which Rose strives to emulate.  Jan was the 4th winner of the award.  Although she and her family have now left Vietnam, she nevertheless continues her commitment to Rose Charities Vietnam, especially in helping orphanages there.

June 2010 will in late  June, see the third Rose Charities International meeting, this time hosted by Rose Charities Cambodia and Operation First in Phnom Penh.  I very much hope to see everyone there in that wonderful country and the one where Rose Charities all started.  Information is available from Linda at the meeting secretariat email address  Rose2010@live.com

Warm and festive wishes then to everyone.  May you enjoy what is with you now but be able to look forward to success and continued happiness in the year to come.  May harmony and charity be with you wherever you go.


William Grut MD.  Secretary General. Rose Charities International

Impact of Disasters on Children by Dr Yaya de Andrade (Trauma Counselor)

(Click on article to enlarge)

Rose Charities Madagascar 2010 calendar now printed. Please see www.RoseCharitiesEvents.blogspot.com for more details

Under One Umbrella 2010: A Service Fair for People who are Homeless in East Vancouver (the picture shows the 2009 poster)

The Under One Umbrella Society, formerly called The Grandview Woodlands Drug and Alcohol Coalition [http://gwdac.org/], is a group of community residents and service providers who live and/or work in the Grandview Woodlands area of Vancouver. We have been working together for more than four years to address drug and alcohol issues in our neighbourhood. Our goal is to bring people together to create solutions that work for everyone in our community, including community members who have personal experience with drug use, addiction, street involvement and homelessness.

Over the past three years, the Coalition has completed a number of major community projects, including a series of ten community education dinners, a two year community needs and assets assessment which surveyed approximately 3000 residents and business owners in Grandview Woodlands, and the completion of a broad community consultation process that lead to the development of the “Under One Umbrella” event. For more information about the Coalition, please visit our website at www.gwdac.org .

Under One Umbrella is a one-day Service Fair being held in January 16, 2010 for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. The purpose of the event is to bring together a range of services, information and activities for people who are homeless or street involved in East Vancouver neighbourhoods. Some examples of the services that will be present at the event include: VCH Addiction Services, showers, foot care, complimentary therapies such as massage and energy healing, housing information, etc. The event will also include food and local entertainment, as well as a venue for recording people’s personal stories in the hope of combating some of the stigma and misinformation surrounding homelessness.

A goal of the “Under One Umbrella” event is to encourage people to become involved in promoting change through volunteerism. Not only will the event create opportunities for residents of East Vancouver to volunteer for the day, but grassroots community groups and agencies that offer low-barrier opportunities to volunteer in the community will be featured at the event.

This event is based on the enormous popularity of our two previous Under One Umbrella Service Fairs (2007, 2009). People who are homeless and groups working with the homeless (Peer2Peer, etc.) are part of the planning process

Rose Charities linking with ASOLATE Rwanda
www.asolate.org

Rwanda is still affected by the impact of 100 days of genocide – between April 6 and July 16, 1994 – when over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were brutally murdered. UNICEF estimates that 810,000 children in Rwanda have been orphaned, and more than 100,000 live in child-headed households. Children make up more than half of Rwanda's population - they are the country's future.

A group of young technicians founded ASOLATE in 2004 in response to the problems facing youth after the genocide. The war interrupted education and resulted in hundreds of thousands of orphans, many of whom were left to raise younger siblings. The training center was set up to get youth off the streets by training them in employable skills such as soldering, electrical work, paint, candle and soap-making, sewing and project management. With these skills, youth are able to support themselves and their siblings.

The Rose Charities Sri Lanka microcrredit program supports over 700 small businesses. Each business provides livelihood for a family or cooperative group, and/or provides employment for local employees.

Denis Dronjics third blog entry from his epic journey..(click..)

Our Voices 1st Workshop from Our Voices Project on Vimeo.

This is a quick look at the first Our Voices Project which took place the week of May 18th-24th, 2009. Photographer Hunter Barnes and artist Jason Rosenstock took cameras, printers, scanners and computers to the town of Lapwai, Idaho on the Nez Perce reservation and conducted a ten day workshop with teens there. Black and white 35mm photography, scanning, printing were taught as well as digital video shooting and editing. The students were asked to tell stories of their daily lives on the reservation through these mediums. All the equipment was left for the students to use and they have produced amazing work, which will be posted soon!

Dame Silvia Cartwright

Dame Silvia Cartwright. Patron of Rose Charities New Zealand, visits the Rose Charities Cambodia Eye Clinic. Please click to read the article from Stratford Press

Left to right: Mike Webber IRose Charities NZ), Dr Hang Vra (Rose Charities Cambodia) Dame Silvia, Mrs Natalia Hang, Mr Bun (Rose Charities Cambodia)

Rose Charities NZ Trustee, Mike Webber, hosted a visit by Dame Silvia Cartwright to Rose Charities Eye Clinic in Cambodia.

The New Zealand judge and former Governor-General Dame Silvia is one of five trial judges for the Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal and has been based in Phnom Penh since last July. She is also a Patron of Rose Charities NZ along with Lady June Hillary.

Mike said that Dame Silvia spent 40 minutes at the clinic on Anzac Day aftershe had attended Anzac day events at the Australian Embassy.

“She was most impressed with what we are doing for the people of Cambodia. Dame Silvia is a charming and friendly person, who put all at ease very quickly, and was able to ask the staff all manner of questions regarding their work. As a non-medical person she was fascinated by the pre-op preparations for cataract surgery that took place whilst she was there. She was given a tour of the tour complex, with explanation of what was done in each area,” he said.

Mike spent seven days in Cambodia. In the past the trips have been up to two weeks long, but he said the visits are now shorter because they are fine tuning the operation at Rose Clinic and spending more time planning for the future.
Whilst there he took the opportunity to visit the school where the second intake
of refractionist nurses is in training. Cambodian National Refraction Training
Project has been established by the ICEE and Mike was one of the people instrumental in having this set-up.

“This group I saw in training was at Ang Doung Hospital in Phnom Penh. ICEE have had a huge input into this project, and have set up new offices in Phnom Penh where examinations and optometrical services will be carried out. There is input also from the Fred Hollows Foundation, and their person on the ground, Horm Piseth, is the Cambodian Overseer of selection and training for this course. Main input form ICEE Sydney comes from Gerd Schlenther,
Research and Programs Manager, Asia-Pacific, and Dr May Ho, Project Manager, South East Asia who supervises the design and implementation of the training programme.

“There are seven nurses in the intake and they come from all over Cambodia. Once trained they return to their provinces and undertake the work they are trained for and refer people to the clinic when necessary.”

The 2007 Durban Declaration on Refractive Error and Service Development recognises that the greatest contribution to a severe worldwide shortage of refractive error services is the limited number of trained personnel, a need that is most pronounced in poor and marginalized communities in Cambodia.

The establishment of a National Refraction Training Centre in Phnom Penh and the delivery of refraction training by local personnel have been identified as the most effective means to address the shortage of refraction personnel in Cambodia.

The ophthalmic community in Cambodia is new and emerging. For example, in 2007, optometric services were provided by only 19 refractionists with no national refraction training available in the country.

RANZCO has also been successful in setting up a training course for Cambodian Ophthalmology, which requires four years of internship, and there are currently nine interns on this course. Visiting lecturers are supplied by RANZCO, and some other occasional lecturers brought in from Europe, Thailand, and the U.S.A per courtesy of PBL and the Health Ministry.

In December last year Rose Charities celebrated its 10th year in existence.

International Secretary for Rose Charities said the organization is about people helping people.

^{“10 years has seen a huge amount happening. Wonderfully it has happened in ways which really follow the Rose principals of ground level, person to person, 'human scale' initiatives. Everyone - organiser, donor, and recipient all benefit. Rose Charities is coming of age, but not, I am pleased to say, by adding layers of bureaucracy and rigid administration. Rose Charities remains what it always has been, and must always be; simply people helping people,” he said.}

^{Mike said the eye clinic in Phnom Penh is well on its way to be self-sustaining but he’ll continue to visit from time to time to help fine-tune its activities. Over the past five years other kiwis have been involved in supporting this project. David Sabiston, now retired as a Trustee,
has made four visits. Christchurch optometrist and Rose Charities Trustee John
Veale has made three visits, and Ken and Penny Adams visited last year.}

Walking to Santiago for Rose Charities...
www.justgiving.com/denis-dronjic
The never ending road! By: Denis Dronjic

I’m not speaking of the Road to Santiago I am so anxiously waiting to begin on May 13th, I am speaking of the road we choose for ourselves; the road that brings us to our destination, only to realize, once we arrive at our destination, that the destination has always been within us during the journey.

Here I am, once again, counting down the hours before the start to the new expedition. I must say, it’s a mighty coincidence that I am starting on my Santiago expedition on the same day I set off on my ‘Pedal for the Medal’ expedition I did two years before, in ‘07. It was on May 13th, 2007 I set off from Nanaimo, British Columbia, to cycle my road bike 3,000 km to San Diego, California, to help raise money for Rose Charities. It was during this expedition when I was first introduced to my never ending road.

So here it goes…. On May 13th, 2009, I’ll be starting my walk on the Road to Santiago. I had originally learned of this 860 km road through Northern Spain , from one of Paulo Coelho’s books. Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author whom is recognized throughout the world for some of the most amazing mystical stories written. He completed this road himself and praised it a number of times in his books; that is how I came to learn of this Christian walk.

The 30+ days it took me to cycle the west coast is nowhere near the 45 - 60+ days I am predicting will take me to complete the walk to Santiago . I know, I know! I should be able to walk more the 30 km per day and get this done in less than a month. If you are rushing to get things done, sure, a person could complete it faster, if that’s what they desire. But even if I wanted to rush - which I don’t - I can’t!! I am starting the walk on my one year anniversary from the day I almost lost my legs and my life.

On May 13th, 2008, I was crushed by a car! I was riding my motorcycle when I lost control of my rear tire – due to rain and inexperience-- and since I was not able to regain balance I had to dislodge my motorcycle, only to hit the pavement and slide underneath an approaching vehicle.

The collision with the vehicle was so severe that I was thought to be dead by all the bystanders since they literally had to lift the car off my body with their bare hands. After I was revived back to life, I was rushed to hospital in critical condition. A dislocated hip like I was dancing salsa on a deserted island hanging of the coast of Spain; broken right femur; broken right head of tibia, connecting into my right knee; broken right and left fibula; broken left tibia (open fracture with more the 3 cm of bone missing); broken left ankle; broken scapula; and last but not least, like all of this wasn’t enough-- internal bleeding and swelling in the frontal lobe of my brain. Besides the road rash, I think that is the complete list of the injuries I sustained in this horrific accident.

Now don’t be shocked, it sounds worse than it really is. If you were to see me today, you wouldn’t even know I went through this. Besides a few hidden scars and limping when I walk, I function like this was nothing more than a bad dream. I mean, physically I am not what I use to be, and I might never be again, but this hasn’t stopped me from chasing my dreams on this never ending road. And that’s what this walk is: a journey, a journey to the destination called Santiago. A journey for all the children and families that don't have a chance to dream like you and I do. A journey for this world to wake up and take care of its people. A journey for all the wonderful work that ROSE CHARITIES has done and is continuing to do. A journey for you!!

Please donate, even if a dollar is all you can afford, trust me it will make a big difference. It is people like you that make the difference in this beutiful yet unfair world. I will be doing something that doctors DO NOT think is possible, and I hope you will do something I know is possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fundraising page. If you are interested in following my journey I am taking with my father, you may add me to facebook. Search for Denis Dronjic. I’ll be posting pictures and stories periodically when I arrive at a village that has internet. It is said that a person walking the Road to Santiago has a spiritual awakening during his/her journey, so I am sure my blogs will be an interesting read :-)

Thank you and may God bless you
Denis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Rose Rehabilitation Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

CAMBODIA: The high price of jealous. Acid violence in Cambodia

Photo: William Grut/Rose Charities

Many children also suffer when some of the acid thrown towards an adult accidently drops on them

PHNOM PENH, 26 March 2009 (IRIN) - Sreygao is house-bound, her life destroyed after a jealous wife doused her face and neck with acid. It burned into her skin and blinded her.

“Everything has been taken from me because someone was very jealous,” she told IRIN.

Before the attack, Sreygao worked as a hostess at a karaoke parlor. Every night over beer, she flirted with and sometimes solicited sex to wealthy men, prompting an angry wife to take revenge on the 19-year-old.

“I have no face, no job, and I will suffer forever,” she said.

Deeper than scars

Acid throwing is a common form of retribution in Cambodia, usually perpetrated by jealous lovers, said William Grut, a physician at Rose Charities which provides free treatment.

“Whether male or female, jealousy is jealousy,” he told IRIN. “It's not a question so much for gender discussions but rather why it's so prevalent and how it can be reduced.”

Cambodia's pattern of gender blindness marks it out from Pakistan, India, and Malaysia, where it is usually the men who use acid on women for punishment or reasons of honour.

Between 1999 and 2002, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) documented 44 cases in local newspapers – the most thorough research to date, as no government body or NGO compiles data on acid attacks.

An attack occurs every 25 days, the group said in its report. But Jason Barber, a human rights consultant for LICADHO, told a radio station that the real number of attacks remained unknown since many went unreported.

Grut said the numbers available correlated with more populated areas, such as the capital, Phnom Penh, and smaller cities in Kandal and Kampong Cham.

Manifestation

I have no face, no job, and I will suffer forever.

The widespread availability of acid to replenish old batteries, weak law enforcement mechanisms, and what Grut calls “tertiary conflict injury”, have all popularised acid-throwing.

Tertiary conflict injury is a mindset in war-torn countries that problems can only be solved with violence, with beatings and acid attacks commonplace.

For decades, Cambodia has experienced coups, civil wars and a genocide in 1975-1979 that killed two million people.

“Cambodian history has regularly been very stressful for the [ordinary] person,” he told IRIN.

“This is not the same as PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], though arguably it may be a sort of long-term manifestation of it,” he said.

Repairing the damage

Corrective surgery is out of reach for most Cambodians, with 35 percent of the population living on less than US$1 a day, according to government statistics, so most sufferers must rely on emergency services from NGOs.

“Clearly in Cambodia, facilities are far more limited than in western countries, where one would have a long series of repetitive operations gradually working things back, reconstructing, and grafting,” Grut explained. “It would all be accompanied by very close counselling and peer assistance.”

But first, more attention needs to be paid to acid attacks as they are usually not a priority for local NGOs and government agencies, he added.

“There's not enough recognition at the NGO level, but at the street level there is,” he said. “People tend to know about acid attacks as the word goes around.”

Geoffrey Cain

Iron Woman of Rose Charities Australia to help Cambodian rehabilitation !

Canadian Model Noot Seear recently returned from a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam to visit some of the Rose Charities projects that she has been supporting for years. Noot is a model and actor and has used her celebrity contacts to help raise thousands of dollars for children and families in USA and worlwide. She is rumoured to have been cast as Heidi in the movie New Moon, which is a sequel to Twilight. This photo was taken at an orphanage in Vietnam, She also visited the Rose Charities Eye Clinic that treats over 10,000 poor cambodians for eye disease, and the FIRST Rose Clinic that conducts free surgery for children with cleft palate, burns and oter injurues. Noot is president of Rose Charities NY. for more info www.rosecharities.org

Thank you to Rose Charities Vietnam for a wonderful meeting
(click on letter below to enlarge)

OPERATION SMILE MAKES ME HAPPY

2009 March 17

tags:

by jaotte

We’ve got 6 OR tables running. Not 6 rooms, really, because some rooms have 2 tables. All the bleep bleep of anesthesia machines can make it confusing, but generally we’ve got it down.

Yesterday I assisted Prabir, a friendly plastics man from India. We did a really really huge bilateral cleft lip - not a lot of tissue to work with, a facial cleft (Type 7) and some skin tag removals, a unilateral repair with rhinoplasty, and something else which I am forgetting at present. It was a pretty good day once we got going - don’t know what the delay code is for “Luke left the key to the OR suites back at the hotel”, but that’s what happened!

Today was much smoother. Our scrub ‘techs’ were not around for the first case, so I served as the scrub nurse. I’m pretty bad at it - didn’t know all the names of the instruments, had a hard time hearing what the surgeon asked for, and even dropped a needle driver on the floor! But, we got through and our lovely Phillipino surgeon didn’t bat an eyelash. Then I found myself next door, thinking I was just observing, when I got pulled over to intubate. Easy peesy! But - the RAE tube was a bit too small [there was a little leak] so I had to extubate and by then we had some laryngospasm; it was tough to get the 2nd tube in, so the Anesthetist handled the finishing bit thankfully.

I had fun teaching a first year med student from Tulane how to scrub, and she did a great job. Didn’t contaminate anything or piss anyone off = fantastic for a first go! Waiting in the wings to scrub on the next case - a facial cleft - there was a heck of a time getting an IV in the kid. Dehydrated and cold (thanks to cranked A/C), 4 paeds anesthetists, a paeds intensivist, and a NICU nurse tried, but all they got was a pin cushion. So, the surgeon did a venous cutdown, which seemed the definitive solution but even then, a juicy vein could not be found. We were lucky that the little girl fed vigorously in PACU because that IV flow kepts ceasing. I took out the IV in post-op recovery, since she was sucking back the Tang with no problem (and the IV was just an object to be thrashed away).

Long day. About 11 hrs on the feet, with a lunch break and a bit of loitering in between being needed. I love the variety I’m getting but I’m hoping tomorrow to scrub with Dr. Sarom and see what he can do. Sounds like he is one of the best in Cambodia and I haven’t really gotten to work with him yet.

The amount of collaboration, teaching, and learning is incredible. Surgeons from each country visit their colleagues tables to see how they are doing this flap, where they are stitching this bit, whether they are using collagen here or not. Our crack dentist rigs up prosthetics for the palate and the nurses are turning heads and taking names by being superb at their jobs. We’re all learning from one another and making things go smoothly. It’s amazing what a very-well funded, well-staffed production can do in such a short time.

On Saturday, the crew will all be heading to Siem Reap. The poor among us, and those who want to see the countryside, will take the bus. The rich Yanks will take the plane. I’ll return and have another 4-5 days with Dr. Sarom. I may splurge on the return journey so that I can squeeze in an extra day in Phnom Penh. Gotta get my evaluation sorted and I’ll be off to Saigon for 2 weeks of ER in Cho Ray Hospital!

p.s. I’ve got so many rad photos, including many of the surgeries I’ve been on, up close shots of the venous cutdown, and videos from the back of the moto… but these will have to wait for my return as I’ve yet to find a cafe with a memory card reader here.

Noot Seear of RoseCharities USA has he hair done in a Somaly Mam training center for hairdressers. Rose Charities USA is a stong supporter of the anti trafficking organization, 'Somaly Mam', as well as the local Cambodian Rose Charities medical and surgical rehabilitation projects. Rose Charities itself supports anti trafficking activities in Nepal.
RoseCharities USA also runs its own USA based media-education project with native American groups in Idaho.
Noot is currently (Feb-March 09) with fellow model Annie Henley, and digital artist Jason Rosenstock, visiting Vietnam and Cambodia, partly for the 2009 RoseCharities International and Regional Planning meeting.

It is rumoured that Noot is currently auditioning for a role in the Twilight (New Moon) movie as Heidi. Good luck Noot !

Noot Seear (RoseCharities USA) assists Somaly Mam, by modeling at their annual charity fashion show 2008

Somaly Mam is a wonderful Cambodian NGO dedicated to ending exploitation and slavery. They report...

"Many people are shocked to hear that more people are enslaved today than at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. Modern day slavery is a thriving and growing business and has been able to stay out of the public eye until recently. Action comes from conversation and conversations about slavery cannot happen unless the public is educated.

The Somaly Mam Foundation is dedicated to raising global awareness through the news, media and entertainment, celebrity voices, speaking engagements, encouraging university and high school involvement, internet communities, and other forms of communication."

Rose Charities has been working in Cambodia since 1997 and is of its leading organizations medically helping victims of acid-violence, as well as providing cleft palate, and other surgical rehabilitation procedures for the poor in properly recognized Cambodian hospital environment. With a Cambodia wide network, the organzers of Rose Charities well know what wonderful work Somaly Mam carries out and lauds their achievements strongly. Noot Seear was one of the founder members of RoseCharities USA. It is a Rose Charities policy to coodinate efforts where it can with any honest organization which will bring benfefit to the needy.

The impact of disasters on children. By Dr Yaya de Andrade

(clicking on article below will enlarge it)

A huge CONGRATULATIONS and our best wishes to President Barack Obama on his inauguration today 20th Janary 2009 from the whole RoseCharities USA and the whole Rose Charities Network.

Note. 2008 Annual Report. Now up on www.RoseCharitiesReports.blogspot.com