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After sending the computer to Haiti, Andrea wrote to MTS:

“I think of you often as the new computer that MTS’ donation provided has made such a difference to the young people working there and to our ability to communicate a bit faster (when there is electricity and the Internet is working!)”

The MTS team is incredibly grateful to be able to help with such a great organization. We look forward to a long-term partnership with Aid Still Required.

As you may remember, in August 2011, Aid Still Required inaugurated this program in the worst slum of Port au Prince. Already neglected for decades, the 2010 Earthquake exacerbated the devastating poverty, in addition to increasing the PTDS and violence. The trauma relief program utilizes age-old holistic techniques related to meditation. Participants have requested over and over again that we return to the community, stating for some, it is the first time they “have no pain” or experience “peace and calm”.

We are truly thankful for MTS’s continued support and we will be updating them on the progress of our work while we are in Haiti in the coming weeks!

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We are lucky to have Dorothy on our board where she is a talented and fun person to work with for the advancement of our organization. 

If you are interested in checking out Dorothy's book, head on over to Amazon and see what all the excitement is about! Thanks again Dorothy!

Learn more about Dorothy on our Board of Directors page on the website.

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This time we met with 4 powerful  after-school and extra-curricular youth development programs at both the middle and high school levels. Charter schools now represent 85% of the city’s public education system and for the most part, the charters are receiving an A rating. As recidivism and young African -American male incarceration has been an ongoing issue in the city, we were introduced to one of the most highly respected post-incarceration youth re-integration projects in the country.

As ASR has an ongoing concern regarding inacessibility to good foods and increasing livelihood opportunities,  we made field visits to three urban gardening programs — one addressing citywide systems issues, one a hands-on neighborhood garden model, and the third utilizing a garden work program for personal and professional development.

Standout meetings included the region’s most influential nonprofit grant organization,  a site visit to a 200 home neighborhood rebuilding project, and morning coffee with two influential civic leaders, one being a prominent business figure in the African Amercian community, the other a prominent figure in philanthropic circles. Our last evening we were fortunate enough to speak with a leading Coastal Wetlands expert to receive a primer on what can and is currently being done to preserve the Gulf coast wetlands, essential to the environment, the economy, and the protection of the city.

And we were impressed.

There is an energy around the revitalization of New Orleans that will only result in one thing: the transformation of a city turned  completely upside down by Hurricane Katrina and hit again by Hurricane Isaac last year. When people were calling for the city to be abandoned in 2005, these people said that the spirit of New Orleans would allow it to come back and come back stronger.

Aid Still Required continues to be inspired and invigorated by the people and potential of New Orleans. Stay tuned as we continue to develop our programming and refine how we can best use our resources.

Thank you New Orleans! We will see you soon.    

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And now, she needs your support. Go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paytontaylor/payton-taylor-new-ep-release and chip in to help Payton put out her latest record. We are looking for Payton to become and even greater ASR supporter in the future and her ability to make music and have people hear that music will help make that happen!

So you have a minute and a few dollars, every bit goes a long way towards her raising the $3,000 goal. Without reaching that threshold, she doesn’t get anything so let’s all chip in to get her there. She even has some great gifts for people who contribute to the campaign.

Learn more about Payton and listen to her music here: http://paytontaylor.com/

Thanks and good luck Payton!

Team ASR

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We support Ms. Christie’s approach and encourage other charity organizations to follow the lead of the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund. At Aid Still Required, we have worked to shift the paradigm of disaster relief from a sole focus on immediate relief to a more long term, sustainable concept of recovery. We know that in every instance, there are communities that are “forgotten” in the years after a disaster–they do not receive the help they need and the funds run out before their needs are addressed. When these forgotten communities emerge in New Jersey, as we know they will, the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund will have the funds to help and Ms. Christie will be seen as a smart, forward thinking leader.

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According to an ABC News report last month, Tahrir Square has become a hotbed for violence against women with dozens of rapes occurring in just the previous several weeks.  According to Hania, there is a deeper, more troubling message behind this violence against women.  The violence could be meant “to show that women are not meant to be in the streets. Neither in the revolution nor at work, nor in the public transport so it’s a message also for women,” says Hania.  This is an even more powerful message given that it is occurring in the streets where the revolution took place just two years ago that included a call for a more open society for women. 

This year’s UNCSW (Commission on the Status of Women) is focused on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.  6000 women from Austalia to Zambia, Guatemala to Nepal, are in attendance.  It is a truly powerful undertaking and we are honored to be represented by Andrea at the conference.

A frequent theme of this year’s conference has been the necessity of including men in the process.  Aid Still Required has been prescient in this arena as we have added courses specifically for men to our Haiti Trauma Relief project.  Participants report alleviation of stress and an ability to manage their anger which had previously been directed at their partners or family members.  To learn more about ASR’s programs for women and men in Haiti, visit www.AidStillRequired.org/haiti2013.

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V-Day, as it has come to be called, is meant to be a catalyst for increased awareness of the issues around violence against women and a call to action wherein communities rally around creating a safe environment for women.

ASR is currently working to re-incorporate the women of Wharf Jeremie, Haiti into their communities after experiencing assault or rape, resulting in PTSD. Through our trauma relief program, women are getting their lives back. In the words of one participant, “XXXXXX”. As supporters of Aid Still Required, you have helped to make that happen. Thank you for your commitment to our work. We look forward to working with you in the future to transform communities that have been left behind.

Aid Still Required works to refocus the spotlight on communities in the wake of environmental disasters and human crises once the media has moved on. By creating sustainable, efficient and effective programs that are culturally appropriate and environmentally conscious, ASR is working to shift the paradigm of recovery and redevelopment while helping to engender self-sufficiency.

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In December, a terrible storm hit the center and caused damage to the building.  The structure of the center was not the only thing in need of repair, though.  Funds sent by Aid Still Required allowed CTEC to repair one computer and replace the monitor of another in order to keep communication lines open and the center functioning properly.

Pictured below is Rashan, the center manager in Peraliya in southwestern Sri Lanka.  He reports that everyone at the center is doing well and is happy to have the computers back!  Thanks to everyone who donated this year in support of CTEC.

To learn more about ASR’s work with CTEC, visit http://www.aidstillrequired.org/projects/tsunami/

To learn more about CTEC, you can also visit their site: http://www.communitytsunamiwarning.com/

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