AidAfrique, NGO, WT, UN

by messenger 6 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  messenger

  This was taken from the French JW website. Isn't it amazing what a library ticket will do for you when you owe $60 million in back taxes??

  ___________________________________________________________
  . http://www.temoinsdejehovah.org/aides_caritatives/aidafrique/actions/unhcr/dailymail.htm

  Aides caritatives / Aidafrique / Actions menées

  Zambia Daily Mail
  Thursday, June 17, 1999-07-08

  French NGO officials jet in
  to help Congo DR refugees
  By FRANK BWALYA

  TWO officials from the Aid Afrique are expected in the country today to provide additional humanitarian support to thousands refugees who have fled trouble-torn Congo DR.

  Aid Afrique chairman Mr Claude Hamel and Mr Louis De Wit from France and Belgium respectively are expected to hold talks with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ministry of Health and other humanitarian organisations to see what assistance could be given to refugees.

  A statement to the Mail yesterday said the two officials would be in the country for a week-long visit during which they would be assisted by two Aid Afrique local representatives, Mr Edward Finch and Mr Estime Mbayo.

  "Over US$30,000 is expected to be spent in providing blankets, clothes, food, household utensils, farming tools and implements as well as medicines to the refugees from Congo," read the statement.

  The relief supplies are being provided by congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belgium, France and Switzerland. Aid Afrique is a European-based international humanitarian organisation founded in France in 1990 with the objective of bringing relief to critical areas of Africa.

  Through the UNHCR efforts in Tanzania, the organisation last year distributed over 20 tonnes of food and medicine to refugees in the Kigoma region.

  In 1997, Aid Afrique spent US$820,000 in humanitarian aid to the former Zaire.
  
  
  Copyright © 1999 Association Cultuelle les Témoins de Jéhovah de France. Tous droits réservés.
  [ Retour à l'accueil | Plan du site ]
• 

  messenger

  Dirty Birds....

  _____________________________________________________

  Aides caritatives / Aidafrique / Actions menées

  Daily News - Tanzania
  Wednesday, June 9, 1999

  French aid body lauds gvt
  By DAILY NEWS Reporter

  A French Aid Organisation, AIDAFRIQUE, has commended the Government of Tanzania and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the care they are providing to refugees in Kigoma Region.

  A delegation from AIDAFRIQUE comprising three people which toured the camps recently said they have been impressed by the work being done by the government in collaboration with UNHCR.

  The head of delegation, Dr Loïc Domalain, told the Daily News that he has found much improvement in the general care of refugees in the camps he visited more than when he visited the camps in March 1998.

  " The camps look more like big villages, where people live normal lives. They have adopted to new routines. The refugees are allowed to construct own houses. Local markets are established among refugee population and there are even schools, churches, hair salons and carpentry shops that are owned by refugees, " he said.

  Dr Domalain further said that he was also impressed to find water and medical clinics available in the camps, as well as food ration issued twice a month.

  He said when they go back they would ask the Jehovah's witnesses in Europe to mobilise food and clothing donations for the camps. Last year, the organisation contributed 20 tonnes of clothes and food to UNHCR which were distributed to the camps.

  Others in the delegation were Mr Georges Hocquet and Mr Mats Kassholm and they visited Lugufu, Nyarugusu, and Mtabila-Muyovozi camps in Kigoma Region.

  The organisation is also assisting Congolese refugees in Zambia as well as Congolese population in Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani, Butembo, Beni and Uvira.
  
  Copyright © 1999 Association Cultuelle les Témoins de Jéhovah de France. Tous droits réservés.
  [ Retour à l'accueil | Plan du site ]
• 

  messenger

  Who is AidAfrique? Let someone translate this from the french WT website:

  Aides caritatives / Aidafrique

  L'association Aidafrique

  Aidafrique est une association caritative utilisée par les Témoins de Jéhovah. Elle est une réponse à la demande de populations en détresse. Née de relations privées, elle s'est structurée et a grandi pour mieux accomplir sa mission d'assistance. Avec le soutien d'autres associations religieuses et humanitaires, Aidafrique a pu secourir des milliers de personnes affligées par le génocide de 1994 au Rwanda et les événements dramatiques de 1997 au Zaïre-Congo. L'organisation caritative continue à développer son action et à perfectionner la formation de ses membres pour mieux assurer ses missions.

  L'aide apportée par Aidafrique aux populations déplacées à été appréciée tant par les réfugiés que par les autorités et la presse de pays comme la Zambie et la Tanzanie, où sont situés des camps accueillant des citoyens du Congo. Témoins les différents documents publiés ici.
  
  
  Copyright © 1999 Association Cultuelle les Témoins de Jéhovah de France. Tous droits réservés.
  [ Retour à l'accueil | Plan du site ]
• 

  wannahelp

  Messenger said:

  "This was taken from the French JW website. Isn't it amazing what a library ticket will do for you when you owe $60 million in back taxes??"

  Nooooo, that can't happen... It cannot be true.. If it were, then <gasp>, they would be materialistic, and wanting to save themselves money... Noooooooo, the WTBTS would never be materialistic!!!! <GASP>
• 

  messenger

  The story was also published by The Guardian May 26 page 4 with title "Germany donates 15bn/ for water, health projects". Regarding refuges the Sunday Observer May 20 printed a news story on page 3 "French religious NGO to provide refugees with clothes". Refugees living in Kigoma, Kibondo and Ngara districts are to get a donation of nine containers of clothes from a French NGO Aidafrique. Aidafrique is a humanitarian Branch of JehovaH's Witnesses in Europe, whose mission is to help people hit by disasters, and extend humanitarian support to Burundi, Rwanda, Congo and Zambia.
  The donation comes after a two-week visit by Aidafrique staff to the refugees camps during which they observed the acute shortage of clothes facing the refugees who have been forced into Tanzania following political turmoil in their home countries. "During our visit we noted that one of the principle needs of the refugees is clothes.
  Another need that should be met is soap", notes the organisation's statement made available to the paper May 19. He said the donation of soap will be made by the organizstion "during the next few months" while the containers of clothes are due in the country at the end of this month, and will be distributed by the UNHCR.
• 

  outnfree

  "AidAfrique Association

  AidAfrique is a relief organization used by Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a response to people in distress. Born a private concern, it structured itself and has grown larger in order to better accomplish its mission. With the support of other religious and humanitarian organizations, AidAfrique has been able to help thousands of persons afflicted by the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and by the dramatic events of 1997 in Zaire-Congo. The relief organization continues to perfect its goals and to improve worker training in order to best accomplish its mission.

  The assistance provided by AidAfrique for displaced persons was appreciated as much by the refugees as by the authorities and the press in countries such as Zambia and Tanzania, where there are camps which welcome Congolese citizens. The various documents published here testify to that effect."

  outnfree

  Par dessus toutes choses, soyez bons. La bonte est ce qui ressemble le plus a Dieu et ce qui desarme le plus les hommes -- Lacordaire
• 

  hawkaw

  This just keeps going doesn't it.

  I do have a question for you guys.

  This AfriAid stuff tends to show the Witnesses in a good kind of light even though I know that the leadership frowns on donating to charities and helping the poor (other than other withnesses).

  Yes it is a double standard and, from my point of view, it looks bad but if I was the press and read both this story and the UN "association" story, would the press be more inclined to say the later story on the WTS/UN is much worse compared to helping hand "aid" story?

  hawk