Update on the work of "Internet Friends" in Skopje:
This is a copy of what I just sent out to our "list". You can get your name added by sending a note to K_refugees@hotmail.com
Hello, all -
Dana has a nice summary of things posted yesterday on Raging Bull, so I suggest you take a look. I've talked with both Dana and Dusty by ICQ fairly often in the last day or two, so these thoughts may not be organized.
Tomorrow morning (almost beginning in Skopje) they are to go to Blace. They have already visited the most-visited of the camps, Stenkovic, but Blace is supposed to be much more difficult, so they may have some unpleasant things to report.
Here are the main conclusions that come to mind when I go over what we've talked about:
1. The Mother Tereza Organization. Both our volunteers are extremely impressed with Mother Tereza as well as Avdulla (Michael) Memetaj. They say that ERA TV and MTO (Mother Tereza) are the only places from which the in-town refugees are getting any help. NGO operations are in the camps themselves, but there are more refugees in Skopje, crammed 30 to 40 to a small house, than in the camps. There are many government complications that I'd best wait and let Dana and Dusty address, but basically, the Albanians remain a minority in Macedonia and are not well-loved by the Macedonians. For that reason, assistance meant to go to the refugees is trickling in at a small percent. One huge world organization, probably with many innocent leaders unaware of what is happening, is following the instructions to keep the Macedonian economy going by going through local agencies, and these local agencies are spending large amounts of the contributions on staff, offices, cell phones, etc. It's a sad story but I'm not sure we can do anything by pursuing it. If I were still in journalism, I'd clearly smell a story, but it's a long way off and would entail quite a battle, so I'll leave it to other warriors with just the reminder that the refugees are receiving only a small portion of what people over here are donating.
With Mother Tereza, our volunteers have gone over all the books, which are also submitted to the Macedonian government, and EVERYTHING goes to the refugees. This is apparently why the refugees hold Michael Memetaj in such high esteem. He is a very careful person, wary of handling cash, and at this time has not yet accepted our cash contribution. Because of my complete faith in both Dusty and Dana, I have complete faith in MTO and Mr. Memetaj. Bottom line is that they are the only source of food for the in-town refugees, which - again - outnumber the refugees in camps.
2. As for their contribution to any labor force, volunteers are NOT needed. I have been strongly discouraged from going and have cancelled any plans to do so. That having been said, I will say again that I FULLY support Brad's plans to go, as I think the eye-witnessing of what's happening over there is the greatest good that can be accomplished. Dana and Dusty are not needed in construction, but when they return here, they carry the authority of having seen with their own eyes how people are living and being treated and what the needs are. Brad has already proven himself to be of the same resourceful nature as Dana and Dusty.
3. Cash is needed. Food is cheap and available in Macedonia, and the MTO needs only the cash to buy it. They pass out weekly rations of food to the Albanian families, and while no one is starving right now, they had - the best I remember - only enough for another week. My own thoughts on this is that we can't even make a dent in what's needed, so I return to wishing someone could do something about seeing that the contributions made by people could get intact to the refugees. Yes, it's a circle that I can't solve, but perhaps one of you will think of something. Dusty has done a LOT of legwork on the lack of NGO material available and will probably have more to report later.
4. Dana speaks very highly of the refugees themselves. He has reminded me many times that these are not people in rags but, rather, a very proud people who have been badly mistreated because they lacked the power to stop the mistreatment. They can be pushed only so far, he says, but again, I will leave all that for him to explain in detail when he is able.
5. We do not have the communication we would like, as it is very difficult to get online and stay online from there. My own nerves are completely frazzled every time Dana and I try to have a real conversation on ICQ. A few words and then a disconnect. So a lot of details will simply have to wait.
I am probably forgetting a lot. The main things Dana and Dusty are doing is getting the story, recording what they can of the situation. They both feel they can be of no other use, but this use is ultimately the most important.
Earlier, I sent out a concern about the heat that Dana had passed on, but Brad sent a weather summary and it does not appear that Skopje will get as hot as we feared, so that problem may not be as bad as it sounded.
Lisa
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