The J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust is a charitable fund established in the memory of Kirby Simon, a Foreign Service Officer who died in 1995 while serving in Taiwan. The Trust is committed to expanding the opportunities for professional and community service and personal well-being of active Foreign Service Officers and Specialists and their families. The Trust has been funded with contributions from Kirby Simon's colleagues, friends and relatives and other persons interested in the purposes of the Trust. The Trustees are present or former members of the Foreign Service - State Department community and Kirby Simon's parents.
In the Fall of 2001, following the pattern established in the five previous years, the Trust invited proposals for the support, in 2002, of projects initiated and carried out by Foreign Service personnel or members of their families, or by other U.S. Government employees employed at American diplomatic posts abroad. In response to this invitation, the Trust received 39 proposals from 29 countries. The very modest size of the Trust permitted funding of only 26 of the proposals - and, in many cases, at less than the requested levels. The 26 grants range in amount from $550 to $3500, for a total of $43,802; they support projects conducted in 24 countries.
The following describes the projects awarded grants in 2002. (Material in quotation marks comes from the texts of the proposals received by the Trust.)
Bangladesh - Dhaka: Renovation of a new and expanded facility for Eglal’s ABC School, so as to serve 50 street children - a project organized by Pamela Kazi, Office Management Specialist at the Embassy.
A few years ago, Eglal Rousseau and her husband, Richard, a USAID officer, started feeding and caring for young, desperately poor street children at their home. The children were unable to attend local schools because of unaffordable fees and because they could not meet the required level of proficiency in reading and writing. The Rousseaus responded by founding Eglal’s ABC School, established in 2001 with 25 of these children, in order to “create an educational environment that would make learning fun and get them to be self motivated about their schooling," ultimately to "become economically productive members of society." The Rousseaus moved to another post shortly after the founding, but several Embassy personnel continue as volunteers at the school, including Ms. Kazi. Renovation of a larger facility for the school permits the doubling of the school population; the new building's location also obviates the need for busing. The Trust provides funding for furniture, lighting, bathroom fixtures, cement repair and other items needed for the new facility.
Bolivia - La Paz: Woodcarving instruction for members of the black communities of the Yungas region, organized by Diana Smith, a Coordinator of the Post Language Grant Program at the Embassy.
The black population of Bolivia, living in the Yungas region, numbers 3,000 to 6,000, all descendents of slaves brought from Africa by Spaniards in the 1600s. They feel "that they have lost their history, their culture and the chance to learn and pass down the skills of their African heritage." At the same time, "because discrimination and segregation are still very much the norm in Bolivia, the [black community members are] not easily employable." To address both problems - to take "the first step in creating a tradition for the future that provides links to the communities’ African past" - the Yungas residents seek to acquire woodworking and carving skills. The program, coordinated by Ms. Smith, offers twelve men and women from six communities intensive classes in woodworking and carving methods, teaching them to become more self-sufficient and also to pass on these skills to other members of their communities. The Trust is defraying instructional costs and student meals and travel.
Bolivia - La Paz: Repairs to the pre-kindergarten classroom of Hogar Virgen de Fatima, an orphanage located in La Paz - a project coordinated by Martha Telles, spouse of the Regional Director for the Drug Enforcement Administration at the Embassy.
Hogar Virgen de Fatima is a state run orphanage for abandoned children under eight years old, established in the 1940s. Budget constraints prevent the government from providing sufficient funding for maintenance of these sixty year old buildings. Although other classrooms at the orphanage are in better repair, the pre-kindergarten classroom "is bleak and dismal," and it creates a safety hazard for preschoolers. In order to provide a hazard-free and stimulating environment for the children, members of Para Los Ninos, a volunteer group at the orphanage, are replacing the flooring, installing new doors, metal cabinets and shelves, and painting the walls. This activity is organized by Ms. Telles, chair of the Para Los Ninos Educational Committee, who provides curricular and instructional oversight at the orphanage on a daily basis. The Trust is making funds available for supplies and materials.
Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou: Basic materials for Zanadoan Center, a home for destitute and outcast women and girls - a project coordinated by Katherine McGifford, Office Management Specialist at the Embassy.
Burkina Faso is one of the three poorest countries in the world. The Burkinabe people are uneducated and fall prey to "traditional negative social attitudes," which lead to the targeting of poor elderly and single women who have no family to protect them. They "become scapegoats for tragedies [that] befall the community"; they are accused by neighbors of sorcery; their possessions are stolen; in some cases they are beaten or stoned; and they are then driven from their communities, leaving them and often their children homeless. The Zanadoan Center provides aid for the accused women and their children, but the Center lacks basic supplies, such as mattresses, soap, and fabric for clothing. Under the monitoring of Ms. McGifford, these materials are being purchased with Trust funds.
Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo: Supplies for the pre-school in Batey La Luisa Prieta, a shantytown in Santo Domingo - a project initiated by Kimberly McDonald, Foreign Service Officer formerly at the Embassy, and coordinated by David Foran, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy, and Bolivar Abreu, Embassy staff member.
"Life in the bateys" (or shantytowns) in the Dominican Republic "is harsh, and is characterized by extreme poverty..., scarce resources and lack of access to education." Although many of the children are of Haitian descent and thus "denied the basic right of citizenship by birth," they are now allowed to "enter schools until 8th grade." However, "because the parents are generally uneducated," many of the children are at a great disadvantage, having "never seen a book or been introduced to the concept of reading." The pre-school in Batey La Luisa Prieta seeks to provide "basic exposure to learning" before the children enter the school system. But it has only four desks to serve 35 children and no supplies other than a blackboard. With funding from the Trust and coordination by Mr. Foran and Mr. Abreu, the pre-school is acquiring books, furniture and supplies.
El Salvador - San Salvador: Books for pre-school and after-school enrichment programs serving poor children in El Salvador - a project coordinated by Julie Schechter, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
The only books to which many school children in El Salvador have access are textbooks that "do not stimulate creativity or spark a love of learning." There is a need for other "good quality," "age-appropriate" books, and Ms. Schecter, who coordinates this program, has been advised that such books can be used to maximum advantage in the Salvadoran pre-school and after-school enrichment programs operated by Organizacion Empresarial Femenina (OEF) (Women's Business Organization). With Trust funds, Ms. Schecter is supervising the purchase of approximately 400 books and their distribution to each of the 32 pre-school and after-school programs in the OEF network. Ms. Schecter has arranged for the OEF personnel to be trained by Nicaraguan personnel who operate similar programs, designed to "use high quality children's literature ... to stimulate children's love of reading."
Greece - Athens: Rebuilding homes for victims of the 1999 earthquake in the suburbs of Athens - a project organized by Ambassador Thomas Miller.
The Kapota relief camp, in the northwest suburbs of Athens, was the epicenter of "a devastating 5.9 Richter earthquake" in 1999. The camp is "currently home to 1,500 homeless people..., the largest of all the post earthquake camps in Greece." Because "volunteerism is still a relatively new concept in Greek society," little has been done for the residents of this area, who have to rely "on the foreign community for their humanitarian needs." Embassy employees and their families, organized by Ambassador Miller, are spending weekends rebuilding from scratch some of the homes destroyed by the earthquake, with a goal of three homes a year. Trust funds are used to purchase wood, tools, paint and other materials. "This will hopefully be the catalyst for a larger movement in Greece (taken over by Habitat for Humanity) whereby the Greeks themselves ... help rebuild this area."
Guatemala - Guatemala City: Distribution of, and education about, a new water purification product to prevent parasitic diseases and deaths among poor Guatemalan families - a project coordinated by Marietta Bartoletti, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
"Guatemala has many villages where all water must be obtained from a central well, and even in places where running water exists, it is not considered safe to drink." "Half a million people...become seriously ill with gastrointestinal problems caused by parasites" each year, "including 4 of every 10 children." Ms. Bartoletti is obtaining samples of a new substance, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control [CDC]," that "will react with contaminated water and remove all bacteria, heavy metals and other dangerous substances." She is arranging for the distribution of this product to 3000 poor families in selected villages and is organizing educational seminars "to teach people how to recognize problems with their water, how to use the new product, and how to...track the success or failure of the product." Peace Corps volunteers are being trained to replicate this program in additional villages. Robert Klein, Southern Hemisphere director of the CDC, is assisting this project; the Trust is providing funds for purchase of product samples and a microscope.
Guatemala - Guatemala City: A spay/neuter clinic for homeless/abandoned animals in Guatemala - a project coordinated by Rian Harris, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
"Given the plight of the human beings" in this civil war-torn area, it is understandable that little "attention or funding has been directed to the humane treatment of abandoned animals." Nevertheless, "street dogs, stray cats and the illegal trade of exotic animals are legitimate problems that need to be addressed." Under Ms. Harris's supervision, Trust funds are being used to enable Animal Welfare Association, Rescue and Education (AWARE) to construct a spay/neuter clinic, "the first of its kind in Guatemala," that will house an operating room, a recovery center and a small bunk area for volunteer veterinarians to spend the night. In an earlier phase of the project, Ms. Schecter coordinated the building of kennels for abandoned and homeless animals at another facility in Guatemala City.
Guinea - Conakry: New playground equipment, gate replacement and tree stump removal to establish a safe, usable play area at the Missionaries of Charity Hospital - a program coordinated by Ann Donick, Foreign Service Officer, and Judie Pruett, Medical Officer, at the Embassy.
The Missionaries of Charity hospital in downtown Conakry serves children suffering principally from malnutrition, cholera, yellow fever and malaria. Currently, the area that is intended as a playground at the hospital is "unsafe and cramped," forcing the children at the hospital to play in their beds or "in the tiny area next to each bed." The lack of an adequate play area also makes it difficult for the Embassy personnel who volunteer at the hospital to interact with the children. The Embassy’s Defense Attaché Office (DAO) has allocated funds to construct a roof for the hospital’s pavilion area, including the playground, but DAO funds cannot be used for non-capital purposes. Under the supervision of Ms. Donick and Ms. Pruett, Trust funds are being used to replace a hazardous gate and dangerous playground equipment, to remove a tree stump and to install new slides and a merry-go-round.
Haiti - Port-au-Prince: Specialized equipment for a playground for terminally ill, handicapped and other orphans at two orphanages run by the Mercy and Sharing Foundation - a project organized by Derlene Mazyck, Office Management Specialist, and Elzadia Washington and Ernest Paultre, USAID Officers, all at the Embassy.
Mercy House for Terminally Ill and Handicapped Orphans and the House for Other Orphans were founded by the Mercy and Sharing Foundation to help suffering children with medical care and a place of peace. Both orphanages have been sharing the same courtyard with no play equipment and a confined concrete play area. The children "tend to play indoors and are in desperate need of physical activity and motor skill development." Installation of mats and playground equipment (including a trampoline and swings) are required to "improve the quality and usefulness of the children’s playtime." In addition, the special needs children need "the chance to experience the exhilaration of playing on equipment with other children." With funds from the Trust, Ms. Washington is arranging in the U.S. for procurement and shipment of all equipment to Haiti (she has recently been posted to Washington); Mr. Paultre, an engineer, is overseeing installation of some of the equipment; and Ms. Mazyck, an orphanage volunteer, serves as the primary liaison with the Foundation.
India - New Delhi: Hygienic equipment for handicapped and abandoned children at the Missionaries of Charity residential facility in New Delhi - a project coordinated by Karie L. Ennis, Foreign Service employee at the Embassy.
Jeevon Jyoti is a residential facility operated by the Missionaries of Charity; it houses approximately 65 children abandoned by their parents because of their disabilities. Ms. Ennis, a volunteer at Jeevon Jyoti, has discussed with other volunteers and center personnel the need ''to improve the comfort and hygiene of the residents," concluding that the following items are required: mattresses to replace the mattresses worn out through constant cleaning ("many of the children are not completely toilet trained"), a drying pavilion (to permit drying even in the monsoon and winter seasons), an industrial strength dryer, washable dhurrie rugs and new kitchen tiles and counter tops. With funding from the Trust and oversight by Ms. Ennis, these items are being acquired and installed for the special needs children at Jeevon Jyoti.
Israel - Tel Aviv: Equipment for a vocational training center for handicapped children in the West Bank - organized by Raymond Daniel Toma, Jr., Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
In the midst of the violence and turbulence of the recent past, Father Mamdouh Adu Sa’da, pastor of the Greek Catholic parish in Jaffa, has worked quietly to "to improve the lives of the people in his commnity, despite the obstacles." He created and maintains the Al-Farah School for Special Education, also known as the "School of Joy," which currently has 51 handicapped children, aged 6 to 14. The school has recently added a vocational training component, in order to provide the children "with a real trade that would not only make them feel good about themselves, but provide them a means to take care of themselves...." Father Mamdouh has been teaching traditional olive wood carving to his older students but now wishes to provide vocational training "on a more organized and serious level," focusing on the production of larger carved items, such as statues and Nativity scenes. For this purpose, and with the cooperation and assistance of Mr. Toma and with Trust funding, he is acquiring and installing a drill saw, facing and finishing machines and an air compressor. (The School of Joy has no funds of its own for this purpose, and no support is available from the Palestinian Authority or from the Greek Catholic Church.)
Kosovo - Pristina: Stimulation toys and tape players, bungee jumpers and infant swings for abandoned babies at Pristina Hospital - a project organized by Janet Shannon, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
Pristina Hospital, under the authority of the UN-administered Social Services Department, is caring for approximately thirty abandoned babies. The babies receive the bare minimum of care and "no other contact from the hospital staff." The children are not held for feeding, bottles are propped up; they are "confined to their cribs 24 hours a day ... [and] are developmentally retarded." The Red Cross has developed a program that allows "internationals and local Kosovars to visit the babies on a weekly basis in order to interact with them and help them bond to humans," but these volunteer visits are restricted to three hours a day. Even during these visits, there are not enough people to respond to all the babies. Ms. Shannon, a regular volunteer at the hospital, believes that "passive stimulation such as crib mobiles, swings, and the playing of classical music could help the babies develop while the volunteers are unable to visit them," and that, during volunteering hours, self-winding swings can supplement the work of the volunteers in lulling the babies to sleep. In addition, bungee "jumpsters" help to develop the children’s leg muscles. Funds from the Trust are defraying the costs of the items mentioned above (in addition to tape recorders); Ms. Shannon is assisting with their acquisition and utilization.
Macedonia - Skopje: A clean-up project and new trash cans for the City Park in Skopje - a project coordinated by Andrew Schneider, spouse of a Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
In Skopje's common grounds, "there is garbage everywhere...." Where there are any trashcans, they are "rusted and mutilated...." Benches are broken with faded paint; playground equipment is in disrepair. Mr. Schneider states that Skopje has "suffered long-standing neglect of infrastructure." In addition, "under socialist rule, the state maintained responsibility for public cleanliness and maintenance. Now that the omnipresent 'state' is gone, many Macedonians are unaccustomed to...civic duties.... They do not see trash as 'their' problem." To address the situation, Mr. Schneider has enlisted Embassy employees, an international school's students and families, existing programs organized by the city, and children and families from nearby public schools to promote "clean up and improvement days" in the main City Park, with hopes of "a more extensive effort throughout the city..." and public education through the schools and media. Participants in this effort are also placing new trashcans all over the park and decorating them. Mr. Schneider hopes the project, in addition to "changing the face of the City Park," will "erase the stigma that picking up after yourself is a threat to one's dignity...." Funding from the Trust provides equipment for cleanup days and new trash cans.
Mexico - Nogales: Bunk beds for Orfanatorio de Casa de Elizabeth, an orphanage housing children between the ages of 2 and 17 - a project coordinated by Steven Chan, Foreign Service Officer, and Gaby Cruz, Administrative Assistant, at the Consulate in Nogales.
Since the fall of 2001, an increase of 20 children at Orfanatorio de Casa de Elizabeth has resulted in approximately 40 children doubling up on single-size beds. Acquisition of bunk beds would allow the orphanage to "fully utilize the vertical space of the facility" while providing a bed for every orphan. Mr. Chan and Ms. Cruz have "exhausted all ideas and options" for obtaining funding for the bunk beds, and the orphanage has had the same problem. Accordingly, the Trust is funding the acquisition of ten (two-tier) beds, and Mr. Chan and Ms. Cruz are arranging for their purchase and safe installation.
Nepal - Jhuwani Village: Computer with Internet access for the community library in Jhuwani village - a project coordinated by Gerald "G.A." Donovan, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy in Kathmandu.
Local officials in Jhuwani village - a hamlet whose residents "are passionate advocates of grass-roots democracy" - have raised funds for public works projects "by collecting non-compulsory contributions," and one of these projects is a community library. "In conjunction with the...library, community leaders hope to establish skill-development initiatives, including computer literacy classes." Mr. Donovan is prepared to conduct such workshops for librarians "to instruct them in "compiling internet self-study guides on topics such as local governance...agricultural methods..., and environmental conservation." These study guides are then to be introduced to the library users in the village, who are "encouraged to help generate additional study guides tailored to their evolving interests"; the guides will be made available throughout Nepal. The Jhuwani library, however, lacks a computer with Internet access; the Trust is funding the purchase of this equipment.
Nepal - Kathmandu: Movable recreation and sports equipment for Tibetan refugees housed in a reception center - a project organized by Gerald "G.A." Donovan, Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy.
"Every year thousands of refugees transit through the Tibetan Reception Center on their way to refugee camps in India." Some refugees have to stay in the dormitories at the center for weeks or months. For security reasons, they cannot leave the grounds of the center. The refugees have use of a large yard, but no recreation equipment; only passive entertainments are available to them. With funding from the Trust, Mr. Donovan is arranging for the purchase and delivery of movable recreation and sports equipment (for example, volleyball and badminton sets), in order to provide active recreation and exercise to the residents of the center; he is also helping to organize the athletic activities themselves.
Niger - Niamey: Specialized community school training for teachers in squatter settlement schools in Niamey - a project coordinated by Susan Symington, spouse of the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, and their daughter Jane Symington.
In 2000, community schools for begging children in "two neighboring squatters’ communities of indigent people" were established in Niamey. "The schools have not only begun to better the lives of the children, but also have served as community centers strengthening the communities themselves." The teachers at these schools, however, have little of the formal pedagogic training needed to "tailor the schools' educational program to their students' situation." Although a specialized month-long training program for teachers in impoverished community schools has been developed by the Ministry of Education, the tuition is "completely out of reach of these community teachers" - almost four times their monthly salary. The Trust’s grant pays tuition for six teachers to enable them to receive this specialized training.
Peru - Lima: Sewing machines and work tables for a microenterprise group consisting of "lowly educated women" living in a shantytown outside of Lima - a project conducted by Eleanor Geiger, spouse of a Foreign Service Officer at the Embassy, in partnership with Ruth Farrell, a Presbyterian missionary.
Shantytowns, partly composed of mountain dwellers fleeing from Shining Path terrorists, ring Lima. In one of them, Ms. Geiger and Ms. Farrell have brought together a group of five highly motivated women to form a cottage industry called "Grupo Maná." Guided by Ms. Geiger, an experienced seamstress, and Ms. Farrell, an MBA with a background in microenterprise, the women have learned to "sew products which have proven to be saleable items." This activity produces "income for indigent women who have little hope of employment outside their homes." Another benefit: "increased income in the hands of women is usually spent on improving nutrition, health and standard of living for the whole family." Grupo Maná presently has one dependable sewing machine. Two more machines are being added in order to expand production and income for the members and to increase the size of the group and the ability of Grupo Maná to reach new markets. The Trust is funding the acquisition of these machines and new worktables.
Philippines - Manila: Commercial grade washing machine and other equipment for a home for abandoned and surrendered infants and toddlers - a project organized by Nancy Behnke and Marsha Loza, spouses of Foreign Service Specialists at the Embassy.
The Little Children’s Home "provides a place of love, nurture and care for abandoned and surrendered infants and toddlers" until permanent adoption can take place. There are 15-20 children in residence, some with special needs. The work of the home is assisted by volunteers from the U.S. Embassy Club (USEC), a volunteer group in Manila comprising Foreign Service Officers, other U. S. Government employees and their spouses. On behalf of USEC, Ms. Behnke and Ms. Loza are arranging to acquire and install the following equipment at the home: a commercial grade washing machine (to provide cleaner, more consistent hygiene); wall fans for sleeping children (to provide air circulation in the heat and humidity of the Philippines); an aluminum screen door (to keep out disease-bearing mosquitoes and other insects). In addition, four electrical outlets are being moved up the playroom wall away from young, curious hands. The Trust is funding these purchases and the electrical work.
South Africa - Johannesburg: Shipment of several thousand books and educational materials, provided by American publishers, to South African schools - a project coordinated by Ramona Harper, a Foreign Service Officer stationed in Washington, D.C., with the cooperation of Sue Patrick Ford, Consul General in Johannesburg.
The Links, Inc., an international organization of African-American women "dedicated to educational, civic, community and cultural activities," has built 42 new schools in South Africa that are in need of books and other educational materials. The Links, in partnership with the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, is obtaining from the Brother’s Brother Foundation books donated by American publishers and is shipping them by container load to South Africa for use in the 42 schools. Ms. Harper, a member of the Silver Spring, Maryland chapter of The Links, is administering this project from the United States; Ms. Ford is attending to the South African deliveries. These books and educational materials help to address "the desperate need for books and supplies" faced by the struggling educational system in post-apartheid South Africa. Funds from the Trust help to defray the shipment of approximately 20,000 books together with other educational materials.
Togo - Lomé: English language training for key members of the confederation of Togolese workers’ unions - conducted by Clover J. Afokpa, English Language Program director at the Embassy.
The key members of the Confédération Syndicale des Travailleurs du Togo, which embraces all Togolese workers' unions, need English language training for "participation in general meetings worldwide" and "in understanding the literature which they receive from the U.S. and other countries." Mr. Afokpa, who is directing such an instructional program on a voluntary basis, believes that "helping the trade unions with English, which is such a necessary tool in the modern world, [is] also...a small step...toward more workers' rights and support for the democracy movement in Togo," which was under "virtual dictatorship" during the 1970's and 1980's. The first 75 students are "active participating . . . members" who have the most interaction with Anglophone counterparts, with the idea of expanding "to a larger base of the membership." The Trust is providing funds for dictionaries, teaching materials and taping equipment.
Turkey - Ankara: Sewing equipment and other support for a sewing and urban orientation class for Kurdish rural immigrants, primarily low-income women - a project coordinated by Deborah Hart, Foreign Service Officer, and Ulken Inan, Consular Assistant, at the Embassy.
The objective of this 4-month-long class is to "improve the income producing skills" of rural Kurdish immigrant - mainly "under-educated" low-income women - and to "help them assimilate into the urban environment" of Ankara. Foreign Service Officers and Foreign Service Nationals, organized by Ms. Hart and Ms. Inan, are volunteering their time to "work with the participants in a personal way" while helping the women "to learn about Ankara from long term residents (FSNs) and to empathize with short term residents (like FSOs)." The class is housed at a local community training center; when the sewing course is finished, the sewing equipment "will remain to be utilized in future...projects" at the center. The Trust is providing funds for a sewing machine and other equipment and for orientation trips.
U.S. - North Carolina: Improvement of computer facilities for publication of American Diplomacy, a free electronic periodical, of which two retired Foreign Service Officers, Henry E. Mattox and R. Bartlett Moon, are the principal officers.
American Diplomacy Publishers, an entirely volunteer enterprise, produces an electronic publication, American Diplomacy, "available free to all users of the world wide web," which "informs readers about current international issues...by drawing on the experiences, analyses and commentary of Foreign Service personnel"; "fosters greater public understanding and support" of the Foreign Service; and provides Foreign Service personnel "a site in which they can present their views...." American Diplomacy has received substantial recognition: the subscription list continues to grow, and major universities around the world have "established links...for the use of their students and faculty." The Trust’s grant aids the continuation of the publication by providing necessary computer upgrades and purchase of new software and peripherals.
Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City: Educational and medical supplies for two orphanages that minister to orphans and children who have been victims of labor exploitation and sexual abuse - a project initiated by Nancy Leou, a Foreign Service Officer formerly at the Consulate General, and carried out by Allison Areias and Gong Li, Foreign Service Officers at the Consulate General, together with Linh Chi Nguyen and Nhut Tran of the Consulate General staff.
"The welfare of orphans and exploited children is often neglected in this bustling city." Two orphanages help to meet this need: Thanh Xuan Shelter for Girls, managed by several Catholic nuns, and The House of Love, managed by a Buddhist monk and eleven Buddhist nuns. Both orphanages provide food, shelter, clothing and education. Neither orphanage is "licensed as [an] adoption facilitator"; thus, "the majority of the children will spend their entire childhood in these orphanages, without the option of being placed in an adoptive home." There is an "overwhelming demand" from Consular personnel to volunteer at the orphanages, and many volunteers do regular tutoring. But the orphanages, which "live hand-to-mouth," do not have "even the most basic educational materials, such as books or note pads. Furthermore, both orphanages lack basic first aid medical supplies and equipment." The Trust’s grant, administered by Ms. Areias, Ms. Li, Ms. Nguyen and Mr. Tran, provides these items for both orphanages, thus allowing volunteers to "expand the tutoring program" and "improve the home health care of the children."
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TRUSTEES OF THE J. KIRBY SIMON FOREIGN SERVICE TRUST
Liisa Ecola
Cynthia Ely
Herbert J. Hansell
George P. Kent
Colette Marcellin
John Daniel Morris
Courtney Nemroff
Kathleen Sheehan
Claire B. Simon
John G. Simon