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Tsunami Helper
William Spear goes about
his work--this describes his
aid to Sri Lanka.
Date: 10/20/2006 5:58:30 PM ( 18 y ) ... viewed 1694 times
This is a story about
my dear friend and Mentor
William Spear.
William was responsible
for my International Debute
as a Speaker October 22-27, 1998
at the Feng Shui & Ecology Conference
Kripaulu Center, Lenox, MA
I broke my knee three days
before that conference, and traveled
across country in a wheelchair.
I guess that is what they mean by break a leg.
William's work in the world is profound.
One of his projects aimed to create a day of Silence
on the Seas that we might hear the natural sounds
of Whales and Dolphins.
The Fortunate Blessings Foundation does
significant work.
While many people are still responding to the need for help in the countries hit by the devastating tsunami in December and making donations to national organizations, Litchfield resident William Spear took his efforts a step further and traveled to one of the countries to create his own programs that will help citizens rebuild.
He recently returned from a two-week visit to Sri Lanka, one of the countries still recovering from the disaster. As the director of Fortunate Blessings Foundation, a non-profit organization in the center of Litchfield dedicated to helping families and children, Mr. Spear has experience traveling the world to aid in disaster relief, trauma care and mental health issues.
He drew on that experience as he traveled through relief camps, making connections with organizations already existing in the country and others from places around the world. He developed six programs in all, each focusing on specific needs such as creating programs to help children deal with the stress and trauma, sending specialists to a clinic to help with the disabled and establishing a facility to accommodate up to 300 newly orphaned children.
"I really want to help these people," Mr. Spear said. "This is an incredible country with people who are resilient and hopeful."
He brought back more than 1,000 pictures, some documenting the destruction the monstrous waves left behind, while others showed the current living conditions and needs of the people. Yet amid the heart wrenching photographs are glimpses of hope, pictures of smiling children playing games and citizens who, after spending time with Mr. Spear and his volunteers, were learning to cope.
During his two weeks in Sri Lanka, Mr. Spear and his group practically became local celebrities as people from relief camps across the country came looking for them to request visits to their own camps.
He teamed up with groups of different locations throughout his trip, doing some work with a doctor and nurse from Great Britain, other visits with an Austrian medical team and others with social workers from the Israeli Defense Unit.
Known there as a trauma specialist for children, Mr. Spear and his group worked with children and families, using songs and games to help people deal with their grief.
"There was definitely a before and after," he said. When the group arrived at each camp, the children were withdrawn and shy, but after working with the volunteers they became kids again, playing, laughing and showing off for the camera.
The work is the cornerstone of one of the new projects, dubbed "New Horizons for Children." The group visited about 15 of the 76 relief camps in Sri Lanka. Additional trips are planned for trained counselors to help children heal through play groups, art therapy, dance and music. Mr. Spear partnered with Impakt Aid and Project Galle, two relief organizations already established in Sri Lanka, for this project.
Other programs to designed to help the children of Sir Lanka are "La Petite Fleur Children's House Program," which includes building and opening a new Montessori school and orphanage. La Petite Fleur Montessori school was given land to establish an orphanage for 50 children. The "Pahumune House Support Program" is another effort to support an orphanage for 300 children in Narammala. Fortunate Blessings will continue visits to help train the staff to respond to the needs of the children.
Two other projects focus on Navajeevana, a community center in Tangalle that aids disabled people and amputees. One project, called "Let's Get Movin" was created to bring trained specialists in artificial limbs and orthopedic bracing to the clinic, as well as raise money for crutches, wheelchairs and walkers. The second program is the help build an addition to the center.
The sixth project is the "Women's Needs Project," which will help bring clothing, body-care products and other feminine items to women across Sri Lanka who lost everything. Also part of the project is an initiative to help widows of fishermen who died in the tsunami work from home in order to support their families.
Fortunate Blessings is one of many private philanthropic organizations across the world developing hands-on projects such as these to aid in the relief of countries hit by disasters. It has already started fundraising and needs about $800,000 to meet the needs of all six programs.
To make a contribution to any of the programs, people can contact the organization at 860-567-8801 or visit the website at http://www.fortunateblessings.org.
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from the Fortunate Blessings Website:
The term “fortunate blessings” is associated with the symbol for “wind” in the Asian art of feng shui, based on the I Ching, the ancient oracle.
The I Ching identifies the primal qualities present in the universe and all beings; the quality of “wind” signifies the blossoming of energy, prosperity,
expansiveness and potential transformation. In the name of our organization, “fortunate blessings” symbolizes an openness to the experience
of gratitude for whatever life brings.
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