The Blessing & The Curse
Gabriella waits in the South American Initiative’s food line holding the hand of her four year old son, and carrying her one year old daughter. She says,”We’re lucky to get one meal a day. My kids are always hungry, and so am I. Life is hard, but without this food, it would be unbearable.”
Stuck In Colombia
The precarious situation suffered by Venezuelans stuck in Cucuta, Colombia, is unfortunate. One of our field correspondents reported that to survive the chaos, many choose to perform illegal actions. As seen by members of our field team in the streets of Cucuta, dozens of young Venezuelan girls are involved in prostitution and many young men and woman are under the influence of drugs. Our staff is brought to tears by the appaling conditions they witness daily and the stories they hear from the refugees.
The Need For Food Is Enormous
With your generous contributions, SAI and GlobalGiving donors have delivered thousands of meals feeding the refugees in Cucuta. There is not enough food for the refugees, many are starving and begging for food. We need your continued support to help us feed the refugees in this dire situation of limited resources.
South American Initiative and GlobalGiving donors aid the Venezuelan refugees in Cucuta. We deliver nutritious and protein-laden meals and medicines to strengthen the weak bodies of refugees. Our goal is to be able to provide more nutritous meals to feed the refugees and aide them in improving their quality of life. It is our desire to offer a viable solution so that many of the Venezuelans living on the Colombian border can be self-sufficient and take care of themselves and their families.
After completing the first surgery successfully, it is time for our second patient, Andres. He is a 17 year-old-boy living with his parents in the city of Caracas. He frequently suffers eplitic seizures which affect every aspect of his life. It has made it impossible for him to enjoy a childhood like any other boy. Andres has difficulty performing physical activities such as swimming or running without worrying about having an epileptic seizure.
SAI’s neurosurgery program is the only viable option for these children. There are very few qualified doctors to carry out this procedure since many of these specialists have migrated to other countries. Not only are doctors scarce, but also the VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulator) devices that are inserted into patients, are impossible for any Venezuelan to afford. The cost is about $25,000 just for the device, not including the surgery.
Thanks to the collaboration of LIVANOVA, we’ve changed Andres' life completely. It has improved his confidence and his health in a surprising way. Now, his parents have something less to worry about: just being focused on his happiness.
This beautiful family has extended its thanks to LIVANOVA, SOUTH AMERICAN INITIATIVE, and all the DONORS who have worked together to help Andres overcome the constant threat of seizures due to his drug-resistant epilepsy.
South American Initiative has always been concerned with the welfare of the most needy in Venezuela. These surgeries represent a light in the midst of darkness for patients suffering from this life-threatening condition.
Many of these families believe there is no hope or help for their epileptic children due to the economic crisis in Venezuela. At SAI, our mission is to remind them there are kind and generous people who are putting their eyes on Venezuela, willing to give a helping hand no matter how small or large their need.
Thank you to all donors of GlobalGiving, LIVANOVA, and SAI for supporting our cause. The information is reflective of the GlobalGiving and SAI campaign Life-Saving Neurosurgery-Venezuela.
Animal abandonment cases in Venezuela are very serious. The lives of many animals that used to be pets have changed dramatically. One day they were the most beloved pets in the home and the next day they were abandoned. These sad events are due to many factors that have affected the quality of life in Venezuela. One of them is the high cost of animal food and the other is due to migration.
Many Venezuelans have been forced to migrate from the country, and sadly do not know what to do with their pets. It is for this reason they have chosen to abandon their pets. It seems that the fate of our four-legged friends is abandonment or death. Sometimes, both.
The South American Initiative team (SAI), has a big heart for the abandoned animals of Venezuela. When a country experiences sudden poverty and famine, the very first victims are our beloved family pets. When personal survival is at steak, family pets are often abandoned and neglected.
With no relief in sight, SAI provides significant aid to our Venezuelan Veterinarian team to care for the abandoned and neglected pets in critical states of health.
For the past few months we have provided food and medical supplies to the following:
Your contributions to SAI have made the expansion of our animal project a reality. Each month we continually increase the amount of food and medicine we supply to these abandoned pets struggling to stay alive during this economic crisis.
At SAI we want to sincerely thank each donor for their generosity in helping us improve the lives of abandoned pets in Venezuela. Without your help many would simply die of starvation and disease.
Thank you to all donors of GlobalGiving and SAI for supporting our cause. The information is reflective of the GlobalGiving and SAI campaign Helping Abandoned Pets.
