Support 50 Muslim Girls to Become Nurses

AAI is participating in GlobalGiving's Little by Little Campaign THIS WEEK - March 23-27.

Donations up to $50 will be matched at 50%. Click through this report if you would like to continue your support of this important project. Thank you! 

Dear Friends, thank you for supporting this program.  Asia America Initiative is currently coordinating with nurses in at least five provinces of the Philippines as the numbers of Covid-19 victims is inreasing daily. 

With your support, Asia America Initiative sponsors female nursing students so that they will receive basic educational needs, classroom materials, graduation fees, and the cost of licensing exams. These young women demonstrate the potential success of Muslim women around the world. As health care providers, the nurses are providing vital services to all community members and expanding the employment base in one of the most economically deprived areas of the world. 

Due to the Covid-19 Virus pandemic, the capital, Manila, and most of the country's 7,000 islands are "locked down."  We are among the relatively few organizations able to provide support in some of these areas. We were fortunate to have a large donated shipment of food, clean water, and medical supplies, including sterilized gloves, face masks, and anti-bacterial soaps and sprays ready to ship in January and February. 

We were proactive due to our more than 20 years of emergency relief experience. Our ongoing relief for typhoon survivors funded by GlobalGiving donors has enabled us to pre-position supplies from abroad and purchase scarce essential goods from local markets. To maintain our inter-cultural focus, we are also donating food to child feeding programs in the Washington, DC - Northern Virginia area. 

As you know, for the past six years, Asia America Initiative has been committed to supporting the education of Nurses in areas of natural disasters and man-made conflict. Your support is critical now as medical personnel, equipment, and supplies are urgently needed. 

AAI sponsored nursing students are working with local health workers to distribute hygiene and other supplies to families in their local areas. This emergency has created a real-life opportunity for students to experience service in their chosen field. In coming months, we are hoping to support additional young women who will now seek to become nurses. 

Our mission is to stabilize the medical and social systems of impacted communities. Our strength is in our multiple partnerships with local, national and international organizations.  Your donations especially matter to keep our network in place in order to be able to respond to events as they happen.

Thank you for all you have done to help this cause.

Wishing you peace,

Al Santoli,

Director, Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

Yes, every nurse matters, especially when your community is impoverished and most residents live well below the poverty line. On the island of Sulu in the Philippines, 19 districts are subdivided into 410 barangays [villages] serving a population of close to 1 million people. There are fewer than 16 medical doctors. Nurses are the framework of public health. 

Globally, Muslim women have been denied educational opportunities that could benefit their communities. AAI began this program in 2015 to provide 50 female students in Sulu, Philippines a quality education in order to launch their nursing careers.  With your support since then, AAI has helped more than 225 young women to become nurses.

We support female nursing students with their basic educational needs, classroom materials, graduation fees, and the cost of licensing exams. These young women demonstrate the potential for success of Muslim women around the world. As health care providers, the nurses are providing vital services to all community members and expanding the employment base in one of the most economically deprived areas of the world. They also are positive symbols for local youth.

The nursing programs in Sulu are a beacon of hope for the entire community. With support from AAI, Sulu State College and Mindanao State University nursing students are performing among the top 20 percent of all such schools in the Philippines - compared to just a 30 percent student pass-rate in the national nursing exams four years ago. 

The challenge is to sustain this success.

If you would like to continue to make a difference to these nursing students in 2020, please click through the project report and select the orange Donate Now button. With your help, we can continue to support young women to become nurses who are vital for a community's survival. (If you are interested in a monthly donation, GlobalGiving is offering a 100% match!)

Support 50 Muslim Girls to Become Nurses

Thank you so much for your past contribution. 

I wish you peace throughout the holiday season and in the New Year.

Albert Santoli

Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website