It's been seven years since pediatrician Dr. Astrid Heger wrote me a letter about a little boy named Brian. Brian was 9 years old and came to Dr. Heger for help after he
had been viciously gang raped. In 1984, Dr. Heger, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Los Angeles County (LAC) + University of Southern California (USC) Medical
Center, founded the Center for the Vulnerable Child (CVC) for the evaluation of child abuse, where she pioneered the multi-disciplinary Child Advocacy Center model. In 1995,
the program added interventions for sexual assault and domestic violence as well as for children and adolescents impacted by family violence. When we first met, she worked
out of a small trailer and had few services to offer Brian. Her story about Brian and hundreds of other children who were being sexually and physically abused moved our
Milagro Board and we began funding the Violence Intervention Program in East Los Angeles.
In these seven years, Dr. Heger has garnered local support and worked incessantly to bring funds to VIP. The center has now built a compound to support all of the
Brians who need help and services, now shockingly numbering between 600-800 children every month. Thanks to Dr. Heger's vision and tenacity, The LAC/USC Violence Intervention
program facility now includes a hospital, mental health clinic, forensic services, foster care, an elder abuse program and most recently, Santana House. From the first
moment Deborah and Carlos visited Dr. Heger in the small trailer and met with some of the abused children and their families, they saw the passion and vision in Dr.
Heger's eyes and committed to a partnership with her to help children. Carlos' words to the harmed, vulnerable children, "You are not what happened to you. You come from the
light and you will return to the light."
Dr. Heger built Santana House as a refuge for children. Her humanitarian effort serving in the field of child abuse and neglect has made her a hero in many hearts. At the
celebratory opening of Santana House last month, Deborah and Carlos spoke to the audience of 300, which included Dolores Huerta, city commissioners and county supervisors.
They spoke of the needs of children and their gratitude for the outpouring of community support. They spoke of the woman who has created a haven for children of abuse.
Carlos says there are angels and archangels. He calls Dr. Astrid Heger an archangel. We are grateful and honored to know such a person and play a small part in her miracle
(milagro).
Quick Links...
email: info@milagrofoundation.org
phone: 415-460-9939
web: www.milagrofoundation.org
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Milagro Foundation's grantee, Ingwavuma Orphan Care of South Africa had a very special delivery this month. One hundred families received their very own Hippo Water Roller,
funded by the Milagro Foundation!
The Hippo Water Rollers provide a rolling drum to carry and access available water and address the incredible hardships endured in carrying out this never-ending routine
task of carrying water on the heads of the children and the elderly. Most families need to walk to the watering hole several times each day.
The Hippo Water Roller is a barrel-shaped container designed to transport 90 liters (20 gallons) of water. It comprises of a drum with a large screw-on cap and a clip-on
steel handle.
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Ingwavuma Orphan Care identifies orphans in a very large area (around 2100 square kms). This is a huge undertaking! This organization has limited resources to help a
fraction of the 3000 AIDS orphans on its database, but the interventions are strong for those it can help. Here is how IOC serves:
Orphans get help obtaining birth certificates and IDs and then to apply for governmental foster care grants. Emergency food parcels are provided. Orphan clubs in 20
schools provide structured psycho-social support to 400 orphans. IOC holds orphan camps to give the children a wider view of the world. Efforts are made to raise awareness
of the AIDS crisis within each community. Health service is provided to care for the dying parents so that it is not the children who must tend to their parent dying
of AIDS. Orphan care takers are urged to get involved in one of the organization's income generating projects. Support groups are held for HIV+ children and their care
givers. Care givers provide training in memory boxes where a dying parent can leave mementos for their children in a positive way.
The Hippo Water Rollers are welcome in this community of relatives caring for orphans of the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Now these women and children will make the
journey to bring water to their families less often. Heavy jugs of water will no longer be carried on their heads.
Paul Dean, Ingwavuma Orphan Care, helped facilitate the delivery of the Hippo Water Rollers. He said, "These families were all delighted with the rollers — I
think neither you nor I can imagine what a difference this will make to their lives. Now only one trip is made to collect water and it'll be much easier. Families may
also have more water available for washing and other uses."
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Hand in Hand program was founded in 1997 by Lee Gordon and Amin Khalaf, two educators — Jewish and Arab who envisioned the creation of bilingual, multicultural
schools where Arab and Jewish children in Israel could learn together. Despite the fact that such a program was widely considered to be impossible, Hand in Hand School
opened in Jerusalem and in the Galilee in 1998. Each school began with a single 1st grade class. Total enrollment was 50 children — half Jewish and half Arab.
Seven years later, the success of Hand in Hand schools has proven phenomenal. While violence between Israel and Palestinian people ravaged Jewish and Arab communities
alike, the children of Hand in Hand managed to gather together on a daily basis, learn both Hebrew and Arabic, make friends and build common ground. Hand in Hand now has
5 pre-K and kindergarten classes and enrolls 670 children!
In Israel today, Jewish and Arab citizens live in a highly segregated environment. Hand in Hand Schools are an exception. These school children demonstrate that Jewish
and Arab communities in Israel can succeed in building and sustaining a shared commitment to a key civic institution.
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