This Week In Thailand:
A Financial Update of our work:

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Dear Friends of our work with the Akha Hill Tribe People:

This is an update to inform you of the status of our work with the Akha people and show what our current financial need is.

We have been working now ten years to help bring medicine, better nutrition, clean water, seeds, books and human rights to the Akha Hill Tribe.

Only in this last year have we begun to find sponsors for our work.

Previous to that our work moved ahead in tiny increments.

Moneys would come in, projects would get done, then months without any donations, and nothing would move forward.

There are many villages in Thailand which we deliver services to, they are all at the end of a bad road it seems, and the wear and tear on the 4 wheel drive pickup is extensive.

It lacks the box, the front two fenders, a spare, a spring shackle, all tires are bald and now the clutch which went out today.

Currently we have risen to the level of having a TOTAL of $200 per month in committed donations. But other than that, total donations usually still remain below $500 per month for all fuel, medicine, repairs, etc.

The bulk of our work is in the villages, but we must still keep channels of communication open. This requires phone, internet, web site (currently down), computers, electricity, now an office, and so forth.

But our single largest expense remains first aid medicine, fuel and truck repairs.

In the last two years since we have had the truck, we have put over 100,000 kilometers on it, much of that very difficult roads at all times of day and night. Unpaid emergency medical bills are currently at $1100.

We thank all of you that have donated over time to keep the doors open and the work moving forward, but we are in need of much more help, that means much more donations.

Please give generously to this project. We have time, and when we have time, we are not getting as much done as we could if the truck was in continual good repair and moving in the mountains to the villages.

In addition we still have projects to complete like the fish tank project, printing press for books, ovens for our nutrition project and more computers for the Akha writers.

We are also trying to supply mothers with vitamins in the most severely effected villages. This has become very popular, but we do not have near enough supply.

In the past we have been offered vitamins, but they came in either out dated, or were taxed excessively by customs.

I have taken the opportunity to write this update because numerous people have stated that from all our email updates it would appear that we are a well financed organization with plenty of funding. WE ARE NOT.

So if you can commit to a monthly donation or only a one time donation, your help is greatly needed and greatly appreciated.

Thankyou for forwarding this email to any of your friends who might be willing to help as well.

Sincerely,

Matthew McDaniel
Maesai, Thailand