I'm no longer accepting donations at this time as my Visa will soon expire and I will be unfortunately flying back to the US. Please check out my Facebook page for current updates and information. https://m.facebook.com/sustainable.santacruz
If you would still like to donate.... please donate here. https://donate.unhcr.org/gu-en/syria/
I traveled to Northern Iraq (alone) to help stabilize the region, directly support Syrian, Kurdish and Iraqi refugees as well as minimize the threat ISIS poses to the rest of the world any way I can. I brought approximately $5K worth (160lbs) of humanitarian supplies, International Survival Kits [ISK], nutritional food, medicine, medical and military equipment.
The majority of this will be transported to the (underfunded & under-equipped) Peshmerga Soldiers that are fighting ISIS on the front lines. Tragically, thousands of Peshmerga soldiers have already died in combat while courageously protecting humanity from ISIS. They tolerate the 110 degree temperatures (in the middle of the desert) with limited water and little food. With the company of two Peshmerga soldiers, I purchased an additional $320 worth of supplies locally; flashlights, batteries, work gloves and a shovel for filling sandbags. The rest of the supplies I brought are set aside for the impending 250k mass influx of refugees that is expected to escape Mosul.
I have also collaborated with the Habib Al Malih Medical Center. They opened in August of 2014 to assist the thousands of families fleeing ISIS from Mosul and the Ninaveh plains. They treat an average of 150 patients each day.... 249 patients had come in on the day of my visit. They were out of many crucial medications and did not have the necessary resources to treat every injury and chronic illnesses. Just to give you simple perspective of the crisis, they didn't have facemasks, diabetes test strips, insulin or even a single sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff) in the entire medical center. The doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and staff sat down with me and wrote out a detailed list of their current needs. I then purchased $400 worth of medical/dental supplies and equipment (for the center) from several different locations in Erbil. The purchases include but not limited to; medicine, prescription medications, syringes, surgical instruments, scalpels, sutures, twizzers, gauze wraps, cloth tape, triple antibiotic ointment, iodine solution, band-aids, natural eye drops, cotton pads, bleach, mouth wash, sugical facemasks, rubber gloves, stethoscopes, Sp02 oxygen oximeter and an expensive electronic sphygmomanometer.
I also visited a massive Christian Iraqi Refugee Camp just outside of the city. The residents here receive health care from the Habib Al Malih Medical Center that is located just 1 mile away. The people in this camp have been upgraded from living in tents, to more civilized, insulated, retrofitted cargo shipping containers; some of which have hot water, air conditioning and even satellite TV. Although most of them continue to struggle for consistent income, the ability to feed their families and desire to prosper like they had before ISIS. I have spent hundreds of dollars and made several trips to this camp with school supplies, soccer balls, drinks, packaged food and fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyday, I learn something new or make new connections that will help me accomplish more in the following weeks.
The economy in the region is very bad, everyone I spoke with said it is all because of ISIS and the war against ISIS. Surprisingly, I see very few people on the streets asking for change unlike in the US. Those I do see usually have visible signs of disabilities. In the city there are sanitation issues, water shortages and power blackouts everyday, sometimes the power is down for several hours... the longest was two days. There is no public transportation, no bike lanes and no uber. The options are walking, driving (renting or owning a vehicle) or taking a taxi. It upsetting that because of the US invasion of this region, most Americans will never have the opportunity to visit the Middle East or experience this amazing culture in their lifetime.
Over 250,000 people have died since the 2003 invasion, according to the Iraq Body Count project. The people in Iraq and Syria need our help and need more support from the international community. The mass media is drastically exaggerating the participation from the countries affiliated with the Anti-ISIS coalition. As of now there are only 11 countries participating in Northern Iraq. To add to that, I have not seen a single America in Erbil aside from the 4 US Soldiers at the airport on arrival. This is why I am here (volunteering) as a first responder helping the refugees through this difficult time in History. I am here as a journalist trying to raise awareness of the crisis and encourage involvement. I am here as a humanitarian, trying to do the most amount of good for the most amount of people. I will help be compassionate and understanding to extreme suffering these beautiful people have faced.... we must all realize that if we do not transition into a caring society everything will continue to deteriorate like it has to where unstable regions will become more hostle and dangerously unpredictable.
I am right here, right now.... in the center of a unprecedented humanitarian crisis. I set up this fundraiser platform to where you can also be a part of the solution. I can then purchase more humanitarian-aid, medical supplies and equipment and transport it to the appropriate location. Many of the corperate style nonprofits are full of corruption to where they spend 70-90% of your donation on administrative cost. With my project, 100% of your donation will directly make a positive impact. It is also important to realize that the cost of food is approximately 50-75% percent cheaper here than in the US. Please, it only cost $0.50 to a dollar to feed someone a full meal and only $6 for a soccer ball that helps with the positive development of growing children. It allows them to interact with eachother and stay physically active. Your donation will help the people in this region. https://www.gofundme.com/protect-humanity
It is missions like mine that set an international example, discourages terrorism and further improved international relations between the U.S. and Middle East. I as well as others have setup the foundation and established the internal connections and logistics for outside aid organizations and those working in emergency services. This region urgently needs more doctors, nurses, paramedics, philanthropist, journalist, aid workers etc. If an entity would like to donate a shipment of medical supplies, I can provide you with the Medical Center shipping address. If you are an adventurous tourist searching where to spend your summer vacation, Erbil is a relatively save city to visit? =/ There are historic monuments and structures dating back to 2300 B.C. Your visit, like mine will support the local economy and create a more accommodating tourist atmosphere for others.
I have my Iridium satellite device that can send and receive text. It can post Facebook updates when necessary although I cannot view Facebook comments or messages. For security reasons, I've been very selective with the pictures I post and refrain from posting out some of my best. As much as I love my family and friends, I ask of you not post personal information on Facebook regarding your connection or relationship to me at this time.
This is my education, training and experience
http://advanceddisasterrelief.com/resource-guide.html
My international portfolio
http://advanceddisasterrelief.com/picture-gallery.html
Special thanks to the three people that made the largest contributions towards helping the people of Iraq. Matt Rasmussen, Matt Gerig and Chris Young
Sincerely Alekz Londos CEO of Advanced Disaster Relief; humanitarian, environmentalist, photojournalist and activist.
If you would still like to donate.... please donate here. https://donate.unhcr.org/gu-en/syria/
I traveled to Northern Iraq (alone) to help stabilize the region, directly support Syrian, Kurdish and Iraqi refugees as well as minimize the threat ISIS poses to the rest of the world any way I can. I brought approximately $5K worth (160lbs) of humanitarian supplies, International Survival Kits [ISK], nutritional food, medicine, medical and military equipment.
The majority of this will be transported to the (underfunded & under-equipped) Peshmerga Soldiers that are fighting ISIS on the front lines. Tragically, thousands of Peshmerga soldiers have already died in combat while courageously protecting humanity from ISIS. They tolerate the 110 degree temperatures (in the middle of the desert) with limited water and little food. With the company of two Peshmerga soldiers, I purchased an additional $320 worth of supplies locally; flashlights, batteries, work gloves and a shovel for filling sandbags. The rest of the supplies I brought are set aside for the impending 250k mass influx of refugees that is expected to escape Mosul.
I have also collaborated with the Habib Al Malih Medical Center. They opened in August of 2014 to assist the thousands of families fleeing ISIS from Mosul and the Ninaveh plains. They treat an average of 150 patients each day.... 249 patients had come in on the day of my visit. They were out of many crucial medications and did not have the necessary resources to treat every injury and chronic illnesses. Just to give you simple perspective of the crisis, they didn't have facemasks, diabetes test strips, insulin or even a single sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff) in the entire medical center. The doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and staff sat down with me and wrote out a detailed list of their current needs. I then purchased $400 worth of medical/dental supplies and equipment (for the center) from several different locations in Erbil. The purchases include but not limited to; medicine, prescription medications, syringes, surgical instruments, scalpels, sutures, twizzers, gauze wraps, cloth tape, triple antibiotic ointment, iodine solution, band-aids, natural eye drops, cotton pads, bleach, mouth wash, sugical facemasks, rubber gloves, stethoscopes, Sp02 oxygen oximeter and an expensive electronic sphygmomanometer.
I also visited a massive Christian Iraqi Refugee Camp just outside of the city. The residents here receive health care from the Habib Al Malih Medical Center that is located just 1 mile away. The people in this camp have been upgraded from living in tents, to more civilized, insulated, retrofitted cargo shipping containers; some of which have hot water, air conditioning and even satellite TV. Although most of them continue to struggle for consistent income, the ability to feed their families and desire to prosper like they had before ISIS. I have spent hundreds of dollars and made several trips to this camp with school supplies, soccer balls, drinks, packaged food and fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyday, I learn something new or make new connections that will help me accomplish more in the following weeks.
The economy in the region is very bad, everyone I spoke with said it is all because of ISIS and the war against ISIS. Surprisingly, I see very few people on the streets asking for change unlike in the US. Those I do see usually have visible signs of disabilities. In the city there are sanitation issues, water shortages and power blackouts everyday, sometimes the power is down for several hours... the longest was two days. There is no public transportation, no bike lanes and no uber. The options are walking, driving (renting or owning a vehicle) or taking a taxi. It upsetting that because of the US invasion of this region, most Americans will never have the opportunity to visit the Middle East or experience this amazing culture in their lifetime.
Over 250,000 people have died since the 2003 invasion, according to the Iraq Body Count project. The people in Iraq and Syria need our help and need more support from the international community. The mass media is drastically exaggerating the participation from the countries affiliated with the Anti-ISIS coalition. As of now there are only 11 countries participating in Northern Iraq. To add to that, I have not seen a single America in Erbil aside from the 4 US Soldiers at the airport on arrival. This is why I am here (volunteering) as a first responder helping the refugees through this difficult time in History. I am here as a journalist trying to raise awareness of the crisis and encourage involvement. I am here as a humanitarian, trying to do the most amount of good for the most amount of people. I will help be compassionate and understanding to extreme suffering these beautiful people have faced.... we must all realize that if we do not transition into a caring society everything will continue to deteriorate like it has to where unstable regions will become more hostle and dangerously unpredictable.
I am right here, right now.... in the center of a unprecedented humanitarian crisis. I set up this fundraiser platform to where you can also be a part of the solution. I can then purchase more humanitarian-aid, medical supplies and equipment and transport it to the appropriate location. Many of the corperate style nonprofits are full of corruption to where they spend 70-90% of your donation on administrative cost. With my project, 100% of your donation will directly make a positive impact. It is also important to realize that the cost of food is approximately 50-75% percent cheaper here than in the US. Please, it only cost $0.50 to a dollar to feed someone a full meal and only $6 for a soccer ball that helps with the positive development of growing children. It allows them to interact with eachother and stay physically active. Your donation will help the people in this region. https://www.gofundme.com/protect-humanity
It is missions like mine that set an international example, discourages terrorism and further improved international relations between the U.S. and Middle East. I as well as others have setup the foundation and established the internal connections and logistics for outside aid organizations and those working in emergency services. This region urgently needs more doctors, nurses, paramedics, philanthropist, journalist, aid workers etc. If an entity would like to donate a shipment of medical supplies, I can provide you with the Medical Center shipping address. If you are an adventurous tourist searching where to spend your summer vacation, Erbil is a relatively save city to visit? =/ There are historic monuments and structures dating back to 2300 B.C. Your visit, like mine will support the local economy and create a more accommodating tourist atmosphere for others.
I have my Iridium satellite device that can send and receive text. It can post Facebook updates when necessary although I cannot view Facebook comments or messages. For security reasons, I've been very selective with the pictures I post and refrain from posting out some of my best. As much as I love my family and friends, I ask of you not post personal information on Facebook regarding your connection or relationship to me at this time.
This is my education, training and experience
http://advanceddisasterrelief.com/resource-guide.html
My international portfolio
http://advanceddisasterrelief.com/picture-gallery.html
Special thanks to the three people that made the largest contributions towards helping the people of Iraq. Matt Rasmussen, Matt Gerig and Chris Young
Sincerely Alekz Londos CEO of Advanced Disaster Relief; humanitarian, environmentalist, photojournalist and activist.