Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School,
Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 25 January2018 No. 846 extra
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Dear Friends,
Emails follow; Facebook in red; Ladislao is always in black.
----------------------------------------------------
Luis
Guío <luisguiocolare@gmail.com>
Jan
25 at 11:04 PM
Joe,
Whatever Ladislao or any one in Venezuela tells me to do, I am
fine with that.
Would you know to whom have we tried to ship a package and has
not received it?
Those who have had problems receiving packages are the ones with
whom we should try a new channel.
Luis
(The only packages
that I know of that arrive are the Door to Door from Miami, Fl., Ladislao, but
the rules might change)
2018-01-25
8:54 GMT-05:00 Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>:
Dear Luis,
Many thanks for your offer. I believe (given the geographic
relationship of where you are located in Colombia to Venezuela) that Ladislao
is best located to use your service.
Ladislao can correct me please but as I understand it the effort
and logistics of moving goods from the Colombian border to Eastern Venezuela is
much more involved than from Trinidad?
If yourself and Dr. Aumaitre believe that needs can be served
better from Colombia, let us know and we will collaborate as required.
Sincerely,
Joe
(The local rule is that no food can be
transported from one region to another, Ladislao)
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On
Thu, 25 Jan 2018 at 7:37 a.m., Luis Guío
<luisguiocolare@gmail.com>
wrote:
Dear
George, JBM and friends,
I regret to hear that customs has taken a share, although it is
not surprising to me.
As some of you know, I still have family in Venezuela, one Ant
and cousins to whom I send regularly money, groceries and medication in small
packages from Colombia via "Maicao - Colombia - Paraguachón -
Venezuela" north of Maracaibo, west of Venezuela.
Needless to say, my courier system is smuggling with a friend on
the border. I am ashamed to resort to such means. Of course I would like to use
formal channels but they do not work. Via smuggling, by sending US $30
dollars + 2 pennies I can provide a month food supplies for one person in
Venezuela.
This channel is at your service.
Keep in mind that the methodology is "Smurfing", i.e.
tiny packages regularly across the border.
Fortunately, in result terms and unfortunately in moral terms,
the current Venezuelan officials when they see a minor package they let it
slide, for just a couple of pennies on the dollar.
Should anyone need this channel, please let me know. I am
there to help.
Luis
(There is one guy in
the list that needs relief, Roberto Bodington, in the Maracaibo area to my
knowledge, Ladislao)
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2018-01-24 22:02 GMT-05:00 Joseph Berment-McDowald <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>:
Dear
George,
In response to your email below:
We are presently assisting six families on the Eastern side of
Venezuela with an additional six to come on stream in May: sooner, if we get
the necessary funding. Ladislao is handling the rest of Venezuela and he can
give you more information.
In 2015 the ASAA sent one shipment by Frank Malavar which wasn't
as large as the last by way of food but contained high value medications.
Various individuals indicated making several efforts during 2016
which were not coordinated with the ASAA, although done in the organisation's
name. I have no idea of size, regularity or dependability or the needs served.
Dr. Aumaitre reports that what they actually received was "little or
nothing" and the association was left at a loss as to how to respond in
the absence of a transparent open process.
Asking to ship directly is like asking to send your own care
package directly in a war zone where the Red Cross is operating or to send
money directly in a community where Save the Children is operating. For this
reason I have been promoting the idea of a centre of coordination and
information with little result until recently when we became able to make more
formal arrangements with Dr. Adolfo Aumaitre's visits and subsequent service as
a courier and coordinator. Unfortunately, we have had significant losses of
foodstuffs as customs authorities have confiscated some of what we provided.
However, we have a solution for subsequent shipments.
The cost of freight to Venezuela and import duties are also
prohibitive.
I don't believe that any better means could be found to help
those most in need than the organisation and structure that we have (are)
putting in place.
I know that some are nonetheless anxious to do their own thing
but this is a voluntary effort and the majority of us are still in the world of
work and can't find time both to do what we are doing (attempting to do) and
facilitate a paralleled and so far unsuccessful activity that doesn't seem to
have much chance of serving the greatest number regularly, sufficiently and
reliability.
The logistics of obtaining, packaging, shipping and delivering
the aid sometimes involves more time, cost and effort than the money spent on
product.
Nonetheless, we can't tell anyone not to help those individuals
whom they wish directly. We only ask that if anyone does decide to target
specific families that you let us know who they are so that we can direct our
efforts elsewhere, where more absolute need may exist.
I believe that all of the other questions that you have asked are
answered in the exchange of messages which I have emailed you previously.
Yours
sincerely,
JBM
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On
Mon, 22 Jan 2018 at 8:25 a.m., ANTONI MICKIEWICZ
<amickiew@att.net>
wrote:
Blessings
Father Harold, Joe, Ladislao and Don
Continuing to attempt to expand the possibility of obtaining
additional funds, outside of our oldboys, via requests for small donations for
the ASAA's efforts in Venezuela. Last week I started to contact about 50 or so
family members and good friends.
This note is not intended in any way, shape or form to
question/impugn the credibility or honesty of anyone involved in the current
effort. It shares the thinking of an American culture and the negative impact
of what is seen and read in the news regarding the effectiveness of charitable
contributions getting to those who need it..
So far, some of the responses have been positive and some
negative. The main challenge addresses the issue of trust. These individuals
are aware of the Venezuelan tragedy but know nothing about our school nor the
ASAA. These are a few questions that I have received so far:
How many Venezuelan alumni are being helped and how many more can
be added?
Can I "adopt" an alumnus and their family to help them
directly?
(As of today there
are about ten alumni and their families)
How many trips per year are conducted by the Venezuelan doctor
and what is the related cost of each trip?
(Adolfo can make a
monthly trip, maximum)
Can we send from the USA medicines, food and other goods
directly to those in need?
(Medicines are
permitted but must be taken by the travelling person as personal medicine)
How are the US$ "handed" to an alumnus and what is the
typical amount?
(This should be
worked out, as those in the eastern side of Venezuela could be managed from
Tucupita by Adolfo)
Have shared that Father Harold is an active member of the
ASAA....this increases the trust level in those who have expressed doubts.
My projections at this point is that, si Dios quiere, this effort
might result in these contributions totalling a few to several hundred US$ per
quarter. My perception is that continuity will depend on the contributors being
able to see and feel the success of the work that you are doing.
Will share with you sometime in the next 2-3 weeks of what/how
has been done and the bottom line results.
May God continue to bless you and yours,
George
(For those living in the center of
Venezuela, you can contact me, Ladislao.
Luis Guio can help
out with Roberto Bodington who lives in Maracaibo.
And Dr. Adolfo
Aumaitre for those living in the eastern side of Venezuela)
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Father
Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com>
Jan
11 at 11:01 AM
Thank
you for the clarification.
-----------------------------------------------------------------.
ANTONI
MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net>
Jan
11 at 11:11 AM
Thanks,
Joe
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On
Sat, 6 Jan 2018 at 12:28, ANTONI MICKIEWICZ
<amickiew@att.net>
wrote:
Hi
Fr Harold, Joe and Ladislao
What will happen to current assistance effort to Venezuelan
oldboys if Trinidad is included in a future shutdown? Was any assistance
being provided from these 3 former Dutch islands?
(The three islands
are in quarantine by the government until various political issues get
resolved)
May God continue to bless your assistance efforts to those who
are suffering and hurting today,
George
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On Jan 11, 2018 10:59 AM, "Joseph Berment-McDowald" <bermentmcdowald@yahoo.com>
wrote:
Hello
George,
In response to your question below: the assistance provided for
the Old Boys is in both cash and supplies. The supplies are an extra. The core
contribution has been settled as cash. We'll find some way to get it to them.
Thanks for caring,
Sincerely,
Joe
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Thanks, Father for being part of the relief effort.
Brothers...please prayerfully consider making a contribution to our Abbey
School Alumni Association (ASAA) who have been providing financial, medical and
food assistance to our oldboys in Venezuela who are in need. Some of us have
done so by contributing US$ to a special fund that is used for this assistance.
If you are able and willing, please inform our dear Father Harold
Imamshah who can let you know how to do it. We enjoyed together the
good old times....but sadly...the current times are very difficult and
challenging to many of our brothers. May God bless us all.
-----------------------------------------------------------.
Thank
you very much for your phone call, Sir Kazim Abasali.
Many hands make light work. Sir George Mickiewicz has
been holding down the fort for some time now, Sir Garnet Diaz & Sir Raphael Benedict How Chung,
good contributors also, so in this case, less is more, however we expect input,
Sir Kaz. once a month ha! ha!
Cheers
El club.
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After
the Abbey School in our time at the Mount....what was the second best school in
Trinidad?
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Attended
C.I.C., when I left the Mount at the end of '58..rejoined other Class-mates who
transferred at the same time
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My
Uncles had attended there when It was also a boarding school,..one of them is
on their WWI,. veterans hall of fame
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As
2018 begins, we will be faced by many opportunities, challenges, etc.....yet
for some of our oldboys 2018 will continue to be life threatening times. Please
remember them in your prayers and consider assisting those in need financially
or in any other way that you can. Thank you and may Jesus bless you and yours.
---------------------------------------------------------
2017,
IN MEMORIAM….As another year in our lives is coming to an end….and…Si Dios
quiere…..a new one about to begin…we remember those dear and loved family members/friends
that we lost in 2017 and pray for all of them. Among them are alumni who have
now joined the celestial club and whose membership is perhaps starting to
exceed our earthly club. This year, to our knowledge, we lost: Father Cuthbert,
Nigel Gomes, John Gabriel Baptiste, Ian Lezama, Derek Fakoory, Jon Golding. We
also learned of the passing in previous years of Juan Luis Nunez and Dave Bob
George Mickiewicz Thanks
for the correction
---------------------------------------------------------------------------.
George
Mickiewicz, can you change the name in the post 2017, IN
MEMORIAM….As another year in our lives is coming to an end….and…Si Dios
quiere…..a new one about to begin…we remember those dear and loved family members/friends
that we lost in 2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DONE
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Thanks
George
Appreciate you my friend.
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May
God keep them by his side
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We
remain yours faithfully.
The
Club
------------------------------------------
DONATIONS are welcomed, I hate to ask for
them but our situation is dire, no High Protein Supplement. In this case USD
does not help.
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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com,
if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you
would like to include.
--------------------------------------------
Photos:
08UN1672REUNION2008, Joseph Berment, Michael Dornellas Fr.
Cuthbert UNKNOWN
57RB0001d1, UNKNOWN, Manuel Prada, Isaias Farcheg and Elias
Farcheg
12NB4704AJAXREUNION, Nigel Boos, Treance Ferreira
07LK4719ELTIGRE, Ladislao Kertesz, Frank Malaver, Simon Farcheg
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