Dear friends:

I'd like to bring you up-to-date about our Liga de la Lactancia Materna
peer counselors, who live in areas destroyed by Mitch.  We have now begun
to get some information about their situation. Carol, my co-leader, visited
the communities yesterday and has given me a preliminary report.  So far,
we haven't found any deaths, but women whose houses are buried under mounds
of sand, families where their banana worker husbands have lost their jobs
because of Mitch ruining the banana plantations, and others whose
agricultural land has been ruined.  

There are several communities where the houses are all totally gone.  We
have had some response from our network, but nothing has come in yet to
Honduras to help these people. The areas where they are living are not
areas where the city of San Pedro set up shelters, so they have no help
from anyone.

We are very concerned about what is going to happen to these women and
their families and hope that you will think of them.  Outgrown baby and
children's clothes and shoes, disposable diapers (there is no water in many
of these places because water systems were destroyed), toys, food,
mattresses, cots, sleeping bags, sheets, all will be welcome.  

Clothes and shoes are particularly important as the public health system
has discovered that a mortal epidemic caused by Leptospirosis, may well be
upon us.  There have already been five deaths among adults.  It is
transmitted by animals and passed when humans go barefoot and are exposed
through...any cut or abrasion on hand or foot in contact with mud...or
contaminated water..

All donations are happily accepted:  The addresses are:
For goods, ideally in boxes addressed to LLL, and a description of contents,
to:
        D. Leiva
        4820 NW 102 Ave.
        Coral Springs , FL 33076

For donations in money, they can be sent to:

        Robin Stanford
        Area Treasurer
        LLL - Florida
        3898 Runnymede Rd.
        Tallahasee, FL  32308

A receipt for tax deduction may be provided.

From Miami, there are ways to ship things free to Honduras and LLL of
Florida has the information.

If you are outside the US, it would be preferable to have money sent,
because that way LLL can buy some of the things that the counselors will
need to help them get started again.

Deposits can be made as follows:

Pinebank, 1001 Bayshore Drive, #100, Miami Fla, 33131, phone #
305-539-3400, Fax. 305-358-4026 ABA 0660 13989
Acc't # 15002184 of the Banco de la Produccion San Pedro Sula, At'n Wendy
Holahan, Final Credit to Cta. #3-6-51 for La Liga de la Lactancia Materna,
Fax #559-6972.

Or with your local correspondent bank for Banco de la Produccion San Pedro
Sula, Dollar Acc't #3-6-51, at'n Wendy Holahan, for La Liga de la Lactancia
Materna, Fax #559-6972.

I am nomail right now as I've been working till almost 2am every night just
responding to requests about general help for Honduras, so please email me
directly if you have questions.

Thanks, Judy









"La Lactancia Materna: Educación para la Vida " Semana Mundial de Lactancia
Materna, 1999

Judy Canahuati, MPhil, IBCLC
PO Box #512
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Telephone: +504-550-9737
Fax:       +504-550-7482
E-mail:    [log in to unmask]

"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.
The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them
changes both the maker and the destination."  John Schaar