Alaskan Friends of Chukotka
P.O. Box 1141 Nome, Alaska 99762
907-443-2455 | Email
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Mid-year Newsletter 6/07
AFOC MIDYEAR REPORT
Alaskan Friends of Chukotka
P.O. Box 1141 Nome, AK 99762 907-443-2455
Dear Friends of Chukotka,
It is not quite time for a midyear report but I need to tell you news I just heard from our PO when I went to mail a box. There is no more surface mail rate from the US to any international port. NO more ships, just airmail. That seems incredible, and will affect a lot of aid organizations who send big shipments. But maybe not many useparcel post.
This will almost double the cost of a box. We can't afford to carry on in the same way, but here in Nome we have options. We can still send boxes across with Chukotkan travelers who come for scientific and cultural conferences here sponsored by the Park Services. We can pay the excess baggage if they go over their limit which they usually do, unless it has also doubled, but I don't think so--not yet anyway.
And we can send very light things like yarn, poly jackets, kids clothes, fish net webbing and other small sewing etc items. Boots, jeans and other heavy gear are going to be out. You can use your own judgment
Things are much better in Chukotka than they were eight years ago. Be happy that you were part of this project that several international projects people say was most succesful in reaching the actual families One person from Chukotka said If people won't drink they can have a life here now. Not a great life, but a life." Meaning not going hungry and cold or without medical treatment. However got a letter this week from a man humbly asking for a few fishing lures. That means stores still very short of such important items, or he is too poor to buy.
Kids who do well in school can get scholarshipsdvanced programs. We have helped a lot of kids get to school with something to wear etc. People have new houses and water systems in many villages.
You may still want to send whatwon't cost so much postage, and I will still get letters no doubt, and will answer, explaining our limitations.
Here is the report for this year through June 1.
Letters received: 23 (a few are new families)
Boxes mailed that I know of: 23
Nets sent: 3 (2 waiting that I will send)
Cash recieved for nets and postage: $1075.
I apologize for misspelld and missing letters here--the corrector is not working. Electronics are not friendly to me!
Thanks for all your faithful support over the years, starting in 1999 and know that you really mattered, judging from the letters of gratitude. If you want any of these letters, or if you want to be informed of new ones arriving, and want to continue under new rules/adversities, let me know! It is good to know there is one part of the world actually improving!
Nancy Mendenhall, AFOC coordinator
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