Sofie Estolloso Hofmann Designs International

I finished updating the site of PSAP-PAROLA.org yesterday evening. Philippine Seafarers Assistance Programme (PSAP) is a non-stock, non-profit foundation based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It primarily aims to support the Filipino seafarers’ quest for better and humane working and living conditions.

PSAP has been publishing its newsletter/magazine called “PAROLA” for the Filipino seafarers. Parola has no ads at all but next year, they will start accommodating commercial advertisers at the Parola newsletter. Why advertise in Parola? The magazine is quite very informative for the seafarers and its family. I do not wonder that Parola newsletter is quite popular among the Filipino seafarers.

Some of the officers and staff of PSAP would visit one of the ships every month just to see the Filipino seafarers. The ship and crew that they visit is being featured at the PSAP-PAROLA.org website as the SHIP and CREW of the MONTH, which I think very noble indeed. By merely looking at their photos, you will have the tendency to have some mixed emotions. For one thing, they are away from their loved ones, like right now, instead of spending Christmas with their family, they’re somewhere out there sailing at sea with their colleagues, while we are here enjoying on the ground.

May I ask everyone to please pray for them everyday, for their safety and wish them happiness even if they are away from their family especially this Christmas season.

May I also appeal to everyone to please support Parola newsletter by advertising with the magazine. Parola is circulated to over 10,000 individual Filipino seafarers and their families. You can download the latest issue of Parola, just visit PSAP-PAROLA.org website.

That’s all and have a wonderful day! Tomorrow is Christmas day!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!!

Last Monday, December 19, 2005, I updated the start pages of the French, Italian and English version of the site of Green Cross Switzerland. The last time I updated it, I only inserted a pop-up window at the start page of the German version. The pop-up window is all about the “Babushka Painting Competition” of Green Cross Switzerland in relation to the Chernobyl accident 20 years ago.

The solidarity gathering by Swiss children for the children of Chernobyl will be on the 26th of April, 2006 in “Waisenhausplatz” in Bern. If you are a resident of Switzerland and would like to participate in this competition, sample patterns of Babushka can be ordered at Green Cross.

Herewith are few samples of the works of the children from Switzerland, courtesy of Green Cross Switzerland. Read my past blog entry, 20 Years after Chernobyl, to know what does Babushka mean.

Today, I uploaded some documents, press releases, regarding the Social and Medical Care Programme of Green Cross Switzerland. The press releases are only in German and French languages. If you can read either of the two, you can check the media pages of the German and French version. It is about the help that Green Cross Switzerland is extending to one of the contaminated areas in Russia, “Chelyabinsk”, as well as Ukraine, through their Social and Medical Care Programme.

Chelyabinsk, in the former USSR, was the center of the Russian nuclear industry, also known as the “Mother of the Atomic Bomb”. Due to the unprofessional handling of the radioactive waste during that time, and as the area was producing nuclear weapons in high quantity, waste accumulated and contaminated Chelyabinsk and its neighboring areas.

Aside from that, there were also two serious radioactive accidents that occurred in 1994 and 1995 which contaminated the area. The radioactive wastes overflowed to the Techa river and it led to the radiation contamination of about 124,000 people, 28,000 of those were residents of the place “Brodokalmak”. At present, there are 1,100 children living in Brodokalmak, 800 of those are registered to be sick.

There’s still a lot of them out there… and they need our help…

As we are about to celebrate Christmas, if you can extend your help, just help… anyone… help anyway you can. People will appreciate it!