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FROM THE FIELD

Popular ADRA Refugee Experience Hosts Thousands
26 Aug 2009 13:43:00 GMT
 Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Nadia McGill

Website: Website: http://www.adra.org

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More than 10,000 attended ADRA's Refugee Experience exhibit held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in August 2009.
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More than 10,000 attended ADRA's Refugee Experience exhibit held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in August 2009.
ADRA International/Matt Herzel

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SILVER SPRING, Md.--More than 10,000 visitors had the opportunity to see life through the eyes of a refugee at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency's (ADRA) Refugee Experience exhibit, an interactive, multi-activity display that was recently showcased at the 2009 International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

"We are very pleased with the success of this exhibit, and by the positive response from so many young people," said Julio Munoz, bureau chief for Marketing and Development for ADRA International. "We hope that the lessons they learned will motivate them throughout their lives to continue to be involved making a difference in their own communities."

Visitors to ADRA's Refugee Experience were able to see first hand the way in which millions of refugees and displaced persons live each day. After registering at the refugee camp entrance, visitors received an orange wristband acknowledging their new displaced status before entering the main camp, which included refugee shelters, cooking areas, a health clinic, a makeshift latrine, and a fire pit. Simultaneous tours provided information about the camp, life as a refugee, and the everyday challenges that people face in a real refugee camp.

"Each year, millions of people around the world are forced from their homes into overcrowded camps that often lack adequate access to some of the most basic necessities, including food, clean water and decent sanitation," said Hearly Mayr, director for Public Awareness for ADRA International, and exhibit coordinator. "This exhibit helps to tell their story."

In the exhibit's pack-a-box section, participants packed in two days 10,000 school kits destined for displaced children in Colombia. On Friday, August 14, volunteers loaded 1,000 boxes containing the school kits onto a 40-foot container in under an hour. The shipment is scheduled to arrive in Colombia in early September, where it will be distributed in one of the most impoverished regions of the country.

"Being able to help pack and box supplies, and just to see and feel the excitement of the Pathfinders was amazing," said Gabrielle Williams, 22, master guide for the Pathfinder club at the Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Houston, Texas. "It was a wonderful experience. As Pathfinders, that is what it is all about-service!"

In addition, more than 6,000 Pathfinders attended ADRA's Disaster Response Level 1 class, obtaining the first ADRA honor offered at an international camporee. Attendees learned about natural and man-made disasters, their effect on communities, and how ADRA and other humanitarian organizations are helping communities recover from these disasters.

On Wednesday, August 12, ADRA hosted Jennifer Dombrowski, Miss Wisconsin Outstanding Teen 2008. Dombrowski participated in the exhibit activities, packing school kits and speaking to young people about the importance of community service. During the Pathfinder parade that afternoon, Ms. Dombrowski represented ADRA, riding as Grand Marshal.

"I had a lot of fun," said Dombrowski. "I really enjoyed learning about the different kinds of work that ADRA does, not just for refugees, but for people around the world who don't have the opportunities that many of us take for granted."

The International Pathfinder Camporee, which was held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin from August 11 to 15, takes place every five years, and is designed primarily for Seventh-day Adventist youth involved in the Pathfinder program, a global community service oriented coed organization similar to the Scout movement, which has a membership of more than 2 million people.

At the Camporee, youths participated in meetings, community service events, and competitions to help foster unity, fellowship, and spiritual growth. More than 35,000 people from 40 countries attended the event. Preparations for the 2014 International Pathfinder Camporee, which will also be held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, are already underway.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

For more information, visit www.adra.org.




[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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