2008 Visitors from Lebanon:

Claudette Kortbawi (January 16-18, 2008)

We had a great opportunity to welcome back for a brief visit in Toledo Claudette Kortbawi from Lebanon. The last time she visited here was in May 2004  when she was part of a 7-member women's delegation on "Strengthening Non-Governmental Organizations" in Lebanon. That exchange program was funded by the US State Department with the goal to provide training and experience that help program participants to improve their work in Lebanon. Claudette kept her connections with her friends from Toledo and was invited back to Toledo by her former host Rabha Eidi.

Claudette met with GLC representatives and highlighted some of the benefit of that exchange program, and recognized USAID in Lebanon which worked with her and other delegation members to implement new projects and help the people in Lebanon. She emphasized that the training that the Great Lakes Consortium put together both in the US and the US experts' visit to LEbanon were very helpful, and it is much needed for Lebanon, where the political situation in the last 3 years create additional challenges that the NGO leaders and women across Lebanon are facing. She was very hopeful that our cooperation will continue and offered assistance for future programs. Claudette was also interested to share more information about opportunities for Lebanese students to study at NW Ohio higher education institutions, especially women.

2008 Visitors from Ukraine:

Marton Egressy, Transcarpahia (January 22-29, 2008)

The Great Lakes Consortium hosted an Afternoon Tea Reception at the Asbury Methodist Church in Toledo to welcome Marton Egressy (15) from Ukraine and recognize the Healing the Children Foundation and other partners who has helped Marton to grow in spite of his medical challenges (growth hormon deficiency and flour allergy). Martin has been hosted during his visits to Toledo by the Keeners family.

Katie Bibish presented a slide show on the latest development in Ukraine supported by The Anastasia Fund and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur shared more information about the challenges and accomplishments in Burtyn, Ukraine and working with Caritas-Spes there.

It was a truly multicultural event, where members of our Hungarian, Ukrainian, Polish and Lebanese community also participated, many of them helped as volunteers to pack clothes in boxes that were sent in 5 containers to Burtyn earlier. It was great to hear that people in the Village of Burtyn still have the clothes that they got from Toledo and the connections to America are seen on T-shirts or hats that are regularly worn in that community. The ambulance that were donated from Toledo was seen on the streets helping people in Ukraine, and the Community Center that the Anastasia Fund helped to renovate and start as Humanitarian Center is now fully furnished and they have a working kitchen and bathroom facility, that is rear in that village. The Sewing Club continues to work, and one of the former members of the club became now the Mayor of Burtyn.

Students sponsored by the Anastasia Fund from Burtyn studying at Ostroh Academy completed their education and moved back to the village and helped others.

Although the development is slow in Ukraine and has to face many challenges, there is hope that the situation even in small villages will improve as people understand the need to implement new ideas and learn how they can help themselves.