With each purchase from Amazon.com through this website, AAFSW receives a small percentage to help fund out activities and services. AAFSW is also affiliated with ReusableBags.com offering sturdy, environmentally totes perfect for shopping all over the world.

Realities of Foreign Service Life Vol. 1

Realities of Foreign Service Life Vol. 2

Realities of Foreign Service Life, Volumes 1 and 2: Writers from the Foreign Service community share their first-hand experiences and insights through essays on Foreign Service life. A great gift for newcomers or veterans of the Foreign Service and especially useful for anyone considering a Foreign Service career! Read more about Realities of Foreign Service Life here and order your copy!

 

In the Wake of the Bomb

By Joanne Grady-Huskey

It is almost three months since the bombings in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam. So much has happened. I have continued the efforts of the American Women's Association to raise funds to support children affected by the blast. Just last night, we had a very successful Jazz Benefit evening that brought out many of Nairobi's Americans. We are also having a5K Run on the six month anniversary of the bombing to raise more funds.

Simultaneous to raising funds, we have been researching the Kenyan children who have been hurting the bombing. I am particularly touched by the stories of the innocent children, because my own children came so close to being hurt or killed and I know how utterly devastating that would be. Our research has led us to several children who have become blinded by the bombing. This is a travesty unimaginable. With the help of US AID, we have received a commitment from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to do pro bono follow up surgery for seven children. We are working with the doctors at Keynote Hospital Eye Clinic to determine which children would benefit from a second surgery. There seem to be seven or more that might be able to regain some of their vision, if they received cornea transplants, retina reconstruction, and eye lid reconstruction. Video conferences will be carried out between the doctors at Keynote Hospital and the doctors at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to determine what protocol to follow and the timing of the follow up surgery. We have approached KIM/Northwest Airlines and they have donated seven roundtrip tickets to the US for the children to go and receive this surgery. The US Embassy is helping us with visas. It is likely that the children will travel from Kenya to the US in early February, which would be six months after the bombing. I sincerely hope that we can achieve this.

ABC News and BBC Panorama are both doing one hour documentaries about the aftermath of the bombing and I have been interviewed for both.

It has been very helpful for metro focus on helping the children affected by the bombing. I hade need to contribute, to do something to respond. This work has-been a good focus of my intense reaction to all that has happened. I would not wish this experience on anyone, but things like this are life changing, and they make it very obvious what is important and what is not. It is important to remember that we are all human beings who need to help each other and care for each other. Hope I will be able to help just a few children see again.