Friday, September 13, 2002

A couple of days ago the money arrived for the sponsorship program we have started.

I took some time away from work and went to the bank to deal with transferring money from the foundation�s account to each individual recipient�s account. I deducted 1% from the $50 per person plus 1000 dram for the initial fee to set-up the recipient�s accounts. Each person this month received $47.75.

The next day, I returned to the bank as I added a sponsor, who wrote me to tell me that he had sent $600 to the foundation, so I went ahead and added our 13th person using the money in the foundation�s account I have for the recipients for the next 5 months.

While I was there filling out the papers for the 13th recipient, I could hear one of our 12 recipients in the other room who didn�t know I was in the other room asking where this money had come from? They gave my name and the old woman began to cry and thanked God for giving me life and wishing me a long life. She went on a bit telling the bank worker about how this wont bring back her son, but maybe the world is not such a horrible place and there really are people who care.

As we were filling out the papers another old woman walked in to the room we were in. She was probably 85 years old and walked with a very rustic looking handmade cane. I asked the woman who was filling out the papers for me if this was one of our people? She said yes. The bank woman asked the old woman if she brought her passport with her? She said no, she forgot it at home. She said that she could only give her the money if she had her passport and the old woman (who only lives across the street) asked if she could bring it later? The bank woman said no and asked her if there was a child at home that could bring it over? Now even I would not have asked that question to this old woman as I know almost every woman on our list had lost their children in the war. The old woman looked to the bank woman with tears in her eyes and said �No, their all gone, I have no one.� She walked out of the bank crying. I didn�t say anything to the bank woman, but I could tell from the look on her face that she knew she made a big mistake saying what she said. I commented to the bank woman that today you will be hearing a lot of crying.

The bank lady informed me that since this is aid that we are distributing, they are not going to deduct the 1% transfer fee, meaning that the recipients are to get 100% of what is intended for them. Also, the foundation is covering any wire-transfer fee that they may be subject to. Next month, I�ll give each recipient an additional amount that reflects what I deducted for bank fees that the bank did not charge.

I�m going to go to the bank next week to see about parking the foundation�s money that is intended for the recipients in interest bearing accounts that mature in time for distribution. This way we can maybe in time have enough to add another person or help out someone with a onetime gift or something.

I�m getting the expected fall out from the �church lady� types of how I went about selecting people. Everyone wants to receive this aid and one person is worse off then the other. One woman, I think she is �the church lady� herself even had the nerve to ask someone who this Ara person is to have the right to decide who is going to get help. One person said that I should just ignore it and to remember that it is impossible to select the wrong person as everyone today is in need.

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