AAI have recently returned from Burma after providing a significant response to the disaster even with severe restrictions imposed by the Burmese Junta.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to the team and sponsors who supported this program. Without your particular skills and enthusiasm we would not have enjoyed the success we did. AAI would particularly like to thank DRI and Renewtek for there significant contributions.

Cyclone Nargis was an incredible disaster; it is estimated that 130,000 people were killed, with 2.4 million people left affected. These victims still do not enjoy assistance from the Burmese Government or the international community. The Government in Burma made it very difficult for foreign aid organisations to assist, and in the end, many international groups were forced to leave without making a significant contribution. AAI were more fortunate. We had a team that was able to adapt to the government restrictions and become a training resource for local Burmese groups. In this capacity, AAI was able to deliver a specific training package for the Burmese that proved to be very effective in assisting their operations in the Irrawaddy Delta. In the end this was a great result for AAI and the recipient population in Burma.

Click here to read more about our Burma Program

AAI Benefit Dance Party

Have you been desperate to go out for a dance session, but didn't have the approspriate excuse? Well, you are in luck. AAI are holding a benefit dance party at The Room, nightclub in Melbourne. Perfect excuse, shake your ass and save the world at the same time.

Four well known DJs will be spinning the tunes, so if you are in Melbourne, come along and show us your moves.

When: Friday August 15th
Cost:$15
Location: The Room - 680 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
For tickets call Kat on 0406 210 435 or Jose on 0407 892 056

Information to Potential Volunteers

You may have been contacted recently from our Volunteer Database Coordinator, Megan Nagy, requesting updated information on your suitability for volunteer placements. Megan is currently improving our database so that it will be easier for us to select volunteers for positions both overseas and within Australia.

AAI will soon be producing an on-call volunteer emergency disaster response register where volunteers sign up for a nominated period of time and be able to deploy to an emergency within 72 hours of being ‘activated’. During this on-call period administrative preparations will be undertaken for the selected volunteers so that they could deploy quickly in the event of an emergency call out. AAI will have the on-call volunteer emergency disaster response register finalised within the next quarter and you will receive notification to apply.

It is recommended that our volunteers complete the AAI course in Humanitarian Operations prior to deployment. Courses are only available a few times a year and it would be in your interest to enroll in a course as they became available to increase your chances of being selected for volunteer positions.

If you are still interested in being on the AAI volunteer database please update your volunteer profile on our website with your current experience, availability and any other details as you see fit.

In the meantime, please take the time to update yourself on our operations via the Australian Aid International website www.aai.org.au

Current Operations

Timor Leste

AAI are continuing to implement our five-year plan for Atauro Island where we are currently conducting our rural health project. AAI provide support and supervision to the Ministry of Health programs by conducting activities in areas such as outreach and mobile healthcare clinic support, health promotion, and capacity building of local healthcare staff.

Our focus in Timor-Leste is also to provide initiatives in broader health issues including public health and water and sanitation. AAI are also providing small-scale water filtration systems to communities who do not enjoy access to clean drinking water. Using the SkyJuice Foundation's SkyHydrant water filtration units, AAI have been able to provide low cost, gravity feed and easy to maintain water filtration systems. Communities that received the systems have been thoroughly engaged in the project and have taken over responsibility for operating and maintaining the water filtration units.

AAI have been supporting the Hospital of Hope - Timor-Leste (HOHTL). The HOHTL plans to build a world-class training hospital to provide free healthcare in support the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health. Negotiations are on going between HOHTL and Timor-Leste Government for the establishment of the hospital.

Click here to read more about our Timor Leste Program

Jogjakarta, Indonesia

AAI are continuing to focus on areas of water and sanitation and DRR projects in Java and also improve our internal emergency response capabilities for our Indonesia program.

Click here to read more about AAI in Indonesia

Thai/Burma Border Region

AAI has begun an important education initiate for the Burmese refugee population in Mae Sot. We are now identifying, training and co-ordinate volunteers who will teach English Language skills to the refugee students in schools at Mae Sot. The first group of volunteers will travel to Mae Sot in September. This will form an import resource for the school program of this refugee community. Click here to see job description and how to apply.

You will be aware that AAI has long supported health education by running courses for health workers in Mae Sot, and this program will augment our support to this disadvantaged community. The Burmese refugees live, in exile, in Thailand, without access to health facilitates or education resources unless agencies, like ourselves, assist them.

Help us assist by supporting these projects. We are seeking donations to support program costs and appropriate volunteers who can travel to Mae Sot to assist.

Click here to read more about AAI's work on our website.

Current Staff & Volunteer Information

Volunteer of the Quarter

Nairana Da Silva, is a Timorese born nurse who studied in Australia and the UK. Nairana has experience in emergency nursing and has completed a diploma in Tropical Medicine. Volunteering with AAI, Nairana quickly proved that she would be an outstanding asset to the organisation and the people of Timor.

Nairana was promoted to the staff position as Project Nurse after her initial volunteer period. Nairana has developed AAI’s health promotion project to be very well targeted for the population and her work with the communities has been extremely beneficial.

Nairana recently filled in as Acting Health Coordinator and she proved that she is able to undertake this management position in the future. AAI plan to continue to develop Nairana so that she can one day manage AAI’s health project in Timor.

Niarana is dedicated to the people of Timor and at the same time provides qualify healthcare to communities. Thank you for being part of the AAI team Nairana.

AAI Staff movements in our current programs

Headquarters

Marc Preston, CEO, has recently returned to Australian after spending six months consulting in the Middle East. Marc will be visiting to our programs in Asia-Pacific Region this month.

Frank Tyler and Nathan Mullins both deployed for the Burma Cyclone Disaster. They travelled firstly through Timor-Leste and then Indonesia. Frank remained in location to support the Burma operations while Nathan moved to Thailand and then lead AAI’s Disaster Assessment and Response Team into Burma from May to July. AAI’s Global Medical Director, Larry Stock MD, joined Nathan in Thailand, but was later denied access into Burma by the repressive Junta. Frank and Nathan are again in Melbourne working on AAI’s program development.

Paul Piaia, our Web Manager, has recently changed full time jobs from his long-term career at Lonely Planet Travel Guides to one of Australia's leading web design companies Mintleaf Studio, which is owned by AAI’s advisor Matt Morrison. Paul will continue to contribute his time to supporting AAI’s website.

Megan Nagy has joined the Melbourne based team as Volunteer Database Coordinator. We meet Megan originally on the Thai-Burma Boarder where she was volunteering with Burmese refugees. We knew that Megan would be a great asset for AAI and we are very happy the she is now volunteering with us on this very important project.

Timor-Leste

Dave Fuller, Country Manager, Penny Sizer, Health Coordinator, and Nairana Da Silva, Project nurse remain in our Timor-Leste program. Doctor Tina Casey and nurse Frances MacDonald who volunteered in Timor-Leste have returned to work in Australia . The new volunteer doctor, Kelli O'Laughlin commenced on June for a six week placement and is joined by her husband Drew O'Laughlin who has taken up a position with AAI as a project officer working on water projects.

Indonesia

Eva Pitaloka continues to manage our country office in Indonesia while AAI are establishing new projects.

Burma

Nathan Mullins was joined by our experienced Disaster Response and Assessment Team. (DART) volunteers, from around the world, who donated their valuable time to respond to the Burma Cyclone. The team included Gavin Humphries, Don Fontenot, Heather Lorenzen, and new comers to AAI Dr Tom Hilton and Brad Chapman. We thank all our other DART members who remained on standby to respond if access to the disaster area was granted within Burma including Dr Larry Stock who went to Thailand but was denied entry into Burma .

Marc Preston

Frank Tyler

Nathan
Mullins

Megan Nagy

Frances MacDonald
(Timor)

Drew O'Laughlin
(Timor)

Kelli
O'Laughlin
(Timor)

Humanitarian Training

AAI conducted an Introduction to Humanitarian Operations Course in May. The course was fully booked and unfortunately not everyone who applied could get on the course. A number of students who completed the course were quickly given positions for overseas deployments in Burma and Timor. Other students are now volunteering with AAI in Melbourne. We thank all participants and instructors on the course for making the weekend so successful.

It is essential that all volunteers wishing to register with AAI complete the Humanitarian Operations course prior to being selected for a position.

The next Introduction to Humanitarian Operations Course is on 13–14 September in Melbourne . Click here to find out more about this course and to enrol.

Professional Humanitarian Development

Should NGO's Engage with the Military in Humanitarian Operations?

Engaging military support for humanitarian operations is not a new endeavor. In today's security environment, however, the military are ever more involved in the ‘direct' provision of aid, while humanitarian actors are often faced with situations where there are no alternatives but to rely on the military, as a last resort, for safety and to access populations in need - at the serious risk of compromising their neutrality, impartiality, and/or independence, and thus their ability and/or credibility to operate.

“CIVIL-MILITARY GUIDELINES & REFERENCE FOR COMPLEX EMERGENCIES” is a collection of core humanitarian instruments developed by the United Nations (UN) and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) on civil-military relationship in complex emergencies. Its goal is to help promote respect for international law, standards and principles in these situations.