Australia

More than 40 years of civil war in Angola came to an end in April 2002 with the historic signing of a peace agreement. Soon after, an urgent request to The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles was made to help strengthen the peace by sending humanitarian assistance to the country. Immediately The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles world-wide began sending large amounts of pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, food, clothing and more to Angola.

One of our most successful international projects was the Drawings of Love, through which 22,000 children from 30 countries send drawings and messages of affection, which were distributed to the thousands of children orphaned by the tsunami 2005 in Banda Aceh.

After the earthquake in May, 2006 we delivered thousands of Kids to Kids packs to the affected area in Yogyakarta, Bantul and Klaten. Ten thousand school packs with school supplies were distributed in partnership with Khalsa Aid bringing great joy to the children.

Many thousands of children's gift bags prepared by hundreds of schools in Europe, America, New Zealand and Australia. These gift packages contained school supplies, personal hygiene items and toys, as well as messages and drawings from the schoolchildren in the other countries.

The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles organisation has worked closely with an organisation in Maputo, Mozambique which is seeking to increase literacy and schooling and giving people the tools and skills they require to raise themselves out of poverty.

Air shipments of toys, clothes and school supplies were delivered from Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States in 2003.

In response to the Boxing Day Tsunami disaster, The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles offices in Australia, The Netherlands and Hong Kong coordinated the airfreight delivery of 500kg of surgical gloves valued at US$10,000 from Sydney to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in January 2005. The gloves are to be used in hospitals and local field stations to counter the transmission of infection.

Fifty large boxes of medical and surgical supplies from Australia, Austria, Germany and the USA were transported by air and presented personally in February 2004. Included were 5,000 surgical gloves and 500 new airline blankets.

Our Australian office also administers our Kids to Kids Programme in Vanuatu, whereby school children in more priviledged countries like Australia personally donate educational materials and toys to children in countries less priviledged.

Our office in Australia is currently working with several Australian hospitals and medical suppliers to provide an ongoing source of much needed medical equipment, training and supplies.

During a recent visit by members of the Australian office of The Oneness-Heart-Tears and Smiles to Vanuatu 30 boxes of medical and dental supplies were donated, including desperately needed supplies of chloroquine, paracetamol and lignocaine.