Message from the Executive Director

13 August 2006

We have just returned from our fourth trip to Kosovo.  This trip was, beyond any doubt, the most successful, rewarding and grueling one yet.  I hope it is a measure of what is to come.  It will be 2-3 weeks before I have time to write all of the daily journals so I thought I would write a brief synopsis of the trip and post it here. 

The five day Educational Summit was a huge success.  125 elementary and secondary school administrators and teachers were invited to attend.  The average daily attendance was 119 which is almost unheard of in that region.  Generally everyone shows up on the first day to “see” what is going on and then the attendance drops significantly each day thereafter.  Several people and organizations in the region were amazed at both the interest and the level of participation among those attending.  Once the word got out to the public we had teachers showing up each day that had not been invited but wanted to participate.  Unfortunately we were not able to accommodate them but assured them there will be future opportunities for all.  We discovered that teachers in Kosovo are paid approximately $180 to $200 per month salary.  They have no learning resources, no access to continuing education, no libraries, laboratories, etc.  Most children do not have school books.  The school buildings are in disrepair, have no heat or air and many have no indoor plumbing.  Basics such as pens, paper, maps, globes, periodical charts, etc are non existent.  A typical classroom has a chalk board and desks.  Chalk is sporadically available and the classroom furniture is often 40 or more years old.  Forty to fifty students must “squeeze” in to a classroom that should hold no more than 20 students.

Our partners in the Educational Summit, US KFOR and INPO were amazing.  It would have been impossible to put this together from the US without the work they did in Kosovo prior to our arrival.  Additionally it would have not been the success it was without their daily involvement during the summit.  When we began planning last December and April we imagined that the summit would be held in one of the local school buildings.  Fortunately for us they were able to secure a brand new wedding hall for our use.  When you see the photos (to be posted at a later date) you will think we are in America.  The hall provided electricity at all times (often on a generator), indoor plumbing, food and an environment that allowed for sharing and learning.  Additionally the young men and women of INPO (Initiative for Progress) worked tirelessly as interpreters and support to Dr. Anderson.  At the end of each day Dr. Anderson would meet with INPO to go over the materials and information collected during that day.  INPO stayed up EVERY night until 4:00 am or later compiling the information so that Dr. Anderson would have it for use the following day.  The day before Dr. Anderson left Kosovo the members of INPO presented him with a report that included all of the pertinent information, charts, graphs and summaries of information he needed from the summit.  Dr. Anderson was in disbelief at their ability to compile the information so concisely, quickly and professionally.  Because of their work Dr. Anderson has already been able to meet with the University of Arkansas College of Education (a partner in this continuing educational project) to discuss methods and plans for moving forward.  KFOR provided daily technical and communications support as well as security and movement of interpreters and several of the participants who were not able to travel from outlying areas.  Amazingly every day went off without a hitch and on time.  There is no way we will ever be able to express our thanks to them for their time and assistance.

One of the Civil Affairs Soldiers has made tremendous progress in securing charitable treatment in the United States for children with life threatening diseases that cannot be treated within Kosovo or Serbia.  He works tirelessly to screen the cases.  Often he can secure treatment within the region.  Some of the cases involved brain tumors, eye cancer, other cancers, burn victims, heart issues, etc.  If treatment is not available in the region he secures the medical records and has them translated. He then sends the records to the US for consideration by medical personnel.  When I discovered that he is spending HIS money to pay for Federal Express shipping of the documents I couldn’t believe it.  I then found out that there are no funds available for him to use for this purpose.  I have written to Federal Express asking that they supply this Soldier with an account to be used for the shipping.  If anyone has a “connection” to Federal Express please let me know.  ONE packet costs that Soldier between $75.00 and $100.00 of his own money to send.  I also found out that in one particular case he paid for necessary medical tests to be done.  He doesn’t think twice about the money – his concern is for the children.

I also met SFC John Craemer.  SFC Craemer and his team are working on several community based projects.  They have begun a Red Cross collection campaign in one region of Kosovo.  They select locations for donation cans.  After a few days they retrieve the cans, count the money and determine if the location is good or not.  They are working with a local fire department in order to turn this project over to them as an on-going community service project. 

One of the other projects SFC Craemer is passionate about is to secure musical instruments, sheet music and music stands for the Gjilan School of Music.  Additionally the school is in need of monetary donations for a generator, repairs, recording equipment, etc.  We have posted SFC Craemer’s request under the “Projects” tab of this web site.  PLEASE take a moment to read his document and help out with this very essential and worthy project.

I met with the interim director of US AID and his budget director one day.  That meeting turned out to be a HUGE success for us.  As a result we have made a great contact in Kosovo for PTP and the US KFOR Soldiers are already working directly with them on 2 projects that both sides were eager to tackle.

I met with the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.  That, too, was a very successful meeting.  We had 2 goals for that meeting and made huge progress on each.  Additionally we gained information that will assist Dr. Anderson in working to re-establish the elementary and secondary school system in the province.

We had two meetings with a high ranking official of OSCE as well as UNHCR.  While I am not sure that either of those organizations are able to provide any monetary assistance to us at this time they were very interested in hearing about PTP and our projects.  Additionally they gave us great information and insight.  We were grateful for their time and information.

Medical care is a huge problem in Kosovo.  We were asked if we could assist in securing:

Gauze and bandage supplies

Burn ointments

Topical antibiotic ointments

Blood pressure medications

Diabetes medications

Blood sugar monitoring devices

Colostomy bags and tubing

Adult incontinence materials

IV bags

2 Kidney Dialysis Machines

Ultra Sound Machines

Doctors and hospitals willing to accept charitable children’s medical cases

There are doctors and clinics in Kosovo.  Unfortunately they do not have enough equipment or medications for use in diagnosing or treating many illnesses.  One city has completed a new clinic for kidney dialysis.  However, they have no funding to purchase equipment.  They do have doctors and staff who can provide the treatment.  While PTP’s focus is on education we will try to find resources and partners that are willing to assist in these medical types of requests.

We were approached about 2 historical sites that have been discovered and are being raided and damaged.  We are working to put experts in the field of archeology in touch with US KFOR in hopes that people/organizations here in the US or throughout the world are interested in securing those sites and exploring them for artifacts and historical information.

We were asked to assist in establishing a program such as D.A.R.E in the school systems.  We were also asked to help in establishing a Parent/Teacher organization.  We have made contacts in hopes of being able to assist with those requests.

So, be patient with me over the next few weeks as I work through my “to do” list and find time to write up the daily journals.  This trip was, most definitely, a view in to the future for us.  We feel confident now that we are moving forward yet the magnitude of the basic needs continues to grow.  We are hopeful that with your support we WILL make a difference in Kosovo today and in other countries, in time, that are experiencing stabilization and reconstruction needs.

I want to add my sincerest thanks to LTC Eric “Doc” Holliday, Commanding and his Civil Affairs team for all of the support and time they gave during this trip.  The cohesiveness of his Soldiers and our team was amazing.  I am proud to be able to work with them on projects for which they have no source of funding yet are able to “cut to the chase” for us so that we do not spend so much time attempting to figure out where to go and who to see.  It is because of them that PTP is making great progress in Kosovo. 

Finally, I want to say a special thanks to SGT Anthony Pelliccio.  I could write a book about his contributions to this trip but I won’t.  Suffice to say that he is one great Soldier, one amazing young man and one very special human being!

                                          Leta M. Carruth

Prior Messages                                                                                      

Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in Progress Through Peace, Inc. (PTP, Inc.).

PTP, Inc. was founded not because I was sitting around one day and thought, “I think I’ll start a non-profit organization.”  It was not founded because there has been a life long dream to be involved in the nuts and bolts of fund raising and charity or volunteer work.  PTP, Inc. was founded because in July and August of 2005 I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears the needs of those with hope, with spirit and with an unending amount of energy and desire and who simply need tools and resources in order to better themselves and their future – to learn what a democratic society is and the duties and responsibilities of both the elected officials and the citizens.  This is, without a doubt, one of those “meant to be” scenarios.

While PTP, Inc. is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-religious organization it must be understood that this organization was born out of my experience supporting Civil Affairs Soldiers deployed throughout the world.  It is because of non-classified information that I received from them regarding their efforts to find help for the people of Kosovo as well as the opportunity they afforded me via connecting me with citizens in Kosovo that I witnessed the need for PTP, Inc.  I went to Kosovo in the summer of 2005 on a lark and my life changed (for the better) immediately.  In order for PTP, Inc. to be successful in our mission we must keep our eyes and ears open to those who “know” the situation.  That may include religious groups, governmental organizations or officials, Soldiers, etc.  By listening and gathering information from ALL sources within and connected with a country working to build a democratic society we will only be able to better serve those in need.

By the end of my second day in Kosovo in the summer of 2005 I was overwhelmed with the basic needs. I decided that something had to be done.  Over and over again whether Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox, Protestant, Albanian, Serbian, etc. I was told how they want to learn, how they want to do for their own people but need help getting started.   It was basically the “Do not give me a fish – teach me how to fish.”  The people of Kosovo are warm, hospitable and kind.  They are eager, willing and devoted to making their province better for the generations to come.  I am sure that as we spread to other nations we will find much the same. 

You may wonder why you continue to see Kosovo everywhere in our material and no other country - the answer is simple.  We are just beginning.  We know about specific needs in Kosovo.  We cannot spread into several countries all at once.  Once we have established a firm base in Kosovo we do plan to spread to other countries and regions that request or need our assistance.

Since returning from Kosovo in August 2005 and again in December 2005 the requests for assistance have been overwhelming.  PTP, Inc. is currently working to partner cities in Kosovo with Sister Cities here in America through the International Sister City Organization.  We are working to assist young adults in Kosovo to be able to attend colleges and universities in America so they can go back home and make a solid contribution to their society.  We are putting together certification classes to teach to the locals who, in turn, will continue to teach the citizens so that a basic understanding of what democracy, transparency in government, rule of law, civil society, economics, etc can be spread throughout Kosovo.  It is impossible for us to imagine what freedom is, what the duties and responsibilities are of a citizen in a free society and how to be “free”.  We were all born in to those concepts.  The people of Kosovo are learning.  They have only been “free” for about 6 years. 

I thank you for your interest.  I thank you for your support.  I encourage you to visit our site often to see what we have accomplished and what we are working on.  Finally, I encourage you to contact us regarding volunteering, donations and fund raising.

Copyright © 2006 Progress Through Peace, Inc.

Any questions regarding this page please contact Webmaster@progressthroughpeace.org