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Humanitarian Missions

Wings World Wide – The Air Medical Foundation has a number of humanitarian missions available to NGOs and the general volunteer public. Wings’ efforts are to coordinate volunteers with existing humanitarian organizations in fulfilling unique rolls in medical, dental and hygiene service throughout the world.

Humanitarian missions can range from one week to many months, depending upon the desires of the volunteer and the needs of the specific area. Wings makes a concerted effort to make these service missions seamless, so that the volunteer can leave at an appointed time and return on an appointed date. The cost for each mission is different depending upon time and distance, borne by the volunteer or NGO. Generally the cost of each mission is the actual mission project plus airfare. Consumables and mission supplies can be obtained through fundraisers, donations and/or work projects. Travel, lodging and local transportation at the site are provided. Meals are provided when volunteers are actually in clinic, in the field. Some meals are the responsibility of the volunteer. Ideally, the volunteer leaves home with a schedule and itinerary and is guided along the way by a team leader. No incredible amount of travel experience is required. Wings tries to make travel “seamless”.

Depending upon the locale, some inoculation or altitude preparation will be required. Generally, at the most, there is no more than a few months accommodation for this need.

These are not vacation packages! This is real work in a “real need” environment. Travel to the destination can take more than a day. Travel in the local mission site may take hours. Traversing high altitude passes on narrow roads is not uncommon. Land vehicles can range from a two seat motorcycle cab to a 40 passenger bus. Wings utilizes its own clinic facility when available, but village visits may find the clinic being anything from just a dirt floor hut, to available school classrooms, to spare hospital rooms. Volunteers ideally stay in local hotels with Wings making a great effort provide the best lodging accommodations available, which can range from a dormitory environment to 3 Star type hotels. All of these conditions are known well in advance of the humanitarian mission.

Wings can accommodate any volunteers who wish to participate. You do not have to be a medical, dental or hygiene professional. However, you must be willing to work in that environment. Tasks can range fro giving a hygiene class, to assisting medical professionals, to sterilization of equipment and taking care of the patient flow.

All volunteers are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor as to the tax deductible expenses of such missions as they relate to the volunteer.

Current ongoing humanitarian service missions are available to Peru, Ecuador, Jamaica, Uruguay, Mexico and Israel. Future sites include Nepal, China, islands of the South Pacific and the Middle East as well as Asia. Other locations are available as indicated at the link:

http://www.box.net/shared/i75zjrkonk

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