family connections
A UA medical student who had trouble receiving word from her father in politically unstable Angola no longer faces the same hardship.
The American Red Cross opened the lines of communications in 1997 between third-year medical student Teresa Isaias and her father in the West African country.
Isaias said without the agency's help, she would have to wait until friends or acquaintances traveled to the West African nation to correspond.
"It provides a reliable method of communication," she said. "I'm not sure how often we would communicate otherwise."
The non-profit organization locates and sends letters to family members in about 158 countries around the world that have been disrupted because of war, disaster or civil unrest.
Cross Referencing
To have the American Red Cross help locate and communicate with a family member, call 318-6740.
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"In these situations, it can be hard for families to stay in touch," said Jana Zehner, an American Red Cross community relations coordinator.
Governments of some countries censor mail, which may have detrimental repercussions for the writers, Zehner said.
After natural disasters or political unrest, some countries may lack a functional postal system - which makes the American Red Cross' help essential, she said.
The agency handles about 150 of these cases each year, Zehner said.
"For a lot of people they have no other means of communication or safe means," she said. "It is a service that is very necessary for people to keep up with loved ones."
Isaias and her father correspond about every four months with the aid of the organization.
She moved to the United States in 1976, when she was about four-years-old.
The West African nation has been in political unrest since communists took over the government about the time she left the country, she said.
Isaias, who became an American citizen about nine years ago, said she would return to Angola for medical purposes such as a relief mission. She added that she feels fortunate to live in America.
"If I was in Angola, I would have lived all my life in a war-torn nation in fear of my life," Isaias said.
The American Red Cross is currently helping the victims' families of Hurricane Mitch and the Colombian Earthquake communicate, Zehner said.
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