Picture in HERALD Sparks Argentine Relief Effort

By Michael Flach
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 2/20/03)

The haunting image of a six-month-old girl from a remote village in Argentina was circulated last year by Reuters. Her tiny, gaunt face gave concrete proof to the malnutrition and poverty that was sweeping the South American country as it grappled with a severe economic crisis.

No story accompanied the photo, which appeared on the cover of the HERALD’s Nov. 21 edition. A brief caption contained her name, Milagros Dibenedetti, and the town, Tucuman, where she lived with her parents and five brothers.

Who is Milagros Dibenedetti and why is she any different than the thousands of other children who starve to death in remote corners of the globe?

Milagros was born premature on April 26, 2002. Her birth weight was four pounds and she had a lung obstruction. She was hospitalized Nov. 16, around six months old, weighing almost the same as her birth weight. Her chance of survival was bleak.

The attempt to save Milagros actually began more than eight months ago when Karen Zlatos, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Manassas, saw a similar photo and story about Argentina in the Washington Post.

"We organized on the internet after contacting the Post and began our quest to send food and help to the children in Argentina," Zlatos said.

Her fledgling group found no national or international organizations that could help them send supplies directly to Argentina. They also discovered the enormous cost of sending small boxes of food via other routes such as Federal Express or UPS.

"We found a group in Manassas called Medical Missionaries," Zlatos said. "They are heavily supported by All Saints Catholic Church here in Manassas. Dr. Gil Irwin has done such incredible work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as other areas abroad and here at home. He immediately offered to help us and we were able to fill (with donations) a 40-foot sea container with food, medical supplies and clothing and send it directly to the village in Argentina that we had read about."

But the child they saw in the Post article died while bureaucratic red-tape delayed their relief package in Buenos Aires.

Zlatos and her group were contacted in January by Lisa Walker Snyder, a nurse at Prince William Hospital who had seen Milagros’ picture in the HERALD and wanted to help.

"She found her way to us after searching for a way to send help to Milagros’ family in Argentina," Zlatos said. "She expressed great concern and frustration that she was unable to find out anything about how to send help directly to Argentina. We were so glad she found us and we are so glad we have found a way to help."

Zlatos’ "group of mothers" used their newly established Argentine contacts to mobilize into action. They put Snyder in touch with Rosanna Balestrini of Manos X el Sur, a group of Argentine Americans living in the San Francisco area.

Balestrini was able to contact Dr. Lorenzo Marcos who works at Nino Jesus Hospital in Tucuman. He was Milagros' doctor during her hospitalization and has volunteered to bring assistance directly to Milagros and her family.

Manos established a "chain of trust" with friends and family in Argentina and were able to help Snyder track down Milagros. They organized a non-profit group to accept donated monies, which are given directly to coordinators in Argentina.

These local coordinators then purchase food in Argentina for the specific "food kitchens" they are supporting. In most cases, the people actually running the kitchens are priests, doctors, school principals and other community people who band together to form a net of solidarity to help feed the children and the people most in need.

"The problem in Argentina, which is the second largest food exporter in the world, is not a lack of food, but a lack of money to buy the food," Zlatos said.

"While the idea of a shipment was our only option at the time to get food directly where we wanted it to go, it is not the best option," said Zlatos. "We were unaware of any of these groups when we started. Because of the publicity generated by our shipment, we have learned of these grass roots movements. Average citizens are joining to help feed the children."

Zlatos said an article published in The Miami Herald highlighted this incredible movement going on in Argentina. "The author stated it is the biggest reason more children are not starving to death," she said.

Zlatos and her group met the leaders of Manos X el Sur. They will now send their financial support through them. They also will continue to work with Dr. Irwin to establish safe routes to send desperately needed medical equipment and supplies to areas throughout Argentina.

"It is a daunting task as there are many governmental obstacles to overcome," Zlatos said.

Her group has met with the Argentine Ambassador in Washington, Eduardo Amadeo, as well as the United States Argentine Council.

"They helped us so much with our first shipment, we are sure they will continue to assist us with expediting humanitarian aid to their country," she said.

Milagros remained hospitalized until Jan. 16. Her reported weight at the time of her release was a "robust" seven pounds and six ounces. The future looks much bright for Milagros, thanks to the assistance she is going to start receiving from her "adopted" friends in Virginia.

"If anyone else asks how to send help in response to the picture you published, please direct them to us," Zlatos said. "We are trying so hard to get help to the children."

Karen Zlatos and her group can be contacted by email at: kzlatos@hotmail.com. Dr. Irwin’s Medical Missionaries can be contacted at irwinmed@aol.com.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. bishops' overseas relief agency, and Caritas both have excellent reputations for delivering aid to Argentina and other Latin America countries. For more information about these groups, visit the CRS web site at www.catholicrelief.org.

Little Feet Campaign

Manos X el Sur, the California organization that assists the poor in Argentina, invites participation in its new "Little Feet" Campaign. The group’s objective is to purchase and distribute 5,000 pairs of shoes amongst Argentina’s most needy children.

One pair of shoes costs $4. The school year starts in March and the winter season is near. Donations can be made to the "Little Feet" Campaign by visiting the group’s Web site: www.manosxelsur.org and clicking on Little Feet Campaign, or send a check to: Manos X el Sur, 3518 Wild Flower Way, Concord, CA 94518. Please write on the memo of your check: "Little Feet" Campaign. 

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