Deep in the Jungle, Wings of Help Offers Hope
For some inhabitants of the Amazon rain forest, isolation is not only a way of life but also the reason why they are highly susceptible to disease and exploitation. However there is a growing movement designed to help them without having to change the way they live. Asas de Socorro (Wings of Help) is a nonprofit organization based in Brazil focused on providing integral assistance to people located in the country's isolated areas by using airplanes to connect those places to aid and resources in nearby cities.
Asas de Socorro operates primarily in the Amazon rain forest, flying 12 aircraft from Anapolis, Manaus, Boa Vista, Porto Velho, and Belem e Santarem. Wings of Help also operates an aviation school in Anapolis, which was founded in 1958. It is designed to train new pilots so that continuous aid can be delivered to the most isolated areas in the rain forest.
Although most of the organization's work happens on the ground, the careful planning and coordination of volunteers, airplanes, and resources takes place in the office. Here Wings of Help needs to count on the right software and technology resources to keep things running smoothly and to plan and communicate effectively. Wings of Help uses Microsoft products to keep up with the day-to-day work of running a thriving nonprofit. They were obtained through the donation program of TechSoup Brazil, a member of the TechSoup Global Network.
Wings of Help's planes cut the distance to doctors in a country short of skilled specialists, and allow nurses and doctors to easily volunteer to treat the Amazonian people. Keeping its staff connected and its system safe is now much easier with donated technology.
