Funds still needed for Lindhout after Somalia ordeal

Freed Canadian kidnap victim Amanda Lindhout and her family still require the financial generosity of Canadians, says one of a pair of Calgary businessmen who spearheaded a campaign to raise ransom money.

Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were abducted in Somalia in August 2008. The two were freed late last month. Fundraising efforts for the ransom payment were kept quiet so as not to disrupt negotiations.

"She has a lot of recuperation to go through," said Michael Going, president and co-founder of the Good Earth Café chain, and co-trustee of the Amanda Lindhout trust along with Calgary businessman Steve Allan.

'Needs for rehabilitation'
"There will be need for additional fundraising," said Going. "Having Amanda and Nigel released was absolutely crucial as a first step. But there are ongoing needs for rehabilitation and to get the family back on their feet.”

Going said he was approached in early October to attend a fundraiser for Lindhout. And he soon became a co-trustee of the Amanda Lindhout trust because the tragic story of the young Canadian journalist held captive in Somalia resonated deeply with him.

"There was some media coverage at first in August of 2008 and it struck a chord with me," Going told CBC News.

"It was a pretty tragic story. In my case, I couldn’t hear the facts and meet the people and … not be compelled to get involved."

Hundreds gave support
Going would not divulge how much money was raised and turned over to the Somalian kidnappers, which has been reported as between $600,000 and $1 million.

Going’s brother and nephew were briefly held on trumped-up charges in Serbia 10 years ago, before eventually being released.

"I had some idea of the trauma a family goes through," he said. "It just ripples through so many family and friends."

Going is reluctant to take credit alone for spearheading the drive to raise funds to meet the ransom demand.

"I’m just one of literally hundreds of people who have come to the support of the families throughout Calgary, Canmore, Rocky Mountain House, Red Deer not to mention the Australian side as well."

He said everyone took a pragmatic approach, setting aside ethical questions about whether kidnappers should ever be rewarded.

"The precedent of rewarding some bad guys who take people hostage — that precedent has been set," he noted. "You’d be surprised throughout the world how many thousands of hostage-taking incidents there are. The way I looked at it was there were two people in grave danger and that outweighed everything else."

Going said he looks forward to meeting Lindhout soon, but in the meantime her family has completely exhausted their financial resources and she will need funding for psychological rehabilitation. Donations can be made at any Bank of Montreal location to the Amanda Lindhout trust.

Source:abc.ca/