Let's Go To Africa
/EDIT - This project has now been fully funded!!! How amazing is that?!?! Thank you to ALL who donated! You all rock!
We officially purchased our tickets a few weeks ago to Zambia! My dearest friend, Kate Nelson, is volunteering in the Peace Corps in a very remote village in Chileshya, Zambia. So we are going to visit her in her element and see some of the sites that we can fit in during our short two weeks in the country.
I will definitely share more about our trip and the big secret on how we got one of our plane tickets FOR FREE (yes, really, truly, FREE) in later posts. Because for today, I need to ask for your help.
Will you help me, help Kate, bring a qualified health professional to her village?
How precious are these little humans?!? These are Kate's little "brothers and sisters" in her village. They need us. They need you. THey are living without a basic human right : access to health services.
This is the clinic building in her village, yet it lacks the staff to make it a viable health center.
When I moved to Crystal Falls, I thought it was kind of crazy to be at least 15-20 minutes from the nearest hospital. (We are also lucky to have a small clinic of doctors right in town). I felt this way because I grew up with a hospital right down the road from our home and it always seemed normal to be that close. We had almost immediate access to doctors, surgeons, and all sorts of specialty medical professionals.
Then, a few days ago, Kate sent us a flyer asking for help because they don't even have ONE qualified medical professional to serve around 7000 people in a radius of about 15-20 miles. So what on earth was I whining about?!?!
Here's the situation...
This is the support staff.... organizing the clinics medicine, files, equipment, etc.
Currently they have a health clinic building, but the people working in the clinic are as follows: ONE Environmental Health Technician (This position is to test various samples from the environment for health concerns and NOT qualified to treat, diagnose, deliver babies, administer medicine, etc.), and TWO support staff members that take care of tasks such as janitorial, organization, and maintenance. However the clinic has these support staff members treating patients, delivering babies, and administering medicine. I can't even imagine my friend, let alone 7000 other people, living in an area where that is the norm for medical treatment.
We can help them.
The government has agreed to send the clinic a qualified Nurse IF they will construct a government staff house for that individual to live in. The area is severely lacking in funds, hence their issue to provide a medical professional in the first place. So that is where we all come in.
They need to raise the funds for the materials and labor to build that house in order to secure a nurse for their health center. I have been sending boxes of art and general supplies to Kate when I can but I also decided to put forward some of the funds that we would have spent on a plane ticket towards this project and we would love to have any other help that you might be able to offer. Whether that means a monetary donation of $5 or $500.... or even by helping share this project with others who may be able to donate.
When a lot each give a little, BIG things happen.
Here is a breakdown of what is needed:
In short, they are still in need of nearly $5000 to build a house like this to the right.
Donations of any size, will make a difference and will help make this house happen!
What if...
- 200 people each gave $25 .... or
- 500 people each gave $10 .....
If you feel moved to help with this project, visit the link below. You WILL receive a receipt so that your donation is a tax deductible one.
EDIT - This project has now been fully funded!!! How amazing is that?!?! Thank you to ALL who donated! You all rock!
Here is a look at Kate's village and all the other things going on in Chileshya! It is so easy to forget about all the other things happening in the world when we are warm and comfortable in our own homes. But these pictures from Kate, open up my mind and heart and I cannot wait to be there in person.
With little resources and a lacking health care provider, Kate has been fighting the good fight against germs by teaching the people in her area about the importance of hand washing. This is a project that I was also able to help with by sending some art supplies to really make the lesson a visible one. She asked for glitter specifically to show how germs are transferred from one hand to another. But how using a station like the one above can wash the germs/glitter away before shaking hands with a friend.
On my birthday last year, they made these little signs to tell me Happy Birthday and then Kate sent a video of them singing to me. My heart exploded. These kids, they are the future of Zambia and they deserve the best shot possible.
Kate and her right hand man! These two are a power couple in chileshya bringing as much positivity as they can to the village.
These women are fixing & enhancing bed nets, which are a very important item in zambia, as they one of the bigger defenses against Malaria.
Zambian women and their children in Kate's Village.
A community event promoting health & wellness through dance and various activities to get people excited and involved.
Continuation of the community event to raise health awareness
This is group of children in about the 3rd or 4th grade, and they are all around 14-15 years old. CHildren there start school much later than we are used to in the United States.
Kate's little host brother, Te.
Eileen, another little beautiful child in the village.
In case you were wondering where Zambia falls on the map!
Let's be the change. Let's make a difference. Let's give.
Thanks, Love.
If you missed it above, donate here:
EDIT - This project has now been fully funded!!! How amazing is that?!?! Thank you to ALL who donated! You all rock!
