27/03/2010
Hello again!
We have had a busy last two days. Yesterday, Nicole and Genny spent the morning at Family Hope Sanctuary (FHS) helping out with the school activities. The kids were wild and energetic since it was the last day of school before the weekend. There were about 30 kids, and since it was our third day there, they had gotten to know us pretty well. They would climb into our arms and on our backs and everywhere we turned there was another child who wanted a hug. They knew we usually had treats with us, so they would search our pockets for candy. We had a busy morning at the school, but before we knew it, the morning class was over and had left to walk home. Annie, Mary, Linda, and Queen spent the morning running errands and getting ready for Mount Sinai Day. They picked up $1,300 worth of formula to be handed out to the HIV+ mothers registered with Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai provides formula for HIV+ mothers who have HIV- infants, so that they will not breastfeed and risk passing the virus onto their babies. The Center provides formula to the mothers until their children turn one year-old, then they provide food parcels until the children turn two. Though we are excited about our ability to donate formula, we know that the amount we gave to the Center will only last for one month. We all spent the afternoon putting together food parcels with the food we bought on Wednesday. We made 300 food parcels for the mothers registered at the Center. It was extremely hot and sweaty work, but we had 7 of the mothers from the Center helping us do the work, so we were done very quickly. Everyone here is extremely helpful, and wants to lend a hand in any way they can. Solomon and Danny (two of Mary’s friends) have given us rides, picked up last minute supplies, and even helped us count and bag vitamins for Mount Sinai Day. We went to bed tired and ready for the next day.
Mount Sinai Day started for us at 6:00am. We got to the Center and got to work. We set up tents and chairs, starting making peanut butter and jam sandwiches for breakfast, and organized the clinic area. Before we knew it, the women began to arrive. Mount Sinai does a pick-up day once a month, where the mothers come to get formula and food parcels, weigh-in themselves and their babies, and receive ongoing education. The Center is run by Christa, though she always says that her mothers do all the work. She works night-shift as a nurse and can only spend mornings at the Center, since she is not paid to run Mount Sinai. Christa welcomed us to join in on the pick-up day., so we could run our women’s clinic. We checked blood pressure and blood sugars, made and served breakfast and lunch, brought in a social worker to talk about rape and domestic violence, and handed out the food parcels and vitamins. Most of the women were registered with Mount Sinai, but some of them were from the community and had come to the Center just to visit the clinic and get a meal. It was amazing to see all the women and children that came to be a part of this day. What was even more amazing was looking at the large group of women, and knowing that most of them were HIV+, and then looking at all the children running around and knowing that they were HIV- thanks to the work that Mount Sinai has done. After a long day we arrived back at Rivendell around 2:30pm and chose to relax for the rest of the day. We all took our first swim in the little pool near our rooms. It was extremely cold and felt amazing on our sunburns. We ordered pizza (African style - a.k.a. - no tomato sauce) and sat in the shade, reading and relaxing.
We’ll go to bed soon and tomorrow we leave to spend 2 days on the coast in Swacopmund. We’ll spend that time strictly as tourists, before getting back to work preparing for our next two medical clinics taking place next week, and for our Easter party for the kids at FHS. We’re all looking forward to a few days break, since we packed a week’s worth of activity into four days. Everyone has something they want to do in Swacopmund. Though Linda would love to be going skydiving, Nicole is actually the one who will be jumping from the plane. Linda instead is looking forward to walking on the beach, feeling the ocean breeze. Annie is excited to see the Namib Desert again, which is the largest desert in the world. Mary will be watching the sunset on Dune 7 and cannot wait to see the ocean again. Queen is looking forward to having a weekend to just kick back and relax. I will be four-wheeling in the sand dunes and buying more souvenirs than I can fit in my suitcase. And we’re all looking forward to seeing the local crafts and visiting the wood market as well.
Check out the pictures! We will update again soon. Thank you again to everyone who has helped to make this work possible. Food is hope to the Namibian people and you are present in every outstretched hand that we are able to fill. Keep us in your thoughts, there are many more days ahead.
~Annie, Mary, Linda, Queen, Nicole, Genny
Our Mission
African Community Health Inititiave (ACHI)
Provide basic health care services to those lacking access to such care in both rural Nigeria and urban Namibia.
These services include:
*Overall Physicals (including Fasting Glucose levels, Vitals, HIV/AIDS testing etc..)
*Medication Management and Maintenance programs *Disease Management
*Health Education that addresses disease prevention, hygiene and nutrition
*Consultations and referrals
Mount Sinai
A program started by Katutura State Hospital Nurse Christa Biart-Vega, who works in the ARV (antiretroviral) pediatric clinic, Mount Sinai provides HIV counseling, health education, well baby checks, formula, water and sippy cups for 105 babies and their HIV+ mothers. If the child is tested HIV- after 6 weeks of being breastfed, the hospital or clinic refers them to Christa. At this point it is important to discontinue breastfeeding: replacing breast milk with formula means that the baby will remain HIV-. Unfortunately, due to the lack of funds Christa has to limit the number of mothers and babies in her program because it is a commitment to feed each child for six months. Christa did receive land in Katutura for the clinic, but lacks the funds to begin building. Not only will this building be used to continue the program that Christa has started, she also envisions it as a safe place for moms and their children, as well as a hospice for children with AIDS to peacefully die in instead of out on the streets. Your donations will go towards formula, sippy cups, water and overall costs. More money means more women can enroll in the program and with your help Nurse Christa will finally be able to have a building to go along with her amazing, life saving program!
Family Hope Sanctuary
FHS is a community based program run by Abigail Maposa located in the extremely poor settlements of Hakahana. FHS’s program helps in two ways: first, to empower women, most of whom are HIV+, TB, single mothers who are raising orphans; and second, through its school readiness program. This program reaches children who are not in the school system and provides them with an education and a safe place to stay. More importantly, the heart of FHS is its kitchen: it feeds hundreds of children each day, which for most is the only meal they will get that day. Lacking the most basic necessities of life, all of these kids are grateful for such a meal, and are in dire need of a formal education before it is too late. Your donations will go towards education, food, clothes, shoes, water and other necessities. Amazingly, $20 sends a child to school for a whole year (books and uniforms included)!
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