Projects - Overseas Projects - Domestic Tanzania Project Title : Medical Supplies for Makiungu Hospital
Tanzania , located in east Africa is among on of the most impoverished of the developing countries. The people are mostly from rural areas where education is not compulsory, sanitation is non-existent, and basic health care is something they know little about. As a result, many have died due to preventable disease such as malaria and AIDS. The energetic people and wage earners have died leaving no support for their large families. Many children are now orphaned and struggling just to survive. A needs analysis showed that most coming to the hospital are coming for antibiotics to combat infectious diseases and to meet their most basic medical and dietary requirements – especially the abandoned orphans.
In general, this project strives to provide care and support for orphans and people living within and around Singida , Tanzania. Specifically, funds raised were used to purchase antibiotics, buy high protein foods and to help supplement the orphans' educational expenses as necessary. Relief objectives were to:
Liberia Project Title : Medical services/ Antibiotics/ Building Materials/ Food/ Water/ and Basic necessities for Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center. The civil war in Liberia has left many children homeless and orphaned. Still others were wounded or maimed for life. This Center is the only Rehab Center for hundreds of miles serving many villages and communities. It not only helps those crippled learn to before mobile – this Center has been a refuge and retreat to many orphans who have no where else to go.
It is also serving as a school for all the children in the surrounding villages. After the war, Sr. Sponsa, the Center's director, welcomed other youngsters to attend classes at the Center because she knew they had no where else to go. However, to her surprise, the children were arriving hungry. Many came too weak to concentrate and participate in class so the Center has been rationing what little food they have left for their residents between the handicapped children and the local children. They are each given a bowl of rice when they arrive and leave. This is usually these youngsters only meals for the day. This Center is the only one of its kind in this part of Liberia . It is literally a lifeline for handicapped children. The Center gives them the chance for a normal life. Disabled men, women and children are considered outcasts in their society. Many parents even leave their crippled babies out in the elements hoping they will die because of the stigma in the village associated with having a handicapped child. That's why we must do whatever we can to help keep this Center open and continue serving the handicapped community. However, post-war Liberia is truly struggling on a day-to-day basis and therefore the Rehabilitation Center has found itself in dire need of food, medical supplies, braces, crutches and materials to make wheelchairs.
This grant was used to repair the Rehab Center after a fire destroyed most of the dormitory, the children's lockers which contained what was left of their worldly possessions and food storage areas. Funds were also used to purchase antibiotics and basic living necessities and braces, wheelchairs and crutches for those most in need. Kenya Project Title: "Home-based Care of Orphans” Kenya In Kenya , AIDS is a national emergency. Current statistics of Kenya in relation to HIV/AIDS indicate that close to 2.5 million of the population of 32 million are infected with the virus. According to The Kenyan National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Program (NASCOP) there were close to 1.5 million orphans under the age of fifteen years by end of 2005, largely due to AIDS. The "Home-based Care of Orphans," project began in order to increase rural understanding and to combat the rapid increase of the HIV/AIDS virus. As growing numbers of families are faced with the care of an AIDS patient at home, the need to know how to properly care is expressed. In order to meet these and other needs this project implemented the following types of programs:
Further, as the number of children orphaned by AIDS continues to grow increased economic pressure on the families cannot be ignored. Many Kenyan families are just not able to cope with caring for another child. Kenyan's face several pressing challenges including high unemployment, crime and poverty; and most Kenyans live below the poverty level of $1 a day. Such extreme poverty prevents many families from caring for a relative left orphaned by AIDS. These children have no one to care for them, not even their own government . Many times these orphaned children are left to fend for themselves, many starve, and many turn to violence, thievery, and some are even forced into prostitution just to survive.
The "Home-based Care of Orphans Program," saves many children from this horrible fate. This program helps children in several ways:
Through your donations this program has thrived. Your gifts have enabled us to support over 140 orphans and other vulnerable children. Please continue to support EDGE as we work to feed, educate, and care for the most innocent of Kenyan society, the children.
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