Education is Her Superpower!

                                   

The children in this photo are from homes that lost absolutely everything in the recent flooding in Nepal, including the items the children needed to attend school. Today they are patiently waiting to receive a backpack full of school supplies from HealthEd Connect volunteers so that they can return to their classes at the local government school.

This adorable little girl most likely does not have electricity or television in her home, so she probably knows nothing about the cartoon characters displayed on her new backpack, who are characters in an Indian children’s show called “Motu Patlu.”  Motu and Patlu are two super-mischievous fellows who eat tasty samosas to gain super-strength to defeat the world! But this little girl will defeat the challenges of her world through the education she’ll receive at school! 

Puppets!

Stick puppets


The kids are going to love these!  A group of creative supporters at a church reunion in Southern California made these adorable little stick puppets to be used in the schools in Zambia. 

We recently introduced the idea of Peace Clubs and plan to use the little animal puppets to demonstrate ways children can solve conflicts peacefully.

Tobacco Shed Clinic

Tobacco Shed clinic

Our Matete Clinic in Malawi is on the West Coast of beautiful Lake Malawi.  The region may be beautiful but amenities are few and far between.

As, Jere, our HealthEd Connect Representative recently wrote after his visit:

At Matete Clinic there are only 2 volunteers, one Sinkhani volunteer, one village volunteer. Women came with their babies in large number. We waited the HSA [Government employee] of the area from 8.00 A M up to 9.30 A M. because of his late I told the volunteers to start weighing babies and after this will start to teach mothers, then we started with weighing babies.

  Very late around 12.30 it was when the HSA arrived the place and he found that we have already completed weighing babies.  After his arrival, he gave me an assignment of teaching mothers without notice, but immediately I agreed to do the assignment, because the place has no toilets, and other people are bringing foodstuff to sell without water. So my lesson was about a hygienic lesson.

Go Jere!!!  What a trooper!  Weighing babies in a tobacco shed and then even providing a health lesson for the mothers....

Malawi Chiefs' gift

That's a LOT of Chiefs!

What a gift!  The Sinkhani health workers in Malawi are now the proud owners of a crumbling hand-made brick building.  Recognized throughout the community as leaders and doers, the community Chiefs recently voted to reward the Sinkhani by officially handing over a community building for their use.  Last year, the Sinkhani weighed and monitored 18,285 at-risk babies.  It is estimated 47% of the children in Malawi are stunted due to malnutrition.

 HealthEd Connect is now working with the Sinkhani to envision a future with a sturdy structure bustling with activities for the orphans and vulnerable children in the community.

THE document!!

Nepal Flood Relief Update: Buckets of Love

Our volunteers in Biratnagar, Nepal have entered phase two of flood relief. In a very small hand-built home, there is nowhere to store objects to avoid being washed away by the flood waters.  Anything buoyant has floated away in the current, and anything absorbent has been saturated with filthy water.  Villagers have lost necessities like buckets and jugs for carrying water, plastic sandals, floor mattresses, and pots needed for cooking food. Our volunteers compiled buckets full of indispensable items including cleaning supplies to remove bacteria and mosquito nets to prevent malaria. These were distributed to pregnant, postnatal, and elderly women in several areas affected by the flood.

Sangeeta's kitchen

Sangeeta's kitchen when she arrived home

Lines of people waiting for her when she finally reached home

We just received this touching message from Sangeeta, one of our nursing scholarship recipients and HealthEd Connect volunteer in Nepal.

Dear Madam,

It is so nice to hear from you.
when i was on the night duty, there were flooding in the biratnagar then i was posted continue duty for emergency. After third day of flooding, i walked two hours in the flood to come back home. Everyone suggested me to not to go my village side because there was still full of water but i reached home by the help of villagers. When i saw my collapsed kitchen, lots of damages and some mothers and childrens with aspecting eyes, they were suffering from high fever, headache and wound in legs.my heart was broken then i started my healthcare with some medicine. Neither Government rules nor my situation could stop my heart insted i was blessed by healthed connect support which helped me to provide many things as their need. The Government also admired our work and services. My heart really enjoyed when i was providing their needs. I gave thanks to Lord many times. There is no any words that how i thank all of you.
Mam, i thank you for the study blessing for my last semester. I will dedicate my life to help my people with fulll of my strength, knowledge, time and profession according to the vision of healthed connect  where i enjoy perhaps it is same as my vision.
Thank you God that you has given me your people and the organisation to help and serve need people.

Your's
Sangeeta.

Training session ends

Teachers learning tablet use in the classroom

The training session for the empowering and world-connecting electronic tablets was super successful in every way!  Emmanuel Mumba, the coordinator teacher at Chipulukusu wrote the following at the close of the training:

The teacher tablets comes with it a set of a simple projector which enables teachers to project their work on surfaces.This is really wonderful!! I never thought of experiencing this magnificent development cheaply like this!!
Just like any one else here, “big hand” to our partners the rotary Ndola and America as well as the HealthEdConnect for coordinating this program.

Am trying to imagine how much smiles will be on the faces of our maginalised children in our communities,putting on hear phones as they listen to the lesson.

May the good lord continue using lives to give hope to the hopeless and peace of mind to  those who need it!

The $300 house

Jane with orphans she helps

Jane, the Luapula Kafwa supervisor, tragically watched her house burn down several weeks ago.   Jane and her children escaped without harm but she lost her house and all of her possessions.

Thanks to the foresight of the HealthEd Connect Board, a policy was established several years ago to provide an emergency fund for volunteers who so selflessly give their lives for others.


Earlier this week Jane wrote:

hi sherri, I greatly thankful from healthedconnect for showing me kindness. my house is now repaired only from your support. the money was enough for all the  requirements needed . I really  appreciate . Please may God bless you all. 

I have attached all the costs. stay blessed, 

Your beloved daughter Jane chibwe.