ISchool

Thanks to Rotary International, the children in our schools are just about to be introduced to the wonders of the digital age via iSchool tablets creatively loaded with the entire Zambian school curriculum.  The tablets are written in the local language as  well as English so children can hear via audio what they are seeing on the tablet.  Our traveling team had an invigorating meeting today with the iSchool staff as they outlined the learning possibilities.  Exciting times ahead!

Zambia team!

Team Zambia 2017 Cherry Newcom, Sue Gorker, Lauren Hall, Jared Doty, Melissa Sherer, Heather Smith, Sydney Dorrance, Jac And Sherri Kirkpatrick.  We've arrived in Livingston and pausing under Dr. Livingston's statue before gazing at the thundering Victoria Falls.  Two nights sleeping on planes, we're more than ready to stretch our legs!  

Boy Child

Father and son

Our heart goes out to one of our Sinkhani health workers in Malawi.  Her sweet little boy was born with both male and female, undeveloped, genitalia and suffers from incontinence.  Ever since hearing about him we've been on a mission to see what can be done.

[We've changed names and identifying information but here's the story from Jere:] 

       I have tried looking for an assistance for the Child for many days, on 14^th March I went to see my friend who is a doctor. Luck enough I found him on free time and I took an advantage to ask him about the Child after I narrated the whole problem of the child. He is a specialist in eyes and he told me that he has a friend that can know better about such problem of the Child than him although he is a specialist in the woman body parts, 

My friend also told me the way how I can approach the new doctor.  He told me the new doctor has a friend who is also a specialist in Man body parts and always they work together privately. He also said that the if the child is about 12 years the operation is not taking too long, but studying the person is taking long time. He emphasised very much that good approach will help the Child.  Next week I will have an appointment with the new doctor because I have just heard that he is back from India.

We are desperately hoping the Malawi health care system will find a way to help our little friend!!

High tech coming to Zambian Schools

We were thrilled to learn that individual iSchool learning tablets will soon be coming to our Chipulukusu and Kasompe schools in Zambia!  Imagine the excitement of the children when they push a button, the screen lights up, and they learn to find the science, math, or Chibemba lesson already loaded on their tablets!  This is really a BIG deal for the schools!!  A $30,000 grant from Rotary International has been in the pipeline for two years under the expert and persevering guidance of Club 13 in Kansas City.  A huge shout out to Tom Davis who successfully led the effort!!

The teachers have been excitedly awaiting word on this proposal.  Jan Armstrong, a Club 13 member and frequent visitor to Zambia made the following comment regarding the installation and launching of the tablet project:

 I do believe that they [the local school teachers and school board] have plenty of years working with you to know your policy of letting them decide and then letting you know where they need help and guidance.  This is what helped me realize from the beginning that you and HealthEd Connect were the partners we wanted to work with.  Too often times we on this continent go in making decisions for a group without taking into consideration their wants and needs plus their talents and desire to help themselves with the back up of a more experienced organization.  I have been very impressed with the Zambians I have met and the commitment they have to their community and their children and their hard work to improve the entire community.  I firmly believe we are making a significant, long term difference in these communities through this project.

Man of many talents

Mkakeni Jere, the Malawian HealthEd Connect representative routinely visits the various sites where the health workers volunteer to document the experiences with pictures and stories.  Last month at Kasomba village he was pressed into being a health worker himself.  The clinic covers 21 villages but the day Jere visited he found "very few mothers with their babies but not even one volunteer because most of the people went to receive Food relief at Daniel Gausi food relief reserve."   Many people in Malawi are all too frequently dependent on food relief due to regular famines caused by lack of rain or too much rain, and this year, army worms.

       

The Government worker was the only person at the clinic, and couldn't decide where to start because she was alone. When Jere arrived, he rolled up his sleeves and helped her weigh the babies.  We think this moves Jere out of honorary status to that of a full-fledged Sinkhani health worker!!

One patient at a time

We're celebrating another success of our health workers! Jane, the supervisor of our newest group of health workers in rural Zambia recently wrote:

Well, i  just want to inform you that one of our  patients  is healed. This man  was  actually taking  the bricks of our church,  community  of Christ, there in lubunda, suddenly the  brick  fell on his leg, this happened  last  year in January. 

Nevertheless,we first started  with  guava leaves he  even  got better now..  any way,  thank you sherri  for the lessons. 

Jane. 

We have been using a homemade antiseptic made from guava leaves for years.  This is one of MANY testimonies singing the praises of this traditional medicine.

Elderly benefits in Nepal

Our Nepali Representative, Pinkey Malla (kneeling), watcher over all age groups in Kathmandu. Often living without electricity or reading material, the elderly might be unaware of government benefits, may not know how to navigate the complicated government offices, or may not have transportation through the chaotic Kathmandu streets.  Pinkey guides them through the process so that they can receive much needed government assistance.

In her own words, she states, "We went to government office to get ID card to some oldest people above age sixty.  They didn't know before about that card which help them to get 50% discount in government hospital and vehicle.  We wrote application for each and submit all the details they got ID card of oldest citizen.  They became very happy, most of them don't have children to help them."

The Journey of the Stretchers

Success! Purchasing inexpensive stretchers seems like a simple thing to do, but getting them to three remote villages in the Himalayan Mountains is a more complicated task!  Our village volunteer, Ramprasad, has been requesting stetchers for his neighbors to carry the ill or injured to a distant clinic. To accomplish this, our volunteers in Nepal had to purchase the stretchers from a shop in Kathmandu, fit them into a taxi to the bus station, get them secured on the roof of a bus to a city in Ghorka, and carry them by foot over bridges and up the rocky mountain paths to three remote villages in the Himalayan Mountains. What a journey!

Our Nepali Representative, Pinkey Malla, reports, “We successfully done our work! Villagers received stretchers safely are so so happy to received this precious gift and help from us. They are planning to put that stretchers at 3 village, one they will keep village called Chiche pani which in near to epicenter of earthquake, another will be at Pakhure Village and Voktini Village.” 

Huge Thank You!

Sangeeta teaching a sanitation class earlier this year

Sangeeta, one of our compassionate, loved and gifted 2016 Nepali nursing scholarship awardees is sending her thanks to YOU, our HealthEd Connect supporters.  She is finishing her 2nd of 3 years of a professional nursing program.

Sangeeta writes:

I was posted for practical duty at Mental hospital, Kathmandu and community posting at rural area of  Morang district. I had great experience with psychiatric patient and villagers during my B.N. 2nd year course.

In my community, Five person are suffering from paralysis.  I am providing my nursing care since six weeks .I am helping them by daily injection and some therapy according to Doctor's advice. It is good news that two of them are healed and they and their family are so thankful to us. 

Thank you so much for your support and prayers towards me.
Your Sincerely,
Sangeeta, Biratnagar.
Nepal.

Mother love

Emfeni, Malawi

HealthEd Connect is proud to salute mothers around the world on their special day.  We're touched by the display of love shown by incredible women everywhere.  The amazing women in this picture walked to this little makeshift house-clinic to have their babies weighed and monitored in Emfeni, Malawi where our Sinkhani faithfully volunteer every week.

Remember these mothers when you shop for Mother's Day.  Click on the following link when you shop at Amazon and a percentage of the sale will be automatically donated to HealthEd Connect.  smile.amazon.com/ch/27-1115162