Children are dying because moms can't read

When I was in Kenya this last trip I saw this poster in a the waiting room of a children's officer. 

 The Partners for Care team in Kenya work every day to save the lives of the children. And, they have the 2nd Chance School to help people from Marurui slum achieve their primary and secondary education. I knew it was important for people to learn to read and write - but I never connected the two - children dying because their moms can't read. To learn 50% of the children born to illiterate mothers die before age five made me understand how important it is to reach moms who are illiterate and help them learn to read and write. Teaching them to read not only improves their quality of life BUT also helps save the lives of their children.

The Partners for Care team have doubled the size of the 2nd Chance School - reaching more moms. They have now enrolled 10 more students in their literacy program - all moms!

It is a privilege to support the 2nd Chance School as it helps moms learn to read and write.

Connie

Partners For Care thanks ITT Technical School for the computers they donated

Gary Willis tells about his trip to Kenya

Cris and I just returned from a mission trip in Kenya.  We were visiting several pastors that we support over there through Partners for Care.  There mission model is to "Equip Kenyans to help Kenyans." 

All 18 of the paid staff are Kenyans.  They run a medical clinic, secondary and computer classes, an orphanage for 36 children, AIDS awareness, and hospice care in the Marurui and Mathare slums.  We saw some terrible living conditions but some beautiful people.  The trip was wonderful, it is amazing how much good they can do with what we send them monthly.  We traveled as far north as Marsabit, near the Ethiopia boder, and as far south as Mombassa, on the coast just north of the country of Zanzibar. 

The greatest day was spent with the Rendille tribe in Parkashon.  These people are nomadic herdsmen living in mud and stick huts just like they have for centuries.  Pastor Hirbo is doing remarkable things with these people including medical care and teaching them crafts to sell in the neighboring town's market place.

 The most touching moment was visiting a woman named Vanessa in a slum of 800,000 people.  She is dying from AIDS and worried about the future of her 4 children and the two orpans of her sister that she also cares for.  They all live in a one room shack.

After the 10 day private tour with the staff, we spent a two day vacation at Watamu which is one of the best fishing spots in the world.  Our one day out was a success.  We caught tuna, wahoo, kingfish, marlin and barracuda.  I caught the 8' striped marlin pictured and released one that was 11' long.  We had to harvest the 8 footer due to it swallowing the hook and tearing its stomach. 

Cris is my new fishing buddy.  She had a great time and landed several big fish including this big wahoo.  We gave all of the fish to the locals except the tuna that fed 25 people at the Partners for Care house.

I recommend anyone interested in supporting the ministry to let us know.  We plan to go back in February of 2014 and would love to take others who want to see the ministry in action and tour the country. 

--
Sincerely,

Gary Willis
President
Parsons Gifts

Water Packs to Marsabit

Can a water back pack carrier improve the quality of life for those who carry water? Seems like the answer would be obvious - especially if you are the one who carries 20 liters of water in a heavy, plastic jerry can - on your back or on your head. Try carrying 5 10 pound bags of potatoes and you will know what women carry - many carry this amount of weight for 8 hours. The water back bags are not only much lighter than the jerry cans but they are designed to provide support making carrying the 20 liters of water much, much easier.  I have tried the water back pack myself and there is a huge improvement over the jerry can.

But, how will we know the difference a water back pack can make? Answering this question is why Partners for Care is working with Grief (the company that has developed the pack) and Liz Blake, Vice President of Habitat for Humanity and Tony with Back the Pack to conduct a demonstration project studying the implementation of the water back pack. That is why the PFC staff traveled long, difficult roads to take 400 packs to the people of Marsabit.

The first step was to complete a questionnaire asking the people about how they carry their water, how far they go to fetch the water, what ailments they have from carrying water, and if they clean their drinking water. We asked if their children go with them and if they carry water, too. Second, was to train the people how to use the pack - how to fill it with water, how to lift it to put it on their back, how to clean the pack, etc. Then the team got to give each person their own water pack! The photos tell the story.

Pastor Hirbo will go weekly to Parkishon to monitor the the adoption and proper use of the packs. In 6 weeks I get the exciting job of going to Marsabit to see how the project is going. Then in December we will do the post-survey to determine the anticipated benefits of using the water back packs. We will see if they have less neck and back pain, if it takes less time to carry their water home and what they do with that time.

The team on the ground - Sammy, Moses, George and John along with Pastor Hirbo did a great job this week getting the packs to Marsabit, completing the surveys, training on how to use the packs, distributing the packs and taking the photos so they can share the process with all of you. It is a joy to work with thee PFC staff in Kenya who have a passion to help their own people. Enjoy the photos! 

Connie

Driving to Parkishon

Difficult travel. Truck broke down delaying the team for a while

 Training the "trainers"

Completing the surveys

Teaching how to use the packs

The women are happy 

 Giving the packs

Taking their packs home

Saving Stephen

All of you have heard us talk about how 473 children die everyday in Kenya. Partners for Care staff in Kenya do what they can to help prevent so many children from dying. And, sometimes, like with Stephen, the staff personally see the miracle of a child saved.

Stephen is a little boy rescued by Nick and Charles of Community Transformers.  He lives at Tree House with the other children Nick and Charles have rescued.  About two months ago Nick contacted me and told me Stephen was very sick. They had tried their best to help him but they knew that Stephen was critically ill.

Stephen, when he was ill

They moved Stephen to the PFC House.  Dr. Vincent, the medical students that were here from the US, Peter's wife, Sammy and everyone helped with Stephen. I asked people who knew Nick and Charles for financial help and people responded sending funds to help. The PFC staff and Charles took him to the hospital and to specialists. Finally after two weeks a diagnosis - TB.

Stephen is now on treatment and responding well. He has moved back to Tree House and I saw him yesterday. I couldn't believe it was the same child. The photos tell the story!

Stephen now

We are grateful for the financial support and the prayers to save a little boy in Kenya.

Saving the lives of children...that is the work of the PFC staff here in Kenya.

Connie
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Returning from Kenya

I am returning from Kenya after being there for the last 3 weeks. Traveling with me this trip were Gary and Cris Willis and Kalinda Kundomal, an intern from Emory. She is in the public health master's program.

Kalinda with Rendille children

Cris has been to Kenya with me and supports the work of the PFC team. She wanted to show her husband Gary the ministry. She hoped he would feel the same way about the people in Kenya that she does. It was such a blessing to watch Cris share her passion with Gary and to watch him grow to share the same passion. They have already set the date for their return trip.

Gary with Rendille children

Cris with Rendille children

Kalinda was so much help. I can't imagine going without her next time. She never stopped working while she was there! Not only is she fun and easy to be with, she loves the Lord and has a great servant heart. She helped design the water pack back project and did an excellent job. She has a specialty in parasites and is going to research the jigger parasite for us and evaluate how we are treating and preventing jiggers in Marsabit. She is considering doing her thesis either with the water pack project or on jiggers. I am very grateful to her for ALL her work and help!

And, Liz Blake, VP, Habitat for Humanity and her adult son Addison joined us for part of the trip. Liz is the person responsible for the water pack project. (See previous update about this life-changing project.)

Addison, Liz and little John

This trip:

1. We traveled twice to Marsabit on the missionary flight to implement the water back pack project.
   
   

   

   Team flying on the missionary flight to Marsabit

2. Made a transition of staff at the medical clinic. Dr. Vincent has resigned as he told us he is returning to school so he can advance his medical degree. Mary, a public health nurse, is covering the clinic. She will be arranging for a doctor to provide her coverage and consultation as she needs. Mary has been working in the clinic since June and knows how to use mHealth. She will use mHealth to consult with her consulting doctor.
3. Opened our second what if? Life Changing Center in Marsabit. (See previous update.)
4. We started a bead project for the Rendile women. 87 women are now organized in groups making medallions from beads that will be sent to Linda (our board member in Michigan) for bags, etc. This project was Linda's and Pastor Hirbo's idea. This is the first time any form of commerce has been introduced in Parkishon. Watching these women sitting in groups making beads was quite an experience! They even have two shifts. A simple project that is making a big difference in the lives of these women.
   
   

   

   Rendille women making medallions

5. Thanks to a recent donation we were able to purchase a motorbike for use by team members in Nairobi and bicycles for several staff. Most of our staff walk so the bikes help expand their ministry reach.
6. Held a two-day leaders meeting with the leaders of each of the five ministries of PFC. Each ministry has set goals for the next year. I will send an update later about their plans.
7. Carried 6 computers for the IT school that were donated to us from a computer school. They are very good computers for the IT students.
   
   

   

   ITT Technical team who donated computers

8. Reviewed the progress of the mHealth program. While there are some technical changes we need to make, the program is working well. The people of Maururi Slum appreciate knowing they can receive medical help by just making a phone call. Over 600 patients have been seen through mHealth.
9. Rented additional space for the 2nd Chance school which will double the number of students they can serve - 40 students. This program is making such a difference for so many people - including 6 of our own staff.
10. Distributed the first crop from our Hope Farm in MaiMahui - 300 kg of beans. We ate the beans for for several meals and they are very good! It is wonderful to know PFC is playing a part in helping people become food secure.
11. Hosted a friendly match between the what if? soccer team from Maururi with the what if? soccer team in MaiMahui. It was great to see so many boys organized in soccer teams.
12. Hired someone to direct the HIV/AIDS prevention program. I will make an official announcement later about who this person is. But, I can tell you we are very excited about this person joining Partners for Care. Great things have happened with this ministry and God has even greater plans as PFC expands this ministry!

None of these things could have happened without the financial support received by many people. And, none of the work would happen without the Kenyan team who everyday serve the people of Kenya...changing lives.

Blessed to know those who give and those who do the work,
Connie

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Water pack carriers for the women of Marsabit

I met her on a plane. We were both traveling to Washington, DC - her to do her work for Habitat for Humanity and me for my healthcare consulting practice. Two months later we met again...on the same flight to DC. We talked and she showed me a water back pack carrier she had with her in her suitcase. I knew instantly this water back pack carrier could change the lives of the women in Marsabit who walk up to 8 hours carrying water in yellow 20L jerry cans.

The woman I speak of is Liz Blake, Vice President at Habitat for Humanity. She had learned of the water pack carriers and had become passionate about helping to get them to the women and children who carried water on the backs or on their heads long distances. The packs have been developed by Grief, a large packing company. Liz and I agreed to meet when we were both in Atlanta.

A few weeks later I met with Liz and showed her a video David Gruber, co-founder of Partners for Care, had made showing the children in Marsabit being treated for jiggers. Liz understood the connection between the lack of water and the jigger infestation of the children. She said, "No child should live like that".

The water packs are new and Grief wants to "field test" them to see how women would accept them, determine how much time women can save by using the back pack water carrier to carry their water and to find ways to substitute the carriers for the jerry cans. There have been 3 studies to date - one in Guatemala, one in rural Kenya and one in Haiti by Partners for Health. Partners for Care is conducting the 4th study in Marsabit.

Last week we went with Liz on the missionary plane to Marsabit to show Pastor Hirbo the water packs. We went with Pastor Hirbo to Parkishon so he could train the Rendile woman on how to use the packs. The Rendile laughed and smiled at this new way to carry water.

Hopefully, this difficult way of carrying water will someday be obsolete

Water back packs - much easier for women to carry water

Tomorrow we return on the missionary plane to take more back pack carriers and train community health workers on the proper use of the packs. A representative from Grief is fling in from Amsterdam tomorrow morning to travel with us to Marsabit.

There are many people working on an international launch to get these packs to become the standard way to carry water replacing the unsafe jerry cans. Partners for Care is excited to partner with the people and organizations working on this initiative.

We feel very blessed to be a part of changing the lives of women and children - one water back pack at a time!

From Kenya,

Connie

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what if? we go home

I have forwarded you the latest Steve Saint video update. Watching Steve on this and the other videos always moves me. He is so courageous and in all things he gives glory to God.

I was surprised and humbled to see Steve wearing his what if? hat I gave him last year when we met at the medical mission conference. If you watch the video you will hear Steve say to his wife at the end of the video "what if? we go home?". After 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab center Steve is home. He still has a long road ahead of him as he recovers and regains the ability to walk and care for himself. I pray for Steve a full recovery. 

Connie.

Click on this image to view the video:

"There's No Place Like Home" The Next Chapter

The fourth update on Steve Saint's road to recovery from his paralyzing accident.

Launch day

Launch day was exciting as we watched donations come in...new donors, regular donors, donors from Alaska to Florida and states in between.  One very special young man donated $473.00 - a dollar for every child that died in Kenya on the day of launch.   We will continue to recruit donors because raising funds to help children who need to be saved isn't about a one day launch.  It isn't a sprint but a marathon and we are in it for the long haul.  

Some of the money raised has already been sent to Kenya to buy medications for our clinic, some will be used to harvest our first crop from our Hope Farm and money will be used to help Pastor Hirbo's ministry in Kenya as he treats hundreds of children for jiggers.  

Thank you to those who donated and to those who recruited donors.  We appreciate your help as we continue to raise funds to support the work of the team in Kenya.

Remembering the children,

Connie

It isn't too late to help us meet our goal of 473 donors.....

It has been a great launch day. We have had donors from Alaska, Oregon, Alabama, and of course from our friends in Michigan. We have had some of our regular donors donate, new donors, and one very special donor who decided to give $473.00 - one dollar for every child that died in Kenya today from preventable causes. People have donated in honor of loved ones and others have donated in recognition of someone they admire. Each of these people received an email card telling them of the donation.

It isn't too late to donate or to ask others to donate to help us meet the goal of 473 donors on our launch day. I hope many of you have had an opportunity to visit the website. So many helped make the website a reality...Ryan Morris, Dan Kellenberger, Sharon Dicks, David Gruber and all the other board members who helped.

I like what Linda (PFC board member) said today...what we do here matters there.

Thank you all for caring for those so far away....but who are always close in our hearts.

Praying to meet our goal of 473 donors today...

Connie

Sent from my iPad

Here is the link....

Several of you have contacted me and asked for the link to the new website. It is:

www.partnersforcare.org

Thanks for helping make our launch a day we will remember as the day we raised funds to help the team in Kenya!

Praying for 473 donors...Connie

Sent from my iPad

Today is the launch of the new Partners for Care website

Today is launch day for the new Partners for Care website. And, today is the day we hope to have 473 people go to the website and donate to help save the lives of the children in Kenya. All the funds raised will be sent to the team in Kenya - the team you will see on the website. What do they do with the funds? They buy bednets for the children; they will buy medications they need for the Partners for Care health clinic; they buy sacks and seedings for sack gardens; they will use the funds to harvest the crop from the PFC Hope Farm that is ready; they use the funds to help the children of Parkishon. Everything they do is focused on helping prevent the deaths of the 473 children that die everyday in Kenya.

Thank you for helping the team in Kenya. 

One of the Parkishon children PFC helps

Praying for the team in Kenya as they work to reach the children,

Connie.

Follow the medical student team in Kenya

Partners for Care is blessed to have a team of medical students from the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis work with us in Kenya on the mHealth program.

Their overall goal is to evaluate the implementation of the mHealth program, make recommendations for improvement and write protocals and procedures for both the mHealth program and the clinic. They are working closely with the Global HEED team.

They have created a blog and if you want you can follow along with them as they help the Kenyan team.

http://kindnessinkenya-2012.blogspot.com/

Wonderful to have them "on the ground" helping with improving the way the PFC team serves the people of Kenya,

Connie
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Launch heroes

Many of you are responding to our request to get spread the word through email, regular mail and social media about our new website launch this Friday. With only 4 days left I wanted to thank those that we are calling our "launch heroes". These are people who are helping us make our launch date goal of having 473 people visit the website and make a decision to help by donating. Launch heroes include.....all our board members (our board always supports PFC activities!) and Cris Willis, Rennatus, Sharon Dicks, Dan Kellenberger and others. Thanks so much for helping!

Just last week one of our staff in Kenya lost his only child to pneumonia. A precious little boy who was just 8 years old. Like I have said before - sometimes we know one of the children who die from a preventable or a treatable disease. It becomes personal to us and to the staff in Kenya. We want to help the team in Kenya to stop so many deaths of children to diseases that can be prevented or treated.

Help us help them....

Connie

We are asking for your help......

We are asking for your help on the day of the launch of our new website - July 27, 2012.  Please spread the word of our launch campaign by sending the attached campaign card to others through email, Facebook, and other social media.  Our goal for launch day is to have 473 people visit our new website and donate!  

Why 473?  

That is how many children die everyday in Kenya - they die from things that can be prevented.  They die from malaria for the lack of a bed net.  A bed net cost $5.00.  They die from malnutrition.  A sack garden that grows vegetables for a child costs $10.00.  They die from pneumonia that isn't treated.  Treatment in the Partners for Care clinic costs 50 cents.  They die from HIV/AIDS.  The Partners for Care team reaches thousands with the message of how to prevent babies from being born infected.  All of the funds we raise that day will go to Kenya so the Partners for Care team can do what they do best - prevent children from dying.  The question is what if? 473 children didn't die everyday in Kenya.  

You can help be part of the answer.  Just 12 days to spread the word....so we are asking for your help.

A patriotic fund-raiser

David Gruber, co-founder of Partners for Care and a board member, has always been creative in the ways he raises funds to support Kathi's House of Restoration. Kathi's House, our ministry in Maai Mahui, is in memory of David's late wife who had a dream to serve in Africa. David now keeps her dream alive by supporting the ministry of Pastor John and his wife Mary who direct PFC's ministries in Maai Mahui.

David connected us with InComm, who has been one of our best corporate sponsors. This 4th of July David and InComm have donated $2,300.00. One of the ways some of the funds were raised was by raffling a 4th of July basket. Donna Baugh was happy to win the basket!

Donna Baugh

Thank you David and InComm,

Connie

Lauching new website

In the next week you will be hearing more about the launch of our new website! Our launch date is July 20th. Everyday in Kenya 473 children die mostly from preventable diseases. We are planning a launch campaign to raise awareness and funding for the team in Kenya who work diligently to help save the lives of these children. More later...

Connie
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Steve Saint

Last year at the medical mission conference I had the honor and blessing of meeting Steve Saint - a great man of God (see http://partnersforcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/meeting-extraordinary-man.html) . Steve is the son of Nate Saint, one of the five matryed missionaries whose story is told in End of the Spear. Steve understands how to help without hurting and lives with his live to spread the good news of Jesus. A week ago Steve was injured and suffered a spinal injury. He has limited movement of his arms and legs. Tomorrow he is having surgery to relieve pressure on his spine hopefully to relieve some of his pain. I have forwarded to you the recent update I received...watch the video. Hear from Steve himself how he is and how he is still spreading the news of how to help in a developing nation. I only pray if my life suddenly changed as Steve's did that I would have the courage and the faith he has. Even in his pain and fear, he is telling others of the good news of Christ.

Praying for Steve - 

Partners for Care mHealth project is featured on the Sana website

Our mHealth project is featured on the Sana website http://sana.mit.edu/ it is exciting to see our program on their website. We are partnering with Global HEED and Sana on this project.

Connie
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One thing I love about my role with Partners for Care....

One thing I love about my role with Partners for Care is meeting with people who have a passion to help others. Sometimes it is a young person like Jonah. Jonah is a 15 year old boy who needed to do a service project for his Bar Mitzvah.. Jonah wanted to do something different from the typical service projects. He decided to collect soccer equipment to send to kids in a developing nation. He contacted Peace Passers who connected him with us. We met Jonah and his Mom last week and they gave us:

95 pair soccer shoes
35 soccer balls
30 pairs shin guards
and many other pieces of soccer equipment

The photo tells the story.

Thanking God for kids like Jonah who work hard to help equip the Partners for Care team in Kenya to reach the youth through their sports ministry,

Connie
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