Is this Judy Mayfield's husband? --- Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Below is an email I received this morning from Allan > Mayfield who is currently in Burundi > working as a volunteer in a project to build and > staff a hospital for a part of the county to > serve approximately 40,000 people. This is just > plain, old fashioned help-thy-neighbor > type of consciousness raising. > > I'm pasting his entire email and would encourage > anyone who can help, or who may know > someone else who may be willing to help, to do so. > > Jai > > Marek > > ** > > From: Allan Mayfield > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 6:43 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: Deogratias Niyizonkiza > Subject: Test #2: Power of Networking - Set #2 > > Hi Everyone, > Here is test number two in determining whether my > network can be leveraged to assist the > new NGO I am working with in Burundi, Village Health > Works (VHW). The short story is that > Deogratias Niyizonkiza is a survivor of the > Burundian genocide of 1993, which led to a > civil war for over 10 years and devastated this > already poor country (now considered by > some to be the poorest country in the world). Deo > returned to his home province a few > years ago from the USA (after an odyssey that > included living on the street in NY, speaking > no English and dealing with major PTSD from seeing > many friends and family killed at > close range) and decided that he would make it his > mission to build a model hospital in an > area of about 40,000 people who have no basic health > care and primarily live in dirt > floored, mud/brick/stick houses. I can say from > personal experience that these are folks > that have little or nothing and are at the mercy of > all sorts of treatable disease, including > malaria, respiratory infection (major killer of > children), intestinal parasites, malnutrition, > HIV and tuberculosis. > > To support his vision, Deo, while a medical student, > founded VHW as a 501C3 nonprofit > organization in New Hampshire and began raising > money in late 2006. That effort led to > the building of 2 new clinical buildings, a water > system, kitchen and septic system on a 20 > + acre site donated by the local community (who > improved the 6 kilometer dirt access > road to the clinic with shovels and hoes). In > addition, this first round fundraising > purchased a 9 month supply of basic medicines and > clinical supplies which arrived in > Burundi yesterday. We will be opening the clinic > within a week, however, fundraising must > continue to be able to move forward with phase two, > which includes a residence for > permanent staff. We have been sleeping on foam > mattresses on the floor of one of the > buildings and will be shifting to bunk beds shortly, > but that means 10-12 people to a > room; not the best set-up for long term living and > welcoming visiting medical volunteers > from the USA and Europe. Phase two also includes a > modern, "European" style toilet and > shower building, to replace the existing rough > latrine and lack of shower facilities. Phase > three will include 4 new clinical wards, maternity, > men's, pediatric and women's, which will > allow VHW to provide inpatient care. The amounts of > money are substantial from one > standpoint, $100,000's, however, the so-called > return on investment is major. As soon as > we open the clinic will be providing outpatient > service to about 1,000 people/month in a > community where the average worker earns > US$0.50/day. When the wards are complete > we will be able to add 120 inpatient beds for much > more extensive on-site treatment. Add > to that a cadre of 80 Community Health Care Workers > who will go from house to house for > AIDS, maternity care and TB screening and the clinic > will be able to provide direct service > to over 20,000 people a year. That will literally > transform the life prospects for this entire > community. And over the long run VHW will be > demonstrating a new model of socially just > medical care in a country that still incarcerates > people who can't pay even the most > meager medical bills. > > So, what am I asking for this time? Deo has been > pursuing fundraising single handed. We > are now looking for ways to expand on these efforts. > I would appreciate it if you would > think about your network and the network of people > your network knows. We are looking > to make contact with three types of people: > > 1. Individual philanthropists who could be > interested in seeing their donations literally > transform an entire community in one of the poorest > countries on earth and over time, > their contribution would help the entire > country-wide health care system evolve > 2. People that understand how to access > foundations, government and > intergovernmental agency grants, both USA and > international > 3. Individual doctors, Information Technology > professionals (computer network > management folks) and international development > graduates (BA or above in areas such as > anthropology, agriculture, animal husbandry and > community health) who might be > interested in spending a month or more getting > amazing, hands-on experience in a rural > area in a country that needs all the help it can > get. A month might work for the right > expert, while 2 months is a minimum for more general > expertise. It takes time to get > acclimated and understand how things work here and > for any type of solid training of local > staff, there would need to be enough time for > classes interspersed with day to day work > and appropriate follow-up. > > You might think that NGO's would have these types of > connections already, however, we > are a team of 10 Burundians (Deo, plus 4 nurses, two > business people with college > degrees; all others high school education) and 4 > volunteers from the USA (MD/PHD > medical director; an about to graduate USA > med-student; recent BA in anthropology and > me). What has already been accomplished by my > colleagues, in terms of establishing the > organization, raising funds, acquiring land from the > community, building the phase one > buildings and acquiring necessary furnishings, > supplies and medications is amazing, > particularly when you go out into the surrounding > hill community and see that the average > person walks up to 4 miles for water, 8 miles for > secondary school and 15 miles to get to > the nearest medical care (and is often turned away > as they can't afford the fees). What we > must do for the next two phases is even more > challenging and we are a small team. Our > Burundian colleagues are very dedicated, but unable > to help with the world beyond > Burundi's borders, as they are themselves > genocide/civil war survivors and have very > limited resources. > > I am hoping that you will look into your contact > file and see who might be or might know > someone from one of the three categories above. Note > that when I first thought of who I > knew, I didn't think of myself as having connections > to major philanthropists and > foundations, but as I thought through what I knew of > my friends, acquaintances and ex- > colleagues, I realized that I was within one person > of all sorts of resources, financial, > professional, international development, etc. > > I can guarantee that this is an opportunity for > someone who has access to resources and/ > or knowledge and wants to see a better world to have > a major impact. VHW built a 7 room > clinical building for about $25/sq foot. Basic > medicine and supplies come from two > specialized NGO suppliers, one in Amsterdam and the > other in Kampala, that provide > enough material to treat about 8,000 people, a 6-8 > month supply for us at about $50,000, > or $6/person. We will build and outfit a 30 bed > maternity ward, that will save dozens of > newborn and maternal lives every month. Our > Community Health Worker outreach > program will grow to a staff of 80 ($20/month for > full time workers), who will be > canvassing the entire region for TB and HIV > patients, driving mortality rates way down and > allowing families to remain intact (AIDs and TB > orphans are legion). > > One last note; VHW is working closely with Partners > in Health. Although you have probably > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ
