Peter, Allan and Judy have been divorced for some time now but, yes, this is the same Allan Mayfield.
** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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. 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