MAP INTERNATIONAL'S HEALTH & HOPE BLOG

Edna Paz,  her husband and five children, live in a poor rural area of Guatemala. Unemployment is high and her husband works whenever he can find an odd job. Edna feels fortunate to have a regular employment as a domestic worker. She earns about $13/week—the only regular income her family can expect.

But recently Edna had to miss work and risk losing her job because her daughter, Karen, was seriously ill. Just six-years-old, Karen loves school and continued going to classes even when she had a fever. But every day she became more ill. Her head hurt and her ear ached so much that she cried out in her sleep.

One day she woke up with blood coming from her ear.

After I introduced myself to Rose, the first words I remember her saying were, “Lespwa fè viv.”

My translator, Florence, said it means “hope makes one live.” Florence then shared with me; however, “When you hear Rose’s story, you will know that this means so much more for her.” I looked at my translator quizzically.

This piece originally appeared in Physician Family magazine, Summer 2018

We hardly give it a second thought. A cut finger and we grab a bandage from the first aid kit. A slight fever and we run to the medicine cabinet for Ibuprofen. Something more serious and our physician calls in a prescription which we pick up at the nearby pharmacy.

But for millions of people living in poor countries, there are no first aid kits or medicine cabinets. Pharmacies, often a day’s journey or more away, stock medicine far too expensive for the average person—or worse, pills made of useless or toxic materials.

So cuts go untreated and uncovered—often resulting in major infections. Fevers continue to rise and diseases go untreated. And chronic conditions that could be easily managed become an early death sentence.

The MAP Disaster Health Kit is a simple, yet dramatic product for people living in the most desperate of conditions. 

Described as a perfect 'measure of dignity' by people who have lost everything in natural disasters, MAP's signature Disaster Health Kits (DHK) contain antiseptic wipes, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essential items. 

MAP's partner ANERA, the American Near East Refugee Aid organization, has found another creative use for the disaster health kit. ANERA recently shared the following story about how women and girls living in refugee camps are being trained in disease prevention and hygiene awareness: 

In the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon lies Burj El Barajneh; the most overpopulated Palestinian refugee camp in the city and home to more than 17,000 registered refugees; all living within a mere 1 square kilometer area…

“It was my day off and I was at home when I began to feel the earth shaking,” says Rose, as she recalls the events that changed her life in 2010.

“Debris began to fall and the next thing I knew, my entire house had collapsed on me.”

Like many others, Rose was a victim of the massive earthquake that nearly destroyed parts of Haiti January, 2010.

I want to share this little boy's smile with you.  His name is Frankie. And, that smile is for you and because of you.  Frankie is with us because of your support of MAP International. 

When you support MAP International, you reach into the most difficult places on earth to shine your light. MAP recently received this touching story from a medical missionary team working in Kenya - it brought tears to our eyes.

We think it will touch you too.

Read how you helped bring light and hope in the most unlikely of places.

We found no shelter from the heat underneath the seven-foot boxwood. Though the trees dotted the rural landscape in Haiti, if you rated an SPF factor for them, I doubt it would fare any better than a thin coat of vegetable oil in blocking the sun.  Worse, when the air moved, it felt like a convection oven fan blowing hot air over the warm air. 

I was in Haiti as part of a production crew to capture the story of how MAP International's medicines made a difference in the lives of people who had none.  Three days into a busy video production project, the day moved oh-so-slowly. That was the only pace the heat would allow.

The pictures of the little girls who had suffered burns in the aftermath of the Fuego volcano moved members of our MAP staff to tears. With their heads wrapped in protective gauze for burn rehabilitation, one photo in particular stood out.

A little girl was smiling.

Despite losing everything in the lava and ash that buried her village, the young girl found a way to smile. She had likely had lost family members or friends. Her home was gone.

But she had survived.

The medicines and health supplies that MAP shipped to our partners on the ground immediately following the volcano eruption were distributed to local hospitals, clinics, and the disaster site.

These girls benefited from the MAP supplies brought by a medical mission team working with a hospital ministry in Guatemala. The mission team provided burn creams, oral and topical antibiotics, non-stick gauze, and anti-inflammatory medications – all a blessing following such a disaster.

The devastating eruptions of the Fuego volcano that started June 3 have left 112 people dead, thousands displaced and nearly 200 still missing. The medical needs of the survivors of the Guatemala volcano are expected to last for months.

Because of your generous support, MAP was able to provide immediate assistance to those in need in Guatemala.  

And this is why your continued support is greatly needed with our Matching Gift campaign.  Please consider a donation to MAP to help us replenish our supplies of vital medicines and health supplies.

When you make a gift to this special campaign, your gift will be matched. We’re close to achieving our goal of raising $100,000. Your gift might be the difference between MAP fully realizing this matching gift challenge and not. That’s how close we are.

In order for your gift to be matched, we have to receive it between now and June 30. This is such an easy way to double the impact of your gift.

Thank you for all you do for MAP and for people in need around the world. 

MAP International President Steve Stirling was honored with the 2018 Human Excellence Award on June 19 by the Hope Collaborative at Harvard University for his lifelong commitment of helping to heal children around the world.