(Photo: Survivors of the Fuego Volcano eruption fill the church in Escintia, Guatemala)

As parishioners filed out of the morning church service in Escuintla, Guatemala, on a warm June day, some were complaining. Why did they have to keep sitting on plastic chairs?

The baby had been abandoned. Left to die on the beach in Nigeria under a layer of sand. But the first miracle occurred when a good Samaritan heard a sound and discovered the baby.

On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria's devastating landfall in Puerto Rico, MAP International’s Disaster Response Team was once again helping people in need following a hurricane. The significance of the moment was not lost on the team as they delivered over 2,000 Disaster Health Kits (DHK) and other health supplies to people in need in Lumberton, NC.

Many of the lessons MAP learned from our work for Hurricane Maria have been applied to our response to Florence: 

One year ago today, Hurricane Irma made landfall on Cudjoe Key, Florida as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. As it barreled across the Florida Keys and into the Gulf of Mexico, residents fled Irma's dangerous path before it once again made landfall on Marco Island. Homes were destroyed, and millions were left without power as the hurricane continued up the state and into Georgia.

MAP provided thousands of its signature Disaster Health Kits (DHK) to affected residents in both states. DHKs provide essential items to help prevent the spread of disease. Each kit is designed to help meet the needs of one person residing in a shelter for one week.

Senior Partnership Development Officer, Kipp Branch was on the ground one year ago assisting families affected by Irma.

In this interview, Kipp describes how MAP prepares in advance for disasters and then acts immediately to help people in need.

For 48 years, Beatrice was unable to look people in the eye. Born in Rwanda with chronic foot deformities, she had crawled her entire life and could not stand.

Flip-flops protected Beatrice's hands as she moved around; she was forced to view the world from the ground up.   

Her parents were desperate to help her.

Life in their remote village in southwest Rwanda offered limited medical assistance beyond traditional healers. Her community ridiculed and marginalized the disabled. Beatrice and her family turned God for help; they believed He would find a way.

As I conclude my travels in Liberia this week before heading to Cote d'Ivorie, I want to share first-hand how your support has provided hope for so many....

When Hurricane Harvey slammed into Houston one year ago, residents of the fourth most populous state in the U.S. had little idea they would soon make history. Harvey was a Category 4 storm that caused $125 billion in damage and is the second largest natural disaster in US history behind Hurricane Katrina.

Overnight, thousands of lives were upended when over four feet of rain fell on the area. Disastrous flooding forced 37,000 people out of their homes and into shelters. For those living in shelters, MAP International provided Disaster Health Kits (DHK) to serve those in need.

In the aftermath of the storm, lives were torn apart. Flood waters, mold and loose debris posed serious health threats for many people affected by this tragedy.

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…