Growing up in South Georgia, Nicholas Booth was raised to believe it is always “better to give than to receive.” Throughout his life, Nick’s family taught him to appreciate God’s gifts, work hard and to give back to his community. He lived those virtues daily.

Active volcanoes in the distance and the waste dump near Angelina’s lean-to in Nicaragua spew enough smoke and ash to clog the air. Breathing is difficult in this area so close to such hazards. Many residents experience respiratory infections and lung issues making life difficult and all too often tenuous. 

Angelina lives in Nicaragua with her four children. When she visited her local church where a temporary medical clinic was organized, Angelina appeared frail with a barrel-chest. Like her children, this likely indicated she was suffering from a serious respiratory problem in addition to malnutrition.

Today is Universal Children’s Day.

Children represent the future of life on our planet.

At MAP, we see investing resources to help children survive and develop to their full potential is, first and foremost, a moral imperative. Unfortunately, when it comes to health, not all children are on equal footing.

Families in many parts of the world lack access to even the most basic medicines. Each year, 5.9 million children under the age of five die, more than half from treatable diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea. That represents 18 children every second whose lives could have been saved.

That’s exactly why MAP International exists; we are part of a life-changing mission. Every day, somewhere in the world, children’s lives are saved because of the medicines MAP supplies.

Candice Dyer was moved by the images she saw on television each week as hurricane after hurricane devastated the U.S. and Caribbean islands. Rather than passively allow the news coverage to come and go, Candice felt compelled to act.

She told a friend she wanted to do something.

As a journalist, Candice knew she had to do her research. The information she discovered about MAP and the highest ratings it has received from charity watchdog organizations impressed her. 

“A friend alerted me to MAP, and I was very impressed with what I learned. I was also very moved by the personal testimony of Steve Stirling.”  

Kate McLeod wanted to make Halloween more meaningful for trick-or-treaters visiting her apartment this year. She felt uneasy about not buying candy for the kids who would soon be knocking on her front door. She decided to follow her heart’s direction anyway.

In her New York City apartment building, Kate is required to put a sign up so that the children know that they can knock when trick-or-treating.  She decided to do something different. Instead of a ‘please knock’ sign, Kate posted a note on her door asking the children to donate to Syrian refugees instead of receiving candy. Kate wondered how many children would choose charity over chocolate.

What is real in Puerto Rico nearly two months after Hurricane Maria is this: almost 60 percent of the island is without electricity, thousands remain in shelters, and tens of thousands of houses do not have roofs. When it comes to healthcare, the situation for many with chronic health conditions and those with immediate needs is challenging.

Widespread devastation on the island has resulted in many pharmacies that are either closed, unable to dispense medicines because the insurance system is down, or powerless to obtain critical medications. Unable to pay out of pocket costs, many people are turning to mobile medical units set up by FEMA such as this one in Guánica.

These clinics provide access to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists who fill the gap for many professionals who left after the hurricane and have yet to return. Here residents can obtain free medicines provided by MAP International for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and psychiatric conditions.