Most of you know I just went to Ghana. I've seen with my own eyes the need for clean water and safe food. There's a saying that you're not really "in" until you are "completely in." I am now "completely in." Now, I think I can safely say that I see with a new vision a need for clean water, safe food, good medical care, and a life free of malaria.
Will I Live? Yes! I've been diagnosed with diseases that are caused by bad water, bad food, and mosquitos that carry malaria. I have salmonella food poisoning, typhoid fever, and malaria. I've taken the necessary doses of malarone to take care of the malaria here in the hospital. I'm getting IV doses of a powerful set of antibiotics to tackle the salmonella and typhoid fever.
I've been very lucky. I took anti-malarial drugs that were 95% effective before my trip. I took anti-typhoid fever medicine in 2006 which reduced my impact from typhoid fever. Most people in Ghana don't have that luxury. I did. I live in America. I have health insurance. The impact of these diseases on me have been moderate. I thank God for blessing me with so much protection and favor. These diseases have caused me to take some much needed rest for a week or two. In a third-world country, these diseases kill many of the young children and the weak. I've received good medical care in the hospital even if they aren't familiar with third world diseases.
I care about clean water. We've distributed food to villages in Ghana. We just celebrated two medical containers of medical equipment to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale Eye Clinic. We celebrated new wells and a stronger hospital and eye clinic. In our first grant that wrapped up recently, MG 63415, we repaired or dug 60 wells and boreholes in villages will a total population of almost 78,000 people. The governor (regional minister) took time out to celebrate safe water provided by thirteen new wells. We have a big team who made all of this possible. I'm just the one who gets to see the results in remote places of the world. I also love the people of Ghana.
We are on the verge of elimination of an entire disease from Ghana called the guinea worm disease. It is a 3-foot long parasite that grows in you for an entire year without any pills to cure it. Is it enough to free the world of polio and guinea worm disease? No.
Is that enough? No. Did any of our Rotary grants focus on safe food? No. Did any of our grants try to prevent malaria? No. Is it time to celebrate the near elimination of two terrible diseases? No, the job is not done yet. (There's other Rotary grants...)
I AM COMPLETELY IN NOW. I now know the impact of these diseases from personal experience. I also learned about a flesh eating disease on my recent trip called Buruli Ulcer that exists in West Africa. I don't want to get that disease so I'm planning on helping get rid of it, too. Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly disease in Ghana. I saw the impact of TB because a sixteen year old girl didn't have safe food and water to drink so she fell ill to a disease that will prevent her living more than a few more years.
Safe food and clean water are the key to the diseases that I have and that I've seen. I also want to introduce solar ovens to women in communities who need it. Can we make a difference? You bet! Do I want to help? Yes! Will we write Rotary grants that help to provide safe food and clean water in the future? Yes! Are there good charities and partners out there that make a difference right now? Yes!
Thanks for your prayers, concerns, calls, cards, and emails. I'm honored to have such special friends and family! I hope to escape from the hospital with permission on Friday. I feel like I've been given the gift of a new chance to make a difference.
Walter Hughes
Pastor, New Hope United Methodist Church
Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, VA USA
Would you like to help? Here's a few ways:
Friends of Barnabas Foundation is a special non-profit that is making a huge difference in the health of men, women, and children in Honduras in Central America. Teams of doctors and nurses travel each month from the USA to Honduras to perform surgeries, conduct eye clinics, deworming clinics, and general health clinics to an underserved population in the mountainous villages.
Friends of Barnabas Foundation is led by a retired pastor and dedicated Rotarian, Linwood Cook. He is doing the impossible right now with a small amount of money. They want to do more heart surgeries, cleft lip, and cleft pallet surgeries. Linwood's cell phone is 434-927-5253. Please consider his effort worthy of consideration. The web site is www.fobf.org. Linwood's mission work and organization encouraged me to work in Ghana. I'd like to return the favor.
Help us with funding with next clean water grant or medical grant.
Help Stop Hunger Now and help come up with safe food programs for Ghana. Their web site is: http://www.stophungernow.org/.
Nothing But Nets is a very effective organization to distribute malaria resistant netting to areas where the danger of malaria is real. Their web site is: www.nothingbutnets.net. Rotary and the Methodist Church already partners with these organizations.
Another inspiring person is Jim Niquette. His is the Director of the Carter Center for Ghana. He is a personal friend and an inspiration to me. He has done a lot of great work with www.cartercenter.org . I've seen their work personally and can vouch that every dollar is spent as efficiently as possible. Jim also has his personal NGO/non-profit to provide clean water. Email Jim Niquette at JNiquette@aol.com. He'll tell you how you can help. His low overhead and high impact is the envy of most non-profits. I will be honored to work with the Carter Center for many years to come as well.
There's other partners like Living Water who deserve mention. Did I mention www.rotary.org to learn more about the Rotary Foundation's plan to raise more money to fight polio?
I'm getting on board to say we need to do more. And yes, I will be around to see it happen!
No comments:
Post a Comment