Du'an Vaccination Project

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Our First Project in  2010    Click to Go to Articles Du'an Vaccination Project Climbing Mountains Medical Care is Valued Grant Proposal in Process Donate now You can support a native healer for  $177 a year.  Our Recent   5K Run for Families Sponsors Click here to learn more about us and our students. Du'an Vaccination Project We have just gotten pictures of our village project among the Yao minority in the Du'an Township of the Hechi Prefecture in the Guangxi Province of China. We are working with Mandy Ma, a resident of that area who has devised a way to help the children of Du'an avoid another disease outbreak like the measles epidemic that broke out there and spread to all of China three years ago. These kids have received their shots and are smiling for the camera.  There are 320 children (0 -14 years old) in the Gejia community area and 360 children (0 -14 years old) in the Datong community area. 680 kids are getting vaccinated for several childhood diseases. 13 babies are born every year per 1000 people in Longfu Township. Six people out of every thousand die each year. Most families have three children because the one child policy in China does not apply to minority groups. T here are 1,300 people in Gejia Village and  1,400 people in Datong Village. Climbing Mountains Health care workers have to travel on foot for more than two hours to meet the villagers. The area is suffering a drought. Water is precious.   They carry their supplies on their backs and work with native healers to protect the health of the villagers. It takes really dedicated health professionals to work in such areas.  Medical Care is Valued  It is so far to the nearest hospital that we are interested in preventive care to keep the Yao children healthy. They are gettingencephalitis shots in this picture.   They live in a Yaoautonomousminority area much like the American Indians.  They have their own customs, values, and language  that only a native healer would know and understand. Presently we are doing a pilot project with two village healers Du'an is one of the poorest townships of Guangxi and is listed by UNESCO as not fit for human habitation. The population is 630,000. The number of children 0 -14 in age is 119,143. There are many disabled children and those living with relatives and neighbors when their parents become migrant laborers. A child's right to an education is in their registered home area, so school age children are left behind while parents work in distant factories. The average income is 60 yuan a month, which is under $9 US. The $15 monthly salary we pay the village healers is above average.  Grant Proposal in Process We are now in the process of writing a grant that would give these native healers training in basic health care and water purification methods. We need several professional health teachers to help these native healers. We plan to use the book, Where There are no Doctors, which can be purchased in China. It is used all over the world and has been translated into many languages. We will ask for funds for a training class in water purification with simple equipment like car batteries. Amy Chen, who is the Vice Dean of Health for the Longfu Township Health Center, is now helping us with information to apply for the grant. She says that the medical workers are very excited about such a course for village healers. They want to send representatives from other townships to learn the methods and take them back to their areas. They have never had such a much needed course before. Mandy Ma, who was a translator for World Visionwhen I met her, is doing the neededtranslation between the Chinese health experts and our grant writers and planners. We will apply for the initial grant on July 1st, and if we are selected to follow through, we will submit the full proposal in September with money being given in December 2010 for a year's project. This vaccinationcertificate is given to the children.   We have a foundation in mind, but they will want to see matching funds. That is where you can help.If you have a foundation or personally want to give to help this health education project, please let usknow. You can give a small donation of $35 at thislink.  We have been invited to teach all the village healers in Du'an, but we are not sure if we can get enough funds to do that. We want to pay at least 16 more village healers $15 a month to assist  their schools and communities with vaccinations. That would cost $2,880 a year. Wouldn't it be great if  each child in the Longfu area had an egg a day to improve their nutrition. In this poverty area this would make a great difference in their ability to learn. Eggs are very expensive, however. It cost 88 cents for 6 to 7 eggs. If local eggs were used, it would give the people an income. The hospital also needs a medical van to carry 11 medical workers to the trail heads and transport patients who come down the trails to the hospital. Women often die in labor, because they don't have a way to get to the hospital quickly. The government is offering matching funds for a van that could double as an emergency ambulance. It would come to just $4,000 US for a part in the van. What a great opportunity for someone to buy an simple ambulance.  About Us Blessing Hands serves the poor in Guangxi Province by giving educational and medical aid to children. You have an opportunity to help them too. Please support them with this project.  Sincerely, Betty Cutts Blessing Hands If you are a medical professional?  You can help. Perhaps you would like to go along to teach in our course for native healers. Maybe you have medical items to donate that could travel in a suitcase to China.  They need things like blood pressure cuffs, first aid supplies, surgical scissors, thermometers or other supplies that the hospital or native healers would appreciate as gifts. This e-mail link will let you contact us.