My trip is going well, I am still here working on doing more humanitarian work on a larger scale. I have met with the Presidency here, discussed what NJT does and how it would be great to be able to fill a shipping container with more supplies, that will be distributed to various hospitals accross the DRC, starting with pediatric care.
The hospital, I brought the suitcase to is called Hopital Pediatrique Kalembelembe. The hospital is in really bad shape as are a large majority of the hospitals here. They have equipment that’s been donated in the past, that they do not know how to operate, because when donations came, no one provided any training for the equipment. There was an area that was re done by a local charity here, for children with HIV. The staff are extremely dedicated to their patients, so much so that they even held a day where they operated on 200 children for free. They regularly have patients who come in, but cannot afford to pay so the hospital still treats them and lets them go. I learned that, when bringing donations to hospitals, it is important to ensure you are dealing with the director of the hospital, otherwise you risk the chance of your donations ending up for sale in the black market. It is why, I chose to donate through the hospital director.
I am extremely moved by the dedication shown by the staff, so much so that I decided along with my board member at YAACAN, to do our best to raise funds that will help remodel the hospital, bring in more supplies and equipment.
It was important for me to bring a suitcase because, I knew of the lack of resources here. Congo is filled with women and children suffering with very limited access to proper healthcare. Healthcare workers are doing an impossible job with almost next to nothing. I strongly believe, that when people do not have access to proper healthcare or education, it becomes more difficult for them to get themselves out of poverty. If we are to help people have better access to healthcare, their day to day lives become that much more manageable. I would really like to have NJT help to bring shipping conatiners with supplies for Congo. I learned that when you get outside of the city, the hospitals there are even worse, to a point where people are given expired medication that date back over 10 years.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Warm regards,
Mira [NJT Toronto]
