Animal shelter in rural Nepal

When Pinkey visited Arunkhola, Nawalparasi District in Nepal last month she encountered an ongoing problem that even today is common in the rural areas. Many women are relegated to staying with the animals or in small outdoor sheds during their menstrual period. Those who do not encounter these isolating circumstances still face hardships since the lack of sanitary supplies forces them to miss school and other activities during their monthly period.

Pinkey took advantage of being in Arunkhola to teach the women how to make sanitary supplies with moisture proof backing and fabrics that can be reused. Pinkey's teaching has caught on everywhere with women eager to gain more control over their lives with simple supplies they can make for themselves.

Pinkey teaching women to make sanitary pads

Usha in mourning clothes

Pinkey, the Nepali health worker supervisor, made a long trip last week to visit the various project sites. When she visited Arunkhola, Nawalparasi District to meet the volunteers there, she reported the following:

"I came to know that our volunteer Usha Sen's Husband passed away, I joined funeral activities there. In Hindu religion its a long process,widow or wife will stay at one specific area and for 13 days they don't touch others, they eat once time a day by prepare rice at place which is away from house, or around people where people cant see while she is eating, they don't eat salt for 13 days and also other siblings,family member don't eat salt also.They use different materials utensil and spon by wood. They wear white cloths."

The whole HealthEd Connect team joins Pinkey in sending sincere condolences to Usha in her time of sorrow.

Sherri (L.) showing Agnes her picture on cover of Annual Report

A touching testimony from Agnes Mwansa, the Reception (Kindergarten) teacher at the Mapalo Young Peace Maker School in Ndola, Zambia. We are so proud to have Agnes at our school!

“I'm one of the living testimony of HealthEd Connect. I passed through a difficult and terrible situation after the company l was working for collapsed. My first husband had died. I tried this and that nothing worked out, so l was poverty stricken with my children for many years. I was only left with a small sewing machine which l used to carry from door to door making clothes and l could only manage for just a meal after two or three days. I was so weak, hopeless, depressed, confused, desperate and so forth from 1999 to 2012.

I joined Young Peace Makers Community School in 2012 as nursery teacher from hence forth things started changing. Now l am managing to take my children to school. In the process of suffering my children did not complete school. For the first time in life my two children have gone up to G12. Because of HealthEd Connect support l am a professional teacher. My life has been lifted up physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially.

Thank you HealthEd Connect for you support. I wish you long life.”

- Agnes Mwansa

A huge thank you to all of our loyal Amazon shoppers! You've raised $1,153.45, to date, just by smiling at HealthEd Connect when you shopped at Amazon. Some people say there's no such thing as a free lunch but we disagree! Your shopping has provided 9,612 lunches for Zambian kids that frequently rely on the school lunch as their sole food that day. Keep smiling and keep shopping!

Vinjeru ready for clinical

HealthEd Connect provides annual nursing scholarships for up to $2,000 per student. One of the 2019 recipients, Vinjeru Banda, is a 2nd year student in a BSN program in Malawi. Vinjeru is touched by the many health needs in her country and wants to become a nurse to help alleviate some of the suffering.

Scholarships are available for students in the U.S.A. as well as developing countries. Application deadlines are September 15 of each year. If you know of someone who might be interested, please send an email to skirkpatrick@healthedconnect.org

Sara and Mercy with their Dad

We were excited to again see the twins, Mercy and Sara, with their Dad when we visited their home in Kasompe, Zambia, last week. Mercy was baby-sitting a neighbor child (far right), that weighed almost as much as she did, that she carried on her back.

The twins' mother died when they were 3 months old leaving the father with two tiny babies as well as 7 older children. When our amazing kafwa found out about the twins and the desperate situation their father faced, they sprang into action providing modest clothing and food. Knowing there was no electricity for a refrigerator, no baby bottles for feeding much less a way to sterilize them, and no money to purchase expensive formula, I innocently asked the kafwa what they fed the babies to keep them alive. They looked at me like I'd just landed from Mars! When they recovered from hearing such a dumb question, they said, "Nshima [corn meal] porridge, of course. We just made it thin and spooned it into their little mouths."

When the girls were old enough for school, the kafwa made sure they were enrolled in the Kasompe Community School of Peace even though they had to walk a long distance to and from classes everyday. The girls are now 13 and handle all of the family's food preparations from buying at little shanty kiosks to cooking it for themselves, their father, and 3 older brothers who still live at home. Quite a responsibility for such young girls.

The kiddos loved having Braedon read them a story in their classroom at the Mapalo Young Peace Maker school in Zambia. Not sure who had the most fun--Braedon or the students!

The children at the school in Kasompe know them as the cooks. The folks in the community know them as visiting angels.

The Kafwa reported this month that they had been caring for Mr. Chuulu, an 81-year-old man who was very ill and suffering from bed sores. His wife had abandoned him leaving him alone. The Kafwa sprang into action, recruited a neighbor to help them, and made sure his wounds were cleaned twice a day. They were especially grateful for the gloves, aspirin, and antibiotic ointment provided by HealthEd Connect. Mr. Chuulu passed away but he did so with dignity surrounded by people who cared. Out hats are off to these incredible people who bring babies into the world as well as love people as they leave the world.