Medical Development in the South American Jungles

Medicines Clear

According to Jenise:

The medicines cleared last night, literally in the nick of time because the last day [we] could personally deliver the medicines to the clinic was today. The pastor working on [the pharmaceuticals] got them out last night, and took an overnight bus to the town called Santa Ana. [We] all drove out to the clinic this morning to deliver them, and there was a ceremony.

1969.12.31 by

Update on Trip and Fully Equipping the Clinic

Jenise Steverding, Director of Advancement at Giving Children Hope, tells of her experience delivering medicines to a clinic deep in the jungles of Peru:

Giving Children Hope partnered with Mercy Homes to advance their work in Peru and to care for the poor.

The one week trip included Mercy Home staff and pastors from Peru, along with Mercy Home President Mike Chaklos, and other US Mercy Home staff and Giving Children Hope staff. The team traveled for a week in the jungles of Peru accompanied by the social worker in charge of the welfare for the entire region.

Medicines were shipped in December enough to serve 25,000 individuals. The team met with Dr. Gabriel, the doctor in charge of health for the Pichonoki region. His region is in charge of health for 56,000 individuals and the hospital that he directs is the only hospital in the region. He has an additional 25,000 people use his facility as it is a closer hospital to them then the one in their region. The trip included a dedication of a vacant medical building that will now house the medicine shipment to treat the people.

The current hospital is under construction with a new wing being added. Until that construction is finished, the current rooms serve the patients. There are numerous cracks and unsafe conditions, but since there is no other working facility the patients must endure these conditions.

The medicine shipment is only a start to what needs to happen in the region. Once the medical building is fully equipped it will take a burden of 25,000 people off of hospital in the next region. The clinic is in need of a container shipment filled with equipment and basic medical supplies that will be used to serve the poor in this region. The most common ailments are respiratory infection, stomach ailments including parasites, skin infections and urinary tract infections. The region also suffers from malaria and HIV/AIDS.

The opening of the clinic serves as a partnership between Giving Children Hope, Mercy Homes, and the local government. The government has provided the building and is responsible to equip the clinic with trained medical professionals. Due to many problems facing the local government, including that of terrorism, lack of job opportunities, child prostitution, and orphaned children, the government does not have the necessary funds to have proper infrastructure to care for the health of the people.

Another fact of the jungle region is that it is filled with indigenous Inca tribes. These ancient tribes are mostly impoverished and usually are not a part of the monetary system as they are still primarily an agricultural society and often barter their goods to receive what they do not have. As the culture moves to a more industrialized society, things will shift. The partnership allows the clinic to begin operating which will enable the community to be healthier and ultimately self sufficient.

2009.01.31 by

Update from the field - Medicines Arrive!

Jenise Steverding, Giving Children Hope’s Director of Advancement, has been in Peru for the last week to visit the medical project of Mercy Homes and to meet the pharmaceuticals Giving Children Hope sent in partnership with them.

Jenise was also interview on the local interview about Giving Children Hope’s work.

Read Giving Children Hope’s blog to read current updates about her trip to Peru.

1999.12.09 by

Pharmaceuticals Ship

The pharmaceutical shipment went air freight today. It will arrive into customs in the airport. Field partners are hopeful to clear the medicines in time for a trip scheduled for January 4, 2009 with Mercy Home President and other Mercy Home staff along with Giving Children Hope’s Director of Programs. Please pray for Pastor Roger as he works with customs to clear the medicines.

2008.12.05 by