WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009 - (Page 41)

Giving Back Life is calling. THE PEACE CORPS COMMUNITY MAKING A DIFFERENCE by JoAnna Haugen MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION IN GUATEMALA It all started with a dream and a plot of land in Chisec, Guatemala. After his Peace Corps service, Brian Smith was inspired to become a doctor in rural medicine. He bought land in rural Guatemala and is now raising money to build a medical clinic, which will benefit approximately 250 villages in the mountainous areas surrounding Chisec. The clinic is intended to benefit the community’s health, economy and education. With the help of 20 of Smith’s fellow colleagues, he started CHILA to raise the money needed for construction of the building. In addition to providing medical care, CHILA will also focus on prevention by educating women and children in the community on good hygiene and disease prevention. www.chilainc.org SUPPORTING ORPHANS IN MALAWI “It takes a village to raise a child.” This is the idea behind Malawi Children’s Village, a support center that provides food, shelter, education and medical care for orphans and other vulnerable children in Malawi. Started by dr. Kevin M. denny (Malawi, 64-66) and Chakunja Sibale, a doctor in Malawi, Malawi Children’s Village has been able to provide children with the necessary resources to become healthy, educated and productive adults. Many benchmarks have been reached since Malawi Children’s Village was created in 1996; highlights after ten years of service include 85 percent of the catchment’s secondary students attending school and fewer than 15 percent of the orphans serviced by the Malawi Children’s Village contracting malaria each month due to an insecticide-treated bed net project. www.MalawiChildrensVillage.com ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA Communities are able to protect, conserve and manage their natural resources if local people play an active role in their care and management, and the preservation of trees, wetlands and watersheds is essential for the social, economic and environmental health of the communities. These are the ideas behind Trees, Water & People, a nonprofit organization that develops and manages community reforestation, watershed protection, renewable energy, environmental education and carbon offset programs in Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti. Stuart Conway (84-87) is the co-founder and international director of Trees, Water & People; his wife, Jenny Bramhall (84-86), was one of the founding board members. www.TreesWaterPeople.org RAISING CHILDREN AND SELLING bASKETS IN KENYA In the Nyando District, located near Lake Victoria in Kenya, grandmothers are raising their grandchildren because many parents have passed away due to AIDS-related illnesses. As of September 2008, the non-profit organization Grandmothers raising Grandchildren had grown to 42 members raising 124 children. The women meet every two weeks to work on projects that raise money for their basic needs and the needs of their grandchildren. The nonprofit organization provides a forum for the grandmothers to create baskets and sell them for a profit; funds scholarships for the children; and raises money for mosquito nets, medical care and clothing. Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren was founded by Bie Bostrom (Kenya, 0406), who also serves as the organization’s president. www.grgahero.org Kate Slavens, MPA ’11 RPCV Mali Health Education Volunteer So is SPEA. • Master of Public Affairs (MPA) • Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES) • Joint MPA-MSES Kindred spirits and a stellar education, enhanced by both Peace Corps Fellows and Master’s International (MI) programs, await you at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University. Fellows and MI candidates receive benefits that include credit hour waivers and financial aid. Contact us for more information: www.spea.indiana.edu speainfo@indiana.edu (812) 855-2840 • (800) 765-7755 tall_ad_slavens_worldview09.indd1 1 WorldView 9/4/09 9:23:43 AM 1 http://www.chilainc.org http://www.TreesWaterPeople.org http://www.spea.indiana.edu http://www.spea.indiana.edu http://www.MalawiChildrensVillage.com http://www.grgahero.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009

WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009
Contents
President's Letter
Your Turn
Are You Connected Yet? Join Africa Rural Connect
Group News Highlights
Why Investment in Health Is Critical Now
New Hope and Lessons from Rwanda
Turning a Blind Eye
A Question of Capacity
CN U HLP ME? I HAVE A ??
When Water and Sanitation Are a Priority
Could “Peace Care” Lessen the Global Burden of Disease?
One, Two, Three
Translating International Health to Health Care at Home
Turning Tragedy to Opportunity
Costa Rica: Finding My Religion
St. Lucia: Learning about Hunger
Seven Dusty Notebooks
Peace Corps Service 2.0
The Peace Corps Community Making a Difference
Community News
Advertiser Index

WorldView Magazine - Fall 2009

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