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Monday, May 12, 2008

The Wishing Well

Purnima, Dima, Damma and Cherop, and Steven, are five of the thousands of individuals who are part of Doctors of the World-USA's youth-related initiatives, which we are proud to highlight at the 2008 Health and Human Rights Awards Dinner on May 19th. Your donation to the Wishing Well is a way to support DOW projects above and beyond the cost of a dinner ticket.*

Purnima: Overcoming Exploitation in Nepal

 

At 16, Purnima was pregnant and running from an abusive relationship. Shunned by her family, she was destitute, and found work in one of Nepal’s ‘cabin’ restaurants, where female workers are expected to entertain male clients. The work was degrading and dangerous, but the pay was the only way to sustain herself.
 
A friend brought her to a shelter run by SAATHI, one of DOW’s key Nepali partners, where DOW has supported the provision of health care. There, she enrolled in pharmacy training and, upon completion, received support from DOW and SAATHI to open her own pharmacy.  
 
DOW is working with partners like SAATHI to empower women in Nepal who have suffered exploitation, violence, and abuse, through rights-based health care, training, and other services. Your support of DOW’s Wishing Well allows women like Purnima to gain the tools to sustain themselves independently and take control of their futures. 
Dima: Living with HIV in St. Petersburg

At 19, Dima had already spent years living on the streets. Before he met DOW outreach workers, his HIV infection went undetected and untreated. With the assistance of DOW and its local partners, he received the support and medical care he needed and he started making plans for his future.
 
Working with DOW counselors, Dima learned that he can live a full life with HIV, and is receiving guidance and training to find employment and live independently.  Today, Dima continues to visit DOW’s drop-in center regularly. 
   
DOW is building local capacity to reach out to street youth and to address the HIV crisis that threatens them. Your support of DOW’s Wishing Well helps Dima and thousands of other children and youth receive life saving-treatment and the support they need to build brighter futures.   
 
Damma & Cherop: Accessing Care in Rural Kenya
 
For Damma, a young mother from rural West Pokot, Kenya, to give birth in a maternal health facility was a show of courage and faith. Tradition is a strong force in the community, where most women give birth at home with the assistance of traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Ill-equipped and inadequately staffed health centers further encourage home births. However, home births can turn deadly when complications arise, and hospitals are too far away to reach in time. West Pokot has particularly high mortality rates for mothers and babies.
 
Damma visited a DOW-supported health facility during pregnancy and in August 2007 gave birth to a healthy baby girl. With the staff’s guidance, she also breast fed for six months, protecting Cherop against disease. 
 
DOW’s Partnership for Maternal & Neonatal Health not only makes quality services available to the women of West Pokot, but encourages women to utilize these services. Your support of DOW’s Wishing Well helps to strengthen healthy practices and protect the health of West Pokot’s women and children.

Steven: Seeking Freedom From Torture in the U.S.

At just 18, Steven was brutally attacked in his Liberian village by a group of rebels when he refused to join their militia. They killed three of his friends and attacked him with a machete. When Steven finally escaped, he returned home to discover the charred remains of his home and the news that his parents and sisters had been killed. 
 
Steven received treatment and reunited with his surviving brothers, but persistent rebel attacks forced them to flee from village to village. Stephen feared for his life if he were captured again. 
 
In 2007, Steven finally made it to the U.S. He knew that his life would be in danger if he returned to Liberia. With the help of DOW’s Human Rights Clinic, he was evaluated by a physician, who documented the scars covering his body and provided an affidavit in support of his asylum application. Your support of DOW’s Wishing Well enables the Human Rights Clinic to help thousands of survivors like Steven gain protection and safety through asylum in the U.S.

Photo with Steven's story courtesy of REUTERS/Luc Gnago: www.alertnet.org
Liberian civilians flee with their belongings as rebel fighters move closer towards the capital. July 19, 2003.
   
*All proceeds benefit Doctors of the World-USA’s health and human rights projects in the US and abroad and will be used where your help is needed most.