Our Voices Project Idaho

Our Voices 1st Workshop from Our Voices Project on Vimeo.

This is a quick look at the first Our Voices Project which took place the week of May 18th-24th, 2009. Photographer Hunter Barnes and artist Jason Rosenstock took cameras, printers, scanners and computers to the town of Lapwai, Idaho on the Nez Perce reservation and conducted a ten day workshop with teens there. Black and white 35mm photography, scanning, printing were taught as well as digital video shooting and editing. The students were asked to tell stories of their daily lives on the reservation through these mediums. All the equipment was left for the students to use and they have produced amazing work See also Our Voices Project update site

Alzheimers - the uninvited intruder

Alzheimer's Disease encroaches in a surreptitious, covert and merciless manner. It destroys the lives of the sufferer and those who love them. There are almost 5 million affected today in North America. In 20 years this is predicted to double. There is hope though in research. Although early days, there are already treatments which can slow the progression of symptoms. Its a small start, but it is a start and research continues; who knows there could be a breakthrough being discovered in some laboratory this very minute. To mention two relevent initiatives here..

Denis Dronjic is currently fundraising for Alzheimers research through a sponsored walk to Santiago Denis himself, nearly killed in a bike accident a year ago is now able to (miraculously to the doctors) walk again so is undertaking the walk in appreciation of his remarkabe recovery.

Look soon for a new book relating to Alzheimers, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest (Washington State N.W) by Lyn Hansen-Blizzard "A Story for You.. The Darker side of Life".

Ear Surgery for the Cambodian Poor

May 2009. A specialized international ear surgical team from the organization IMPACT (UK) carried out an operative mission with Operation FIRST-Rose Charities at Chea Chumneas hospital primarily for Cambodian poor. 40 patients with hearing problems were screened and 12 operations performed using highly specialized equipment donated by IMPACT.

The mission is the latest in the continuing program of visits by international teams and experts who come both to teach and provide surgeries mainly for the poor. Rose Charities has welcomes such visits and, together with Operation FIRST is hugely appreciative of those donate time and resources to do so.

Rose Charities USA (www.RoseCharitiesUSA.com) is part of the Rose Charities international Network. It is registered in NY and assists Rose Charities / FIRST-Rose projects in Cambodia and other world locations (see other entries in this blog) .

Rose Charities Cambodia has been running high quality rehabilitation surgery programs on its own and more recently with Operation FIRST for the poor of Cambodia since its foundation in 1998. It follows the '2TS' principle of 'Training Support, and 'Treatment sustainability' and is one of Cambodia's leading surical / medical rehab. organizations. Rose Charities works closely with the Cambodian Government with the main surgical facility operating from a proper Ministry of Health Hospital base. The organization is entirely Cambodian registered and operated though resource assisted by the whole Rose Charities network

Help to Sri Lanka displaced persons

Rose Charities Sri Lanka (assisted by Rose Charities USA ) provides assistance to the many thousands of persons in Sri Lanka displaced by the recent conflict. The displaced are from all ethnic groups and religions. Rose Charities Sri Lanka has been working with other Sri Lankan NGO's such as 'SEED' to assist those in need.

Pakistan refugee / displaced person crisis

Rose Charities is the logistical partner of the Hillman Medical Education Fund (see www.hmef.blogspot.com). One focus of support for the fund is the. Frontier Primary Health Care Organization in Pakistan. In the current crisis, this organization continues to be in the epicenter of one of the most massive movements of internally displaced persons on the globe as the number of people who have fled Swat, Bajaur, Lower Dir and Buner, just north of them, reaches 3 million.

As the disaster unfolded in May, FPHC was among the first to response, providing emergency and maternal care at their 14 health units. Frontier now has a formal agreement with UNICEF for provision of health and nutrition services in the Sheikh Yasin town camp, at 12,000 people the largest in Mardan district. The provincial health department has provided an ambulance and driver for use. Local and international organizations wanting to assist are asked by the government to coordinate their services thru FPHC, including specialist physicians from the large government hospitals from outside the area such as Punjab.

To continue their 24/7 coverage, FPHC have hired 90 temporary staff members including physicians, dispensers, lady health visitors (LHVs), assistant LHVs, EPI technicians and nutrition assistants. Until a formal agreement was in place, FPHC was providing care with their own staff who number only 120. In addition to emergencies staff provide general OPD care, MCH care, immunization, TB control and diarrhoeal disease control.

FPHC have also established nutrition services in six IDP camps that are screening children and pregnant women, providing nutritional supplements and sharing information about preparing healthy balanced diets. Prior to establishing nutritional services, three staff members, including Dr. Wagma received seven days of training on UNICEF’s emergency approach to nutritional support.

Frontier’s response to this humanitarian crisis have been truly extraordinary. The agreement with UNICEF does not include medical supplies so FPHC could use assistance in this regard. Tax deductible donations can be made on line thru Rose Charities

Female Community Health Worker Training Nepal

Training of women community eye health volunteers. This wonderful program, supported by Rose Charities is run by the Lumbini Eye Hospital in Nepal. The volunteers screen for eye disease in their communities. Early identification of diseases such as glaucoma or trachoma will prevent later blindness. Rose Charities USA supports education and training both in the USA and world wide