Even though prenatal care is emphasized in the US, imagine how important it is in the developing world, where malnutrition, HIV, infections, poor hygiene, and birth complications are rampant.

Having a clinical officer in the village of Rota, such as Vespa, pictured here is extremely important. She is able to follow the prenatal care of young women, like Ronda, in order to make sure everything is progressing well. Vespa can prescribe prenatal vitamins as well as measure a mother’s weight to make sure her nutrition is adequate. Often the clinic will give out food or other resources to ensure a safe birth for women. Vespa will also test for HIV and prescribe an antiviral course prior to birth in order to decrease HIV vertical transmission from mother to child. Much of what Vespa does is with the help of the dedicated community of health care workers, a volunteer group based in the villages that relays information on patients health back to the dispensary.

Thanks to your donation, mothers like Ronda can get the care they need. Thank you so much for helping support medical care for people like like Ronda; these donations make a significant difference!

Abraham and John are 5 and 6 year olds and living in Rota, Kenya. Their family supports themselves by fishing in Lake Victoria and the children often play by the shores. They picked up a parasitic infection during their romps and received anti-parasitic medication thanks to your donation, Chris.  The two of them and many others in Rota, will benefit from your generosity.

John is a 14 year old who was seen in our Rota, Kenya dispensary.  He had been running a high fever and was diagnosed with malaria.  Thanks to your donation, Sarah, he received the medications needed to feel better. Thank you!

Tom is an 8 year old in Rota, Kenya.  He had a bad cough and fever for a week before coming to the clinic where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.  Thanks to your generosity, Teresa, Tom was able to be treated and make a full recovery.

Sarah, two years old, was scared of getting weighed during her well child exam at our Rota clinic in Kenya, but she managed, and she then received vitamins and vaccines. Thank you Melanie!

Two-year-old Jima lives in Gashanda, Rwanda. He was taken to a clinic for an abdominal exam because of vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. He received rehydration salts thanks to your generous donation and recovered rapidly back to normal.

Eminnema was seen for her 5-year-old checkup in Gashanda, Rwanda. This exam is critical to a child’s growth and development and is an opportunity to find problems early. She is doing well and received Vitamin A, anti-worm medication, and vaccines. Thank you for your medication kit donation Steve!

Jezebel is an 18 month old living in Gashanda, Rwanda.  She had a bad fungal infection in her groin area and received anti-fungal creams thanks to your generous donation. Thank you so much to the Class of 2013!