Stronger Together: Projects Join Forces in India

In March, two of our projects in India came together to protect tens of thousands of people from the life-threatening diseases spread by mosquitoes!

Some neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like lymphatic filariasis and dengue are spread by mosquitoes, so regular treatments are important to keep communities healthy.  

Our Jagruti project with Lepra Society is in Bihar, India. Local governments arrange insecticide sprays throughout the state to kill mosquitoes, but there are some spots too difficult for a technician to reach. 

So another one of our partners came to the rescue!

Our technology partners at the Indian Institute of Public Health – Hyderabad (IIPH) brought a drone to several Jagruti project sites. With an operator on the ground and the drone spraying from the air, all those hard-to-reach areas were successfully treated!  

Thanks to this collaboration, 64,000 households are better protected from terrible diseases. Your support makes important work like this possible—thank you! 

Fellowship with Christian Partners in West Africa

This quarter we were able to meet with many of our Christian partners in person: a gift we never take for granted after the travel limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In February we visited our newest Christian partner hospital in Nigeria: St. Joseph’s. We saw firsthand the medical supplies from our recent shipment–thank you for your gifts that paid shipping fees! 

We met several patients like Itokenaan (14 years old). “Ito” had a terrible ulcer on his left leg caused by the flesh-eating disease, Buruli ulcer. He and his father traveled almost 300 miles to get treatment at St. Joseph’s! Now that Ito has had a skin graft surgery, his leg will heal and regain some mobility. Your support is making hope and healing possible around the world!

From Nigeria, our team traveled to Ghana for a summit with all our Christian partners who are training pastors and church leaders to recognize NTDs and support people affected. We’re excited to see how these partnerships grow in the future. Thank you for faithfully supporting these projects and helping us break barriers to health and renew hope! 

Changing Lives through Clean Water in Nepal 

Thanks to the tireless work of women in the Jagruti project, we finished household surveys with the COMPREHENSIV app in one of the Nepali provinces where we work. We’ve now surveyed over 40,000 households!

The COMPREHENSIV smartphone app allows our projects to capture important information about a household’s water use, sanitation practices, and any impact from neglected diseases like leprosy. This information helps local governments and health centers to see the needs of their community. 

We’re also seeing positive changes in local schools. After Jagruti women leaders met with officials and school administrators, one elementary school installed a well and two other schools added new drinking taps! These are critical steps in improving families’ health and safety. Because of your faithful support, over 650 students, teachers and staff are using clean water.

The women leading our Jagruti project advocate tirelessly for their neighbors’ well-being. In January, local government officials praised the Jagruti team for making so many improvements in people’s WASH awareness and behaviors.

Your support is changing tens of thousands of lives in Nepal—thank you!

(Photo: a school girl is examined for leprosy symptoms by Jagruti staff.)

Health Worker Training Ensures Care for All

Training health care workers at every level of the health system is part of bringing care, hope and healing to people suffering from neglected diseases like leprosy. 

In February, health care workers in Liberia attended a training through our TRANSFORM project to learn how to recognize common NTDs. Thanks to this seminar, they can assess yaws and Buruli ulcer symptoms and perform diagnostic tests for leprosy. Now they’re equipped to help hundreds of people access the life-changing services they need. Changes like this are all made possible through your support of our projects! 

Across the border in Ghana, renowned surgeons like Dr. Sunny Mante are training others on needed surgical techniques for another NTD, lymphatic filariasis. Right now, few doctors can perform these surgeries, creating a backlog of suffering people. Our project ensures that experts like Dr. Mante train other medical officers so this care is available across the country. 

Thank you for helping us reach suffering people with the care and expertise they need to live full lives!