In the remote villages of Papua New Guinea where ChildFund works, access to medical services and essential vaccinations for babies are often out of reach. It is not uncommon for families to be hours by foot from the nearest hospital. These journeys are incredibly difficult to undertake alone, not to mention with a newborn or a toddler, so children often go without.
To enable every child in these remote communities to be protected from illness and disease, ChildFund has introduced immunisation patrols – mobile clinics that travel into these villages with medical staff and supplies to immunise babies and toddlers. Included in the patrols are baby health checks, growth monitoring and malnutrition checks, as well as antenatal care for mothers and family planning services.
This project would not have been possible without the support of ChildFund Australia`s many wonderful community fundraisers. A very special thanks goes out to our City2Surf walkers and runners who together raised over $10,000 in 2012, and our New York Marathon runner Brett who singlehandedly raised over $11,000. Incredible effort!
In 2012, a total of 25 immunisation patrols were undertaken, vaccinating over 1,000 children in remote villages of Papua New Guinea. This work was made possible thanks to the scores of ChildFund supporters around Australia who challenged themselves with a fun run in their capital city last year, and our marathon runner Brett who took on the massive challenge of training for the New York Marathon (which sadly got cancelled at the last minute due to Hurricane Sandy!). Collectively, these amazing Aussies raised over $30,000 to support ChildFund`s immunisation patrols in PNG.
“It is inspiring to have supporters who take time out of their busy lives to raise money for children in poor communities,” says ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence. “It is thanks to their compassion and hard work that ChildFund can deliver immunisations and health checks for children in some of the most isolated communities in Papua New Guinea.”
A common saying in Bolivia is, “A big dream is born from a small seed.” The new Early Childhood Development Center in Cochabamba is a perfect example.
For many of the families who live in a small community near a garbage dump, the only work parents can find is collecting garbage to recycle. Others have only temporary jobs or farm work. Their children, with their parents so preoccupied and strapped for resources, have little if any access to the education and stimulation they need. The children can slip off the path to healthy development.
In 2002, a community-based organization called Obispo Anaya, ChildFund`s local partner, began offering an Early Childhood Development (ECD) program for 36 of the community`s children under 5. The most immediate problem Obispo Anaya identified was malnutrition, about half of the group suffered from it. This was a challenge, a reality to change.
“We gave the children nutritional supplements and followed their development until their health improved,” says Dolly, a teacher at the center. “Nowadays, only 2 or 3 percent of the children have this problem.”
As more and more children began to attend the ECD center, the number quickly grew to 120 within a year, the poor condition of the building that housed the program became more difficult to work around. The classrooms were too small and badly lit, and the walls needed plastering. The community began to dream of a new space for the center.
By 2011 the dream was growing and growing. Children under age 5 now had a place to play and learn. By that time, the center served about 145 children.
Edson tells us, “I like coming here and playing!” His classmate Denis hugs him. “I like playing with these new toys and with my friends,” he says.
In May 2011, there was more great news for the community`s parents and children. With support from ChildFund Alliance member Barnfonden (ChildFund Sweden), another classroom and a dining room specially designed with the needs of children under 5 in mind would be constructed. In June 2012, ChildFund International`s President and CEO Anne Lynam Goddard (pictured above) was the first to play with the center`s children and their new toys. Now, enrollment has increased to about 250 children playing and learning there.
Parents are happy about this new project because they can feel confident about the development of their children. “It`s a huge help,” says one mother, Martha. “Now I can trust where my children are.”
Jimena, another mother, says, “My child now has all this support, and this will help him improve his language skills.”
This little seed, planted a long time ago with the first 36 children, has become a big tree thanks to support from ChildFund and Barnfonden, a generous donor and the community`s families themselves.
