|
APPEAL: Al Hujjah
Hospital, Karbala Appeal
 
LFCT Donors Please donate generously towards Al Hujjah
Hospital Karbala Karbala Hospital, a project of Development and Relief
Foundation, which is a non-profit 501 (C) (3) organization whose mission is
to bring healing and hope to broken hearts for a promising future by
providing quality education to children, offering income-generating
training for low income individuals, distributing nourishing food to
underserved families, sponsoring orphans and less fortunate children, and
building a hospital with comprehensive and compassionate care. Karbala
Hospital is committed to improving the health and lives of the population
the region.
In 2007, DRF started constructing an 8-story,
145-bed hospital in Karbala. The surgical theatre consists of seven
operation rooms and pre and postoperative holding areas with a total area
of 1600 square metres. There will be two specialized operation rooms in
cardiology and orthopaedics, and three general ORs, in addition to one
cardiac catheterization lab and one minor surgery room in the ER. Karbala
Hospital will be able to medically serve a population of 3 million at an
affordable cost and supply between 600 to 900 jobs.
Due to the
lack of medical services related to the past international blockade under
the former regime and the current perilous political and security
conditions, the holy city of Karbala, in particular, has been deprived from
an adequate number of health centres and hospitals. Currently, the
healthcare state is suboptimal in the province of Karbala. The total number
of hospital beds available in the province is 1,163 for a total population
of 1.2 million, which puts the rate of bed/population in Karbala below 1%,
smaller than 14 other provinces out of 18 total in Iraq.
‘Partnerships and Advisers Team Karbala’ is a medical advisory
group of highly dedicated and renowned medical professionals who volunteer
in assisting the project with their expertise. Their expert opinions
provide valuable information on the functional capabilities, opportunities,
threats and limitations of the future operation of the project. Karbala
Hospital has several other partnerships with medical institutions and
universities including Hardin Memorial Hospital, World Sight, and the
Institute of International Health at Michigan State University, The Lady
Fatemah (a.s.) Charitable Trust and Development and Relief Foundation.
A unique feature of Karbala Hospital is that it solely relies on
contributions from generous philanthropists and good-hearted people and
charitable believers worldwide to establish and expand the vital projects
and programs that improve the quality of healthcare. Your gift is an
investment in the future of quality healthcare in the province of Karbala
and each gift is deeply appreciated regardless of its kind and amount,
since it will certainly help the hospital’s physicians and medical
staff to provide excellent services using advanced technology and treatment
methods. Contributions from the US made through Development and Relief
Foundation are tax deductible and can be made through DRF's website.
Donations can also be made through the LFCT website where the following
levels of Sponsorship are available: Platinum-$10,000.00 Gold-$5,000.00
Silver-$1,000.00 Bronze-$500.00. For more information about Karbala
Hospital, visit its website. http://karbalahospital.com
APPEAL: Ongoing support
for Iraq’s Orphans Appeal
 
The LFCT continues its long term support to Orphans in Iraq,
where just GBP£30/USD$45 per month can pay for vital education,
clothing, health and welfare. With all orphans of school eligible age, the
funding is dependent upon them continuing to attend an educational
institution. Their progress is followed closely and the impact this small
monthly support makes is perfectly summed up by this Widow and her daughter
when the daughter asked, “Why can’t I buy all the things I need
for school? Is it because I don’t have a father, like the other
children?” After receiving the sponsorship, her mother told her,
“Allah has provided the means to purchase what you need through
LFT.”
With 15 million children caught up in major
conflicts, UNICEF declared 2014 a devastating year for children. It is with
this sentiment that the LFCT will continue to support as many orphaned
children as possible. Please donate generously to make this project an
ongoing success. 154 Orphans and 63 extremely vulnerable families were
sponsored in the fourth quarter of 2014. A Total of 2,613 Sponsorships Were
Paid in 2014
Live Goats Project
Pakistan
 
During May, 10 more live goats are distributed to vulnerable
widows in the Tharparkr region of Pakistan. The goats bring security and
sustainability, rapidly reproducing and producing milk, hide and meat which
can be used by the family or sold on for additional income. Goats are
renowned for being easy to look after, able to survive with minimal food,
on hardy shrubs in desert and hilly area. This project continues to be a
success and the LFCT will assist more widows in the future.
Three more villages
receive clean water in Pemba
 
9,015 women, children and men can now benefit from clean, safe
water directly to their villages on Pemba Island, through a piped water
scheme and storage tank. This is a dream come true for the villagers who,
prior to the LFCT’s assistance, had no choice but to travel great
distances to fetch dirty, contaminated water. Although villagers had
attempted to dig a well, the water table in Pemba has high levels of saline
intrusion which can have a drastic effect on health and longevity with
links to hypertension and putting pregnant women in great danger during
their pregnancy.
The Trust has assisted the three villages in
brining clean water through a piped water supply and sanitary storage tank,
restoring health, happiness and dignity and freeing time for villagers to
work on sustaining the family, growing their income and focussing on
supporting their children. The final touches and LFCT signboard has been
completed, giving the each village 10,000 litres of clean water, a huge
weight off their shoulders and freeing up invaluable time and resources.
“We pray LFCT is given the strength to continue
with this noble deed, and provide water to more villages, thus making life
easier in these trying times.” Villager
11 More water wells are
built in Pakistan
  
Between March and May 2015, 11 more water wells have been built
in Pakistan helping over 800 gain access to safe sources of clean water. 10
schemes were planned however LFCT’s partner in Pakistan, the Pravalli
Welfare Trust was able to save Rs. 151,691.00 and install one additional
water pump than planned. In Pakistan, only 92% of the population have
access to clean water.
A further 500,000 individuals need to
gain access to water each year up to 2030 in order to reach 100% water
access across Pakistan by 2030 – the sustainable development
goals’ endpoint. By installing low cost, low technology solutions and
working with a local partner, the LFCT is able to bring fresh, clean water
to some of this vulnerable and marginalised community.
Food Baskets for 154
Orphaned and 104 very vulnerable refugee families
In the first quarter of 2015 the LFCT assisted the most
vulnerable families with food baskets. The quarterly food distributions of
LFCT’s partner are a lifeline for destitute refugee families. By
receiving basic food items free of charge, they can use their limited cash
to purchase vegetables and small amounts of meat or chicken, thus improving
their nutrition. Many of these families are headed by women who eke out a
living working in industrial sewing from their homes, so that they can gain
an income and at the same time tend to their children.
During
each distribution they tell the Middle East partner how much they
appreciate this assistance. “We cannot do anything for the kind
donors but pray for them. They are in our prayers every night.”
During this distribution, LFCT’s partner in the Middle East included
hygienic items as well as sanitary napkins for ladies as it had become
obvious that the refugees are unable to keep up proper hygiene due to the
high cost of soap, shampoo and detergent. LFCT Donors Please donate
generously. Let us bring smile on more Refugee Families. The average cost
for a food basket per family is just £44.
A lifeline of support
for Philippine families after Typhoon Haiyan
November 2013’s Cyclone Haiyan turned out to be the
deadliest in Philippine history claiming 6,300 lives and making 11,000
homeless. It left utter devastation in its path, splitting apart families
and communities, destroying schools and washing away livelihoods. The
LFCT sent much needed aid to the victims of this powerful natural disaster.
Here is one vivid account of their experiences and what the Trust’s
assistance meant to them.
Eleanor: “We waited and
waited for more news, a call from our love ones, a call from our family and
friends. Come darkness and night, there was still no concrete news. We
called around but nobody could give us news. We were in front of the
television, hoping that the international and local news network would give
us more information, or just a glimpse of what was really happening. As the
mages of the devastation reached our screens, our hearts sunk as we saw
shattered houses, dead bodies lying, no water, food or electricity. We
still had no news from our family. My 5 year old daughter asked why I was
crying and I told her, with the heaviest heart that her Grandfather, Aunt,
Uncles, Cousins, other relatives and friends are missing. As the weekend
came and went, we still had no news. News began to reach us telling us that
all houses along the coast had perished; this was where my family were. As
my brother and I prepared to drive to the Tacloban coast, the phone rang. I
heard my sisters’ voice, trembling and crying ‘Daddy is alive
and ok, we cannot find Mano Eddie (our eldest brother), we no longer have a
house to go home to. Help us, there is no medicine, the food and water for
Dad is about to run out’. On Monday we finally reached Tacloban.
Although I had some idea of how the city was, I still wasn't
prepared - dead bodies next to a child, a mother and father staring into an
empty space, still in a state of shock whilst others searched the debris.
Houses were flattened and completely destroyed totally with people making
temporary shelters out of whatever they could find. We continued to search
for our brother but our father was ill and so we had to leave the city to
get him correct medical care. Leaving the city, it was so hard to tell him
the lovely house he had built with our mother, the home to his eight
children, was gone. On top of this, his eldest son was missing. Our father
moved temporarily to Manila, and survived the typhoon, but wasn't free from
intermittent pneumonia. He was in and out of hospital every month.
Eventually he needed a gastrostomy as he wasn't tolerating food orally. He
survived Haiyan, but the emotional and physical stress made him weak.
Sadly, my father joined The Lord last May without seeing his family house
rebuilt and knowing he lost his son. On behalf of my family, we are so
grateful for the financial gift the LFCTs sent us. We may not have been
able to rebuild the house, but it helped us during the toughest 6 months of
our lives, in and out of hospital, relocation, and buying expensive
medicines and doctors’ fees. For this, we thank you.
Microfinance support in
Delhi
This month the Trust has provided micro-finance to a promising
young orphan in Delhi in order to help him set up his own Tutorial Centre.
Shanjah Imam resides in Bihar region, India. His father passed away 3 years
ago and since then Shanjah has taken a leading role in supporting his
mother, siblings and cousin.
Shanjah has a promising life
ahead of him but needs some immediate financial to support him in setting
up his future. This positive start would not have been possible without the
assistance of the Trust. 2-3 students have already joined classes at the
Centre and the orphan is enjoying his independence and ability to make a
sustainable and dignified livelihood. He is truly thankful to the Trust for
this life changing opportunity.
Great benefits at
Bagamoyo Hospital, Dar es Salam after much needed
refurbishment
  
The refurbishing of what was a very dilapidated evacuation
(minor theatre) room in the gynaecological ward of Bagamoyo district
hospital has supremely lifted the morale of the ward staff. After
refurbishment, the room became operational in November 2014. Thanks to the
LFCT for making all these possible.
The room was
initially in a very poor state: worn out cement flooring, dark and dirty
walls, poor lighting, wooden, termite eaten windows and doors, and damaged
wash basin, on top of the absence of running water. The lack of water meant
that most of the minor operations could not be performed and had to be
rescheduled to the only other theatre in the hospital, lengthening the
waiting list. In addition, the toilets and washrooms at the hospital were
in a very bad state, including broken pipes, damaged and stained ceramic
tiles, all compounded by the lack of regular running water supply.
The evacuation room now boasts a brand new tiled floor and walls,
new ceiling with fan, an aluminium glass door and aluminium glazed window.
The theatre is also equipped with a new wash basin with running tap water,
serviced by two 2000 litre capacity water tanks just outside the room
(larger than the capacity supplying the main operating theatre). The
toilets are now cleaner and tolerable for the patients and the cleaning
staff. In actual fact, the refurbished ward has now become the supplier of
water to the other wards when water shortages develop across the hospital
which is a common occurrence. Thanks to the LFCT for making all these
possible.
|
