Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Cambodia medical elective program upgrades...
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Afghanistan Safe Birthing Program gets underway
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| Northern Province IDP Camp |
It is estimated (WHO) that a woman dies every two hours in Afghanistan as a consequence of or during childbirth. The Afghan Health Ministry reports that about 18,000 Afghan women die during childbirth every year. According to a recent report by the NGO Save the Children, Afghanistan ranked as the worst place to give birth, followed by Niger and Chad. (2011) . On average, about 1 in 23 mothers are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes.
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| A birthing kit is demonstrated |
Distribution was made of special delivery kits and instruction given of the use of the content.
Friday, August 31, 2012
A people-carrier for Rose Cambodia Sight Centre !
The Rose Cambodia Sight Centre / Eye Clinc has now been operating since 1997, some 15 years (at the time of writing). It has treated well over 100,000 Cambodians the majority of who have been extremely poor, giving them free or low cost blindness preventing treatments or restoring sight mainly through cataract operations.
Many of the techniques for low cost eye surgery have historically been thanks to great New Zealanders such as Ray Avery or Fred Hollows so the centre carries on a a long and distinguished NZ history
Rose Charities New Zealand's relationship with the Cambodia Sight Centre was initiated by John Veale (Optometrist Christchurch) in the year 2000 who then introduced Mike Webber and Dr David Sabiston (retired). The three have spent over a decade working with Drs Hang (clinic co founder) and Natalia Vra suppling materials, equipment, and most importantly of all, their considerable expertise to help bring the clinic to the leading eye Centre it is today in Cambodia.
In recent years, outreach programs for village level screening and eye care promotion have played an increasingly important role. Some of the roads to the villages become almost impassable in the wet season so a strong vehicle is needed, both for access and to be able to return patients to the clinic.
The truck is a fantastic gift, so needed: it will be pivotal in the continuation and expansion of delivery of high quality eye care to poor Cambodians. Thank you Wanganui and other generous donors !
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Education without Borders links with Rose Charities USA
Education Without Borders links with Rose Charities USA
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Education without Borders (EwB) aims to foster educational opportunities and provide facilities in disadvantaged regions of the world.
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Formed in 2002 in Vancouver and granted charitable status in 2003, EwB operates on the principle that the development of knowledge and skills gives individuals greater control over their lives and more possibilities and choices for their future. Enhanced educational opportunities build communities from within and facilitate bridging between communities.
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The Education without Borders organizers seek to fulfill this mandate through their own initiatives and fundraising, as well as through grants and partnerships with other non-profit organizations in B.C., Canada, USA and abroad.
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Notwithstanding its overall mandate to work in different parts of the world, the Board of Directors has decided to focus primarily on two schools in Gugulethu, South Africa.
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As a relatively small charity with limited resources, we believe that , at this stage of a specific focus will produce quantifiable results that would not be forthcoming from spreading ourselves too thinly. We see this as a strength as well a necessity as it allows us to really know the community, to work profoundly and deeply with problems on site, and to use this experience (as we develop and get more resources) to serve additional communities in South Africa.
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The two schools we are currently involved with are Fezeka Senior Secondary and Songeze Middle Schools. The video on this page highlights some of EwB's achievements to date.
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Education without Borders (EwB) aims to foster educational opportunities and provide facilities in disadvantaged regions of the world.
*
Formed in 2002 in Vancouver and granted charitable status in 2003, EwB operates on the principle that the development of knowledge and skills gives individuals greater control over their lives and more possibilities and choices for their future. Enhanced educational opportunities build communities from within and facilitate bridging between communities.
*
The Education without Borders organizers seek to fulfill this mandate through their own initiatives and fundraising, as well as through grants and partnerships with other non-profit organizations in B.C., Canada, USA and abroad.
*
Notwithstanding its overall mandate to work in different parts of the world, the Board of Directors has decided to focus primarily on two schools in Gugulethu, South Africa.
*
As a relatively small charity with limited resources, we believe that , at this stage of a specific focus will produce quantifiable results that would not be forthcoming from spreading ourselves too thinly. We see this as a strength as well a necessity as it allows us to really know the community, to work profoundly and deeply with problems on site, and to use this experience (as we develop and get more resources) to serve additional communities in South Africa.
*
The two schools we are currently involved with are Fezeka Senior Secondary and Songeze Middle Schools. The video on this page highlights some of EwB's achievements to date.
*
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Rose Charities Singapore comes to 4th Rose Meeting in Penang, March 2012
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| Jonathan Riley (UK) and Dickson Ho |
Christina Leong, Dickson Ziwei Ho, and Jessica Toh flew in for the first day and were among the most enthusiastic in attending every presenation, workshop and semin of the entire meeting. These sessions included sector meetings on Sri Lanka, Hillman Fund (Africa, Pakistan, Cambodia and Afghanistan projects), Vietnam and Cambodia Rehab; workshops on the Logical Framework Approach (Ms Chim Sophak, [Cambodia], Josephine de Freitas and Mrs Maggie Francis [Canada]) and Social Networking .[Ms Rachel Greene USA]
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| Ms Jessica Leong, Dr Will Grut (Canada) Ms Jessica Toh |
Rose Charities Singapore's wonderful generosity was experienced by most of the field projects in the donation of 11 used laptops and a desktop. 9 of these were brought to Penang and presented to the field project representatives of Rose Charities Sri Lanka, Cambodia (including one for the Cambodia Physical Therapy Association), Vietnam, Pakistan (who took one extra for Afghanistan)
Rose Charities Singapore, no only 'hit the ground running' when it came into the network last year, but running at 'supersonic speed'. Immediately on formation, emergency supplies (a container) were arranged for Thai flood relief, old peoples homes have (and continue to be) visited, parties arranged at childrens homes, and even local animal care assisted.
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| Clockwise: Christina Leong, Dickson Ho Ung Sambach (Cambodia), Lee Parker (Aus) Louis Lap Nguyen (Vietnam) |
Rose Charities Singapore is an amazing group of people of formidable talent, charity and generosity. By the end of the meeting they had made friends of everyone and formulated plans to help several of the field projects. The City State should be very very proud of them indeed...
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Rose Charities Celebrates 2012 International Womens Day with...
Sri Lanka: Young Women’s Clubs - 8 villages, Girls sports programs , Women’s University Scholarship Program, Women’s Livelihood Groups (Women’s Support and Women’s Vocational Training. www.rosesrilanka.info
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| World Birth aid pack saves countless lives |
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| Haiti Cholera Relief 2010. Dr Amy Osborne |
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| Hurricane Katrina 2005 R.N.Kirsten Reems |
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| 2004 Asian Tsunami Sri Lanka R.N.Mary Spencer |
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| Japan Eathquake/Tsunami 2011 |
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| Haiti Earthquake. Linda Warner RN |
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Nurses graduate in Haiti
On Jan 5 2012, the first graduation ceremony, since the earthquake, took place at the State University School of Nursing in Port-aux-Prince Haiti.
As each graduating student stood up to receive her award she honored five of her class mates who had lost their lives when the school collapsed.
Over 200 students were killed that day and the school completely destroyed.
Just weeks later, in an act of extraordinary courage and perseverance, the surviving students and staff reopened the school
in tents and carried on as best they could.
The graduation ceremony was a moving tribute that all the students, staff and dignataries from
the Ministry of Health felt honoured to make. The loss of so many young
women and health professionals in a country that needs them desperately, was
felt by all. Rose Charities was mentioned by Mme Nazaire in her gratitude to all who helped them over the last years.
Rose Charities was able to assist by organizing counseling for the surviving nurses, sending new textbooks, teaching maniquinns and a container of equipment for the teaching lab.
Rose Charities would like to honor the dedication of the staff and students and wish them well in their future careers
Under one Umbrella Homeless Fair: Vancouver March 2012.
Rose Charities Canada co-sponsors this regular, popular annual event ...
(Click on image to enlarge)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
New Zealand Eye Team help eye screen poor in rural Cambodia: Dec 2011
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John Veale and Mike Webber (Optometrist Consultants, from Rose Charities New Zealand) went to Cambodia in mid-December, 2011. Their mission was to once again spend time at the Rose Charities Sight Centre in Phnom Penh with staff, training, ‘fine tuning’ and/or suggesting ways that could help in improving performance. The clinic now performs at a very high level of competence now in all areas of eyecare from surgery, medical ophthalmology and provision of spectacles after refraction, so the last six years of visits from the NZ team ( Dr. David Sabiston, John Veale and Mike Webber) , have proved very worthwhile. Another aim of the work this visit was to attend and help at one of he outreach clinics undertaken by Rose clinic and staff. This is a strategy started this year to coordinate with a new Governmnent program for the rural poor. Seven NGO’s have signed up for the program, with Fred Hollows and Rose Charities being the first two groups to start outreach clinics and provide cataract operations to those to whom they never would have been previously available. The target is to perform 50,000 cataract operations by the year 2018 in Cambodia.
Rose Charities had planned for many years to commence rural clinics but in 2002 its vehicles and equipment were stolen by an crooked expatriate causing considerable delay to the program. Without this crime, The Rose Charities Sight Centre would by now have been able to assist many more poor Cambodians than the 100,000 it has assisted since 2002.
Mike Webber and John Veale attended the first Rose outreach clinic in the Kandal province and about an hour and a half drive from Phnom Penh. There was an official opening ceremony filmed by Tv news, and a high ranking Governmental official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, before they we got down to business of screening.
They saw 253 patients, and of these about seventy were to be referred to the Rose Sight Centre for surgery for treatment at a later date. These patients were later transported down to Phnom Penh by truck (free), and taken home same way after treatment.
Dr. Hang Vra and his team conduct these outreach clinics once every two weeks at different locations in the provinces. The second outreach clinic saw 296 people and referred 125 referred to the Rose Charities Sight Centre for surgery.
Third outreach clinic saw 100cases`referred for surgery. The surgery in all these cases was predominantly for cataracts.
Mike Webber and John Veale also attended and helped at a program called Village Health And Community Development. This is a program run by Dr Veronica Ventura, an American gynecologist, who is based in Singapore. Both the Rose Charities Sight and Rehab/Surgical Centres cooperate with Village Health and Community Development programs where assistance can be given.
Dr Ventura has four such projects going in Cambodia. Her method it to target a village off the beaten track in Cambodia and takes in teams of various medical specialties, including ophthalmic, and to survey the health and needs of these isolated people. The program that John and Mike attended was in a village some one and a half hours drive from Kompong Thom, a town on the main road north to Siem Riep and geographically in the centre of Cambodia.
On this occasion The Singaporean team consisted of Dr Veronica Ventura, four Ophthlamic registrars in various stages of training, two optometry students, a lecturer in Optometry from the Singapore School, a group of medical students, and the Rose Charities NZ team (Mike and John). It was effectively a vision outreach program. The registering of patients, and various examinations were undertaken in classrooms in the village school. Over four days, 702 people were` seen for full health checks, and eye examinations. Of these about eighty required surgery ( 77 cataracts), and 220 pairs of ready made readers were supplied. A few required custom spectacles to be made up at Rose clinic in Phnom Penh. The surgery patients were to be
be transported free to the Rose clinic by Village Health, and receive their surgery free under the Government program a the Rose Sight Center. The Government program is generously sponsored by ABC Tissue.
Gratitude and Appreication: John and Mike would like to acknowledge PHF Foundation for their financial support in purchasing a Keeler Hand Held slit lamp for Dr Vra, Belinda and
Kevin Way (OIC) for their gift to Rose clinic of two Neitz ophthalmoscopes, Dr. Geoff Duff for his donation of a Perkins hand held to tonometer,
Alison Hall for donating a supply of mydriatics and cycloplegics,
Rose Charities would like to acknowledge the generosity and charity of ABC Tissue for their sponsorship through the Rose Sight Center (and other ngos) to help eye care, blindness prevention and sight restoration to the poor of Cambodia
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