"No matter how much I taught or how much I served, I could never give more than I received. The Ugandan people have given me more than I can express. They are beautiful in every way. Their strength astounds me and their spirit inspires me. When I came they called me their hero, when I left they were mine."
- Ashley Rogers, Uganda 2008
"Once anyone allows themselves to let go of the walls they have created, and allow their true heart to be exposed, the joy and the growth both for the giver and the receiver is unequal to anything else. While in Guatemala, I was able to experience honest love between me and the people I was serving. Never have I been apart of something so pure and beautiful. I thank HELP International for the opportunity to change my life, and in the process, bless others. I shall never forget the lessons learned and the experiences had while in Guatemala."
Health projects have been a core program of HELP International since 1999. Many of our participants come with public health backgrounds and are able to work with local NGO's, hospitals, and clinics to develop and support programs based on needs. We teach basic health classes in disease prevention, nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene. We partner with in-country health care professionals so participants can gain hands-on experience administering health-related services.
Handwashing
In 2008 one of our participants, Nicole Luscher, started a hand-washing project in Guatemala. She initiated the project as a part of research she was doing for a class at Brigham Young University. With the help of local partners, Nicole and the other participants went to remote villages and taught the importance of hand-washing. As a part of this effort, they also worked with mothers to create hand-washing stations in their homes.
Support for people with HIV/AIDS
In Uganda, we taught 9 HIV-positive individuals tactics for keeping themselves healthy with a damaged immune system. We also taught them community mobilization skills, which they used to start support groups in their own communities. This brought services to AIDS-affected villagers who otherwise would not recieve help, because they live too far from the hospital. It also brought a sense of empowerment and purpose to those who we mentored to create the support groups. This project was initiated by Ashley Ward, a public health intern from Utah Valley University.
Dengue prevention
In El Salvador, the Ministry of Health has started a campaign to educate people about the causes and dangers of dengue. HELP participants were able to participate in several ways. As a group, they helped to prepare abate packets to be put in water to deter the growth of mosquito larvae. They then had the opportunity to go door to door visiting with members of different poor communities about their dengue knowledge. They conducted a short survey to see how much the people knew and explained to them how they can stop the spread of dengue. The residents showed the participants how they store water and how they use it. Participants made sure the locals understood to keep stored water covered and to keep their pilas (big sinks) clean. They were then given the abate to put in the water to kill any potential mosquito larvae.
Hospital and clinic work
Our participants with medical experience or interest in medicine often participant at health clinics and hospitals. This service is desperately needed and greatly appreciated by the under-staffed and resource-poor health facilities. While there, we are involved in a variety of projects including: assisting nurses and other staff, holding health seminars, and creating counseling programs to help individuals cope with disease.
Eyesight Clinic
In 2009 Ryan Squires, a enterprising HELP International participant in Uganda, started an eyesight clinic, saving the sight of rural villagers. By setting up a clinic to screen for cataracts and partnering with doctors who performed free surgery for needy individuals, participants helped hundreds of people.
