Let's get Rain Tree Clinic off the ground!

Thanks for taking the time to read more! 

Earth Mission Asia is a nonprofit that I volunteer with that is working toward 'Health for the Hidden' by improving access to medical care for people in remote parts of Myanmar. Our strategy to do this is to train young people from these remote area who can then return to their home villages and provide healthcare to their own people. 

One person who was in need of better access to medical care is a young woman named Naw Moo (a nickname). Naw Moo was 18 years old and was 8 1/2 months pregnant with her first child. She was planning to deliver her baby at home, as is common in this part of the world. Naw Moo started to feel poorly and had swelling in her legs. She assumed that this was normal for a woman who was about to deliver. With her village being a 6-hour walk over steep trails to the nearest clinic, she didn't think it was worth the trouble to visit a medic. When Naw Moo went into labor it quickly became clear that something was very wrong. Her husband and parents gathered their neighbors and took turns carrying Naw Moo to the clinic in a hammock strung on a large piece of bamboo. Along the way she developed seizures and lost consciousness. Her family was panicking and beside themselves with worry. When they finally arrived to the clinic, Naw Moo was quickly diagnosed with eclampsia and treated with magnesium sulfate. Miraculously, both she and her baby survived the ordeal. Perhaps if there was a clinic closer to her home, Naw Moo's preeclampsia could have been diagnosed and treated before it advanced into a disorder that almost took her life and the life of her baby. 

EMA's Rain Tree Clinic will serve more than 2,500 people, including many mothers like Naw Moo. This is an area that has been requesting a clinic for many years. EMA is happy to be able to fulfill this request!  Once the clinic is open, the people in this area will have much easier access to medical care. Additionally, EMA's students will have a place where they can get hands-on, supervised medical training. An all around win! 

The construction is going strong! The students have already relocated to the site and are working hard to build their own place to learn. The budget for construction and setting up the clinic is $45,000 USD. In this region, that amount of money goes really far! This will fund a clinic building, a small hospital for overnight patients, 2 dorm buildings, an office, a staff house, a kitchen and some bathrooms. This budget also includes stocking the clinic and hospital with medicines, simple medical equipment, as well as lab equipment and supplies. 

We've gotten a good start at fundraising for this project, but we aren't finished yet. I have set a goal to raise $10,000 to get Rain Tree Clinic ready for the grand opening at the end of March. Your generous contributions will go a long way to making this happen!

Please comment, share, or like this post. Every little bit helps!

earthmissionasia.org