Project Tanzania 2009
(Photo via Flickr)
In August, Kristle will be embarking on a very exciting journey to Tanzania. She is working with World Vision’s Survive Five Program to bring about a happy and healthy future for Tanzanian children.
Do you remember your fifth birthday? Did you have a big cake with fluffy white frosting and five candles? Did you have hugs and kisses from family members? Laughs and smiles with your friends and family? Were you healthy and happy?
The idea of helping kids survive their 5th birthday may seem extraordinary for those of us who live in a country with universal health care, emergency food services, running water, low infant mortality and generally, good quality of life. There are children here who have to fight for their lives at a very early age due to congenital defects, disease and developmental challenges. Many of those kids beat the odds, thankfully and grow to be perfect versions of themselves – happy and fulfilled.
Unfortunately, in Tanzania, making it past your fifth birthday is by no means a given. The infant mortality rate in the country is 70.46 deaths per 1,000 live births. To put it in perspective for you, Canada’s infant mortality rate is 5.08 deaths per live births. Poverty, malnutrition, disease, and drought make each year a life-or-death struggle for millions.
In 2008, World Vision started Survive Five with the aim of reducing child deaths from malnutrition, pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea and other major childhood diseases. Survive Five provides bed nets, vitamin A capsules, vaccines, antibiotics and other items to help children survive past the age of five.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (which was ratified on November 20, 1989) identifies access to health care as a basic human right to which all children are entitled. While there are many worthy issues to address in developing countries, health is perhaps the most deserving. Without health, you cannot overcome poverty, conflict or despair.
Through the administrative support of iNSPiRED PRACTiCE, Kristle and her husband-to-be, Michael, will travel to Africa this August 2009 to meet their sponsored child, Miriamu, who lives in Singida, Tanzania. Their visit will include learning about the communities that live in the poorest region of the country and providing educational gifts and school supplies for the 100 or so children who attend school with Miriamu.
On August 31, 2009, we will include a link that allows site visitors to read more about Survive Five and make a secure and safe donation on-line.
We’ve had questions on how to donate:
Cash and cheques can be brought to the “event” on August 30. Cheques can be made to Inspired Practice and than Kristle will make one “total donation from the event to World Vision for the “Survive 5″ program.
If you want to donate using credit card – you can following the link to World Vision above, click on gift and then choose the Survive 5 program….and make the reference to the Project Tanzania 2009 (Kristle and Mike alternative wedding shower). If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to call 694-7595.
[...] you know, back in July iNSPiRED PRACTiCE announced a special endeavour called Project Tanzania 2009. Project Tanzania 2009 was born from our desire to build community and healthy futures for [...]