LearnToLive 2011 – A small group of us headed to Indonesia to scout the project. We found a need and promised we would come back.
LearnToLive 2012 – We
came back! A team of 12 doctors and nurses from all over the world provided healthcare and developed the foundations for clean water for almost 2000 people.
LearnToLive 2013 – Our
plan this year:
- To see, treat and provide comprehensive health education to the people in the villages of Sapa, Beringin, Likupang, Bunaken and an additional community on the remote island
of Siladen. We are estimating that we will treat almost 3000 people this year.
- This will be the year that we initiate our Clean Water Program, and we will be building our first Rain Water Catchment Systems. For the past two years we have had a brilliant
team of all volunteer architects, designers, and water engineers working on a radical new affordable way of providing safe clean water to these remote areas, the design of which is simple and affordable enough that we will be able to teach local people how
to build their own systems from our example. Our first system will be built at the junior high school in Sapa, and will coincide with our ‘Water for Life’ curriculum. This is a 2-day intensive education program for the students at the school, which will educate
them about the importance of clean water, the health benefits associated with it, and how to build your own Rain Water Catchment System using local resources.
-To fix the broken water filtration system on the island of Bunaken that has been lying dormant for almost 5 years. Once fixed this system will provide safe, clean water to
all the families on the island. We are fortunate to have Jack Timmins a chemical engineer and water specialist from Australia heading this project. Not only will we fix this water system, we will educate the locals on a comprehensive maintenance program of
the system to empower them to make sure it doesn’t fall into disrepair again.
- We will launch our data collection program, headed by our epidemiologist Iben Ricket, which will track and systematically categorize all of the data we gather in our clinics.
This will be the first time that statistical data will be taken in this region of North Sulawesi, and will be a big help to the medical facilities that do exist in the area as well as provide data about trending health problems of the area.
- This year we will
launch our Student Field Training Program. We have three nursing students from the United States joining our team this year, two are from Louisiana State University and one is from Nichols University Louisiana. These volunteer students will gain invaluable
hands on experience working with professionals in the field, and will play key support roles on our team.