I grew up in West Africa. I lived in Togo and la Côte D’Ivoire until I was 14 years old. Ever since then, I always wanted to come back. Africa gets in your blood, and stays forever like malaria. That is cliché, but true. I heard about CURE and the great work they do through a friend, so when the opportunity to come to Niger came up, I jumped at it. We jumped at it, I should say. My wife, who works here with me, is actually much more jumpy than I am.

The CURE hospital is primarily a children’s hospital, and we specialize in treating burn victims and children with cleft lip or cleft palate and clubfoot. As spiritual director, I provide spiritual and emotional support to the patients and staff at the hospital. In practice, this can mean many different things. My job description is pretty vague, and purposely so, I think, because it is hard to define what I do. I work very closely with the hospital’s social worker in trying to determine what the needs of our patients are and what we can do to help. Giving a child a life-changing, life-saving surgery is a big deal, but I am realizing more and more that often, it is just scratching the surface.

For example, consider this (hypothetical but very typical) case: A mother of a child with cleft lip lives in a village a couple hundred kilometers from Niamey. She hears about our hospital, decides to come. She gathers together all the money she can for the trip; maybe she sells a few chickens, or some roasted peanuts. Usually, it does not amount to very much. She is not used to handling money anyway. She comes to the hospital and her child is treated, but she learns that they have to stay in the hospital for three weeks. She also learns that the child will be fed, but she will have to feed herself. Her money runs out after the first week, and she has nothing to feed her other baby (the one that is always on her back) or herself. Also, it is cold at night and her child does not have anything warm to wear.

So we try and figure out how we can help, aside from the medical care that we provide. There are so many things that I would have never thought of, and I am learning new things all the time. There are also a lot of emotional issues to deal with, for the patients and for their family members. People with disabilities are viewed with suspicion, discriminated against and generally mistreated. Usually people say that their condition is because of some sin they committed, or the result of a curse someone put on them. Life is very difficult even for people that are totally healthy in Niger, for the sick and disabled it is nearly unbearable.

They are suffering physically, but often they are also traumatized by the way they have been treated. Having a disabled child is a burden for the whole family, and community, in many different ways. Not least among them is the financial burden it represents. It is another mouth to feed, and usually one that cannot work. The surgeries we provide are very literally helping people get back on their feet, back to a normal, productive life, and back to work. They alleviate a real burden, which frees up resources for other things, and the impact of these operations is felt well beyond the patient and immediate family.

The culture in Niger is very communal. When you talk to someone, you are not just talking to them, you are talking to their whole family, their whole village, their whole tribe. The same goes for healing. When a child is brought to the hospital and receives treatment, it is not just the child that is healed. The child’s family is healed as well, and their whole community is blessed by it. Almost every time we talk to parents after their child has been healed, their first reaction is, “Wait until we get back home and everyone sees this!”
Everything and everyone is connected.

But more importantly, at CURE, we try to encourage and empower people, even as we offer them help. We do this by asking the patients and their families to contribute towards their own healing. We ask them to pay for their surgery if they can. If they cannot pay for all of it, we ask them to pay for a part of it. Even if it is a tiny fraction of the real cost, it makes a difference, for us and for them. Even if they cannot pay anything at all, they are still expected to contribute in other ways. They have to follow the post-op instructions from the doctor (which can be quite extensive and can take months, especially with the clubfoot cases). They have to come to their follow up appointments. They have to take their medicine. Sometimes they even have to change the dressing, etc.

The point is, they are involved in the process. They come to our hospital for help, but not for a handout. They don’t want a handout. They come to us for help, but we try to give them a chance to help themselves.

To sum it up, I love my job. Basically, I am here to welcome those who are usually unwelcome, to care for the uncared for, and to love the unloved. I am always blown away by how generous the Nigerien people are.

Even if they have nothing, they will share with you the little they do have. And they are really full of joy. Niger may be one of the world’s poorest countries, but they have a wealth of natural resources: smiles, handshakes, laughter and general friendliness abound. Also, it seems to me like they really embrace the fullness of life, both the good and the bad. They don’t ignore the aspects of life that are difficult. You can’t when you live in a place like this, where signs of poverty and hardship are everywhere, and drought and famine are common. But they also don’t dwell on the hardship. They don’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves, letting hopelessness set in. They take the good with the bad because they recognize that life is filled with both good and bad.

Read more about Josh and Julie’s life in Niger on their blog, http://joshjulieblog.wordpress.com/.

More common than deafness or Down’s syndrome, hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain,” is a completely treatable condition diagnosed in 400,000 babies worldwide each year, including 250,000 in sub-Saharan Africa. Usually caused by complications from an infection at birth or in infancy, babies provided with proper medical assistance are expected to make full recoveries and to go on to lead perfectly normal, healthy lives. But, like many preventable diseases and disabilities prevalent in the developing world, almost 90 percent of hydrocephalus cases found in African children turn out to be fatal.

Luckily, CURE, a non-profit organization that specializes in providing surgeries for the world’s poorest, are on a mission to make complications from hydrocephalus a thing of the past, providing expertise and care for babies in need of attention.

With a leading teaching hospital in Mbale, Uganda, home to the sub-Saharan region’s only pediatric neurosurgery unit and responsible for more than 1,000 success stories over the past year alone, CURE is certainly proving that reaching its goal is achievable. And, with modern facilities and mobile clinics used to reach remote areas for follow-up appointments and make additional diagnoses, it seems that the organization’s model is set for future progress in eradicating unnecessary deaths caused by equally unnecessary diseases.

This host of achievements, along with the development of a groundbreaking minimally-invasive procedure to treat hydrocephalus and a program that has so far trained 11 neurosurgeons from throughout the developing world -– a particularly impressive feat considering that only five existed previously –- is especially impressive given the obstacles faced by many in the area.

“Uganda’s Miracle Babies,” a recent documentary produced for UK Channel 4’s “Unreported World” series, highlights many of these issues in addition to leading a discussion on what CURE is currently doing to attempt to combat them.

Correspondent Jenny Kleeman introduces viewers to three mothers willing to do anything for a cure for their babies, no matter the cost, first introducing us to Sarah, a two-month old infant in need of urgent surgery to prevent hydrocephalus-related brain damage.

Sarah proves to be a minor case in comparison to two other babies that audiences meet later on in the film, however. Kazimiri, who was brought to the clinic six months after he began to show symptoms of hydrocephalus because his mother was unable to afford to travel to Mbale from her home village, presents an advanced case and faces a long and painful recovery. And baby Oroma, whom the team meets while visiting a rural Gulu village, is in danger of receiving no medical attention at all as her mother at first elects to participate in an expensive ritual led by her village elders.

Thankfully, both Sarah and Oroma are now expected to make full recoveries thanks to the work of the Mbale hospital, while Kazimiri continues to undergo live-saving treatment. With programs like CURE’s it is clear that more stories like theirs are possible for babies suffering from hydrocephalus and other preventable diseases across sub-Saharan Africa.

Take a moment to look at CURE’s website to find out more about their work. And be sure to stay updated on their blog for continued news on the lives already saved by their programs and what you might be able to do to help.

“Look at those round cheeks, beautiful smiles,” remarked Florence from the Ministry of Education who joined ONE’s site visit. “The children are happy because they have taken their porridge.” At this school feeding program, run by the World Food Programme, the 777 students at Mawango are guaranteed a bowl of porridge made from a corn-soya blend, sweetened with sugar and fortified with essential nutrients.

Girls and orphaned boys also get a monthly take-home ration conditioned on 80 percent attendance. Some of this food is grown by Malawian farmers and delivered by the WFP through their Purchase for Progress program. So the WFP is helping to feed the undernourished, helping to keep kids -– especially girls -– in school, and improve the livelihoods of Malawian small-scale maize farmers.

Photos by Morgana Wingard

It’s a miracle of modern medical technology that we’re able to prevent the mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). To help you understand, we’ve created a CliffsNotes version of how it works:

An HIV-positive mother can pass HIV on to her baby any time during pregnancy, labor, delivery and breastfeeding, so the transmission of the virus must be blocked at each stage. The 2010 World Health Organization guidelines recommend that HIV-positive pregnant mothers should go on a regimen of three antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) as soon as possible — and stay on these drugs until their infant is born and breastfeeding has concluded.

As soon as the infant is born, the baby should take nevirapine — a very inexpensive drug — daily for six weeks. The infant should be formula-fed rather than breastfed if possible, but it’s recognized that formula feeding is both expensive and difficult to do safely in resource-limited settings, so the mother is recommended to breastfeed her child exclusively for six months while continuing to take ARVs. In a recent study conducted by Harvard University in Botswana, mothers who adhered to this regimen reduced transmission of HIV to their babies by an amazing 99 percent.

These prevention guidelines have evolved over the years as scientists have learned more about how to most effectively reduce the risk of transmission while also working to minimize drug resistance for our most effective treatment tools. Many policymakers stress that access to effective contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies is also important for women who are HIV-positive.

For more details on the PMTCT process, including a chart that maps which drugs are used when and in what settings, visit AVERT’s handy guide. Also, be sure to check out WHO’s global strategic vision for 2015.

According to today’s report in The New York Times, a growing movement of parents, educators and philanthropists has banded together to strengthen the education system for poor and working-class students in South Africa. As a result, new private schools like Leap are “springing up” to serve this niche market.

The Leap schools — which, according to the Times, function a bit like charter schools — have adjusted the curriculum to fit the students’ needs. The school offers extra support for national matriculation exams, instill a fierce work ethic and provide a “life orientation” class to help students air out their personal problems.

These “charter” schools are just one part of South Africa’s up-and-coming education movement — but it’s good to see that concerned citizens are taking the matter into their own hands. Take a look at the story and read more about education on our issues page.

If you can read this blog post, then great — you don’t have a literacy problem. But sadly, that’s not the case everywhere else in the world.

About one in five adults are not able to read, and two-thirds of them are women. A shocking 72 million children are out of school, which means that they won’t even get the chance to try.

We can change these statistics. Today is International Literacy Day — a reminder that we still have a long way to go in terms of achieving complete literacy and a celebration of the four billion literate people in the world.

This event couldn’t have come at a better time. The U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals is just around the corner — so use this opportunity to refresh your memory on MDG 2, a call to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. Education not only provides children and families with a pathway out of poverty, but it can also yield even bigger returns for the world’s poorest countries through its impact on areas such as health and the economy.

Check out some of the work that USAID has been doing for International Literacy Day. They’ve dedicated this entire week to emphasizing the importance of education in development.

Then, when you’re done learning all you can learn, nestle down with a book (maybe one from our recommended reading list, perhaps?) and celebrate the act of reading. Hopefully, one day, we can all enjoy this simple pleasure.

I — along with many of my colleagues at ONE — was shocked and saddened to learn that Bwalya Liteta — the 12-year-old girl featured in the recent HBO documentary “The Lazarus Effect” — passed away on August 14th.

As many of you may have seen from our sister organization (RED)‘s website, Bwalya was an HIV-positive child who had lost both her parents. (RED) first met her in May 2009 and filmed her recovery from near death to robust health with the help of antiretroviral treatment (ARVs).

Everyone who met her in the filming process was inspired by her quiet determination, and many of us at ONE felt personally compelled by the simple joy she exuded as she was finally feeling better and able to return to school with her friends.

“The Lazarus Effect” highlighted the miracle of antiretroviral drugs in restoring the health of people living with HIV/AIDS. But even when treated, AIDS can be a physically devastating disease — especially for young children.

This year, we’ve been campaigning for the full replenishment of the Global Fund. If fully funded, the Global Fund — along with other bilateral AIDS efforts — can ensure that no child is born with HIV by 2015 and make certain that little girls like Bwalya never need to become infected in the first place.

Her story should compel us — including world leaders — to be bold in our efforts to make this goal achievable.

Bwalya’s story is also compelling because it is not just a story about HIV — it’s a story about the importance of comprehensive global health policy. Although a final autopsy was not conducted, we know that Bwalya had been battling complications from AIDS, and ultimately died from heart failure.

We often talk about “health systems strengthening”– an admittedly vague term. But in her home country of Zambia, health infrastructure (hospitals, clinics, medical technology, clean water, etc) is generally weak, and there are very few heart specialists in the entire country. When the infrastructure is not in place or is not readily accessible in emergencies, it makes tragic cases like Bwalya’s death all the more common.

Bwalya’s story, which is constantly replicated in the lives of so many others who are not in the spotlight, means that the development community and recipient governments need to do even better to ensure that global health efforts are integrated, comprehensive and sustainable for those who need it the most.

An HIV-positive pregnant woman shouldn’t need to go to three separate clinics for antiretroviral drugs to ensure that she doesn’t transmit the virus to her child, anti-malarial medication and supplements to ward off infections, and someone who can help her in delivery if she faces complications.

Doing so requires strengthened partnership and communication between policymakers, practitioners, host governments and community leaders in the years ahead.

Our thoughts are with Bwalya’s family and all those who knew her. Please feel free to leave your own remarks in the comments section if you have seen the film or have been touched by her story.

The PSA will air for the first time on television during Wednesday’s Gossip Girl. Check it out. http://www.one.org/buzz.

The more people talk, the more we can accomplish. Just sharing your commitment to fighting global poverty with your friends can inspire them to make the same commitment, and start up a buzz that will build into a roar of collective action.

For World AIDS Day tomorrow, I joined some of my friends from TV and film to make a video sharing our commitment to defeating extreme poverty and preventable disease. I hope you’ll watch, and share your own commitment by passing it on to people you know:

http://www.one.org/buzz/

Throughout history we’ve seen how committed people, together, can change laws, break barriers and decide elections. And together, we can defeat extreme poverty and eradicate preventable, treatable diseases including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

But it takes all of us working together across borders, time zones, cultures…through advocacy, action, and awareness-raising.

You can help us raise awareness about ONE and build a better future for millions of people living in poverty. Please join Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone and me, Ashley Greene, from Twilight; Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr and Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl; Corbin Bleu from High School Musical; Hayden Panettiere from Heroes; Tristan Wilds from 90210; Star Trek’s John Cho and Tropic Thunder’s Brandon T. Jackson by sharing our video to create a buzz in your community:

http://www.one.org/buzz/

We’re making progress in our fight, but more remains to be done. And it starts with you…me…all of us coming together.

It all starts with a buzz.

Thank you,

Ashley Greene, ONE Member

Below are some excerpts but you can read the full piece on their site.

With their nation in a prolonged sequence of crises, more unaccompanied children and women than ever are joining the rush of desperate Zimbabweans illegally crossing the frontier at the Limpopo River, according to the police, local officials and aid workers.

What they are escaping is a broken country where half the people are going hungry, most schools and hospitals are closed or dysfunctional and a cholera epidemic has taken a toll in the thousands. Yet they are arriving in a place where they are unwelcome and are resented as rivals for jobs. Last year, Zimbabweans were part of the quarry in a spate of mob attacks against foreigners….

South Africa’s national police force is exasperated by the crimes… most victims do not file complaints. After all, they are here illegally, unless remaining in the Showgrounds. “Last week, I had 1,500 ready for deportation,” he said.

The captain stood up, walking over to a computer screen. “We keep photos of the refugees killed near the border.”…

Mention of the children seemed to feed his exasperation. “Street kids, more all the time,” he said. “They come in as if they are playing in a game.”

He asked, “What do we do about these kids?”

-Virginia Simmons

ONE and Keep a Child Alive are hosting screenings of We Are Together, a multi-award winning documentary that follows a children’s singing choir from Agape orphanage in South Africa:

The story:

Life has not been easy for 12-year old Slindile, her siblings and her friends at the Agape Orphanage in South Africa, where most of the children have lost their parents to AIDS. But they are still kids and teenagers, bashful around boys, squabbling with each other. And when they lift their voices in song, something extraordinary happens.

We Are Together will be screen starting this 4th of July weekend at New York’s Cinema Village. Come view the “celebration of resiliency” this weekend!
Tickets and show time info here.

-Betsy Avila