While in Las Mercedes, Rasch found staggering numbers of people with malaria and dengue fever. Last year alone, some 74 percent of the children in Las Mercedes had one of diseases or eye or skin infections. "With a little prevention and some medicine, you can prevent these things pretty easily," he said. "We had a project where we trained eight mothers from the community to be nurses in a sense. We called them health promoters, but they were community residents who wanted to help." For three months, these women learned how to give vaccinations and prevent infectious diseases. The health promoters are working in the community. But Rasch said a health center, staffed by the local health promoters, is essential for a sustainable and significant impact on the community. Land for the center is donated by the government. The center would be staffed by an Ecuadorian doctor from the public health system. An architect estimated that it would cost $15,000 to construct the building. Rasch said the goal is to have malaria and dengue fever eliminated from the community within two years of the center's construction. Once the center is built, plans are to continue projects with the health promoters and train more people from the community, Rasch said. "It's a rough life," Rasch said of the community, where the average family monthly income is only $200. "We're just trying to do this to help out and it's a sustainable project."
While in Ecuador, Dana Rasch found staggering numbers of people with malaria and dengue fever
Man seeks money for Ecuadorian health center
Tammy Real-McKeighan/Fremont Tribune Fremonttribune.com | Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 11:00 am | (0) Comments
It was heartbreaking.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, Dana Rasch would work with children in an Ecuadorian community.
But then, some of those children seemed to disappear for weeks or even months at a time. It wasn't that they didn't want to meet with Rasch.
They were at home - sick with malaria or some other infectious disease.
When Rasch returned to the United States in July, he spoke with family and friends about what could be done to help improve the health of people in that community. Now, he and other family members and friends are working to raise $15,000 to build a health center in Las Mercedes, a community of about 2,000 people. Thus far, the group has raised $7,065 in just under three weeks and is seeking help from the public to raise more.
Rasch is the son of Marcia Robley-Patton, a former Hooper resident, now of Clermont, Fla. His grandmother, Peggy Robley, and uncle Bill Robley, still live in Hooper, and aunt, Betty Ballentyne lives in Fremont.
Rasch is an adjunct professor of sociology and legal studies at Hawaii Pacific University. He earned his doctorate in sociology from the University of Miami in 2008 and served in the Peace Corps in 2009-10 in Las Mercedes, a poverty-ridden barrio in the border town of Hauquillas, Ecuador.
While in Las Mercedes, Rasch found staggering numbers of people with malaria and dengue fever. Last year alone, some 74 percent of the children in Las Mercedes had one of diseases or eye or skin infections.
"With a little prevention and some medicine, you can prevent these things pretty easily," he said. "We had a project where we trained eight mothers from the community to be nurses in a sense. We called them health promoters, but they were community residents who wanted to help."
For three months, these women learned how to give vaccinations and prevent infectious diseases.
The health promoters are working in the community. But Rasch said a health center, staffed by the local health promoters, is essential for a sustainable and significant impact on the community.
Land for the center is donated by the government. The center would be staffed by an Ecuadorian doctor from the public health system. An architect estimated that it would cost $15,000 to construct the building.
Rasch said the goal is to have malaria and dengue fever eliminated from the community within two years of the center's construction. Once the center is built, plans are to continue projects with the health promoters and train more people from the community, Rasch said.
"It's a rough life," Rasch said of the community, where the average family monthly income is only $200. "We're just trying to do this to help out and it's a sustainable project."
Rasch said the project already has received tremendous support including a partnership with Friends of Ecuador, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, which is helping to raise funds. Rasch and Robley-Patton are among board of directors members.
Those interested in helping may donate online at www.lasmercedesproject.org or may send a check by mail to: Las Mercedes Project, 16733 Tall Grass Lane, Clermont, Fla., 34711. Checks should be made out to: "Friends of Ecuador" with "Las Mercedes Project" in the memo line.
