Great Christmas Gifts!!!

ETHIOPIAN WOMEN COLLECTION.  We've had 4.25" x 5" greeting cards made using pictures of the paintings.  They are beautiful!  Proceeds from the sale of these cards goes to www.ethiopianhope.org to help change the lives of the women of Ethiopia.  You can email me at bananarama49@msn.com or call me at 480-595-0123 to order them.  They come in a box of 12 cards/envelopes for $17 plus shipping.  Anna

Joni Kabana - Photographer

These paintings were part of the auction pieces and were painted by artists,  Marless Fellows. Marless used photographs taken by Joni Kabana, a professional photographer from Portland, Oregon.  Joni accompanied us on our trip to Ethiopia this past February and we don't want to forget her valuable donation toward our fundraising!  Thank you, Joni!! 

Pictures from the Auction!!   From the top:  (1) Gloria Storms-Ruiz and Lori Spataro  (2) Grant and Molly Ingram (3) Jan Swenson and Patty Esralew (4) Lori McNeill (5) Dr, Michael and Greta Cheek (6) Molly and Matthew Ingram and Meghan Storms (7) Molly Ingram, Meghan Storms and Gloria Storms-Ruiz (8) Suzanne Millis and Erin VanderVelde (9) Jennifer Sweeney, Meghan Storms, Erin VanderVelde, Molly Ingram and Meredith Oksenholt (10) Vickie Morrow and Anna Ingram.

The Results Are In!!!!

On Friday, November 5, we had our 2^nd Annual Women Helping Women – Ethiopian Project 2010 Auction to raise money to fund the Prolapsed Uterus Fund at the Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. The hospital’s goal is to provide 2-3 prolapsed uterus surgeries a week which would make it about 150 surgeries for the entire year. We not only want to raise the money for these 150 surgeries, but also money to provide the women with transportation home after their surgery. This year with your help and generosity we raised approximately $14,000! These funds will provide 80 women with not only life altering surgery, but also a ride home!!!!

We want to thank all of the people who helped us with donations for the auctions with a special thanks to Marless Fellows for the series of beautiful paintings she painted of the Ethiopian women who had the surgeries this past February. Also, to Felicia Anderson from Dining in AZ Catering who provided the food, members of GedaLife who provided the live music, and Jeff Nicholson from McDowell Mtn. Auctioneering for managing the live auction. None of this would have come together without the gifts and talents of Anna Ingram and the amazing group of volunteers who helped put on this event. And, of course, we would like to thank all of you for your interest and generosity at our silent and live auction. None of this could have happened without all of your support!

Anna and I were not only encouraged with the number of women that we are able to help, but also with the new level of awareness and commitment to support these women from people who attended this event. It is hard to imagine that by helping one woman with this surgery we can be helping their children, their extended families and their communities.

Many of you have also requested a way to automatically donate on a monthly basis and we are going to incorporate this in the updating of the Deneke’s Hope Foundation website, www.ethiopianhope.org, in the next few months. Not only will the website have enhanced ways to donate, but it will also have updates on our fund raising efforts for the number of surgeries covered in the Gimbie Adventist’s Hospital Prolapsed Uterus Fund. We are also hoping to provide you with the pictures and testimonies of the women who have had the surgery and how your generosity has helped change their lives

We also want to encourage you to follow the progress of the Prolapsed Uterus Project, please sign up as a follower of our blog www.ethiopianproject2010.blogspot.com. This way we can keep you updated on not only the number of surgeries completed, but also any news related to this project.

Thanks again for your support and generosity in helping us raise the funds to help change the lives of 80 women, their families, extended families and their communities!

Diriba

This young man was the nurse assigned to "my preemie".  He was so good with her.  Joyce, the nurse practitioner, had a lot of confidence in his abilities.  His English was good.  He has gone as far as he can in the Ethiopian educational system.  He wants to be a Pediatrician but, of course, lacks the funds to pay for school.  So, Grant and I are looking into paying for his tuition and books until he graduates.

Woman At Work

We passed this woman carrying a bundle of limbs to town.  She will eventually sell them to support her family.  Believe me, the load was heavy!

Preemie

I'd mentioned earlier that I'd become attached to a beautiful little girl born premature at 35 weeks.  Of all of the experiences I had in Ethiopia this one was actually the most emotional.  Since the hospital does not have an incubator (they used hot water bottles to keep her warm) or an oxygen tank (very costly), and because the hospital generator kept quitting, the baby had to be revived two times.  She was being fed breast milk by hand through a tube from her nose to her stomach.  Both times I was in the room - sobbing and praying my heart out that she would survive.  (Joyce, the nurse practitioner who was working on her said that when the babies die the staff put them in a box and lay then at the foot of the mothers' bed.  The family then takes them home to bury them.)  I am very happy to say that the last time I saw her she was with her mother and nursing well!  Through an interpreter I told her mother how I had told her daughter not to give up, keep fighting, and grow strong to to great things in this world.  Her mothers' reaction is in the last photo.  Things we take for granted here in the US are simply not always available in third world countries.  The hospital could certainly use at least one incubator with a backup generator.  I'm going to be fundraising in order to send one to this hospital.  If you're interested in supporting this project please let me know.  Just make a comment to this post.  Anyway, here are some pictures of "My Little Preemie and Her Mother". 

Among the volunteers on our trip was a professional photographer who also kept a journal along with some outstanding pictures.  We invite you to access her site to get an even more in depth look at what was done in Ethiopia.  It's outstanding!  Go to:  http://www.jonikabana.com/blog
Publish Post

Hi everyone.  Here are pictures of a couple of the many women who not only received surgery to repair prolapsed uterus but a new dress!  In the first picture this woman models her dress with her young daughter at her side.  In the second picture, Lori and I stand with yet another recipient.  I'd been observing surgeries that morning so had to dress accordingly.  (Don't you just love my hat!)  When word got around the hospital that patients who received prolapsed uterus surgery also got a new dress their husbands made sure they got one!  Those new (slightly used to us) dresses were a real treasure for them.  When all was said and done we were actually able to stretch our dollars and provide more than fifty surgeries.  How cool is that!

Coming home!

Lori and I are currently in the Frankfurt airport waiting to board our plane for the USA. We have had an incredible trip. We have taken many pictures and have kept a journal and have lots of information. We can't wait to get home, set up everything, and share our stories with you. But, before we do that, you need to know that your involvement in our endeavor to provide the women of Ethiopia with a better and healthier life has become a reality! Look for our further blogs to see how you made a direct impact.

Finally

HELLO!!  Finally we're in an area with dependable internet!  I'm going to try to update everyone by just entering the daily journal I've kept. 

Team members: Dr. Erling (ER), Janice (Dietician), Jessica (drug rep), Charlie (volunteer), Joanie (photographer), Brynn (daughter), Dr. Phillipa (OB/GYN), Dr. Kim (OB/GYN), Dr. Michael (OB/GYN), Dr. David (Anesthesiologist), Bob (medic/mechanic), Ellanona (PT), Bob (tv), Dr. Rahel (OB/GYN), Dr Jay (dentist), Aubrey (dental tech), Jerusha (volunteer), Dr. Raj (ER), Mike Phillips (retired construction).

Hospital: Paul (CEO), Mark, Henock (CEO).

Seyoum (Erlings “son”), Tyee (Erlings trusted friend), Kebeda (Phd Theology), Jedidiah (Tyee’s son)

Saturday, February 13, 2010:

I just spent my first night in Gimbie. Since I’ve never been here before I had no idea what to expect. Firstly, I have never seen SO MANY PEOPLE. I’m overwhelmed. So many eyes just staring at me. I wish I knew the languages so I could at least communicate with them.

It’s warm and slightly humid here! We drink lots of water. I carry my money body-wallet on me all the time….adds to the pooch of my abdomen. Great.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to chanting coming from a speaker system. From what I gather they only use about five notes. Of course I don’t have a clue what they’re saying,

For the most part the people seem basically healthy! The road from Addis to Gimbe was a mixture of newly made roads to ones with HUGE potholes and the driver swerved all over the roads to miss them. It was live being out on a boat for the day. I had a feeling of rocking and rolling even when I was on flat ground. The trip between the two cities took nine hours. Along the way there were many, many people walking and a lot of them were carrying things. There were small herds of cattle and many donkeys. We also saw monkeys on the ground and in the trees. There were also horses. Of course the animals were not in the best of shape and were certainly not use for pleasure.

Lori and I are staying in a small building next to a larger one for the visiting surgeons. It is some ill repair but I just remind myself that I’m “camping”. I wish I were younger.



Sunday, February 14, 2010:

This morning we rose at 6 a.m. to eat breakfast. The sunrise was outstanding. We helped Janice and Jessica unpack a lot of the bags containing donated items; medicine, clothing, shoes, etc. Then, we went with Seyoum, Ellanona, Janice, Charlie, and Jessica to visit Equadoran Sister’s Suzie (Suzanna) and Martie (Matilda). They maintain a compound that has a very small chapel and home for the sisters, and an elementary school. The compound was very nicely kept. Unfortunately, Sister Martie was out in the villages so we could not meet her but she and Sister Suzie are coming for dinner tonight. Sister Suzie is a crack up! She is small and very lively. She has the most animated face. I was able to speak with her in Spanish! Seyoum and I went to fetch her as she was at mass when we arrived. I was able to get communion and meet the people attending mass.

Then we all went to see the homes of some of the children who frequent the Adventist Hospital compound. Anani and Sarah and some boys all showed us their homes. They are unbelievable poor but so proud of their homes. The floor is dirt. The roof is corrugated tin tied together with rusted wire. The beds hold three to four of the family. The sides are put together with limbs held together with mud and grass combined. There are termites everywhere so the wood does not last very long. They cook their meals in a small room behind the main room. The “stove” is a few large rocks that surround a small fire. They get their water from a common area well. The inside of the home is dark. No windows. Houses are side to side.

We met Monica whose husband is in charge of the Operating Room at the hospital. She is working very hard to set up a place for unwed mothers and those men who have children to care for who need help. I’m very interested in talking with her about sending a grant application. I believe her brother in law, a physician in the US.

We went to Monica’s orphanage. There were about ten youngsters there ranging from one month to eight months. They actually were all spoken for re adoption but were waiting for the government of Ethiopia to make it happen. It’s a REAL shame. I bonded with a darling girl named Saara who is about eight months old. I got pictures. Some of the stories of the reason they are there are awful. But, they’re there! It was a clean place and the girls taking care of the babies were doing a good job.

Monday, February 15, 2010:

Lori woke up with nausea so Phillip gave her some meds and she is resting. We had hoped to give the $4500 to Henock who is the CFO of the hospital but he has been ill so we will try to accomplish that later today when we meet with Paul, the CEO. Hopefully Lori will feel much better by then. I will be going to Dongoro with Ellanona this morning while Lori rests. We will be visiting the students since today as it is a school day.

Went to Dongoro. Visited with 11th and 12th graders. Handed out most of the exercise books and all of the pens.

I met with Paul as Lori was still ill. Paul suggested a midwifery program – paying the salary of a bachelor midwife to come over for a year and train midwives (also include a scholarship program). Those midwives would then go out into the bush or small villages and take care of the women. He also suggested a continuing proplapse project. I really connected with his ideas and thought them very viable. I gave him the information on SFF. (Paul said: “Ethiopia does not need money, Ethiopia needs people.” Trained people who will train the Ethiopian people to help other Ethiopian people).

Tonight we did interviews. There were over 100 people outside the house where we worked. We did this for one hour. Each person who came to us was supposed to bring a letter expressing their situation and needs. They ranged from food, to clothing to education, to a place to live. Frankly, neither Lori nor I believe that what we were doing was a good thing. This is because we would give people false hope. We would tell them that we will take their letters and try our best to find someone in the US to sponsor them. But we told them, through an interpreter, that they could not depend on us. One of the people who came was a woman who was probably 19 years old with a probably 1.5 year old boy, asleep in her arms. She didn’t have a letter – jeeze, paper and pencils are like gold!!! Anyway, she had walked 40 minutes early this morning in order to come and ask for help. She waited all day until 7:30 p.m. to see us. She simply wanted food. We asked Jedidiah to give her the pat answer and sent her on her way. I was astounded that she simply needed food!!! So, I asked Jedidiah to call her back. She came in sobbing. I went and held her and her child. I gave her 300 birr ($20us) and told her she could not tell ANYONE that she’d actually gotten money. Unfortunately, I did not write down her name. I want to find her again and put her in touch with Monica who is trying to start a work program for single mothers.

I was able to see a baby girl whose mother who gave birth to her this morning. Since the mother is somewhat nuts she was going to kill the baby. The mother then abandoned her at the hospital. She is a Monica’s orphanage now. I went up to the nurses’ station where she was and she was adorable.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010:

Lori feels somewhat better so that’s good. We decided that we do not want to do interviews anymore. We talked with Erling to explain that we are more interested in interviewing people IF there are programs to which we can send them so that their situations can be answered. We do not want to give them false hope.

We went to see the orphanage again because the two day old baby is there for care. She is adorable and they have named her Rahel (Rachel).

Wednesday, February 17, 2010:

This morning we went to do clinic in D-------. With instructions from Janice we passed out worming pills, vitamins, iodized salt, and vitamin A to the people. The children were adorable. When we would talk to them they would repeat what we’d said perfectly. And, we played games with them. Then I found this woman who was five months pregnant and had a huge goiter. I took her to see Dr. Raj. He gave her salt and pre natal vitamins. Since the care was done through the hospital I paid for her meds = 8 birr... I told her to take good care of herself so she could take good care of her baby. She blessed me!

Then we returned for lunch. Shortly thereafter, Monica came by with baby Rahel. Of course I wanted to hold her! Monica was taking her to her own home because the girls at the orphanage were too busy with the other babies to give correct care to such a small baby. Little Rahel was jaundice so we but her in the sun for a short while. Then, Monica had to go do some errands so guess who got Rahel! She has had two dirty diapers (isn’t it funny that dirty diapers make us happy!) and she has had some milk. Now she is sleeping soundly on Lori’s bed.

Lori went with Joanie to accompany a woman getting water from the river for her daily needs. It will be interesting to see their report.

Thursday, February 18, 2010:

Today was a very, very emotional day, It started with observing a prolapsed uterus surgery standing right next to Dr. David, I was wondering if I’d be able to handle seeing the actual surgery but I did fine. There were two operating rooms and I was able to go in-between each room to observe both surgeries.

Then I went down to Labor and Delivery, I was able to help a laboring mother by massaging her back and walking her around the hospital. Then, I saw a 35 week old baby girl, preemie, who the staff were working with to maintain her life, I felt close to this darling little girl, I was able to help give her extra oxygen when she needed it. Due to the lack of oxygen, her age, and the fact that the damn electricity went out she turned blue twice, I was sobbing. I prayed for her to fight, I sincerely hope that when I go up there tomorrow morning that she will still be alive,

The woman I was helping who was in labor was not able to deliver vaginally; I got to observe a c-section delivery! The baby girl was large and beautiful.

Friday, February 19, 2010:

Some of the team needed to leave today; Phillipa, Kim, Joanie, and Brynn. They were going through Amsterdam to see some of Phillipa’s family. Phillipa was raised in Holland and did dressage – a fellow equestrian!

Guess what!!!! The preemie went with her mother! I stopped by the OB room and saw the small bed empty and about died. But, when I asked they said she was with her mother. I was ecstatic and went to see them both and the father. I was so excited that I had the nurse translate that I had been praying of the baby and I was SO happy she was with her family and taking breast milk. It was SO cool.

Then we went to a soccer game between students from Gimbi and Dongoro. I was really fun. Of course, since we are in Gimbi everyone seemed to cheer for their team but I felt bad for the underdog and cheered for Dongoro. Jerusha and I were representing each team and we had everyone laughing. Gimbi won 3 to 1!

Saturday, February 20, 2010:

This morning we left Gimbi at 7 a.m. for Addis Ababa. I’m in the large van with Lori, Jerusha, Jessica, Raj, Kebeda, Ellanona, and Bob (medic). I’m still amazed at the number of people and animals who walk along the roads, And, the driver drives like a bat out of hell! We’re passing a large group of greenhouses and I asked the driver what they were for…..flowers. Roses and other flowers are exported to Europe.

There is a chance that Lufthansa Airlines will be on strike so we have to keep watch.

List of Projects for our team

We will try to update our blog as often as we can and that as often as the internet service will allow. I have attached a recent email from Dr. Erling Oskenholt sharing the projects that our team will be working on.

We leave with a group of about 20 to work in Ethiopia this week. we are trying to do an ambitious list of projects. We hope you will pray for us and the success of the mission. We hope also to visit and check on some of my favorite places like Kabana School and Akaki School besides the west of Ethiopia where most of the project will take place.

PROJECTS 2010

1. REPAIR 50 LADIES with prolapsed uteri. See picture we have 4 ob-gyns on this trip to do surgery and new dresses for all the ladies after surgery

2 mattresses for Dongoro high school we have opened the dorms for the first time this year and need mattresses for the beds

3 clean water project for 25 homes sponsored by Anna Ingram and Lori McNeill and in Charles Trumble capable hands

4 Check on orphans. We have about 60 orphans in the Gimbie area and many more scattered in Ethiopia we have a lot of clothes and supplies for them. Visit the ambo orphanage and deliver some supplies there.

5 Check on our students we have about 100 students that we help some from grade school and some in PhD and masters programs

6. Finish building a 16 room guest house on the hospital campus in Gimbie with a dining room that can seat 100 this will allow more volunteers to serve. this has largely been funded by the Sproed family in Oregon. These guest rooms have there own showers and western bathrooms in each room

7. Satellite TV for the hospital so that patients can see TV while spending their days in the hospital. It will have 3ABN. At this time there is no TV We will add satellite TVs for churches and schools in the Gimbie region project managed by Bob Westcott

8. We will do rural clinics in the region to serve the people. we plan on 5 clinics with Dr Raj Baman in charge of rural clinics.

9. We have a seed project to help the farmers and schools

10. Laptops and computers for the schools and students

11. Follow-up with our Holstein dairy project in Dongoro and Nekempte

12. FOLLOW UP WITH Dongoro SCHOOL BUILLDING PROJECT MIKE PHILLIPS AND KEBEDA Daka HAVE SPEARED HEADED AND MANGED THIS PROJECT THERE ARE ABOUT 1000 STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL NOW. Dorms are finished and new classrooms started we also need a new clinic there as the last one burned down and has not been replaced and foreign volunteers.

13. We will continue with a vitamin A supplement project to several villages in the west

14 Janice Radcliffe will run a goiter treatment project along with the vitamin A project to prevent blindness.

15. Hopefully plan for a Dr Franzke evangelism project for this October in Gimbie area

16. Soccer uniforms for several teams in Ethiopia and we will have entertainment and running races with prizes in Gimbie

17. Oromo bible distribution by pastor Worku

18. We plan to make 3-4 short videos and professional photography on Ethiopia regarding hospital, orphans and schools. We have a professional photographer with us who does beautiful work named Joni Kabana

19. Specialized medicines for some diabetics and kidney patients and medicines for small children with serious medical conditions

20. Repair of the ambulance which is damaged from hitting a donkey. This includes a new bumper, sirens and shocks and front grill.

21. new digital dental x-rays machine the best in Ethiopia 20,000 plus training for the local staff to use funded by Dr Ray Lunt

Erling J. Oksenholt, DO, FACEP, FACOEP

President, Lincoln City Medical Center

Professor of Family Practice and Emergency Medicine

Director of Samaritan North Lincoln Emergency Dept.

2870 NE West Devils Lake Rd

Lincoln City, OR 97367

eoksenholt@lcmed.org

Are we excited - or what?

We pack our bags this past week - all 6 of them! We will be weighing them tomorrow to make sure that we use every pound that United/Lufthansa allows us to take. I am overwhelmed not only by the amount of donations that you all have contributed, but also the cash donations. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! You will definitely touch the lives of people who truly need help.

Many of you have asked if I am getting excited about our trip. It has been such a hard question for me to answer, so I have answered you all honestly. Simply, that it wouldn't be the word that I would describe my feelings about this adventure. You see at our team meeting, we heard stories of veteran team members finding new born babies in sewage and a mother was going to throw her twins into the river because she couldn't feed them. This made the reality of what this team of incredible doctors, nurses, and lay people do real and that I am now a part of this group that will help people in situations that I could have never imagined existed.

At this meeting, we not only briefly met the other 20 team members, but also found out our assignments for our trip. Anna and I will be interviewing the people, including children, who will present their needs to us. We will do this every evening of our stay and then we will have to determine who will get their needs addressed. For some of them, we are their last and/or their only hope. The veterans on our team chuckled not because it is a funny, but because they told us that this is the hardest job that faces our team. In fact, the gal who was in charge of this last year asked to be reassigned after the third day because it was to emotionally difficult. So, I ask that you all will have both of us in your prayers. We will need God's guidance, wisdom, and strength to be able to make the right decisions. Again, why I hesitated to answer "yes" to your question.

I am excited to do the work that God has called me to do. I could not do this without all of your support and love, so I thank you again.

Talk with you all from Ethiopia! Lori

Packing

Last evening Lori and I packed our duffle bags to the hilt!  Lots and lots of clothes, soccer balls, soccer tee shirts, medical supplies, writing pens, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, clean water filters, and suckers for the children.  We will be taking three large duffle bags each.  We have to make sure they are not overweight though.  We'll go use a large scale on Monday to make sure.  Stay tuned! 

Meeting the Team!

Today, Sunday, January 17, Lori and I are in Lincoln City, Oregon.  We met with all of the other volunteers going to Ethiopia.  It was outstanding to see such enthusiasm and concern.  We were given supplies to take over with us and many, many instructions.  Boy, are we excited!  Now......we go back to Scottsdale and put all of our plans together and get the last of our shots.  (Ouch!)

Just an update

It is hard to believe that we will be leaving for Gimbie, Ethiopia in just one month!

Now that the holidays are over, I am able to once again turn my focus back to not only the upcoming trip, but also trying to continue gathering donations. Specifically, we are trying to collect toothbrushes, prenatal vitamins and childrens vitamins with minerals (both sealed and in plastic containers), tee shirts in adult sizes small and medium in dark colors, and money to help provide a pump for clean water.

It's amazing how once we find a way to fill one need another comes up. Like the tee shirts.....one of the people who sponsors several children in this community has dark colored tee shirts made for each of them. As they had them out, there are always other children present asking for a new shirt too! For these kids the only shirt they have is the one they are wearing, so a new tee shirt is not only exciting to receive, but also a necessity. We want to thank you all for your on going help in finding ways to meet these needs!

I think of these women and children often and pray that we will find a way to help them get all of the things they need. The things that they need seem so simple, so I have no choice but to continue to ask for your help. Thank you again for responding with your generous hearts......Lori

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Our excitement continues....

Now that we’ve finished celebrating Christmas and New Years we can concentrate on preparations for our trip to Ethiopia. We were pretty surprised with the amount of immunizations needed and the time we needed to allot in getting them. Are arms feel like pin cushions and we’re not even done yet! Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hepatitis A & B, Meningitis, Rabies, Polio, Diphtheria/Tetanus/Whooping Cough, H1N1……and we’re still considering Malaria! And, these were simply recommended….not required. However, we’d rather be safe than sorry. We purchased 25 great water filters that attach to five gallon plastic buckets so the people can go collect their water from the rivers, have the water go through the filters, and receive perfectly clean, healthy water! Then, we got lots and lots of vegetable seeds from Feed The Hungry. We’ve requested drip system/irrigations supplies from a couple of companies but have not had any replies. Are excitement and interest continues to grow.