Description

Many children around the world suffer unnecessarily from diseases that are preventable and treatable. This gift provides children and families with access to effective health care, as well as education about nutrition and hygiene.

Photo: Medair/Kate Holt

How your gift helps

Where the need is greatest

Years of drought and conflict across eastern Africa have left millions of people in the region very vulnerable to famine and malnutrition. In Somalia drought has severely reduced the availability of food, leading to levels of malnutrition, preventable disease and child mortality that are among the highest in the world.

More than 50% of the Somali population, or approximately 6.2 million people, currently lack sufficient food. 363,000 children under the age of 5 are acutely malnourished, of which 71,000 are severely malnourished. In this environment, your support for TEAR allows its partner Medair to bring lasting knowledge and skills to families that will improve their health and prevent future illness.

Volunteer health workers making a difference

Medair’s valuable work is carried out through its training of local volunteer health workers. They provide valuable health, hygiene and nutrition messages when visiting families, including in internal displacement camps in Mogadishu. They also carry out basic health checks and refer people to local health facilities for treatment of illnesses. New mothers benefit from being encouraged to breastfeed and discuss the nutrition needs of their children.

Another vital part of the health volunteer’s role is screening for malnutrition. Children found to be malnourished are referred for assessment and treatment to a health facility managed by one of Medair’s local partners. Severely malnourished children are put through a treatment program immediately, while those less malnourished are offered a supplementary feeding program. Following treatment, health volunteers make home visits to advise parents or carers on nutrition and the symptoms of malnutrition to watch out for.

Thanks to your purchase of this gift, MEDAIR will continue to empower Somalis to play this critical frontline role in nurturing the health of families. With over 1,200 volunteers trained so far, resulting in support for over 18,000 households, a real impact is being made in a place of great need.

What you receive

• Choose from a Printed card, Download & Print (PDF), E-card, or No Card.
• Links to Download & Print (PDF) and E-cards are emailed to you after checkout.
• The amount you have donated will not be on the card.
• Printed cards:
  • A blank envelope for your card.
  • Free standard postage within Australia (5-7 working days) or $7 for Express Post. Express Post cards will normally be sent the same day if the order is made before 12pm AEST. Please note: Express Post only operates in these areas within Australia.
  • Note: We cannot ship printed cards outside Australia (but you can still order the digital cards).
  • Note: We do NOT write on your cards — they are delivered to you to personalise.
• A tax-deductible receipt.