So here at FlexRadio, we started thinking “what if we became part of a community on the other side of the world in a way that could change a life?” To accomplish this, we are partnering with a non-profit called Converge|2:8 and their Families of Hope program. Families of Hope is dedicated to keeping families together and helping children thrive.
How can a backpack filled with a few supplies really change a child’s future?
Over 700,000 children in Uganda are unable to attend school because of lack of school fees & school supplies. There are no textbooks or computers in classrooms and children must write out everything they are being taught. Without notebooks or writing utensils, students simply can not keep up and often have to drop out of school. Proper hand hygiene (access to water, soap & hand drying materials reduces illness up to 30% but less than 25% of children have access to all these items. For a child to have their own bar of soap is very rare. A bar of soap is often cut into slices and divided amongst several family members. Many schools make it mandatory that children have their own bar of soap to attend school and in rural areas, this simply isn’t possible.
Dental Health
Routine dental hygiene is almost non existent in rural areas. Dentistry is a luxury and most children never see a Dentist unless an extraction is needed. Many families have to share a single toothbrush or don’t have a toothbrush at all. Often twigs are used in place of a toothbrush. Because of the lack of dental hygiene education, toothaches are often misdiagnosed as ear infections and antibiotics are prescribed to children unnecessarily causing them to become resistant. In a country where antibiotics are desperately needed for illnesses like malaria & typhoid this could prove to be fatal.
Proper Hygiene
Proper hand hygiene (access to water, soap & hand drying materials reduces illness up to 30% but less than 25% of children have access to all these items. For a child to have their own bar of soap is very rare. A bar of soap is often cut into slices and divided amongst several family members. Many schools make it mandatory that children have their own bar of soap to attend school and in rural areas, this simply isn’t possible.
The best thing about being a Ham Radio Operator is A Common Bond!…..You meet a operator in the US…and you share a ‘common bond’….you meet a ham anywhere in the world and although you may not look like the other person, have the same language, share a background or political view, but you are still a “ham” and the bond between brothers (and sisters) still exists!
– Lou Dietrich (N2TU)