A study sponsored by John Hopkins University found that one in five children in the warzones of Karen state will die before their 5th birthday. Most of them die from easily prevented and easily treated diseases. With the help of Covenant World Relief, the Karen people are given another hopeful year.
Covenant World Relief is supporting Partners Relief and Development by supplying them with medical clinics. The clinics treat roughly 3,000 to 4,000 patients each year suffering from a variety of diseases; malaria, anemia, respiratory infection, parasites and diarrheal diseases. The clinics are fully supported by Partners Relief and Development through sourcing and transporting medicine and medical supplies, ongoing training programs for clinic staff and through supporting the emergence of a village-based public health system.
The clinics are one way of giving hope to the Karen people. Hope that they will live another day. A hope that will be instilled in the Karen people. Hope for an end. The war has been active for over a century—war of murder, rape, burning of villages, starvation and diseases. Yes, this war has been active for over a century; yet the media rarely covers it. This should not stop you; CWR gives you ways to stay active. Here are a few—donate, prayer and reading Burma news through blogs, Facebook, Newsletters and CWR’s website.
With your support, we can overcome this war of pain. CWR and Partners Relief and Development hope to save more lives of children under 5 through education and prompt appropriate care. In addition, communities will be transformed through the strengthening of healthy behaviors. In areas where clinics have been established, we find the rate of malaria decreases dramatically. In addition, the percentage of homes that use latrines is increasing steadily. Healthy children can attend school and educated children can improve their communities in countless ways.
These are goals that are accessible; we need your continuous support. So please continue to pray and support the Karen people. Thank you for your support and love for the Karen people. It is truly a blessing.
–by Matt Vickers, intern for CWR
