Medical Supplies to Hospitals in Chile

VIDA is currently preparing two shipment to Chile in November.  The first will be sent to FEDES, who will distriubte $500,000 in medical supplies and equipment to the hospitals and clinics operating in the impoverished suburbs of Santiago.  The second shipment will be sent to programs operated by our partner Children Family Health throughout Chile.  These programs primarly focus on children and mothers.  VIDA is continuing to develop a program that will support clinics located in the rural regions of Chile that currently have limited access to healthcare for people living in poverty.

Just a quick update to our supporters!

VIDA and our Chilean partner FEDES are planning to establish 12 health clinics that will be supported by a Chilean physician group who will staff the clinics on a rotating basis.

In April 2011, a VIDA corporate partner visited FEDES projects in Chile to assess various program options.

The project is currently identifying facilities to house the clinics and also exploring various mobile clinic options.

The program is also working with Chilean vintners to create a sustainable project. Viva la vino!

There is much more work to do - but with your help we can do it!

Gracias!

Links:

• VIDA web site

VIDA is working with our long-time partner Steve at Fundacion FEDES, a Chilean NGO. Steve distributes the ongoing supplies and equipment we ship for hospitals and clinics operating in the city of Curicó and the Region of Maule.

Here is how you can help Steve and the Chileans this month!

GlobalGiving’s second Bonus Day of the year is coming up and this gives donors a chance to magnify their support!  On June 15th, GlobalGiving.org will be matching all donations at 30% up to $1,000 per donor per project while funds last. There will be $75,000 available in matching funds.

Please help us support our work in Chile by donating on June 15!

Thank you!

Relying on your donations to cover the cost of shipping, VIDA has coordinated 5 jam packed containers to Chile since February 27th, carrying over $7 million in desperately needed medical supplies and equipment. These shipments were directed to clinics and hospitals in the most impacted areas in Southern Chile and impoverished suburbs of Santiago.

VIDA is working with FEDES Foundation, our partner in Chile, to establish and support rural hospital and clinics in underserved markets. The inequality of care between urban and rural areas is a systemic problem in Chile and is a glaring example of one of the highest, and growing, wealth disparities in the western hemisphere. This factor is greatest among the indigenous groups, whose health risk indications are already far higher than non-indigenous populations'. A large portion of Chile's population lives in rural areas and depends on rural primary care centers for its health care. Outside of the developed urban areas, access to healthcare is severely limited with many people travelling for hours by foot to receive treatment.  In these districts there is a predominance of infectious diseases and basic health care goals are much more difficult to achieve.

The earthquake destroyed infrastructure, leaving many rural communities even more isolated than previously and has decreased the poor’s access to healthcare. VIDA and FEDES our planning to establish 12 health clinics that will be supported by a Chilean physician group who will staff the clinics on a rotating basis. The project is currently identifying facilities to house the clinics and also exploring various mobile clinic options. The program is launching its first major fundraising effort in May 2011 at an even in California’s wine country that is home to many Chilean vintners.

Links:

• VIDA in Chile

Dear Friends of VIDA,

As 2010 comes to a close, VIDA wishes you a joyous holiday season. As we reflect on the past twelve months, and count our many blessings, we are mindful that our world has lived through a year of tremendous challenges and suffering. Devastating earthquakes in Chile and Haiti unleashed indescribable destruction upon these nations. And, as always, it is the poor who suffer most. However, in this time of need, we witnessed the boundless generosity of everyday people who answered the call to ease the pain and despair of their fellow human beings. This year, donors from the Global Giving community were vital in helping VIDA respond to the crises. We write you today, to thank you for your support, and to update you on our mission.

For hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty, VIDA is the embodiment of our nation’s philanthropic spirit. Because of the support from Global Giving donors, VIDA quickly responded to these emergencies by shipping containers to Haiti and Chile carrying over $9 million in medical aid. From bandages to surgical kits, wheelchairs to hospital beds, VIDA helped deliver lifesaving medical care to devastated communities such as Petit Goala in Haiti and Pichilemu in Chile. VIDA is currently working on implementing a long-term solution for rural communities in Haiti and Chile that have little, or no, healthcare infrastructure before or after the earthquakes. VIDA is an outstanding steward of your generosity. For every $1 you donated, VIDA sent $150 in life-saving medical aid to Haiti and Chile.

In good times and in bad, access to healthcare remains a daily challenge confronting the poor in Latin America. Since our founding in 1991, VIDA has played an important role in bridging this gap. VIDA has shipped over 325 containers carrying over $450 million in aid and has diverted over 1,000 tons of viable medical supplies from landfills. In spite of the difficult economic environment, 2010 is shaping up to be a record year for VIDA. We are on pace to send 32 containers carrying over $35 million in aid to projects in Latin America.

VIDA Peru is an inspiring example of our commitment to serve communities long after a disaster has struck. In 2010, VIDA Peru has distributed supplies and equipment to over 250 institutions throughout Peru’s 12 regions. Of special note is Puente de VIDA which provides free primary medical care and education to Peru’s most remote communities in the Amazon, Andes, and Coastal Deserts through our mobile clinics. This year, Puente de VIDA served a record 24 communities, up from 16 in 2009. For many of our clients, this was their first access to healthcare.

To build on our successes, the VIDA Board is setting the bar even higher. We have an ambitious goal of shipping 40 containers in 2011 and 50 in 2012.

The mission of VIDA honors the dignity of every individual. No child should suffer because they cannot afford to have a wound properly bandaged. No elderly person should have to convalesce on a broken cot because there is no hospital bed. No human being should die because they cannot afford basic medical care. We are exceedingly grateful to all of our supporters who have so generously given their time, talents, and treasures to help VIDA bring healthcare to impoverished people in Latin America.

We hope that you will continue to join us in helping to bring the gift of VIDA to those in greatest need.

Sincerely,

Haydee Rodriguez-Pastor                                                       Adam G See

President                                                                                 Executive Director

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