The Blessings of 2023

Despite the challenges listed on page 2, we have many things for which to be grateful.

First, we are helping more people than ever before.
In the face of all of the challenges, our local partners and medical staff have adapted to be able to serve more people each year. While the exact numbers are not yet in, we project that we will serve more people than any previous year.

Second, our strategic partnerships are paying great rewards.
Five years ago, we began a partnership with Cornerstone Health Foundation to bring basic medical care through mobile clinics in urban and rural settings. When the Covid epidemic and subsequent security crisis hit, our clinics could no longer hold mobile clinics or outreach missions. However, Cornerstone found a way to do mobile missions in areas in which the security problems were less severe. Consequently, they were able to help people that our clinics could not reach. We have also renewed our partnership with FaithCare which has chapters in the US and Nigeria. FaithCare helps us with a network of volunteer surgeons, which enables our medical outreach missions to help patients with much needed surgeries that our regular clinic staff are not able to provide.

Third, we held our first medical outreach with US team members since 2019.
While the security problems have worsened in many areas, they have improved in others. So we conducted a small and cautious outreach at our clinic in Port Harcourt. Although we deliberately planned this to be a low key outreach, we were able to serve 941 people (see insert for story of one woman we helped). After this “testing the waters” proved to be successful and without any security problems, we are now planning for a larger effort in 2024. We will be partnering with The Diocese of Niger Delta North, St. Thomas Clinic, and FaithCare to provide a full-services medical outreach (general medical care, eye care, dental care, surgery, prayer and counseling) at multiple locations in the Port Harcourt region.

Fourth, we are helping to educate young medical workers for the future.
Several years ago, one of our generous donors contributed to a “Human Capital Fund” to help educate young people. We are currently paying tuition for one doctor in medical school, one nurse/midwife, one nurse and four Community Health Extension Workers. When they have completed their studies, they will work at one of our partner clinics.

Happiness Akpan, training to be a nurse

Margret David, training to be a nurse/mid-wife

Yohana Iko, training to be a doctor

Summary: Light Shines in the Darkness

Living conditions in Nigeria have deteriorated over the last four years. This has made it more
difficult than ever to run our clinics. At the same time, the services we provide are more needed than ever before. The people we serve are hurting more than ever before. We are not giving up and we are not going away. We need your help more than ever before. Please give as generously as you can. Your donations are saving lives and making life a little more bearable for some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

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