Here is an update how last year’s charity funds were put into action in 2018 by the charitable organizations we supported:
“Help for Mauretania”
(AEPN Mauretanienhilfe e.V.)
We supported the AEPN Mauretanienhilfe e.V. It is a nonprofit organization that supports children, adolescents and their families in the West African state of Mauretania. They have been active there with our local partner for more than 10 years.
The project: Many people in Mauretania are not fortunate enough to visit a dentist. In large parts of West Africa dentists are not available, and when they are, most people cannot afford them in any case.
The AEPN provides comprehensive dental care for all children and employees of the Nouadhibou day care center. For most of them this is the only chance of receiving any dental care at all.
Bad oral hygiene and neglected dental problems can lead to much more severe illnesses. For this reason the AEPN provides regular workshops for the women and families in the neighborhood. These teach the importance of correct oral and dental hygiene and are gaining more popularity by the day. Dr. Fadel, the local dentist and our competent and dedicated partner, invested his medical experience and time for the children and their parents.
“Helping Indigenous Peoples of South America”
(Freundeskreis Indianerhilfe e.V.)
Last year we supported the organization „Helping Indigenous Peoples of South America” with the following project: Hugo, a 14-year-old boy of the Urarina tribe in Peru who was bitten by a snake.
Hugo had bad luck. He was bitten by a snake in his village Nuevo Horizonte. With great pain, massive swelling and bruises a family member brought him to the Tucunaré hospital. This took a while due to the large distances. He was given painkillers, cortisone and ampules of polyvalent antivenom as well as antibiotics since there were already signs of an additional infection of the wound. The next day the wound didn’t look any better – it had gotten worse. The antivenom treatment had not worked, so the doctors in the Tucunaré hospital decided to transfer the boy to Iquitos. But this also took a long time because a helicopter (as in the past) was no longer available. So the hospital boat had to be readied for the trip. Dr. Florian accompanied the little patient. They departed from Tucunaré at noon and arrived in Iquitos at the Hospital Regional at 4 pm the next day.
His condition had deteriorated even further. The little patient Hugo Nuribe Cunaya was in a state of shock. A “compartment syndrome” had developed in the lower leg, i.e. the hemorrhages in the muscles damaged the nerves and triggered sepsis. The doctors in the hospital decided to schedule an operation to relieve nerves and muscles. But Paulina, a representative in Iquitos, had to obtain blood bags first. She needed blood type 0+ and only after three blood bags were found the operation could take place the next day. Unfortunately, three days after the operation there was no sign of improvement. A second operation was inevitable.
To save the life of the boy, they decided to amputate the lower leg. But this was not the end of the story. One week later, he had also to be amputated at the thigh. It is really admirable how bravely the boy accepted his fate without complaining. Like many Urarina people, Hugo hardly ate anything in the hospital and lost a lot of weight. Only after being discharged from hospital was he able to eat his usual food again: Fish and cooking bananas. Hugo then was able to smile again. Once he has reached his normal weight and the wound has healed he will be fitted with a prosthesis.
