Exciting news from DRC!

I have some great news to share with all of you!

Project Sunset has officially launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We recently received an incredibly detailed report from Jean Claude, the Congolese surgeon, who is heading up the program in the DRC. He is in charge of Nebobongo Hospital, the only hope for so many people in the surrounding area. Although their resources are very limited this hospital is still the best-equipped and staffed hospital in an area serving over 260,000 people. Just the fact that they have doctors and medicine in their pharmacy puts them on a level above the majority of hospitals in the area. In addition to all of the never-ending work he has with the hospital he has graciously taken on Project Sunset as well.

Below are some excerpts from his report that I found extremely educational and thought it would be very helpful for everyone who supports Project Sunset to read.

“Mosquito nets treated with long acting insecticide are one of the well-known means which strongly contribute to the malaria fighting around the world and saves many lives of infants as well as of adults. Thus, all kinds of means regardless how great their efficacy is, if they are not well mastered, understood, and accepted by the people who are supposed to apply them, end up being obsolete.

“Pygmies, our targeted group of population are a specific people by their culture and lifestyle and preferences of living relatively isolated in the forest make them sometimes vulnerable to even avoidable and preventable diseases.  Pygmies are the least educated and least informed concerning ways of fighting malaria. They are also reluctant to come to the hospital when they get sick.

“The DR Congolese government with its partners has distributed mosquito nets in the previous years. But unfortunately the population and pygmies did not use them properly. The mosquito nets were used to protect growing food from insects, chicks from sparrowhawk , killing termites in terms of protecting houses from destruction by these insects, fishing with either the mosquito net itself or using the soaked insecticide, or constructing indigenous houses with mosquito nets trimmed and used as rope…

  

“From all problems emphasized above, The Nebobongo team for the prevention and promotion of good health, decided to act first by conducting an assessment of the situation, specifically of pygmies and then train and teach them about good ways to fight and prevent malaria.”

Throughout the various education sessions “eight medical providers were involved in these activities: 3 medical Doctors, 5 nurses of different levels and they were helped by 6 Pygmy facilitators who would introduce us to pygmies and sometimes translate to their own dialect.”

They were able to educate 625 people in all of the various education sessions. The next steps are to further the education programs and begin net distribution once they fully understand how to properly use the nets.

We have an extremely significant opportunity to directly impact the lives of so many in DRC, so please continue to give and pray about how God is using Project Sunset! 

Expanding to the DRC!

Such exciting news!!!! 

Project Sunset has officially expanded to a second country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)! We are very excited about expanding our work and seeing all of your support benefit people in both Gabon and now the DRC.

Initially, funds from Project Sunset will be used to educate the people of DRC about malaria and the value of mosquito nets. Nebobongo Hospital is creating an education program that they will roll out to the Pygmy population first, who have not made use of the nets before.  People can currently get nets from relief organizations in the area; however, they  don’t understand the importance of the nets or how to properly use them. The vital education component is missing. Without education about the nets, the villagers are  using them as fishing nets, pillows, and anything other than to prevent mosquitos from biting and spreading malaria. 

As long as there are not education programs about malaria and mosquito nets, all distribution efforts are pointless.  After education programs take place, mosquito net distribution will begin in DRC! 

I hope this news is as exciting to all of you, as it is to me! It is so encouraging to me not only that we can expand to work in another country, but that our support is continually growing - making this dream a reality!  

Thank you so much everyone for your continued support!

1,206

The original goal a little over two years ago was to raise money for 50 mosquito nets. The blue package in the picture below holds the first 50 mosquito nets raised through Project Sunset.

God has worked through all of you supporting Project Sunset in 13 states and 5 countries around the world to raise enough money to buy 1,206 mosquito nets!! Which looks more like this:

In the first year and a half 593 nets were raised, and in 2013 we raised 613 nets! That’s at least 1,206 people protected from malaria!

Thank you SO much to every person who has bought a shirt, held a fundraiser, or spread the word about Project Sunset.

Excited for what 2014 will hold!!!! 

The Four E's

E4 Project is a very unique organization, created by God through Eric and Brynn Schmidt. I have always known this, but in the past year E4 has begun to stand out even more in my eyes in many ways. Since E4 “adopted” Project Sunset and me into their organization - rather into their family - two years ago I have been very thankful for this opportunity to serve with them. Their strong focus on accomplishing goals through long term relationships and partnership is the foundation of everything they are and every decision and act they make.

The four E’s of E4 stand for Engage, Empower, Equip, and Educate. This mission’s model sets E4 apart from many missions and non-profit organizations today. Most of the time these four E’s apply to our partners in ministry overseas, but I know from personal experience that anyone who gets the chance to interact with E4 in any way experiences these four E’s in their own life as well.

Before my adoption into E4 I felt like I could make a difference, but with their support I feel so empowered to continue to work for God’s Kingdom and make a real difference in the lives of His Children. E4 has equipped me with the tools to set higher and higher goals and continue to soar past them. E4 is the reason that I was able to go to Gabon for the first time in June 2012 which engaged me even further with Gabon and would change the course of the next two years of my life, and hopefully many more to come. Once you hear the vision of E4, it’s hard not to be engaged both with their goals and with serving God in any aspect of life. As a college student with a lot to learn about life, E4 continues to educate me not only in the non-profit side of things, but in all areas of life.

Brynn and Eric have become two of my greatest life mentors and that is a huge reflection of them as people but also a reflection of the heart of their organization from top to bottom. They are in it for the long haul to honor God with every relationship and partnership they have, whether in Gabon, the DRC, or stateside and I am so thankful that Project Sunset gets to be part of such an amazing organization.