[Peace] help for guatemala

[Peter Rohloff]

Hi all, This is a bit off-topic, but I am collecting medical supplies 
for a relief trip to Guatemala this summer--if you are interested in 
helping, read on...peter

___________________

Howdy all:

Many of you already know that I will be in Guatemala this summer doing 
volunteer medical work July 2-August 15. This is my second trip to the 
region. This time, I am leading a diverse group of medical 
professionals and students, most of whom will be working in the region 
for the first time. The program is coordinated on-site in Guatemala by 
local staff of the well-known cultural exchange program Amerispan, 
which, in addition to the language-learning programs they are most 
known for,  has been helping to organize educational  and volunteer 
opportunities in the third world for medical personnel for nearly 10 
years now.

We will be living in La Antigua, a small colonial city located in the 
central mountanous department of Sacatepéquez. We will be working in a 
number of surrounding rural village clinics providing basic children's 
healthcare, nutritional counseling, etc. We also will be working with a 
small children's AIDS hospice and several larger health care charities 
that provide an array of minor surgical, mental health, family 
planning, etc for the very poor.

Anyway-- I am writing to all of you because we are right now in the 
process of collecting medical supplies to bring with us for the trip. 
We are greatly in need of basic medical supplies and equipment, much of 
which is readily available at the corner drugstore. The following list 
is typical:

--Fever control medicine, especially childrens tylenol (chewable and 
liquid), also ibuprofen
--Various creams and ointments, such as zinc oxide, antibiotic cream 
(to treat dermatitis associated with malnourishment, also diaper rash 
and cutaneous infections)
--Children's vitamins (in many villages, >50% of children are greatly 
malnourished)
--Sterile bandage materials, alcohol swabs, surgical tape
--Cheap electronic or alcohol thermometers

Anyway, you can help in several ways:

(1) Make a purchase of some of the above items and give them to me

(2) Write a check! We have an arrangement with a large hospital 
pharmacy to purchase supplies at cost, and we will be pooling any 
financial donations we receive to this end. You can write a check 
payable to me, and I will furnish a receipt of what was actually 
purchased with your money. Please note that all donations go directly 
to the purchase of medical supplies. All participants in this program 
are paying in full for their own travel and living expenses.

(3) Spread the word! We are hitting up as many hospitals, physicians, 
pharmacists as we can. More specialized supples such as stethoscopes, 
otoscopes, suturing supplies, antibiotics,  are also needed--so if you 
know someone who has access to these resources, please let them know.


So, if you are interested in helping, donating, or spreading the word, 
let me know! I would be happy to answer any questions you might have by 
email or home phone (217-359-9546). If you would like to contribute 
financially, my mailing address is 902 W Washington, Champaign, IL, 
61821. I will be sending receipts and an update toward the end of June.

Thanks for your time, Peter


_______________________________
Peter Rohloff, PhD
Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology
Medical Scholars Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign