Mini Newsletter Archives

PET® International Mini-Newsletter 1.3 November 2011

PET story and photos from Zambia

On a trip to Zambia in July 2011, our short term ministry team was taking time to follow up with OVC Advocates with whom we have developed a partnership.  There are so many orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia, but there are also many local people who are working with them daily to meet their needs.  One of our favorite things to do in ministry is visit with people and see first-hand what the Lord is doing.  God is working.  While many of the things we observe are a testament of the work that God is doing with individuals and communities, there are also unmet needs. On one particular day we were visiting with an area in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia with a man named Simon.  Many needs were presented to us, but we developed a special burden for two children, Blessings and Mapalo.

Blessings and Mapalo both suffer from Cerebral Palsy.  In the US we often see those suffering from CP getting around in motorized wheelchairs and sometimes a van that will lift the chair for ease in transport.  In contrast, the 6 year old girl, Blessings, arrived tied to her caregivers back using a Chitenge. As one would imagine, it is not easy to take her places, but at age 6 she is still small enough to transport.  Mapalo, on the other hand, is a 12 year old boy who has grown larger than his grandmother who serves as his primary caregiver.  He could stand and take a few steps with assistance from his grandmother, but in a society where walking is a way of life, he is rarely able to go far.

The families of both of these children are working to provide for their basic needs, and paying transport cost required for their children to join them when they move about was an extra burden on their household and often resulted in the need to leave them at home. Not only did this need capture our attention, but the relationship that the caretakers had with their children also stood out to us.  For any mother going about their business, it’s easy to become distracted from the important job of caring for a child, but these women were extremely attentive toward their children with special needs.   The grandmother was careful to prop Mapalo up against her so that he could was comfortable and could observe what was happening around him.  Similarly we watched Blessing’s mom lovingly dote over her as if she was the only other person in the world.  As the team observed and later talked with these families, we knew that when we got back to the US we wanted to find a way to help these two children remain a part of the society through providing some sort of wheelchair.

Upon returning we searched for options to be able to provide for this need, including making our own wheelchairs out of PVC and supporting Simon to search around Zambia for options.  One of the team member’s mother learned about a group that made PET carts here in the US.  These seemed to be perfect since they are designed to travel on non-paved, less-than-ideal roads and paths.  When communicating with Von Driggs of PET International, we learned that they had a person who made these carts in the neighboring town of Kitwe, Zambia!  The communication was a breeze – Von was quick to respond and introduce us to his Zambian counterpart, Delbert, who manufactures the PET chairs from the New Life Center in Kitwe.  He was able to build specialized chairs for the children, which were ready for pick-up in a short amount of time.  We are very grateful for the work of PET International and the New Life Center in Kitwe for stepping up to meet the needs of disabled children and be a visible expression of the love of Christ.  These chairs are now improving the lives of Blessings, Mapalo, and their families by providing them with increased mobility.   Tannen VanZwieten

“…You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD…”  Psalm 70:5

Letter from Orphan Grain Train

Dear Mel:

I wish to acknowledge that we have received the PETS and they arrived in super condition. It is always a pleasure to receive a load of humanitarian items that are in good shape.

We have been receiving your PETS for quite some time now. They have always arrived in a timely manner, not earthly, but in God’s timing. Just when we have a location that needs human mobility the PETS come in our door. We had started shipping to a new recipient in Ghana where they are immobile to the point they have to crawl to where ever they go. PETS have given these people another chance in life along with restoring their dignity.

Nicaragua has proven to be a life changing destination for the PETS. People that were unable to make a living and could not support not only themselves but their families are now using their PETS to earn that so important income. Since the PETS are perfect for the rocky areas the PETS find a home in the mountains of Matagalpa where the population was war ravaged and many people due to disabilities were unable to move any farther than just a few blocks from their homes.

Orphan Grain Train has sent numerous PETS to the country of Haiti where not only poverty was a major issue but the earthquake sent devastation and destruction to an already impoverished country. Our recipients in Haiti love them and when the “mini mart” cooler or “shoe shine” kit is added gives them an opportunity to earn that so important income.

The thank you letters are numerous, but none are more precious than the little child’s smile when they are able to go to school and have the freedom to do the things they could not do before.

Thank you PET for being a partner with Orphan Grain Train and making every day a life changing event.

Blessings,
Faythe Ann
Faythe Ann Jaroska
Executive Assistant Orphan Grain Train, Inc.

Pray for Sekou at Hope Clinic Guinea

Sekou is a roofer by trade. He is married and has a daughter. Sekou came to Hope Clinic a few months ago and was hospitalized because of high blood sugar. The staff spent weeks trying to regulate his blood sugar. He also had a badly infected leg. People with high blood sugar heal poorly if they get cuts or wounds. He had already lost a leg before coming to Hope Clinic. Dr. Jean did everything possible to save the leg but in the end, the second foot had to be amputated. With the amputation of his second leg, life has become a major challenge. He is not doing well adjusting to his new diet. So he is still struggling with keeping his sugar levels normal. Mobility is one of the many challenges. We no longer had any new PETS but we cobbled a couple together and gave Sekou the result. He has not expressed any interest in the good news of Jesus. Pray for him.

To be included in the mailing list for PET International mini-newsletters, please go to PETInternational.org and enter your email address in the form in the right column.