We are now in Cambodia and connecting with friends, contacts and projects. Before we left Myanmar we went to visit Dr. Frank Smithius at Medical Action Myanmar. We were assisting CW Asia Fund in facilitating the fundraising they had done to support this very worthy and amazing project that K.I.D.S has partnered with in the past. Nina Bains Cassils and John Cassils and the Wettstein family formed CW Asia Fund many years ago to assist local medical programs in both Myanmar and Cambodia. Their commitment and compassion in supporting better lives for children and families is exemplary and we are very pleased to partner with them to support some amazing projects and programs.
Dr. Frank, as many people seem to call him, is a one of a kind humanitarian and a true inspiration to those working in health care and aid work in developing countries. Frank has been in both Cambodia and now Myanmar for well over 20 years, first with Medecins sans Frontieres and then starting his own medical project in Yangon, Myanmar. Coming to this part of the world from Holland fresh out of medical school was truly an adventure, a challenge and a brave thing to do. Working as a doctor and facing the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge and the civil war in Cambodia was difficult to say the least and then going on to start an NGO in Myanmar was somewhat miraculous.
Medical Action Myanmar (MAM) focuses on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, STD's, reproductive health, family planning and other tropical diseases. Their small informal clinic on the outskirts of Yangon is run by Dr. Ni Ni, a skilled and dedicated doctor, who is renowned for her knowledge and commitment to HIV/AIDS and is dedicated to providing excellent health care to those that are undeserved and vulnerable. The clinic now sees an average of 300 patients a day offering education, medicine and treatment. Both Dr. Frank and Doctor Ni Ni have increased their scope of care to more isolated rural areas and now have 4 staffed clinics and train and provide over 400 volunteer health workers that work in these isolated areas. Their medical teams go out and visit these rural areas bringing medicine, health care and education to those that would otherwise have no access to health care what so ever.
Kyaw Oo arrived with TB and severe malnutrition. MAM tested him for HIV but he was negative. He recovered quickly after medical treatment for TB and therapeutic feeding.
Difficult to recognize after treatment, only the ears are still the same.
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| Kyaw Oo - Before |
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| Kyam Oo - After |
Warmest wishes to you and yours,
Adrianne and Rick