Slum Doctor Programme

A group of active and involved students at Western Washington University have started a club, Students for Slum Doctor Programme (SSDP), to bring awareness and education of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic to the college community.  SSDP will also serve as a resource and connection for the Slum Doctor Programme to Western’s campus and will help raise money to support their projects on the ground in Kenya and Uganda.  The Pre-Med and African Caribbean clubs will also be active in collaborating with SSDP for various activities related to Slum Doctor’s mission of global HIV/AIDS awareness.  It is a great way for Western students to get involved not only locally with the campus and Bellingham communities, but also to broaden their global perspectives.  SSDP meets weekly on Mondays at 6:30 in Viking Union 460. All are welcome.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has devoted a whole resources page to HIV/AIDS and gender.  An insightful and relevant sight to the work we do since stopping the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is contingent upon the betterment of women’s lives worldwide.

One week ago, Ombogo Girl’s Academy, a Slum Doctor Programme partner organization in Kenya, was in danger of having to send 7 girls home because they were unable to pay tuition. The Rangwe district in Kenya, where the school is located, has one of the highest rates of poverty and HIV/AIDS in the country. So, an education is especially important for these girls to succeed, overcome their circumstances and, in turn, help their community. Slum Doctor Programme put out an emergency appeal and supporters responded in an astounding way, raising $5000 so these girls could stay in school and receive the education they deserve. Can you feel the love?! ~*~*~ Bellingham to Kenya

Sleep Less/Study More.... written on the wall of an Ombogo dorm wall

Hello Slum Doctor Programme supporters,

I’m Jenny Gerfen, the new AmeriCorps volunteer filling the Education Coordinator position. I’m a recent graduate of Western Washington University during which time I completed an international internship working at an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for six months. I’d always felt a calling to work in the non-profit sector, however my experience in Ethiopia touched me more than I could’ve imagined. After returning from Ethiopia, I started getting involved with Slum Doctor Programme.

As a former volunteer, I’m thrilled to be working for this wonderful organization with such a progressive and proactive stance on the fight against poverty, gender inequality and specifically HIV/AIDS. I look forward to meeting and working with you all, the most caring, generous and joyful community that is Slum Doctor Programme.

SDP is having a holiday jewelry sale at the Old Newstand (111 E. Magnolia) through the end of the month. The jewelry featured in the sale is all .925 sterling silver and starts at $10.  Half of the proceeds from this sale will go directly to Slum Doctor Programme. This jewelry is incredibly beautiful and will make for excellent gifts. I think that this year in particular friends and family will appreciate a gift that helps others!

The store will be open Tues.-Satu from 12-6. If you have any questions, please contact us!

Check out our newest newsletter!  You will find information about our events, projects, volunteers and more.

The newsletter has a volunteer profile of Mackenzie Lynch, picured here at the Ethiopian Dinner

Alex Kajumulo, who performed at SDP’s latest event, The Ethiopian Dinner, will return to Bellingham on November 30th for a SDP benefit concert at the Wild Buffalo.  We will be celebrating the release of Alex’s newest album, “Justice for Mankind.”  Alex’s Afro-fusion music brought almost everyone at the Ethiopian Dinner to their feet! And we are sure this concert won’t be any different.

Alex Kajumulo is originally from Tanzania and his music blends African beats, reggae and hip hop. He will be joined by Ruby and King Fila whose influences include American pop and and hip hop.

Tickets for this event will be available at the door for $16 or $8 for students.

This concert was made possible by the hard work and planning of WWU’s Pre-Med Club. Thank you!

We all hope to see you there!

– to watch a video of Alex at the Ethopian Dinner click here.

A group of WWU students in a Communications class called Advocacy through Media, created several videos for SDP.  I think they are all excellent and talk about the importance of Slum Doctor Programme’s work providing services for those impacted by AIDS in Kenya and Uganda! Check it out. I also want to say thank you, thank you to this group of amazing students. Thanks!

I have been hearing a lot about the immediate changes Barack Obama will be making once he becomes President in January. One of these shifts is on the Bush administration’s AIDS policies. The PEPFAR plan, which gives billions to AIDS relief in developing countries, focuses on family planning and AIDS prevention strategies that were linked to anti-abortion and abstinence education.

An Obama adviser says that he will change this focus upon entering the White House. He says Obama is, “committed to looking at all this and changing the policies so that family-planning services — both in the U.S. and the developing world — reflect what works, what helps prevent unintended pregnancy, reduce maternal and infant mortality, prevent the spread of disease.”

To read more about the family-planning and AIDS policies Obama may change after entering office read this article on Bloomberg news.

I stumbled across this project recently.  They have verbalized, and I think verbalized is a key word here, one of our main passions in doing this work.  Ombogo Girls’ Academy is our effort to keep girls safe, to give them a quality education, and to empower them to become independent.  One of our friends suggested that we photoshop our name onto the video.  I think that might violate 1 or 2 copyright laws. So instead just know that this video is basically our mission.

www.girleffect.org