Projects
December 5, 2023 White Cross – Congo Medical Supplies
[pie chart]6%Support Raised
[world map] Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo push-pin Democratic Republic of the Congo
Health and Wellness Health and Wellness
• Democratic Republic of the Congo • Health and Wellness • White Cross
GoalThe goal of this project is to provide medical equipment & supplies and pay for the cost of shipping to them to the Congo.
SummaryThis White Cross project seeks to raise $25,490 annually to improve patient care in the Congo.
DescriptionWhite Cross funds purchase hospital supplies, consumables, linens, uniforms and medicines for Baptist hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These funds also pay for transportation costs to get supplies delivered to mostly remote (bush) hospitals. When possible, White Cross funds pay the cost of shipping containers from the US to the DRC. Those containers include hospital supplies, hand rolled bandages, baby layettes lovingly assembled by individuals, ABW groups, and churches. White Cross stretches hospital budgets in Baptist hospitals in a country where most Congolese earn less than $1/day. These hospitals serve poor and rural patients in a country where health care is on a fee for service basis. White Cross supplies and uniforms increase the quality of care offered by Baptist mission hospitals and the dignity with which providers deliver services since they are better equipped and appropriately uniformed. White Cross funds/supplies are a marvelous connection of love and support between followers of Christ in the US and Congolese medical providers working in difficult circumstances to provide wholistic health care to patients. This extends the love of God in a tangible way to staff and patients, and it extends the prayer support of the body of Christ in the US. White Cross has been especially helpful when hospitals face unexpected epidemics like typhoid, malaria, Ebola and cholera, and recent threats of hemorrhagic fever. Funds can also add or replace basic medical equipment like blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, surgical instruments, sterilizers, delivery beds, etc. During the COVID pandemic there was a much greater usage of gloves, gowns, masks and disinfectants. The project total cost is $76,470 over 3 years, or $25,490 per year.
Suggested GiftsA gift of $500 will refresh manual blood pressure machines, or provide gloves, sutures & anesthetics for 2 months, or provide surgical instruments. A gift of $1,000 covers the cost of ordering 110 nursing scrubs sheets, or 3-4 dozen operating room gowns, or 10 dozen sheets or 22 hospital mattresses. A generous gift of $5,000 would purchase gauze, lap pads, glucose sticks and medicines. An extraordinary gift of $33,000 will ship an ocean freight container from the US to the Congo.
Prayer RequestsPray for smooth transit of supplies that must be transported up to 500 miles to distant hospitals in the network. Pray for how equipment, medicine & supplies are handled & packaged for shipping in ocean freight containers to arrive undamaged.
Managed ByNiles, Katherine & Wayne