Indigo Threads First SCHOOL HEALTH CHECK PROGRAM

March 19, 2009

The student’s health has been a prioritized concern for Indigo Threads Laos Education Support and Village Development Non-Profit Humanitarian Organization through out the years we have assisted southern Lao schools.   Fifty percent of rural Laotian children five years old and under suffer from chronic malnutrition, according to a UN Millennium report.  The children’s early childhood malnutrition and the lack of a healthy diet, compromise their development, growth and ability to learn.  Not until children can reach their hand over their head from one ear, touching the other ear, are they permitted to start school.  The average age is 7 years old.   Indigo Threads long-term School Lunch Program addresses these issues, providing students with a healthy, nutritious lunch.   Every year, more schools are added to participate in this important Program.  We are currently providing 1,700 school lunches per week for 4 underprivileged rural schools and 1 desperately poor village.

Health care is out of the question for these children’s family due to their severe poverty.  Some parents rely on traditional medicine remedies for their family’s health needs.  Others suffer without help, often deteriorating rapidly.  Indigo Threads believes modern medicine and traditional medicine can be effective, used in conjunction with each other.  Indigo Threads does provide emergency doctor visits, hospitalization, surgery, transportation to health care facilities and medicine for a few selected families.  It is never enough in relationship to the overwhelming need although 100’s of bottles of multi vitamins are donated to assisted villages.

Indigo Threads, in cooperation with the District Public Health and Education Departments, organized the first School Student Health Check Up Program held in the Province.  As a pilot Program, the 4 schools participating in the School Lunch Program were selected.   The students seemed excited to be excused from class until they saw the 2 Doctors and nurse in their clean white jackets.  Noticing their apprehension, it was soon realized this was a ‘never before’ experience for these children.  First, the clean white health workers jackets made them nervous.  When the ‘white jacketed people’ explained why they were there, the students decided this was going to be fun.  As it was not an invasive examination, it was fun.  Four hundred sixty individual students weight, ears, throat, hair and overall health appearance were checked, in 3 separate sessions during early February 2009.  Some student received prescriptions for their illnesses and/or vitamin deficiency, which closely imitated the villages’ adult health problems Indigo Threads assists.

This Program will continue to be developed and expanded to provide more students with this opportunity.  Good health allows students to attend school daily.   Long untreated illnesses often cause students to drop out of school.   Indigo Threads intent is to reduce the school drop out rate and encourage wellness.

Many thanks to the Public Health Doctors and nurses who participated in Indigo Threads First School Student Health Check Up Program.  It is not an easy assignment to examine 150 rambunctious curious primary school students at one time.  Indigo Threads is proud to have been able to support this Program for the students.

 

This is a cost effective Program, totally $250.00 for the examination of 460 students plus their teachers, the Public Heath Doctors and nurses, transportation and prescriptions. Unbelievably true.  Support this important Program.

Where could your donations mean so much to so many for so little?

Shouci is 7 years old and in the first level at Louyta Primary School.  We have found there to be an equal number of boys and girls attending school.

Mary D. Meyer

Indigo Threads/President-Executive Director

www.indigothreads.org

mdmeyer@indigothreads.org

 

                 

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