The
Start of CRMF
I preface
this by saying this account is far from being complete or entirely
accurate. Truly it cannot serve to
report the amazing beginning or even as a complete information source of all
the work that Caring Response Madagascar Foundation does, but I hope you will
learn a little more about the amazing work that has been done in Madagascar
over the last 15 years by this phenomenal organization. I am grateful for the opportunity provided to
me by Dr. Carol Egner and the CRMF team in allowing me to accompany them this
year. Not only have I learned so much
about the work they have done and continue to do but also, it has been a life
altering experience.
The story
begins that sometime in the year 2000, David Eugene Wiltse, son of Doctor David Wiltse and Mrs. Virginia “Ginny” Wiltse met Edwin, a religious brother of the order of
saint Gabriel from India while he was studying in France. From their
meeting, ignited a lifetime of friendship and the subsequent timely birth of the
Caring Response Madagascar Foundation, CRMF. At the time of their
meeting, Ginny says her son David was searching for a path that would allow him to
truly help others. Ginny describes her son's meeting Edwin as a
revelation of her son "finding purpose" in accordance with his faith.
To her son's enthusiasm in fulfilling his dream to help those greatest in need
in Madagascar she responded with receptiveness and agreement in helping her son
fulfill his dream to help those less fortunate and so began CRMF.
In our casual conversation at the airport awaiting our flight from Cincinnati to Paris she says “the duty of those who
have plenty is to help those who have very little”. I smile in awe of her amazing strength and
radiating smile. She has had her own
personal trials but you would never know as she remains so very organized and
key in formulating and organizing the endeavors of the foundation for the last
15 years. Of course, Ginny could not do
such great work without including her husband Dr. Wiltse, a critical care
pulmonologist well known for his work in Cincinnati and most humble in his demeanor.
Ginny, Dr. Wiltse and Ginny's sister, Andrea
Brother
Edwin recalls that in the same here he started his call to service in
Madagascar, three tropical cyclones had left great damage to the country of Madagascar
in the year 2000; and in the same year the Cholera epidemic was ravishing the
country. Soldiers were administering medicine by force at borders in an
effort to eliminate the disease burden. There were multiple deaths from
cholera with over burdened hospitals filled with dying Malagasy people.
For those of you
wondering what a cyclone looks like, don’t be ashamed I had to look it up too J
On initial arrival
to Madagascar, Brother Edwin’s role was to preach the gospel. Ginny exclaims passionately that Edwin
realized he had many steps to take to help the people of Madagascar before he
could start talking about the gospel.
“He had to live the gospel, not talk about it”. That was the saving that people needed
Brother Edwin says, as we strolled the grounds where his office/toilet
factory/computer training center/sanitation education center is located.
There were
and are many things that lead to the cholera epidemic, most of which are
culturally rooted. For starters the
“bathroom” appears to be any open land surface, even I have seen people “OD” as
the peace core volunteers put it “Openly Defecate” everywhere. I know what you’re thinking, “kinda gross”,
but that’s just what people have been taught to do. Unfortunately with rain like that of a
cyclone you can only imagine how infested essential water sources were with
human waste. Additionally, Malagassy
people consider the land to be sacred, it’s where they burry the dead, uproot
their bones about a year later and dance through the streets celebrating the
life of their ancestors, so for many people it is unacceptable to dig the
ground deep enough for latrines. Working
against "Fadi" “taboo”, was a major issue, people were against
constructing toilets where they lived because they fear bad things happening by
disturbing the sacred ground. So educating the people in the face of Fadi
has been quite the challenge.
In order to prevent
cholera people needed clean water, greatly improved sanitation and even more
important, education! Literacy, the
simple basic ability to read and understand written information became a
primary goal of CRMF as that would allow them to educate people about
sanitation and clean water more effectively. With help from Unicef a lot has
been done already to help many families with improved sanitation.
Dr. Huxley and Brother Edwin, the
concrete models behind them, used to make latrines that require a much deeper
hole underground to prevent unsanitary conditions. Later it was discovered that Bro. Edwin
was the first to employ women in construction when he employed them in masonry
in building toilettes.
Touring the compound
where Brother Edwin has been working with his team on constructing different
toilets, performing experiments to recycle human waste for fertilization and
educating people on sanitation.
(Left to Right: Darwin,
Dr. Wiltse, Ginny and Dr. Huxley)
Now in
sanitation park people come to choose the type of toilet they like and help in
building them in their community. Choosing based on affordability while
also showing accountability.Using urine
separated from human feces to fertilize plants a big difference has been seen
in the growth of the plant. The plant in the center is fertilized with
urine.
On the same
compound is a computer literacy center used to aid students in learning how to
use computers on four sessions throughout the day. Students learn how to
use word, excel, etc to improve job opportunities. Nearly 6,000
people have graduated from the computer literacy program and more than 15,000
from the reading literacy program, a program funded entirely by CRMF.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE AT:
www.caringresponse.org or look them up on Facebook!
More to come regarding the "Healthy model village" created in a very remote area of Madagascar, welcoming dances and life in the "Bush".
Madagascar team at lunch after the clinic.
Peace Core Volunteers, Darwin, Ally, Kristen (RN at Children's Hospital and Dr. Huxley)
Thanks for reading!
Veluma, Sash :)
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