Special Western African dance performance by well-known dance company Afriky Lolo
to headline fundraiser
Edwardsville, Ill., April 9, 2012 - Medical treatment in rural areas of developing countries has become so targeted toward specific illness like HIV/AIDS, TB or cleft palate that the more common health care needs are going unmet. Dr. Hiba Salih, of Sudan, and Dr. Aditi Giri, of Nepal, with Global Health through Education, Training and Service (GHETS) are trying to change this.
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They will present about their important medical work during an African Garden Party at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12 at Birger Hall on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus to raise awareness and funds about the critical need for primary medical care in rural areas of developing countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. The event is sponsored by the Simmons Law Firm and the Law Offices of Jim Dowd.
“The African Garden Party to benefit GHETS is a unique opportunity for people to experience Western African culture while supporting the important medical work being down in Africa and other developing regions around the world that will save countless lives,” said Ted Gianaris, Simmons Firm Shareholder. “We invite everyone to attend and learn more about this important cause.”
The evening will feature a Western African performance by the dance company Afriky Lolo, known throughout the area for their fantastic costumes and complex choreography. The group is directed by Diadie Bathily, an instructor with COCA St. Louis, who grew up in the Ivory Coast region in West Africa.
The garden party fundraiser takes place 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Birger Hall, on the SIUE campus. Additional music will be performed by a jazz trio from Edwardsville High School. The event will conclude with a spectacular display of fire spinning. Refreshments are included.
Admission is free, but donations, which save lives, are encouraged. Any level of support makes a difference. A $30 donation provides meals for six people during an HIV/AIDS seminar for Darfur Refugees. A $120 donation buys three medical text books for Uganda medical students. A $1,300 donation supports the development of a new medical school at the University of Namibia A $5,000 helps build a family and patient medical clinic in Nepal and saves countless lives.
GHETS fundraiser/Add One
One hundred percent of the funds raised will benefit GHETS and its work to bring primary medical care to rural and under-served communities in developing countries. To RSVP or for additional information, call 618-259-2222 or e-mail RSVP_GHETS@simmonsfirm.com.
Special Guests:
Dr. Salih is a physician from Sudan who first started working with GHETS on a project to support community health workers in South Sudan on maternal and child health issues through song, dance and drama. She will speak about her work implementing community-oriented primary care models and developing family medicine curricula with GHETS partners in Africa and the Middle East.
Dr. Giri is a physician from Nepal who currently works as a medical officer at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. She will talk about an on-going project with GHETS to establish a health clinic that would provide free, primary health care to people living in Dhanuji and the surrounding region in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in South Asia. The start up costs for the clinic are $7,000 and it would help the lives of 15,000 people.
About GHETS:
GHETS is a non-governmental, non-profit organization based in the United States, dedicated to improving health in developing countries through innovations in education and service. GHETS provides start-up grants to local training institutions in low-income countries and the technical help to launch and improve programs that prepare and support healthcare workers serving in rural and poor communities.
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