.JPG)
Dr. George Whitelaw speaks to a group about Children Without
Borders
The next Boston non-profit that I want to write a quick profile of is Children Without Borders, based in Milton, MA. In a nutshell, Children Without Borders is working hard to bring medical supplies and treatment to the children and their families of under-developed countries in Central and South America. What makes them stand out from many of the other organizations with a similar goal is that they set up permanent clinics in specific areas, manned by doctors, nurses and other volunteers all year round. Currently, they’ve got two clinics running full steam, both of them in Costa Rica. Not bad for only being in business for 2 years!
I was able to speak with one of the founders of Children Without Borders, Dr. George Whitelaw, the other day, and I got his personal insight into the good that this organization is doing down in Costa Rica. He says that in addition to providing the treatment and medical supplies to the populace, a large part of the good that they’re doing is providing health education to the people. I asked him about what the ratio is between medical supplies and knowledge dissemination.
“At least 50/50, if not more for education. We have a number of different health education programs set up…which are important to the overall health of these children and their families.”
The programs each focus on a different and specific health education need in the area. One program is for mothers of children under three months old, teaching them how to take care of their children to make sure they grow up strong and healthy, and providing supplies like bottles, milk products, blankets, etc. Another program caters to teens with a focus on domestic violence, and teaching them to cope with violence at home to prevent it in future generations. Another program teaches young people about sexual education, as many of these children are engaged in sexual activity as young as 13 or 14.
.JPG)
Some of the patrons of the Children Without Borders Clinic in Costa Rica. The floor-tile mosaic were installed as a gift from a local factory, and installed by the locals.
It was clear from talking to Dr. Whitelaw, who lives in Weston, just how proud he is of the work that Children Without Borders is doing, the people who work with the organization (most of whom are volunteers), and their vision for the future.
“If our clinics in Costa Rica fail, these children will not get the care. You really feel like you are making a difference, and that difference should be sustainable over the years with the model that we have. I can think ‘right now in Costa Rica, sick children are being taken care of who wouldn’t have been otherwise.’”
The ultimate goal, Dr. Whitelaw said, is to expand the clinics and the programs they provide to the rest of Central and South America. But they want to make sure that when they do expand, the clinics will be set up in a sustainable and permantent way, so their impact will be lasting and far-reaching.
If you’re interested in donating to Children Without Borders (and 90% of all of their donations go directly to one of their clinics), you can do so directly on their website (the link is to Google Checkout near the bottom of the page).
Until next time, stay charitable!
Comments