A lifesaving effort
Public Health alumni accept call to serve in Yemen
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| Sheryl S. McWilliams, MPH, RN (seated, third from left), poses with community-based rehabilitation ADRAYemen staff. In the background (right) are Yemeni children. |
Located in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Oman lies the country of Yemen. According to The World Factbook, published by the United States government, Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arabian world. Two Loma Linda University alumni work for Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)Yemen: Daniel A. McWilliams, MPH, RRT, a 1995 graduate of the School of Public Health; and Sheryl S. McWilliams, MPH, RN, a 1999 graduate of the School of Public Health.
"While completing my MPH at Loma Linda," recalls Ms. McWilliams, "I worked full-time for LLU Cancer Institute as director of their cancer resource center. I had a wonderful experience there and did not want to leave--but when invited to consider working overseas, Dan and I felt that this is where the Lord was leading."
Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH, dean of the School of Public Health, was helpful to the young couple as they considered their options. "Dr. Hart shared many words of wisdom and support as we very seriously considered whether or not to accept the assignment," recalls Ms. McWilliams.
"ADRA began its work in Yemen in 1995," says Mr. McWilliams. "The Yemen Ministry of Health identified the Tihama region along the Red Sea as an area in need of child survival activities."
A child survival project funded by USAID followed. Says Mr. McWilliams, "During the course of implementation, other needs were identified. ADRA-Yemen is now involved with child survival activities, primary health care, midwifery training, community-based rehabilitation, vitamin A education and supplementation, small enterprise development, and women's literacy.
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| Daniel A. McWilliams, MPH, RRT, and Sheryl S. McWilliams, MPH, RN, both alumni of the School of Public Health, are working with ADRAYemen. He is country director for the organization, and she is director of the Landmine Victims' Assistance program. |
"From its humble beginnings with a staff of two, ADRA-Yemen has grown to more than 100 staff and volunteers," he reports. Of the staff, the McWilliamses are from the United States, the director of the vitamin A project is from Uganda, and the accountant is from Ethiopia. All others are Yemeni.
As country director, Mr. McWilliams seeks liaisons with Yemeni government structures and ministries, and with other non-government organizations (NGOs). He also ensures that projects are functioning properly.
The ADRA-Yemen goal is to build a capacity at the national, governorate, and community levels to provide needed services to the Yemeni people. This is accomplished by working closely with various governmental agencies at the national and governorate levels. In addition, ADRA-Yemen regularly partners with other local and international NGOs to build positive working relationships.
"The programs that are developed will not be sustainable," informs Mr. McWilliams, "unless communities are mobilized and take an active part in the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.
"Community mobilization is an area that ADRA-Yemen has worked very hard to develop. By involving the community and teaching them to help themselves, long-term results will show positive outcomes for the entire community and not just small pockets of people."
"I am continuously looking for new areas of work and cooperation that ADRA can become involved in," he says. "By working with existing structures at the national and governorate levels, long-term benefits will be enjoyed by the country as a whole."
According to Mr. McWilliams, one of the most recent examples of working with the government is that ADRA-Yemen is the first organization to contract with the Health Sector Reform Unit in the Ministry of Public Health to perform training and organizing of district health management teams. "We are in line with the decentralization model of the government," he says, "and are leading the way in this model."
ADRA will soon send two employees to assist in a nationwide survey of drug revolving funds and cost-recovery schemes with another NGO and government staff.
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| Wearing traditional Yemeni clothing, Ms. McWilliams poses with Fatima Saleh Kairem. Ms. Kairem is a community-based rehabilitation worker. |
"What we want to do and are beginning to receive recognition for," he explains, "is to establish a model to be used by the
Yemeni government. On a visit to the project area in March, the Minister of Public Health mentioned that he foresees similar programs being implemented in other areas of the country."
On his visit to the Tihama, the Minister of Public Health also stated, "I am very impressed with the good work ADRA is doing in the way of training, health education, and community involvement."
Land-mine project
Ms. McWilliams is director of Landmine Victims' Assistance. "We are using a community-based rehabilitation approach," says Ms. McWilliams. "This means we are working with the Yemeni government to establish a system of providing services to the disabled in their rural villages."
According to Ms. McWilliams, centers to help Yemen's disabled persons and landmine victims do not exist. Furthermore, many of the people needing help live in extreme rural and difficult-to-reach areas. "In addition to these challenges," she elaborates, "many are subsistence dwellers, meaning that they have no money to pay for specialized treatment or even to pay for transportation to a center."
Many areas are so inaccessible that landmine victims--especially those with lower-limb trauma--will die before they are able to receive help.
As part of the program, workers will be trained in physiotherapy, and how to work with the blind and deaf so they can help rehabilitate the disabled persons in their area.
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| Situated south of Saudi Arabia on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Republic of Yemen is desert-like. It is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. |
"We will also provide counseling," she says, "working with families to educate them regarding disability issues."
Once the client's physical needs are addressed, "We look for educational opportunities for them," she continues. "This includes vocational training, apprenticeships, and providing small loans so they may start a business. This facilitates economic growth and social integration."
The entire community is invited to become involved, with committees responsible for raising funds to cover the cost of assistive devices such as walking sticks and prosthetic devices.
In 1999, Karen Pendleton, MA, assistant professor of occupational therapy, School of Allied Health Professions, went to Yemen to see how LLU and ADRA could cooperate. According to Ms. McWilliams, "There is a plan to consider having LLU occupational therapy students volunteer in Yemen to work in the villages with the disabled."
The McWilliamses say they are honored to be given the privilege of working with the people of Yemen. Summarizing their experience, they say, "This has been and continues to truly be a life-changing experience for us, and for the people with whom we are working.
"We're also thankful for the education we received at the School of Public
Health, which helped prepare us for this adventure. And it is an adventure! We
miss our families, and at times the comforts of home. But we also know that a
difference is being made in the lives of these precious people, and we're just
happy to play a small part in it!"
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