Programs

Local U.S. Programs

Purpose

Almost everybody in the United States came from some other country, sometime ago; regardless of how long they have been here. Often times, new immigrants in U.S. are looked down on because of what appears to be a pathetic situation. These pathetic appearances are caused by insecurity, fear and anxiety resulting from language barrier, loneliness, lack of food, shelter cost and job. Being immigrants who have experienced these situations, the founders of this Foundation want to use the opportunities available to them to help others who are in the same situations they were when they first came to the United State. The programs are:

Social Services Program

This program provides the following:

·         Emergency and disaster response

·         County and State Information

·         Career Counseling and job leads

·         Public Assistance Information

·         General social and economic information for new immigrants

Legal Aid Program

This program provides legal assistance to indigent immigrants who could not have legal representation as a result of poverty. It offers free or reduced fee immigration assistance to those who live at or below the poverty level and cannot afford to hire a lawyer when confronted with an immigration problem

International Programs

The international mission is to provide relief in these key areas – health, hunger and education.

Health Programs

The Polio Project

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that spreads through water contaminated by human feces. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three (over 50% of all cases). The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Amongst those paralyzed, 5%-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio virus can spread widely before cases of paralysis are seen. As most people infected with poliovirus have no signs of illness, they are never aware they have been infected. After initial infection, the virus is shed intermittently in feces for several weeks. During that time, polio can spread rapidly through the community. Discovering just a few cases could mean that thousands have been infected already. In Africa, where polio had been eliminated, bad sanitation and weak health-care systems let it return.

Education and Disease Control

Knowledge of this disease is priority. Teaching people to understand this disease and how to prevent it is very crucial. The problem is people who were infected naturally can shed the virus for a long time without any outward signs. The virus is shed from the digestive tract and contaminates water, so direct contact is not needed. Many parents refuse to allow their minor children access to immunizations and vaccines because of misguided opinions and beliefs.

Our program does the following:

• Create some sort of awareness program that informs people about the cause of the disease.

• Teach people that the vaccination is not harmful and make them to understand why vaccinations are important. Some people in the rural Western African villages believe that the vaccine is evil or sterilizes girls or is a western "poison"

• Encourage early vaccination and intervention

• Provide and administer the vaccination in rural areas

• Children whose legs are paralyzed by polio usually require crutches, special braces or wheelchairs in order to move around. Program provides such walking aids.

• Set up water purification systems

Other Programs

·   Vaccinations and information for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, malaria and cholera

·   Disseminate information on prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS; and diabetes education and management

·   Provide basic early childhood immunization to children.

·   Conduct health fares and screening for AIDS/HIV, diabetes, kidney health, malaria and typhoid

·   Conduct seminars and conferences to address health issues and to disseminate information

Literacy

• Providing scholarship and school supplies to less privileged children in elementary and high schools.

• Encourage women and young girls to participate in technical and vocational trainings aimed at learning new skills.

• Empower women and young girls into self sufficiency and building self esteem.

• Computer programs aimed at hands on training on the use of computers and internet surfing.