SIERRE LEONE: GRANT EXPANDS KISSY HOSPITAL

The Maternal and Child Health unit of the UMCOR-supported Kissy United Methodist Hospital in Sierre Leone, West Africa will double in capacity thanks to a $450,000 grant issued by USAID's American Schools and Hospital's Abroad (ASHA) Program to UMCOR.

The new facility will increase in maternal bed space from 24 to 48 and the pediatric unit will expand from 10 beds to 23. The grant will also provide a larger outpatient area, consulting rooms, administrative offices, as well as an expanded pharmacy, laboratory and radiology department. Kissy Hospital's Community Outreach Unit will also be housed in the new facility.

UMCOR sought the ASHA grant in collaboration with Operation Classroom and Operation Doctor, ministries of the North Indiana Annual Conference. Through these programs, work teams will be sent to provide professional support to the three-year construction project beginning in early 2010.

Support this work by giving to Hospital Revitalization, UMCOR Advance #982168.

SRI LANKA: WATER FOR THE DISPLACED

Over the past several months nearly 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the north of Sri Lanka, creating an urgent need for emergency relief for those in Menik Farm, a camp for the displaced in Vavuniya District. UMCOR, along with partner Muslim Aid, is working to provide clean water for about 4,000 displaced people at Menik Farm.

UMCOR recently purchased a tractor and water bowser to help alleviate the growing water and sanitation problems in the camp. The water will be transported daily to a designated camp site to provide clean water for families in need. The bowser can supply 12,000 liters of water per day and will operate for the next three months.

You can support this work by giving to Sri Lanka Relief and Development, UMCOR Advance #3020630.