Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

feeding Kenyan babies

“One bead at a time”

I frequently ponder inequality in the world.  It bothers me that I’m not working harder to change it.   Somebody’s baby’s going hungry while we are still eating out.  I understand consequence for negative choices but I can’t rationalize being born into despair.  Recently, a patient of mine traveled to Haiti on a mission trip.  She shared some interesting stories…

“The Haitian village that we worked in was a very close-knit community.  Women are the primary caretakers of the children and most of what they know is passed down from the older women of the village.  Unfortunately, this includes a ton of what we would call “old wives’ tales”.  Because of the lack of financial resources, women must breastfeed.  They simply cannot afford to buy formula.  However, young mothers will often be influenced by older women that their milk is “bad”.  They believe if a mother cries a lot (due to postpartum depression) while she is nursing her baby, that the tears will create a vacuum that literally sucks her milk up into her head where her brain will then poison the milk when it travels back to her breasts.  Young mothers, not wanting to poison their babies with breast milk, will sometimes feed them a watered-down inadequate supply of formula leading to malnutrition.  Or they will try to feed them baby food instead of milk when they are much too young to digest it well which leads to diarrhea

The Haitians are in dire need of basic nutrition and health classes.  But I think it will take patience and consistent teaching over years — maybe decades — before it overcomes the old wives’ tales and superstitions they have been taught.”—–Denise

This year at Christmas, our office decided to forgo the annual secret Santa gift exchange and donate to Gleaner’s Food bank.   I was then stricken with the decision of what to give the office staff that would follow this “give back” theme.  I found a great local chapter of Amani Organization that solved my dilemma.

The Amani Children’s Foundation partners with New Life Home Trust to care for abandoned and HIV+ infants and nurses them back to health.  Since 1993, New Life Homes has rescued over 1200 infants.  OurIndianapolischapter sells beads and Kenyan market items to raise money to support these foundations.  The beads are made by Kenyan women at the Kazuri Bead Factory.  These beads are then brought to theUSand crafted into jewelry, key chains and novelty items.  100% of the proceeds go back to these hard-working Kenyan women to nourish and clothe their families.  Thanks Indy Amani for opening the local chapter in 2009.  More importantly, thank you for easing my mind when buying a gift for someone that isn’t starving.  At least it gives me a morsel of integrity.  This is my baby step to alter inequality, contributing to help feed infants hatched into desperation.

What a difference it makes!
Visit Amani’s site today and online ordering is now available!
 
Posted on by Angela in Benevolence, Call to action, Charity, Crafts, disease, Family, Mind, Spirit 1 Comment