Your Gift... the story down the years
Once upon a time (in 1996 to be exact) 'Forty Crazy English with the Big Hearts' set off in a large convoy of trucks on a mission of mercy to deliver shoeboxes full of useful (or just nice) things, soap, shampoo, thread and needles, sweeties, candles, cuddly toys, tins and teabags to needy people in the former Yugoslavia. They covered a vast number of miles and over ten days and nights endured great discomfort to make the trip of a lifetime and bring a little comfort to families who had lost nearly all they possessed in the dreadful internecine war of that troubled territory.They earned their name from the local people, astonished and grateful at this tremendous effort on their behalf.
.The Lions of 105-EA and beyond had spent the winter collecting the shoe boxes, but even though their District Governor at this time was Lion (now Past International Director) Phil Nathan, they could never have envisaged how things would look years down the line in 2007. Lion Phil had already become involved in the process which was to become 'Lions Clubs International - a Gift for Living', a remarkable partnership between the Lions of Multiple District 105 and Child Advocacy International, a charity devoted to helping the child victims of conflict.As war raged between Bosnia/Herzogovina in 1995 the Lions and Child Advocacy began the process of bringing critically ill children to our islands to receive care they could not get at home where the medical infrastructure had been effectively destroyed.
Over the first year 41 critically ill small children were brought out and specialised care saved the lives of 39 of these children who would otherwise have had no hope of survival. Many of the youngsters convalesced at the homes of Lions, care which also extended in many cases to their accompanying families.Much of this early funding was raised by the Lions of MD105, and then LCIF pitched in with a grant of $75,000.
A year later a Major Catastrophe Grant was obtained from LCIF to develop paediatric intensive care facilities in East and West Mostar. Sophisticated equipment was provided, refurbishments undertaken and staff, most of whom had had their training disrupted by the war, received specialised training both locally and in MD105. Medical personnel from the British Isles and Ireland donated their own free time to go to Bosnia to help train doctors and nurses and to encourage and befriend a demoralised local medical workforce.
The partnership next set its sights on Sarajevo, which had suffered a 1400-day siege in the war, and our mighty Foundation, LCIF, recognising the scale and value of the work of 'Gift for Living' in the area, approved a huge $500,000 Major Catastrophe Grant to develop a children's Intensive Care Unit in Sarajevo's Kosevo Hospital.A year later a further grant of $250,000 was approved, followed by another of $50,000 to complete the works.
In the first five years the doctors estimated that more than 1000 young lives were saved.Grants and fund-raising in MD105 also provided training in APLS, the simple - but hugely effective - Advanced Paediatric Life Support system.Yet another LCIF grant, for $60,000, enabled children's hospital services in the city of Bihac to be improved, and a mobile clinic for the Goradze area, along with simple literature on health care, in the local languages, for distribution in the Goradze hospital. 'Gift for Living' also provided support for the Sarajevo Blind School, whose sight-impaired children were in danger from the mass of land mines still buried in the area. A strong protective fence was erected.
Time moved on, and the joint charity has been looking at the city of Banja Luka, where economic hardship rather than structural damage has brought its own problems with poor conditions and virtually no medical equipment acquired during the last 15 years or so. Although the standards of medical training and expertise are high in the area, doctors have been unable to put their skills into practice, even for routine procedures.
Currently 'Lions Clubs International - a Gift for Living' is seeking to upgrade the facilities in Banja Luka to enable critically ill infants to have effective care, by equipping the hospital with the minimum necessary medical equipment to treat new born and older children who need intensive care, and to train staff in its use. The project is likely to cost in the order of £88,000.Says Lion Phil Nathan, Chairman and Grant Administrator of 'Lions Clubs International - a Gift for Living': "Much always remains to be done, but when we look back at completed projects we see that where there had been disorganisation and despair there are now well staffed medical units providing effective care for seriously ill and injured children."
LCIF - what it has meant to 'Gift'
Just some of the grants
1995 - a $75,000 grant to help with evacuation and treatment
1996 - a $250,000 Catastrophe Grant to develop Intensive Care facilities
1997 - a mighty $500,000 Major Catastrophe Grant for a Lions' Intensive Care Unit in Sarajevo
1998 and to date - $250,000, followed by $50,000 to complete the ICU and fund related works
- $60,000 for a mobile clinic in Goradze and to improve children's services in Bihac
- $50,000 grant to match the sum raised by the Lions of MD105 to help babies in Banja Luka
