healing changes everything
The partnership between Oasis Hospital and the Higher Colleges of Technology in Al Ain, which brought Emirati students to CURE Zambia, was in The National, a news publication in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Check it out here:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/emirati-students-help-out-at-zambia-childrens-hospital
Oasis Hospital provided medical staff and supported athletes at qualifying races for the Paralympics
This past weekend the Al Ain Club for the Disabled hosted the 5th International Athletics Meeting. Oasis Hospital served as the official medical sponsor of the event and provided nursing care, physiotherapy, and ambulance services. The competition took place on April 1st and 2nd and was held at the sport facilities on the campus of the club.
Athletes from countries all over the world, including Bulgaria, Jordan, Turkey, and Russia, were competing to beat personal best times and possibly qualify for the Paralympics. A full program of events was available for all International Paralympics Committee Athletics Classes. Track and field events including wheelchair races, javelin, and shot put were taking place over the two days. The races ended without any major injuries, and the staff enjoyed their time supporting the athletes!
Dubai, UAE – March 30 – CURE International displayed reasons for receiving the Hamdan Award at the DIHAD Conference held at the World Trade Center Dubai last week. H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE, and Minister of Finance, awarded CURE International, the parent organization of Oasis Hospital Al Ain, UAE, the Humanitarian Medical Services Award this past December. CURE International was present at DIHAD: Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai.
The award recognizes four individuals or organizations which significantly contribute to alleviating the suffering of a large number of human beings subjected to exceptional circumstances such as catastrophes, epidemics, famine, wars, and natural calamities. Read the rest of this entry »
CURE Zambia is always excited to receive visitors, but the hospital has truly been abuzz about our very special guests! After much preparation, CURE Zambia is finally hosting a delegation of 16 students from the United Arab Emirates this week. This visit is part of the UAE/Zambia partnership of CURE hospitals. Trey, Vice President of Patient Relations at Oasis Hospital in the UAE, organized this trip with Peter Kyalo, CURE Zambia’s Executive Director, and Imad Jarwah, one of the counselors at Al Ain’s Higher College of Technology. ”We wanted to take the students on a humanitarian trip to a CURE hospital outside of the UAE to truly see the mission of the CURE network,” said Hulsey. ”We want them to understand that the money the Oasis hospital generates in conjunction with their health benefits goes on to help underprivileged children in CURE hospitals worldwide.”
The genesis of the is effort started with Peter Kyalo’s visit last year to the UAE. On this trip, Peter met Trey and they began talking. At CURE International’s management conference in February, Trey and Peter put plans in motion. ”We thought this would be a good idea for these students as it is the first time, for many of them, to travel outside of the Gulf region,” said Trey. ”We wanted the students to interact with Christians as a way of breaking down barriers and prejudices that exist without good reason, to show them that we are more alike than we are different. This cultural exchange is beneficial to both Muslims and Christians.” Trey also told me that he is hopeful that this will become an annual project.
After talking to Trey, I ventured into the chapel where the students were busy reorganizing the complex CURE Zambia filing system. The students will be giving their time and expertise to volunteer at the hospital. They will help hospital staff with the patients in addition to other hospital duties.
I had the chance to ask some of the students a few questions about their experience in Zambia. ”When you think about Africa you think of poor without good accommodations,” said Amal, an engineering student, “but we have been very comfortable here and we have been treated well.” On Sunday, most of the students were taken to church — a first for all of them. ”First of all, I respect all religions and I’m curious about other religions,” said Aysha. ”I was surprised that at the church we attended there was a lot of singing and clapping! It was a very good experience!” Personally, I think 
Ahmed summed up the entire experience best when he shared his thoughts with me. ”It’s really amazing to see a place like this in a poor country. This hospital is treating poor people for free! It is amazing and Zambia is an amazing place!”
The 16 students will be traveling to Livingstone later this week to take in some sightseeing. They leave Zambia on April 2nd.
Greetings from the Great Rift Valley!! I am enjoying a changing view of the Rift as the rains have been stimulating growth all around. Light green squares mark fields of grass. Trees have a bristle of new leaves on the branches. The blackened field around the house is now a mosaic of greens, browns, and blacks. The birds are actively searching for tasty breakfast snacks throughout the new growth. A troop of baboons arrived Friday to finish my sugar cane and scour the gardens for other treats before retreating to the forest. Hopefully, as the foliage grows these visitors will search elsewhere for food; I would enjoy some of the lettuce I planted.
Some weeks little comes to mind as I sit contemplating what to write. Other weeks are memorable for the particular children we treat. Sometimes we travel around the country and I enjoy sharing these experiences. This week my letter will be different. I will share some of my thoughts regarding missions, CURE Kijabe, and my role here. Yawn! Ok, I know a lecture is not a morning topic, but bear with me to the end. I promise a surprise for you. Read the rest of this entry »
Greetings from Kenya! The grass has returned to its basically crunchy state once again. I walked over to the trees along the side of the house where the fire had burned. The trunks were still flexible, although the leaves were brittle and brown. On a couple of the smaller trees a few small buds were emerging along the trunk. Even the blackened field had small tufts of green grass — the only green around. I suspect a few good drenching rains and we would see the landscape come alive once again. I am always amazed how plants so dead looking, whether from intense heat or winter snows, awaken and cover the earth with beautiful vegetation.
Happy New Year from CURE! We hope your 2011 is off to a sensational start.
Our CURE Oasis hospital in the United Arab Emirates celebrated the new year with the delivery of one of the country’s first babies born in 2011 (and officially the first in the emirate of Al Ain).
“Red,red, red all around red, red clothes, red decoration and red on the trees this is Christmas, you know?”
I chuckled as I overheard this conversation earlier this December among two local women. They were discussing why the men riding on camels came to Oasis Hospital each year in Al Ain. The woman who was told this looked at me and asked, “The camels come for Christmas, yes?” I was surprised at her association of Christmas with the Oasis Hospital tradition of wisemen on camels arriving to the hospital on the 25th and the color red! “Yes, the camels come to the hospital for Christmas which is a holiday that Christians celebrate. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus, and our Bible tells us that Jesus was brought 3 gifts by Magi from the East,” while explaining that red just happens to be a color that we often wear during the season of Christmas, I also explained the significance of the birth of Jesus our Messiah.
Oasis Hospital is located close to the center of the city of Al Ain, a developing city where people drive cars to get from one place to another and a camel walking along the street in this area is quite abnormal. Each year 3 men from Oasis Hospital staff are chosen to be dressed as the Magi in the account of the birth of Jesus as told in Matthew 2. Camels are brought from a farm in the desert, and the men each dress in traditional clothing from their countries. They then ride in to where many children and families are waiting for the Christmas story to be read. The story of the birth of Jesus is read, carols are sung, and the Magi let down their trunks full of chocolate for the children.
This was far different from the average Christmas morning I am accustomed to: warm flannel pajamas and a dash to the living room for some floor space before we read the Christmas story and tear into our presents. It was a clear reminder that Christmas is not just about “red, red, red all around red” and that I need to communicate this not only with my words but in the way I choose to celebrate the holiday.
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him… they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” – Matthew ch. 2
CURE INTERNATIONAL RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN WORK
Organization Honored at Ceremony in the United Arab Emirates
Lemoyne, Pa. December 20, 2010: CURE International, the leading provider of pediatric specialty surgical care in the developing world, has received a Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Services. It was presented at a ceremony in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The award recognizes individuals or organizations that significantly contribute to alleviating the suffering of people subjected to exceptional circumstances such as catastrophes, epidemics, famine, wars or natural calamities. The Hamdan Award is one of the Middle East’s most prestigious awards. CURE joins a distinguished list of other individuals and medical organizations that have received this honor.
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