TAKE GOOD CARE: A Medical Fund for TGC

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda Greenberg and I am currently a volunteer at The Global Child School (TGC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia through the Minerva Fellowship from Union College in Schenectady, NY. Each day, the students at TGC take another step away from their past, continue to defy the odds and strive for the best possible education and quality of life. I am so proud of them "“ they have given me so much (including countless life lessons and days full of learning & hope).

 

Now, it is my turn to give back.

 

In the interest of continuing to provide the best possible quality of life: it is my goal to give TGC students the opportunity to receive higher-quality medical care, even after the monthly medical budget has run out.

It is my goal to start an Emergency Medical Fund. 

 

If you look on The Global Child website, you will see the following mission statement: "The Global Child (TGC), founded in 2003, is a non-profit, non-political, non-partisan organization founded to save the lives of Cambodian street children. TGC, a 501(c )(3) organization, has its headquarters in Newport, Vermont, and has built and operates a small-scale school and safe-house in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in order to nurture, educate and mentor gifted but impoverished and/or orphaned street-children in Cambodia. The Global Child provides these children not only with an education but also with life skills, a cultural understanding of their country and its traditions, and training for employment and citizenship." (http://www.theglobalchild.org/mission.html).

In my months of volunteering at TGC, I have seen these words come to life. TGC is an incredible organization comprised of hard-working staff members and students who are passionate about learning. Something that really makes TGC stand out in my mind is the level of dedication to providing overall care for the students. There is a budget set aside for each month to cover routine medical and dental visits, etc. This is a tribute to TGC's desire to help its students both inside and outside of the classroom.

For example: outside of the school environment, it is no secret that students must struggle to obtain purified water. It is also no secret that drinking non-potable water is the cause of illness on a regular basis. On numerous occasions, I have seen the children bringing purified water from school home with them, because they know they may not have access to clean water once they arrive in their villages.

With the water issue as a prime example, it is even more evident that the students' medical visits are not always "˜routine'. No one can plan months ahead for an ugly case of dysentery, an extended struggle with dengue fever, or a painful cavity (and I don't think any of us would want to!). TGC also cannot plan for these unexpected, expensive medical bills. In order to provide the necessary care for its students, TGC has consistently spent more than its monthly medical budget on emergency clinic visits and the like.

 

But, what happens when there is no additional money to pull from other areas of the budget?

 

I am fundraising to start an emergency medical fund for The Global Child.

Using a little spin on the organization's name, I have decided to call this fundraiser the "˜Take Good Care' initiative.

                       The       Global       Child               

a            o                a

k            o                r

e            d                e

 

This fund will ONLY be devoted to medical costs and would be providing TGC students with the continued level of care that they deserve.

Please consider making a donation today to help us Take Good Care of these amazing students. Every little bit will make a huge difference "“ thank you!