I am raising money to help support victims of the recent flooding in Esmeraldas Ecuador, a city of 200,000, where 12 hours of continuous rainfall flooded the city on June 4. I have worked in Esmeraldas for almost 20 years and currently co-lead a cohort research study there where we have enrolled mothers and babies and are following them over the first two years of their lives, to understand how early childhood infections affect growth and development. We also work closely with a project studying the epidemiology of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Many families that participate in our projects have lost everything to the flooding. These funds will be used to provide *immediate* relief and support for families participating in our studies as well as other families in Esmeraldas who have been affected by these devastating floods. The funds will be channeled through Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI), a non-profit organization that has worked in Ecuador and other countries for many years to increase scientific capacity in low-income settings. SSI's Executive Director, Josefina Coloma, a professor at UC Berkeley and a collaborator on our research projects, is Ecuadorian and has moved quickly to arrange aid to go the affected region. ***In emergencies like this, your dollars go farther when you donate to small, nimble organizations who can mobilize quickly.*** We have people on the ground ready to distribute kits with water, food, and other essential items. $30 supports a kit for one family. Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Sustainable Sciences Institute: The Sustainable Sciences Institute is a 501c(3) incorporated In San Francisco, California In 1998. SSI is an international non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to developing scientific research capacity in areas of the world with pressing health problems. Their work is based on the premise that global health relies on biomedical scientists and publc health workers who recognize and resolve priority disease problems at the local level with the appropriate use of knowledge, science, and technology. To his end, SSI works with partners and collaborators around the world to bring science to where it's needed most to combat priority public health problems in limited resource settings. https://www.sustainablesciences.org.