This is John, who attends baby class at Rock of Ages class. Last week as he played around by a neighbor's outside cooking stove he knocked over a saucepan filled with hot water. The boiling burned the palm of John's hand, and he is undergoing treatment.
Lucky for John, in 2013 Rock of Ages Academy signed a contract with St. Francis Health Clinic. The clinic is a short 5-minute walk from the school and is supported by various non-profits in the US and around the world. The contract allows sick students to be seen at no cost by the doctors at the clinic and the school picks up the cost of any medications required. The cost of the medicine is paid for by setting aside $1 from each $20 monthly sponsorship payment and placing it in a medical fund. At the beginning of each month, St. Francis delivers a bill to the school from the previous month, and the school makes the payment. Costs per month average about $150. Malaria (this is the #1 reason kids go to the clinic) , typhoid (caused by dirty drinking water), respiratory infections infections, burns, skin infections are the main illnesses kids are treated for. In most instances, the cost of treatment is just a couple of dollars.
This program has not only saved lives, (malaria is still the number one killer of children in Uganda) but there is a direct impact on school attendance. On a typical day, less than 5% of the kids are absent. This is remarkable. According to Betty, in the past kids would stay home for weeks when they came down with an illness. Today, if a kid is sick, to comes to school sick, Betty calls the parents and has them take the child to the clinic. Within 24 hours of taking medicine for malaria, the kids feel well enough to come back to school!
Last week Betty sent me some pictures and stories of kids who had recently received care at St. Francis. John was one of them. Another was Hannah. She fell and fractured her hand. Hannah is in primary one.
We are thankful that the children at Rock of Ages not only receive an education but that their physical needs are also taken care of. We hope that you, the donors and supporters of ROA are pleased as well! On behalf of the children and their families, a BIG Thank you!
