Note:  If you have not yet made an investment in a Tia community, we fervently ask you to please make any size contribution you are able.  Since we  deliver a permanent, sustainable health program for less than $5/person, no amount is too small.  With adequate funding, we can greatly extend the reach of programs, which in turn make our lives safer too!  We have a lot of work ahead of us to help our friends south of the border and we need your help right away to achieve our mission!

Hello!

I’m sure  by now that you have heard a lot about the Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus) outbreak on your radio and television.  CNN.com reporter, Jessica Ravitz, contacted me earlier this week to find out how the outbreak is affecting our work.  A full story on Tia and how we are affected by the outbreak appears on CNN.com

We are closely monitoring the situation in Mexico and so far, not one case in our communities.  In fact, the State of Jalisco, where our next launch will take place in a few weeks, has thus far remained free of the virus.  I’ve spoken with Dr. Rico, from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and he says they are well-prepared to handle the situation, should the virus appear in Jalisco.  Dr. Rico sits on the Board of Epidemiology for the State of Jalisco and therefore knows breaking news.

As of this morning, we are still planning on going forward with the launch.  Our launch will not be postponed unless our PMC brigade is needed elsewhere.  All of our staff has a filled prescription for the appropriate anti-viral which has been very effective, so none of us will be in any danger.  We also plan to voluntarily quarantine ourselves when we return to the U.S.; working from home for the first 3-4 days after we arrive back in Phoenix if the threat still exists.

This outbreak truly serves to illustrate the dire need for our program!  Our education programs include intensive instruction on disease prevention, good nutrition and proper hygiene, the best defense against outbreaks like the H1N1.  In the villages where we have implemented our program, every household has received this instruction and knows how protect themselves.  Unfortunately, many of the poor Mexicans in rural areas have not received education on the importance of hand washing and other preventive measures.  Lack of access to healthcare, coupled with malnutrition, makes the poor especially vulnerable to disease and complications.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our donors for supporting our mission!  Because of you, the 30,000-50,000 residents of Tia villages are safe!  Thank you so much for placing your trust in us.  We continuously strive to earn it.

We, in the U.S., see now that what happens to our nearest neighbor and largest trading partner affects us directly too.  We are truly citizens of a global community.  Please help us spread the word.

Thank you!

Laura Libman