Here a Worm, There a Worm! Everywhere a Worm, Worm! We want them to be Gone Gone

As James Mansaray and the family travel throughout villages of the upper Provinces of Sierra Leone,

they happen upon village after village of children infested with internal parasites: worms.

Lucy and Kadijah treat each child as they line up to be rid of their worms.

The living conditions can be unsanitary, it is impossible to prevent people in these area from getting worms.

Its not that the people are dirty.

They wash everything, themselves, their clothes, in many cases many times a day - and they use soap - lots of it.

Notice the child's belly (on right) enlarged with parasites

The problem is their water is not clean, the water they drink nor the water they wash in.  Their homes are made of mud, they have dirt floors.

We've been asked, "Why do you treat worms in children if you know they are going to get them again?"  The answer is simple.  If we don't, the worms will increase inside the body and devour what little nutrition the child gets.  There is no option than to treat - it is better to treat and rid the body of the worms and re-treat again later than to allow the parasites to progress so much they snuff out the child's life.

Thanks for the money for Worm Pills that you raised selling the blackberries that you picked, Savannah

Treating people with worms is not cheap.  It cost NHA $3 per pill.  It takes one pill to cure a mild case of pins worms.  Unfortunately, we rarely see mild cases and usually they have round, whip, or hook worms. These situations take 6 pills or $18 per case to cure.

Again, its the teamwork of NHA, the praying, the giving, the loving that gives these children a chance.   Keep up the good work! Share NHA with others so that they too may be a part of helping the poor today so that their tomorrow may be brighter.

Nazareth House Apostolate

2216 Goldsmith Lane

Louisville, KY 40218

www.nazarethhouseap.org

Written by James Mansaray: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Most people do help others and a whole lot try to help when they see that it is necessary. Others need to be reminded to help, thinking first of their own wants. Sometimes it’s very difficult to do when there is nothing at hand to help with. This wonderful gift from God which we call love, most times gears us towards helping others even when we don’t have enough.

Thoughts of this kept building in my head this morning as I drank a cup of coffee and ready to take my vitamin pill, a gift from a caring, loving late friend called Fr. Bob Haux.

Tears ran my eyes knowing fully well that this man I had never met before cared so much for so many including me out here. This he did from afar stretching his loving and tender heart across the oceans to many that he never had the opportunity to meet. Tell me this is not love……..

An encounter with a blind poor man walking his way to his village along the Fadugu Kabala high way created a beautiful scene of friendship and love between us.

Here this poor man was begging me to drop him off and he was ready to pay with his last leones which wont be enough for him to buy a piece of bread.

This was the best opportunity for me to extend my own side of a loving hand, making him feel so happy at his stopping point. I felt so good doing this.

Exploring the provinces where poverty is rife, you see nothing but more and more of this. In many many ways they need us. The quality of their life is in our hands, so to speak. Do we ignore them or follow our God to help them - feed them, clothe them, visit them...

We at NHA know fully well that there is nothing we can do without love. You need not be reminded to give a helping hand, you are aware of the struggles in Sierra Leone. It is in you to make use of this love and help those who can’t afford to feed their families. Your love can take form in prayers and in donations to give assistance. We've been kind of quiet about the Compound, but the need grows stronger every day and we can't look away from accomplishing that need. We must put our whole hearts, minds and energy in concreting NHA's existence in Sierra Leone - making us a permanent resident amongst the poorest of the poor. March 2010 is not so far away - give today:

Nazareth House Apostolate

2216 Goldsmith Lane

Louisville, KY 40218

May God bless and keep you all.

James. B. Mansaray.