Photo by Barry Mason
Columbia Occupational Therapy Students Help With Shipment to Malawi
December 21, 2008: After returning from a recent visit to PIH in Neno, Malawi the Executive Director returned with a robust list of needs and requests from the team. The Program Director asked Danielle to meet with everyone from the midwife to the hospital cook. Danielle returned home with a thorough list of needs and supplies to gather. This container was loaded again, by a great team fled by Buddy Schultz from the Children's Village, all in 12 degree weather! Their fortitude is amazing!
We owe a huge thanks to Jewish Home Lifecare for the donation of 33 hospital bed mattresses. Carpenters in Malawi are working on building beds and these mattresses will provide the finishing touch for the addition of 33 beds to the district health center. Also included on this container were 5 cribs from Remedy at Yale. We packed up lots of warehouse shelving units for their brand new warehouse in Neno-heavy duty shelving will allow for large volume storage and will maximize the organization of supplies. Kitchen and office supplies were sent in addition to donations of rain boots that will be used as protective footwear for midwives and surgeons. Over 30 ambulatory devices were sent (walkers, canes and crutches).
HUGE thanks to the faculty and students at Columbia University's Programs in Occupational Therapy for volunteering time to come to the warehouse to re-build and repair over 20 wheelchairs for shipment to Rwanda and Malawi. After being repaired, each chair had a sticker placed on it that indicated the patient details/needs that would be best matched by the unique structure of the chair. As seen in the photo, every wheelchair, like every person, is different. The PIH rehabilitation technician in Neno will be thrilled with the arrival of these supplies!
Photo by Barry Mason
Rwanda Shipment Special For Many
December 19, 2008: Following her visit to Rwanda, spending time with Josh Ruxin's team at The Access Project-Danielle Butin had the oppty to visit many district health centers and meet with staff to identify supply/equipment needs to help build capacity. Some of the facilities have been up and running for years, but under sourced and under staffed while other centers were just being built. (link to access project)
This first container, to be divided by the Access Project Team, amongst a number of district health centers included stretchers, 6 exam tables, cribs, an ultrasound, x-ray machine, x-ray light box, many primary care exam room furniture set-ups. Linens, paper and other basics were included to help build capacity with simple solutions for big needs.
Especially moving on this container, was the family of a beloved physician in Westchester County, Dr Meredith Sirmans recently passed away. His wife Gail offered Afya his entire office as a donation to build capacity in Africa, a part of the world Dr Sirmans' supported generously. His surviving wife and son, along with friends, came to witness the loading of the supplies to Rwanda and Afya Board member, Reverend Willard Ashley blessed the gift of the supplies and the safe passage as the family entered the container and held onto the patient scale, donated from Dr Sirman's office.
Load in help was provided by Children's Village, thank you!
Photo by TJ Allan
Malawi gets Afya's 10th Container Shipment
October 15, 2008: Our latest shipment on October 15th, marks the 10th container shipped, filled with supplies recovered from the NY healthcare market. Dr Keith Joseph, of Partners In Health, sent Afya another comprehensive and extensive request list for collection and packing. On this container, we were able to recover and pack used carpentry tools to be used to source Carpentry Training Workshops for HIV positive men in Malawi.
Lots of rehabilitation and medical equipment was shipped and in November, Danielle will visit this site in Malawi and other PIH sites in Rwanda to determine and support supply needs moving forward.
Teenagers from the Childrens Village played an awesome role in helping us to invemtory and pack this container-great thanks goes out to our helpers!
Photo by TJ Allan
Hurricane Relief Container
October 6, 2008: Partners In Health requested hurricane relief supplies for the thousands of families they help in Haiti. Many partners came together to make this container possible. Huge thank you to the Big Y and to the Community Outreach Team at USA Red Cross in Greenwich, CT for donating a total of 4 pallets of bottled water. Kudos to the Nyack School District, in Rockland County, for running a major community clothing drive that led to the donation of over 40 boxes of sorted clothing. Afya usually packs delicate medical items in clothing, knowing that it can serve as a safe padding while reducing waste on the recieving end. For this container, Afya packed and sent every item of clothing in the warehouse for the purpose of clothing people who had lost everything they had in their homes. Meritex has done it again-saving the day with a donation of hundreds of sheets. blankets, towels and washcloths to be used in relief shelters.
In addition, exam tables, baby warmers and heating lamps for newborns were also sent. The owners of Half Moon Restaurant in Dobbs Ferry donated a natural gas stove to the main hospital kitchen in Haiti, in addition to many large food preparation bowls.
Photo by TJ Allan
3 Shipments in Two Weeks, Rwanda benefits from Afya efforts
August 6, 2008: Afya supplied equipment and resources needed to build the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village Health Center, a structured residential community being built for orphaned children in Rwanda. This special project of The America Jewish Joint Distribution Committee will provide housing and care for 150 orphaned children. Afya worked closely with the lead nurse supervising the health center to ensure resources matched the needs of the center. Afya shipped a variety of vital equipment including Ultra Violet Lights used for treating Tuberculosis, exam tables, IV poles, stretchers, pediatric crutches, walkers, masks, gloves, syringes and much more. This wish list, generated meticulously by the lead nurse, will help the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village Health Center provide better care to children. http://www.agahozo-shalom.org
August 8, 2008: A significant Day for Afya's founder Danielle Butin.
Ms. Butin's background as an Occupational Therapist made the prospect of filling a container with rehabilitation supplies incredibly meaningful. The lead Physical Therapist for Partners In Health in Rwanda sent Afya his wish list for rehab supplies and as a result, Danielle reached out to her OT and PT colleagues in the New York area. The rehab community responded in an extraordinary way providing 9 treatment tables, 20 adapted seating chairs for children, whirlpools, paraffin hand treatment machines and 30 walkers that were subsequently shipped to Rwanda. Three sepearate rehab departments in Rwanda will be constructed from these supplies. An enormous thank you to all OT's and PT's who committed to making this possible. Function, quality of life and independence can now be a possibility for thousands.
August 8, 2008: Launching a Training Center in Rwanda.
As Partners In Health expands programs within Haiti and into Africa, they have experienced a surge of inquiries from non-governmental organizations and ministries
 in developing countries (especially in Africa) who are interested in their health care model. Over the past few years PIH has invested significant time and resources in developing new resources and training curricula for practitioners in the field—at their sites and far beyond. In 2006 a three-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation officially launched the expansion of a PIH training program in Rwanda. Partners In Health reached out to Afya for assistance in equiping the Rwinkwavu Hospital training facility with a stove, pots, pans, dishware and kitchenware. Afya thanks The Garland Group for their generous donation of an industrial 10 burner electric stove.
photo by Jim Metzger
Afya Sends 20' Container to Island Nation of Cape Verde
July 23, 2008: Marking a wonderful milestone in Afya's history, a 20 foot container left the dock in support of the island nation of Cape Verde. Numerous volunteers from Cape Verde descended on the Afya warehouse to load supplies in the container. The effort began when the San Antao Outreach Foundation approached Danielle Butin to work on creating a container of supplies for their home island San Antao in Cape Verde. Working from the wish list of their lead physician in the regional hospital we packed everything from simple items like an exam table, IV poles, walkers, canes to a dialysis machine. Currently, there is no technology available on the island to sustain the health of patients with kidney disease and the delivery of the machine is perfectly timed with a Cape Verde physician finishing her training in protocols of treatment for advanced kidney disease and dialysis. The physician will be returning to her home island of San Antao to work as a kidney specialist. Every inch of available space was carefully packed-knowing that every box would make a difference for their family and friends at home.
photo by Jim Metzger
Afya Ships It's First 40' Container To Sierra Leone
June 9, 2008: Afya teamed up with the New York Society of International Humanitarian Surgeons to fulfill their request to send a container to Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone Dr Peter Kingham, after conducting a thorough needs assessment at the hospital (using World health Organization criteria), submitted a significant “surgical suite” wish list to Afya in order to create improved surgical capacity with improved access to essential items for care. The container included an operating room table. 40 IV poles, vital sign monitors, medical refrigerator, centrifuge, computer and hundreds of medical textbooks. We even packed adult mannequins for CPR training, In addition, hundreds of boxes of consumable supplies were packed. The supplies will arrive in time for Dr. Adam Kushner to lead a surgical training program at the hospital this summer. 
Special thanks goes out to the Yonkers Fire Department for their incredible assistance during the load process. The load team consisting of Afya staff, Dr. Peter Kingham and numerous volunteers organized by Dr. Kingham were subject to 98 degree heat while loading the container. Our friends from the Yonkers Fire Department Jef Campion, Gene Kelly and others mobilized industrial misters to keep the Afya team cool and safe.
photo by Jim Metzger
Partners in Health to Receive 2nd Malawi Shipment From Afya
May 30, 2008: Afya successfully packed and shipped a 2nd container of medical and community health supplies for Partners In Health in Malawi. The supplies sent represent a continuation of our effort to match the “wish list” provided by their lead physician in Malawi. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Bishop Francis J. Mugavero Geriatric Center in Brooklyn, NY for their outstanding donation of 27 crank beds, mattresses, and wheelchairs, all included in this container. This shipment included many items essential for rehabilitation medicine, including
18 well repaired wheelchairs, 23 canes, and 22 walkers.
Dr Joseph of Partners in Health in Malawi, also requested assistance with the creation an outdoor entertainment center, to be constructed in the fields around the hospital. The aim of the entertainment center is to project DVD’s of American performers who clearly demonstrate and emulate the influence of African heritage on their aritsic expression and creation. The goal is to build a sense of pride for local residents. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem and Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center donated DVD’s to support this effort. Sam Ash donated the outdoor speakers that made this initiative possible.
Many medical supplies were also packed such as primary care supplies, IV bags, and sutures. Medical ware, donated by Unitex, included patient gowns, scrubs, and lab coats for staff.
A generous donation of cooking supplies, from Whole Foods, was send to the hospital’s kitchen. A big thanks goes to Ethan from Northern New Jersey as well for collecting soccer balls and cleats for children in Malawi. These sporting goods will raise the spirits of children who have parents being treated in the hospital and gives them a game to play.
photo by Jim Metzger
40' Container Leaves Afya for Malawi
April 18, 2008: Afya's second container left the loading dock in Yonkers on it's way to Malawi in Africa. Beds, stretchers, linens from Hilton, office supplies from Staples, office desks from CORT, consumables, chairs, and much more were included in this latest shipment. Dr. Keith Joseph from Partners in Health visited Afya's warehouse in early April to generate a wish list of supplies needed to support hospitals and medical initiatives in the east African nation. An army of volunteers arrived at the dock to sort, load and secure the huge 40' long shipping container readying it for the long journey.
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