Keep Tia in Mind

I'm hearing that a lot of charities are struggling this year, which isn't surprising. Locally, the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots have both really had a hard time getting donations at a time where the demands for their services are increasing. Holiday giving is a big part of the season and chances are you are winnowing through appeals from dozens of charities these days.

I'd like to suggest you consider one more charity this year. The Tia Foundation is based in Phoenix and assists people living in desperate poverty in Mexico. What makes Tia different and worthy is the approach it takes. It doesn't simply parachute in, drop supplies and then leave. The services that Tia provides are designed to people in these communities take control of their own care, which is the best way to improve of the health of their citizens. From the Tia website:

In the poor rural villages of the developing world, the most basic of health clinics are scarce. Often, providing a clean environment for childbirth, or treating the most basic illnesses and injuries are close to impossible. In the communities where Tia works, most family homes have dirt floors and no doors or windows. A daily struggle to raise enough food using unmechanized farm tools just to feed the family occupies much of their time. Village farm families live up to a twelve hour walk from the nearest hospital and vehicles are nonexistent. Women still die in child birth and young children are lost to diseases compounded by undernourishment.The lack of essential services can mean the difference between life and death, not only for an individual, like a subsistence farmer, but also for the vulnerable family. For that farmer, the arduous long journey over rough mountain roads to the nearest medical care means that a major laceration or fracture can be a death sentence. The loss to his family compounds with the resulting downward poverty spiral of malnutrition and disease. With a trained health care technician who has a modest medical kit, the farmer can be sufficiently stabilized to endure the trip to a regional hospital, thus mitigating the risk to the susceptible family.

To guarantee long-term village health, the most effective way is to train local health care workers and give them the essential tools necessary to treat common illnesses and injuries. The key to long-term solutions involves implementing a sustainable program that teaches villagers the skills they need and provides them with links to necessary local resources, so they can become self-determining.

The individual in charge of the Tia Foundation is a friend of mine, Laura Libman. I met Laura nearly 30 years ago when we served together on the district board for Key Club International, the world's largest high school service organization. Even as a high school student, Laura was a smart, committed leader and someone who believed in teaching people rather than simply dropping a check or a care package on someone's doorstep. Laura started Tia because she has spent a lot of time in Mexico and has seen firsthand what the challenges are. The Tia Foundation is doing great work. I'd encourage to to check their website and see for yourself.