While Paul was at school| I gave birth to three of our four children| ran my company| traveled extensively for business. It was challenging with many sacrifices during those student days| but in looking back the decision was an easy one to make. Paul was my life investment with dividends paid out when he graduated and I was able to stay at home to raise our children.
That was the year 2000! Life as a stay-at-home Mom in these past years has been fabulous and demands many of the skills I learned during my masters program| and the board room. In truth though| there has always been something missing. I harbored a strong need to contribute to society in a bigger| socially conscious way| to be stimulated intellectually| to feel more complete. The missing piece of the puzzle showed itself during a trip to Uganda [1] in 2004 where I volunteered as a health professional in the community of Ggaba.
Since that fateful trip| my journey continues as the voice for those who have none| to be the hope for those who have little| and to be the mummy with the tools and resources to help. What I experienced in that country of so little were feelings of helplessness| anger| shame and disgust. I decided to channel those feelings into something proactive to help ease the pain and suffering caused by malaria [2]. All my patients had malaria| the forgotten disease. I was shocked by its deadly nature and high incidence rate.
I've learned that malaria has always been a health threat to African nations| but currently it poses the most significant threat to the health of the Ugandan population. In fact| it is the leading killer of children! This staggering fact is unbelievable because it can be prevented simply by stopping mosquito bites [3] (which occur mainly at night while children sleep) with the use of long lasting insecticide treated bed nets.
I am a Mother of Reinvention because I am the Founder of the charitable organization| Buy-A-Net (BAN) [4]. Our mandate is to provide bed nets and anti-malaria medicines free of charge to the two most vulnerable target groups| children under five years old and pregnant women. We are succeeding one village at a time through public education| distribution| monitoring| follow-up| and treatment.
We partner with various reputable| like minded agencies| and recruit health professionals to deliver health care. I am building a business to help others| where all monies raised go directly to the needy. I am a global mother where I care for and protect not only my own children| but thousands of others half a world away.
We live in a time where all mothers need to contribute [5] beyond each of our own borders. We need to take ownership for all children| for it is our responsibility to affect change for those who don't have the basic necessities of life| let alone the tools to do so. They need our help. It simply won't happen through government. It will happen with us! And it's happening at Buy-A-Net.
www.buyanet.ca [4]
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