HAND: “Health, Hygiene, and Harmony”

June 10th, 2007 by Laurie

Life in this rural area can be hard.
HAND assists by providing access
to health care and education.

In the Yunnan province of China, near the border with Tibet, the Nu ethnic group lives mainly along the Nujiang river. Many of the 27,000 members of this minority group maintain their traditional ways while struggling to provide essential healthcare and education for their communities. Most families earn less than 200 dollars (US) each year, and many of the families are entirely subsistence level farmers that do not earn any money in a year. They exchange goods with one another, and it is this that causes one of the problems with access to healthcare. Although they can swap corn for chicken, they do not have enough money to acquire services from the local hospital. While living in bamboo and wooden houses, the family-oriented communities rely on agriculture, hunting, and fishing to provide their livelihood.

Student volunteers lead classes
in basic English and hygiene.

HAND (Help Aid Nu people Develop), a volunteer based organization, devotes time and energy to help promote the principles “Health, Hygiene and Harmony” to the Nu ethnic group. Since 2003 HAND has registered nearly 500 families, all of whom are now entitled to gain the HAND Clinic’s free medical care. In the past these families considered doctor visits an unbearable burden. Due to the remote setting of this community, to most, seeing a physician would cost more than a month’s salary, and seeing a specialist would require a 300 mile round trip journey. Through donations and the volunteer efforts, the HAND organization has funded medications and operations throughout the community. For those in need of specialty treatment, HAND acts as a referral unit. At present, two or three patients each year undergo major operations. In total, HAND volunteers have funded seven operations, sent three shipments of medications, and given away over 2,000 books creating a rotating library system in the area.

The village school

Through funds provided by HAND, a local doctor He Ming Yi, along with the clinic organizer, Yue Han, regularly tour the surrounding nine villages, looking for patients who are too sick to make it to the clinic themselves. Due to the financial struggles and the rural setting, the most common diagnoses include dehydration, fungal related diseases, and bacterial infections either in the eyes or as a result of food poisoning. If not for the visits of the local physician, these ailments, although ostensibly minor, would escalate into serious conditions.

A walking frame provided
by HAND enabled Li to
walk independently. This
allowed her to go to
school for the first time.

All of HAND’s accomplishments have been made possible by a close and trusting relationship with the local people. HAND strives to maintain a lasting connection with its patients. Qin, a young girl who first benefited for HAND’s clinic, now provides health education to individuals in the surrounding villages. She hopes to one day run the clinic herself.

HAND has benefited from the help of many outside volunteers including foreign doctors, teachers and
business people, all of whom pay for their own expenses. Those interested in learning more or volunteering for this organization can find more information on HAND’s website: www.hand.org.cn.

Posted in Articles, Children and Youth, Economic Development, Education, Health and Medicine, Minority People