Unity In Action - The Power of One

Wow ... today we got the final figures for our 2010 Dongdaewon fundraising. I am in awe of you SFS. As one, you came together, Unity in Action, and as a result, many MANY patients at Dongdaewon will have a new day. All because you cared, and you put action behind your concern. Thankyou. To see the amount raised, click above, look at those faces and remind yourself what it is all about!

We have raised enough funds to provide 2 supply kits to Dongdaewon, which means they are covered for the year. In addition, we can help quite a few MDR patients! Well done.

On behalf on the Dongdaewon team, Eugene Bell and the patients and staff of Dongdaewon ...

Thankyou.

Week 5 Fundraising Update!

Amount Raised To Date

21,080,070

A fanastic effort from you all.  Well done! 

If you haven't bid already, you have an amazing opportunity for breakfast with our head of school - Dr Engstrom.  Click here.  Bidding is currently at 100,000 won and closes this Friday.

The silent auctions are also closing this Friday.  Click here to see the bidding on our beautiful quilt (currently on display outside the coffee shop) and here for more information on the fabulous artwork up for bidding (also on display in the coffee shop).

There are still places available in the cooking school (parents - this is a fabulous opportunity so grab some friends and come along).  If you are wondering what that is all about ... click here and book a class!  You get to eat, learn to cook and save lives.  What could be better?!

We received great reviews from the participants in the first class of Dongdaewon Photo School.  We have three more excellent classes coming up with great tutors and there are still spaces available..  Click here for more information and enrol today.

What's Been Happening Around SFS?!

SCHOOLWIDE

Shamograms

WOW.  We sold all of our candy and then some!  What a fantastic response ... Be watching this week as a little leprechaun may be coming your way.  We are still waiting for the total raised to be tallied ... so watch this space!  Many thanks to Nestle Korea for their generosity in donating the candy for this project.


BRITISH  SCHOOL
Candy-o-grams

Everybody loves a little sugar!  The student council raised 500,000 won through the sales of delicious candy-ograms!  What a sweet way to save lives ...

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL

Hot Chocolate Sales
The student council have been running hot chocolate sales and treats.  Sales are booming!  Currently 1,400,000 won has been raised!  This is the last week so get in while you can ...

Coins For A Cause

Wow, what a weigh in it has been! The total for the ES is 86,473 grams of coins! All these coins will make a huge difference in the lives of our neighbors in North Korea.

The last weigh-in's heftiest donation goes to…

5L with 17,357 grams of coins.
One more weigh in to go….

Keep up the collecting!!!

Mandy and her 4th grade coin measuring masterminds

MIDDLE  SCHOOL

Haircut for Dongdaewon!

This past week Yasmine Acala got to cut Mr. Hill’s hair! Her design was one of the winners of the design contest and her 6th grade classmates dug deep to have the most 100 and 500 won “votes” for her design. The total amount collected by all three grades was 260,900 won!   That's a round of DOTs treatment for 5 patients!

BookFair

The book fair in the SMC raised 413.000 won!  Awesome ... thanks to all who participated ...

HIGH  SCHOOL

Empty Bowls

Last Wednesday night, parents attending High School Conferences were greeted by a myriad of handmade beautiful bowls by HS Art students and the delicious smell of homecooked soup wafting through the air.

For the mere sum of 10,000 won, people were able to purchase a beautiful bowl and fill it with some delectable soups.  The general consensus was ... "mmmMMMmm"! 

Thanks to the generosity of all involved, this project made approximately 700,000 won.  That's one round of DOTs treatment for 14 Dongdaewon patients!

NHS Talent Show

Recently NHS had a talent show and 300,000 won of the money raised was donated to Dongdaewon.  That's DOTs medication for 6 patients.

IB Theatre Arts

IB Theatre Arts raised 280,000 won from their recent performance.  Fabulous performance and 5 patients will get their DOTs meds!

What's Coming Up?

Wednesday 17th March - Greenscene Coffee House
This one is faculty run ... an excellent evening of music, poetry and dance ... make sure you leave room to fill up on the fabulous home baking available.

Time: 7 - 9pm

Venue:  Little Theatre

Cost:  Door donation - buys you coffee and homemade snacks and treats are on sale!

Thursday 18th March - An Afternoon of Music ...

Don't miss this. 
KS3 and MS students will be performing for you.  Click here for more information.


Monday 29th March Soak-The-Teacher
The water is cold and votes are hot ... hot ... HOT! Who will be soaked this year?  Get in while you can.  Voting closes Friday 19th March.

Breakfast with the Head

The Swedish Chef Will Cook For YOU!

NOT this one ...

We can do better!

Our Swedish Chef ...

Dr Engstrom makes the meanest Swedish Pancakes this side of Sweden (although rumour has it that the Swansons could provide serious competition).  He is willing to make some for you and up to 5 others.  Make it a family occasion or bring a couple of friends.

How Does It Work?

This is an auction ... the highest bidder gets the prize (or in this case ... the pancakes!).

This auction is now closed.  Bidding closed at 100,000 won.  Enjoy your breakfast!

Dongdaewon Cooking School - Back by Popular Demand!

It's back by popular demand! Click play in the video above to see what the buzz is about!

Last year's classes were so popular, some sold out within 24 hours and all were sold out within a week.

This year we have expanded and are opening up the cooking school to the whole school community.

We are offering 2 Indian classes, 1 Thai, Brunch With a Punch, Soups Stews and Breads and a Mediterranean Dinner Party.

You will:

• learn to cook it
• have the pleasure of eating it
• go home with the recipes
• impress friends and family with your newfound culinary skills

How much would you expect to pay for such an incredible opportunity?  100,000 Won?  Sign up for any class, for just 50,000 won!  That's an absolute STEAL!  We can do even better than that ... sign up for three classes for the special price of just 125,000 won - that's 25,000 won savings!

BUT WAIT ... There's more ...

Not only will you get to cook, eat and go home with the secret recipes, you will also save lives!  Proceeds will go to our Dongdaewon Care Centre in North Korea.

Check out Edline for classes, dates and registration forms.  To secure your place in a class, send the registration form and the fee to Sarah Carpenter (Elementary School).

Empty Bowls

Hungry?

High School students in Jessica Kemnitz and Rosalee van Staalduinen’s classes are hard at work creating ceramic bowls to feed you! This year, our annual ceramic auction is going in a different direction. Next Wednesday, March 10, we will be hosting an Empty Bowls dinner from 5:30-8pm in the Gym lobby. Empty Bowls is a tradition beginning in the United States to raise awareness about hunger. Students create the soup bowls, and the parents and community are invited in to purchase a bowl, and receive soup and bread to eat in their newly purchased bowl!


The Details:

When:        Wednesday March 10, 5:30-8pm

Where:       Gym lobby

How much: minimum 10,000 won donation

What do you get?:  A handcrafted bowl of your choosing, and then your soup bowl full of soup and bread! What could be better?

Thankyou for your support of this great project.  Empty Bowls raised just over 900,000 won.  There were lots of happy, satisfied customers and fabulous tasting soups.

Quilt of Hope - Silent Auction 2nd - 19th March

This stunning handmade quilt was generously donated for silent auction by Alison Lamp Kozinski (an ex SFS parent).  

THIS AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED.  The Final bid was 600,000 won.  Thankyou!

An Afternoon of Music

The Middle School and Key Stage 3 students will be presenting a concert of solos, duets and small ensembles as a fundraiser for Dongdaewon.

When:     Thursday March 18 3.30pm - 5pm
Where:    Lyso Center Mainstage

All are welcome to attend, there will be a 5,000 won admission charge and all funds will go to the Dongdaewon campaign.

Beauty and Blessing Silent Photography Auction

The 2010 Beauty and Blessing Silent Photography Auction is now open.  

Do YOU need a new piece of art for your wall?

We have things for all shoppers and all budgets!  

Where:     SFS Coffee Shop (although it may move venues from time to time ... watch this space ...)

When:      March 2nd - 19th

ALL proceeds will go to support Dongdaewon Care Centre in North Korea.

Here is just a sample of the fabulous work on auction (glass does not photograph too well, so they look even better in life!).  You can double click the image to see it larger ...  

 Johan Greyvensteyn

Sarah Carpenter

Pam Wright

Jeane Frasse

John Hill

Contributing artists include, Pam Wright, John Hill, Johan Greyvensteyn, Jeane Frasse and Sarah Carpenter.  We thank them for their generosity in donating their work to make this happen. 

This auction is now closed.  We made just over 1 million won for Dongdaewon.  Wow.  Thanks for making this happen.  Please pay Ms. Walker and collect your art asap.  Enjoy your beautiful new art.

Reflections on NK - Day 3 & 4 - Meeting the Dongdaewon Patients & MDR TB

Yesterday we went to Sadong. The care centre here is for patients who have multiple drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). Each patient has customised medication and one box with 6 months treatment for one patient costs about the same as a whole sanitariums DOTs medication for the year. Eugene Bell are seeing more and more cases of MDR TB each time they come in and Stephen is really concerned about it.

The day was a production line of gathering patient data - height, weight, sputum samples. We were expecting about 100 patients and were shocked when around 300 turned up. These people are desperate to get onto one of the treatment programs. For many of them, it is their best chance at life. Patients already in treatment were trucked in from around the provinces as it is easier to do them all in a few central locations as opposed to going to each centre. Current patients were presented with their medication and the winter warmer package (which consisted of a warm coat, long johns, socks etc). It was so beautiful to see faces light up with smiles and joy ... and when the medication was presented ... hope.

The magic moment of the day was meeting the Dongdaewon patients who had come over for testing. Someone told me they had arrived and I turned to look for them. Before I saw them, they saw me. I heard someone say the school and teacher in Korean and when I turned to see, I saw a queue of patient people ... their faces breaking into smiles ... eyes intense as they bowed towards me and said "thankyou, thankyou" in Korean. What a humbling thing ... I know that I was honored to stand as a representative of our community and see the fruit of their efforts and hard work in the faces of patients who were living. This past two years we have provided medication for three MDR patients in addition to the resupply kit for Dongdaewon. Two of these patients are now testing negative for TB.

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Today we went out to a very small care centre in a very rural area near the foothills of the mountains.  We had several hours of driving through hills, rice terraces, multiple villages and checkpoints.  If you do not have the right paper work, you cannot travel around in the country.  

The landscape is beautiful, rolling hills and completely uncluttered.  Still gray and hazy, but not pollution.  The harvest was gathered about a month ago so everything looks bare and denuded.  I imagine when the new rice comes in, it must look beautiful.

As we drove we saw many people working in work parties ... stooped old ladies bent double at the waist carrying huge bundles of sticks on their backs ... bullock carts with wheels made of beaten metal, fastened by rope and wood ...

Driving from village to village we saw old women carrying balanced water buckets hanging from either side of a cross beam strapped to their back.  Many of the houses were whitewashed with Korean style eaves and roof ... stacked around or used for fencing were what looked like dried corn plants (stalks and leaves) gathered in large clumps. In many of the towns that we drove through, the corn lay in golden carpets, drying on the roadside.  People were raking and bagging it.  Everywhere I looked there seemed to be bok choi type cabbages drying outside the houses ...

There are a few vehicles on the roads, but not many of them are modern.  We saw many trucks broken down on the road, with people under the hoods working on repairs.  Fields were being plowed, mostly by bullock.  They wear a wooden yoke with wooden traces.  We saw the occasional tractor, but they look to be very old.  Eugene Bell provide small chinese tractors to different care centres to assist them in patient nutrition.

The director and his staff were very kind and the patients were lovely.  We saw some really sad sad cases today.  One man who could barely sit up without help.  Our team doctor examined him and said things weren't looking good.  He was so skinny and his breathing so laboured.  TB is such a cruel disease.  I am constantly impacted by the hope I see in people's eyes when Eugene Bell come in.  The directors, staff and patients are genuinely warm, welcoming and appreciative.  Sometimes, we forget that under all the politics there are real people ... normal people like you and I.  Human beings fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of their creator.  People with a right to kindness and dignity. 

I was really impressed with the greenhouse at this care centre.  In the middle of the freezing cold, they were still growing greens in it and were heating it ondol style ...

One of the saddest things at this care centre was seeing the graves at the back. All those bumps in the picture are the graves of patients and staff who have died.

All in all a good day ... each day we are out, I see more and more the importance of the work Eugene Bell do, and the vital difference they are making in the lives of people up here.  Bono once said, "where you live, should no longer determine IF you live".  We with much, have a responsibility to those with nothing.  Because we can do something, we must.

Dongdaewon School of Photography Launches

This year we are excited to launch the Dongdaewon School of Photography! What's it all about? Click the play button above and check it out!

If you have ever wanted to develop your photographic eye, learn about the settings on your digital camera and capture the magic you see in the world around you ... this is for you!

This is for anyone with any type of digital camera. It is not a class aimed at professionals ... it's for anyone who is keen to better their skills and knowledge.

Check out the video and see Edline for the brochure to sign up TODAY. Please send your payment and registration details to Stephanie Batley in the British School.

Classes start March 8th.
Places are limited.

Cost 50,000 won per workshop (2 nights) or 160,000 won for all 4!

Dongdaewon Fundraising - Week One

Wow!  SFS.  You are amazing.  We are off to a fantastic start.  This week we had Hearts To Serve.  Psalms did an awesome job on singing the New Day theme ... they rocked it out!   Remember that it's all about people.  Why do we do this?  Because our neighbours to the North are people like you and I.  People who love ... people who hope ... people who dream of a new day.  If you did not get a chance to check out the photos outside the cafeteria, they will start rotating in divisions next week.  Take the time to stop and meet some of the people that you help!  Their stories are on the boards.

Okay ... what is happening around school?

T-Shirts
T-Shirt sales are off to a fantastic start in Elementary and British School.  Come on MS and HS ... we have one especially designed for you ... great color, awesome design ... and only 10,000 won!  What a bargain, you not only get an awesome shirt ... you save a life in the process ...  You can download the form on Edline.

Shamograms
Shamogram sales have begun!  Share the luck of the Irish with a friend or two.  The Sham O’ Gram includes a delicious chocolate treat and a personalized message from YOU! Please use the green coupons (brought home on Thursday 18 February by the students, available from Homeroom teachers. Candy has been generously donated by NESTLE Korea – thank you!

Lets visit the divisions and see what is happening ...

British School

BS had an amazingly successful fair last week.  They raised over 5 million won.  1 million of this came from makeup sales of product donated by Estee Lauder.  Many thanks go to the generous donors of goods and food and of course the awesome shopping skills of BS students!  Way to go team ... you are inspirational!

Coming Up ... Soak the teacher!  Who are YOU voting for?!?  Get those votes in ...

Elementary School

Coins For A Cause

Are you sick of all those coins that weigh down your wallet?!?!  Want to find a great use for them ...?

Spare change can go a long way to make a difference in the life of our neighbors in North Korea. Coins for a Cause is a way to empower children to learn about helping others and that their small donations can make a difference. For the next four weeks the children are being encouraged to collect coins to donate to Dongdaewon TB Care Center in North Korea. Each week their coins will be sorted and weighed. Last year we raised over 2 million won and we hope that we can inspire our students to raise more this year through their coin collecting. Lighten your load ... and make someone else's lighter as well ...

Middle School

T-Shirt Style

Lets get going ... what can you do with your tshirt ... buy it ... style it ... customise it and then wear it!  See your teacher about order forms or visit Edline and get yours today!  Watch for T-Shirt days in the MS.

Hair Today ... Gone Tomorrow ...

Have you seen the makeover shows on TV and thought, "I can do that?"  Well ... now you can! Mr Hill is looking for a hair makeover ...

Mr. Hill is looking for a brave Middle School student to give him his next hair cut! Any MS student may submit a proposal (forms available from Mr. Hill) and the top three will get voted on by donations of 100 and 500 won coins. The haircut idea that gets the most money wins and the student who had the idea gets to style Mr. Hill’s hair on March 11. All proceeds go, of course, to the Dongdaewon TB Care Center.

The Art of The i-pod

Want to spice up your art or computer lessons?  You can ... bring in your ipod and pay just 1000 won per class per day. Who would have thought listening to music would save lives ... Wicked!

High School

T-Shirt Style!
Lets get going ... what can you do with your tshirt ... buy it ... style it ... customise it and then wear it! See your teacher about order forms or visit Edline and get yours today!

IB Theatre One
IB Theatre One raised 300,000 won towards Dongdaewon with their drama perfomances this week.  Awesome ...

Coming up ... Empty Bowls

SFS Community
Watch this space ... for these things coming to you ...

Dongdaewon Cooking School
It was a raging success amongst the faculty community last year.  It was so good we thought we would open it to the SFS community... we have some exciting classes coming but are still needing a couple more people to offer classes.  You don't need to be Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver, you just need to know how to cook.  We would love a couple more ethnic classes ... maybe Thai, or Middle Eastern ... or Korean ... let Ms Carpenter or Ms Swanson in the Elementary School know if you could help us out. 

Dongdaewon Photography School
Do you always have the dial on your camera set to green?  Are you wondering what all the other little pictures on it are for?  Are you keen to get those great travel shots of people and scenery, but what you get is not what you see in your mind?  Next week we will be launching the Dongdaewon Photography School with a fantastic range of guest lecturers who are skilled, passionate photographers and keen to share their expertese with you... watch this space!


Auctions
Dongdaewon Quilt
One of our formal parents has handmade a stunning quilt for Dongdaewon, which we will be auctioning off from next week.  More details and pics coming ...

Dongdaewon Art Gallery
This year we will have our own art gallery with some stunning pieces by local photographers up for auction.  Looking for a special piece of art for that space on your wall?  You won't want to miss this.

 
So as you can see, we have a lot going on ... lots of opportunities for you to be involved in creating a new day for those at Dongdaewon ... stay tuned!

Images from the North ... Day 1 and 2

What to say?  A myriad of images and impressions.  We stopped at the children's hospital yesterday.  I scared a little boy ... he took one look at me looking at him and started screaming! 

We saw a brave 10 year old girl who is not yet testing negative for TB.    She has had 6 months of treatment and they think she is drug resistant.  Things are pretty hard for her ... in her face, as she spoke, I saw a quiet courage and determination ...

I saw several mothers with their children.  I simply can't imagine how they feel holding loved children, knowing that there is little available to assist. 

Nurses and doctors are very caring.  They often put their own lives at risk working in TB centers.  Our American doctor was saying that the TB vaccination is not very effective.  It's old medical technology and doesn't offer a lot of protection any more.

The hospital was interesting. The rooms were long and skinny, slept 6 patients, had no lights and had very little heat.  Patients were wrapped under layers and layers of quilts.  It was so cold that my breath came in clouds. The laboratory was very simple.  Some traditional equipment and then lots of glass bottles and tiny spoons ...

I found this visit to the children's hospital quite difficult.  As a teacher, each day I go to work, surrounded by children who full of energy and health ... hope and wholeness.  If they get sick, they have access to doctors, medicine, warmth and food.  Maybe they curl up in bed or on a sofa and watch a DVD ... read a book and sleep.  For the children in NK, they lie huddled under their quilts, desperately sick, with very little available to alleviate the misery.  Like our children, these children are loved, their parents do all they can, the staff do all they can ... it's just they have so little available to help.  I am seeing how important the work of Eugene Bell is.  They bring hope and medicine and integrity to monitor what they provide and ensure it is used effectively.

Other images from the day ... the roads around Pyongyang are lined with trees, but the hillsides are completely denuded.  Roads are wide and straight, but out of the city they break up ... ruts ... potholes ... makes for a bumpy ride.  We however, have a ride.  The majority of the people I see are walking ... many with handcarts ... there is the occasional bike and an occasional car and truck ... bullock carts abound, pulled by shaggy red bullocks.  Many women carry loads on their heads.

Colors ... khaki ... brown ... beige ... navy ... black, punctuated by a splash of red or pink.

Today was about -8 C.  While at the warehouses I watched a group of ladies weaving thatching ...  They crouched low, next to a big pile of straw.  People grabbed handfuls and beat it ... handing it on to the weavers ... they placed it down on 2 central threads which ran along the ground and then they whipped the threads back and forth ... no pictures allowed!

The GDP here is about $1200 USD a year.  The average worker is more likely to earn $1.00 a day.  One of our team works in poor nations in Africa and says what he saw today would compare ...

Dongdaewon 2010 - A New Day!

Welcome to the Dongdaewon blog.  We are just about to launch into our 5 week intensive campaign to raise funds for Dongdaewon (our care centre that we support through Eugene Bell Foundation in North Korea).  This year our campaign runs from February 16th - March 19th.  We are aiming to raise funds for a 6 month resupply kit.  Each division has a goal of 3,875,000 won.  During the past few years, thanks to the hard work and incredible generosity of our community, we have been able to raise enough funds for a whole years resupply kit!  Now that truly is ... Unity in Action!

So ... what is this blog all about?  It's basically a one stop shop for all you could want to know about our care centre and the fundraising we do to give patients "a new day".  Bookmark us and visit regularly because there will be lots to see.  If you are curious about North Korea, check out Miss Carpenter's photos and impressions.  If you would like to see how we have made a difference at Dongdaewon Care centre click here.  Feel free to use the comments section to ask questions and share your thoughts.  

Why should you come back?  Well ... we will be providing regular updates throughout our fundraising campaign ... Ms Carpenter is going to open her journal and share things she noticed on her trip up North ... and there will be plenty of great pictures!  The best way to not miss any of the action, is to click the "become a follower" link at the top (you need a google account for this) or subscribe with the link to the left.

Do you have your t-shirt yet?  This year we have two fantastic shirts. designed by Hanna and Miyoung in Grade 12.  We would love to see as many as possible at the Hearts to Serve Assemblies on February 17th.  Download the form from Edline and get yours now!

Okay ... that should get you started ... until next week when the fun begins ...

Ms C and the Dongdaewon Committee

T-Shirt Pre-sales - Get Yours Now!

Our Dongdaewon 2010 T-shirts have arrived!  They were designed by Mi Young and Hanna (IB Art, Grade 12).  This year we are building on the theme of "unity in action" with "a new day".  It's very simple really ...

UNITY   +   ACTION   =   A   NEW   DAY!

This year, there are two shirts - Check out our models showing off the new designs ...... (we flew them in from Milan for the event!)

Red - Elementary and British School KS 1 and 2

Burgandy - Middle School, High School and British KS3.

Adults ... take your pick!

Where can you wear them I hear you ask?!

British School Fair   ...   Hearts to Serve   ...    Spirit Day   ...   the supermarket   ...   bowling  ...  to bed  ... feeding the cat  ...   walking the dog ...  the possibilities are endless!

Get in quick and get yours now! 

Ask your teacher for the order forms Monday Feb 1st or download from Edline.

All You Need Is Love (- and a little creativity to raise some $$$)

In my previous post, I wrote about my visit to NK with the Eugene Bell Foundation. In this post I will be focusing on Dongdaewon, which is the TB care centre in NK that our SFS community have supported for the past 6 years. I thought it would be interesting if we take a tour around the care centre and see the very real difference that our fundraising has made in the lives of the staff and patients at this centre. Come along and check it out! It is pretty inspiring what our faculty, students and school community have achieved.  

Welcome to Dongdaewon. When I visited, there were about 163 patients being treated at the centre. As you can see it is out in the countryside.  

This is the director, Mr Cha. He is a new director because the previous director died.
I first met the Dongdaewon patients at Sadong. Many patients had come by truck to do testing for MDR TB. It was very cold and the patients had to stand and wait for a long time for their testing, as there were patients from many care centres there for testing. Someone pointed out the patients waiting to me and told me that this particular group had come from Dongdaewon. I was very excited to see them, as I have been involved in fundraising for them for a long time and finally, I could meet the patients in real life. Someone told the patients that I was a teacher from SFS. A buzz moved through the line and their faces lit up with warmth and smiles. There were many thank yous and a lot of bowing. The patients are so incredibly appreciative of our help. It was a very humbling thing to be on the receiving end of that. 
 
As I mentioned in my previous post, there is an escalating problem with MDR TB in North Korea. At present, 56 of the 163 patients at Dongdaewon are receiving MDR meds. This time around, we sputum tested another 30 or so patients. Any patients that were sputum tested have been through several rounds of DOTs medications and are not responding. So potentially, we could have half of our patients having MDR meds. This is a big problem. Financially the drugs cost a lot more (about $100.00 USD a patient per month, whereas DOTs costs about $50.00 USD for an entire treatment cycle). In addition, they take a lot longer to act, and the response rate isn't as good. Testing is very detailed. In the picture above, you can see that patients are weighed and measured.  
They then talk with the medical staff and provide a sputum sample. To do this, they cough up mucus from deep within their lungs. This is collected in bottles and sent to South Korea to be cultured. The culture takes about 5 months to grow, and from that, doctors get a detailed picture of which drugs the each MDR patient is resistant to, and which drugs can be used in their treatment.  

Each patient is photographed and their photograph is used to identify them with their medication when they receive it in 6 months time. They will receive a box of medicine particularly tailored to their needs. As I mentioned above, this medication is a lot more expensive than DOTs meds, but without it the patients will die. The drugs make the patients feel very sick. Their bodies fight the drugs, but they need the drugs to fight their TB. At present we provide all the DOTs meds for all DOTs patients at Dongdaewon and also for three of the MDR patients.  
Eugene Bell run a great scheme where they match individual donors with individual MDR patients to help. They send each donor a comprehensive update from the visits in. If you are interested in helping a NK patient this way, please contact Eugene Bell here. I can vouch that the patients WILL get their drugs and the help you provide.New patients have to wait 6 months for their drugs to arrive, and as mentioned in my previous post, not all patients will live to see the drugs that give them the hope of a new day and a life of health. It was wonderful to see some of our patients who have now gone through several cycles of their drugs and are looking so much better than when I first saw them in photos.
So ... many people wonder, where does the money go that we give? SFS commits to raising the money for a 6 month resupply kit. For the past few years, we have been able to provide the resupply kit for a whole year at Dongdaewon. We will talk more about the resupply kit in a moment, but lets see where else the money has gone. In the picture above, you can see the resupply kit we sent in boxes. Inside the boxes are supplies for the xray and microscope, drugs, medical records, plastic for the greenhouses and numerous other bits and pieces the centre needs to care for the patients. You can see a small chinese tractor that we have provided the centre with. This is used in the fields to help with nutrition. Many people in NK have poor nutrition and this makes them more susceptible to TB. An important part of treatment, is good nutrition. The centre grows it's own food. You can also see the a truck in the picture above. Our money was used to provide the centre with truck. They are able to use it to transport patients around the countryside. When the patients came to Sadong for testing, they came in the truck.
One of the important things that we have provided Dongdaewon with, is an x-ray machine. This is used to assist the doctors in diagosing patients and the progress of their TB. Eugene Bell have trained an x-ray technician - Mr Huh (you can see him holding onto the green thing in the picture above). Mr Huh is from NK and travels around the countryside with Eugene Bell, fixing the machines as we visit each centre. In between EB visits, he cannot travel around, as people are not able to move freely between provinces. You need the appropriate papers to move around the country, and these must be checked at various check points along the way. Part of our resupply kit provides parts for the machine, along with the films and solutions needed. At a couple of centres we visited, Eugene Bell provided a mobile x-ray truck, which can travel to different locations. 
One of the reasons why the x-ray machine is so important, is that without it, doctors resort to fluroscopy. You can see a fluroscope in the picture above. Dr Linton is standing in as a patient. The room is normally in total darkness. On the right hand side of the picture you can see something that looks like a canister. That emits a stream of radiation which passes through the patient and lights up an image on the screen in front. A doctor has to stay in the room with the patient to read the screen. When the machine is turned off, the picture is gone. The problem is that doctors see many patients and are exposed to large amounts of radiation. Many have become sick and died from radiation poisoning. The x-ray machine is much better, because the doctor does not have to stay in the room with the patient. They can read the resulting picture without being exposed to all the radiation. Sadly, if the machine breaks down, they will resort to the fluroscope while waiting for more parts.  
In this picture you can see one of the Dongdaewon doctors checking out patient samples in a microscope. Notice how the room has big windows and is very light. It is because there is no power except by generator. Doctors rely on natural light to read x-rays and look at samples. The reason they have a microscope to use at Dongdaewon is because of our fundraising. We also provide all the stains, slides etc that they need as part of the resupply kit. 

I was able to look through a prepared slide. The TB bacteria shows up as thin red rods. They are so tiny and harmless looking, and yet these are the very bacteria that cause suffering for multitudes of people world wide. (Picture borrowed from South Carolina School of Medicine). 
Other people also contribute towards Dongdaewon. Although we provide supplies for nutrition, Caritas provides soya beans. These are highly nutritious and cheap, and Caritas provides them to many care centres. 
One company also provided a winter warmer kit, which included new winter coats for the patients!  

This year, at SFS we sent several thousand paper cranes up to NK. Students were unable to write letters to wish patients good health, so we took paper cranes. Students from all over the school made hundreds of cranes - each one representative of wishes for good health and peace to the patients. Some of our JK students sprinkled glitter on their cranes as a sample of their wishes. When I presented the cranes with the wishes of our students, nurses and staff faces lit with pleasure and joy. There was lots of smiling and laughing. It was a very very COLD day when we were at Dongdaewon so not many patients were outside. Some were and received strings to take back to their rooms. The staff took the cranes around the various patient rooms and there were a lot of smiles and pleasure at the thoughts, wishes and personal touch from our students.  

In my next post, I will introduce you to some of the patients and their stories. We are a few weeks out from kicking off our fundraising for 2010. Look at the difference you have made already and start dreaming of what we could do this year. Maybe you have some creative ideas that you would like to try for fundraising. Talk to your teachers ... or if you are staff, let me know what you are doing and go for it. This year, when we kick off, I am going to put up weekly reports so we can inspire and celebrate each other's creativity. If you are not from SFS and reading this, maybe you are inspired to do something to help. Eugene Bell would love to talk with you. They have a sound history and great working relationship with the people in North Korea. They are a trustworthy organisation to support. You can contact them here. Thanks for reading ... see you soon!