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Ken Olson, Ken Mosier, Valdi Stefanson Ken Mosier introduced our speakers Ken Olson and Valdi Stefanson. Olson shared some information on the 501c3 NGO Shoulder to Shoulder. Shoulder to Shoulder works both in Minnesota and in Tanzania to support and upgrade Lutheran medical facilities in the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. They have worked for nearly 20 years, helping Ilula Lutheran hospital grow from a Health Center to a District Hospital with 100 beds serving a population of 250,000. Ken and Valdi explained that 60% of all medial diagnoses requires X-ray Analysis, which is much more than broken bones and having an X-ray machine can be the difference between getting the right or wrong treatment or life or death. Ilula is on the main highway from Dar es Salaam. This highway is very busy and there is an enormous amount of truck traffic, cars, motorbikes, bicycles and bijajis. So consequently, there are many accidents and injuries. Ken and Valdi's "ask" is for our support in their Global Grant to assist with purchasing an X-ray machine for Ilula. The cost for the machine is $150,000. Ken and Valdi are working with clubs in both District 5960 and 5950 to make this happen. |
