SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER!

We are so very grateful for all our supporters! Our “Night for Nigeria” was a raging success. There were aobut 50 people at the event and all reported enjoying the food and entertainment. We raised over $4000 that night. Many people who were unable to attend sent donations to help get the new generator we need to be able to open the water plant.

We were surprised with several large donations after the event. We received a grant for Trinity Episcopal Church Outreach Commission for $2400 and a grant from the Radical Waves Project for $1000! That project has a giving circle of high school students and one of the students selected us for that award. We have no idea who that student was but are gobsmacked at the generosity of this group. Another $2000 came from good friends who have a heart for our mission.

With the fabulous support we were able to send $10,000 to Nigeria to purchase the new generator. The generator should be on its way in the next few days. Our final inspection by the NAFDAC in Nigeria will then be scheduled and we will be able to start producing water to sell!

We will also have enough money to start looking for a used ultrasound machine for the clinic. We are hopinq to have the remainder of the money needed by the time we travel to Lagos in April. An ultrasound machine will bring more business to the clinic and help to show the locals that we are truly a well equipped clinic that they can trust to deliver high quality medical care. Our next step for the clinic will be to improve our lab capabilities so we won’t have to send certain tests out to other labs.

None of this could have happened without the support of YOU our faithful donors! May the blessings you have given us return to you tenfold!

January 1, 2023

GREAT THINGS HAVE HAPPEND!

The construction we began in April has been completed and the staff members was able to move into their new quarters before Christmas! They are all very happy to have a place to rest outside of the hospital. They now have more privacy and a place to call their own.

The water plant is gearing up to begin processing clean water for the clinic and the community. The building is complete, but electricity has again become a problem. We hooked into the community power grid last year when it seemed the village was receiving reliable service. That all changed this summer and now we can not rely on having enough electricity to run the filtering and packaging equipment. We will need to raise money for a larger generator before production can begin. This is very disappointing news, as we had hoped to forgo the expense of fuel for a generator. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how the country decides who will get power and when.

We will also be raising funds to buy a delivery truck to transport the packaged water to those who will sell it. It seems we can get a very nice truck for about $13.000. So we will be looking at raising around $20.000 for the current needs to make the water plant successful.

We will be planning a big fundraising event in late February towards these goals. As with everything we have done, there always seems to be one more bit of bother that we had not counted on. But we know the God will provide through the generosity of our many donors.

May you New Year be blessed as you have blessed us for the past few years. We pray your blessings will be doubled back on you!

Changes Are Coming!

We had a very successful trip to Nigeria this past 2 weeks. We were able to meet with staff and find out how things are going at the clinic. Reliable power and an ultrasound machine seem to be the greatest needs at this time. Three of our solar batteries failed in March. As we were leaving Owerri on the 5th of April new batteries were being installed. So solar power is again up and running.

The community has been getting consistent electricity for the past 3 weeks. NEPA seems to be willing to supply power on a continuous basis. We talked with the authorities and were given a quote for running power lines from the main road. In the past it was not worth the cost, as NEPA only occasionally supplied the village with power. Unlike the US, we had to get permission from the village to hook into the power line. We also had to negotiate with the 2 families owning the land between us and the main road. Unfortunately, they were not generous in allowing us to place power poles on the perimeter of their land and we will have to pay a total of $1300 to the two families. We learned a lot about Igbo culture and their beliefs about ancestral spirits. The ancestors roam the land at night, using the pathways that have been used for centuries. You cannot block a path or reroute it without appeasing the ancestors. Likewise, since they roam in the dark lighting a path can upset them. It seems that paying money to the descendants is enough to keep them at bay.

We also made plans for the water treatment facility we are going to build in our compound. We were unable to convince the Nigerian officials that the system we were going to import from the US was better than what is normally used there. The official said it would not pass. We have given up and will use Nigerian equipment to move the project forward. The building that we are using for storage that was to become staff housing will now be used for the water plant. We will begin remodeling it in the next few weeks. Hopefully, we will be able to begin selling water by the end of the summer.

The staff is anxious to move into housing away from the clinic. The building originally set aside for that that was commandeered for storage was not going to be adequate to house clinic and water treatment staff, so a new building will be going up. We hope to also get that started immediately. The sand has already been delivered to begin making the cement blocks for both the staff quarters and the remodel of the water building.

We are still looking for a used ultrasound machine for the clinic. We would be able to offer services to many patients from other clinics and grow our clientele if we can offer scans. We are also looking for equipment to make our lab more full service. These machines are expensive, so we are having to do some cost analysis research to decide if they are feasible.

All in all, it was a very productive trip and we are looking forward to the completion of the many projects we have begun. Please continue to pray for wise judgement and funds to meet these needs.

A LETTER FROM FATHER JOHN

In Thanksgiving for your Generosity, and Blessings in the New Year 2022

On behalf of the Beatitude Care Center, we wish to thank you, our friends, benefactors and associates for your generous donations in support of our Center projects in Egbelu Nguru-Umuaro community in Imo State, Nigeria.

In a special way we wish to thank Dr. Stewart and Terrie Abbot the President and Treasurer of the Beatitude Care Foundation. We thank Ms. Verlene white, Dr. Mike Sturm, Pat Moscrip family, Trinity Episcopalian Church in Greeley, Greeley Rotary Club and all you men and women of goodwill too numerous to count. You have taught us that no matter where we come from or the faith we profess, that Christianity is a religion of what we have done. Unlike the Ten Commandments that teaches us what we are not to do; the Beatitude teaches us what we are to do, and the many blessings that accompany them. As we come to the close of 2021, we say thank you all for living out the beatitude and by doing this work at the center through your selfless giving.

Because of your generosity we have fourteen clinical and non-clinical employees in our Center and under our salary scale. These include: A part time Medical Doctor, two full time resident Midwives, two Nurses, two Medical Lab attendants, two full time Cleaners, three full time resident Security personnel, one caretaker/incinerator and a Coordinator of affairs who provide day-today information to the Beatitude Care Foundation team.

Just this Christmas 2021, we had an emergency that nearly took the life of a 28year old woman who slumped with what looked like a heart attack after cooking a large family Christmas meal. She was rushed to our clinic in a motor cycle by her family members. With the expertise of our Midwife and the Nurse on duty, the young woman was revived in a couple of hours. This woman is alive today to see the New Year 2022 because of your generous donations. We could not have saved this woman’s life without you.

Each year we visit the Center to see how things are going and for clinical review and training of the staff by Dr. Stewart and his wife Terrie. We would also like to invite each and every one of you to feel free to join us to visit Nigeria to see our facility and experience the welcoming community where our Center is situated. We promise to provide letter of invitation for visa application, accommodation, feeding and security during the visit. Dr. Stewart and his wife Terrie in their generosity pays a yearly rent to keep our accommodation intact, and I am sure they will be more than happy to share it with anyone willing to visit the Center with us.

May God continue to bless you with the good things of life this year 2022 and in the years ahead.

Rev. John Nkwocha

for Beatitude Care Center

As 2021 draws to a close we are reminded of how blessed we have been through the generosity of our donors.  We have accomplished great thing this past year.  We were able to open our doors to 24 hour care with a trained staff and well equipped clinic.  We are very grateful for all that has come together to make that possible.

Since opening in January we have treated 731 patients for everything from sniffles to serious injuries that needed stitches.  We have had patients in need of rehydration through IV treatment.  Many people present with malaria, high blood pressure and diabetes.  We still give medication at no cost for these conditions.  Our pharmacy has been very busy since people know they will get quality medicine and not have to worry about counterfeit drugs they may get from local chemists.

We have also welcomed 10 babies this year!  It is always a joyous occasion when an infant is safely delivered.  We have had to transfer a few patients who needed Ceasarean  section which we are not able to perform.

OUR BUCKET LIST

As we look towards 2022 we find that our success brings forward new needs.  Currently our staff is housed in patient rooms in the Pat Moscrip Maternity Clinic.  The staff quarters building was completed last winter, but has been used to store the excess supplies that were donated from Project Cure.  We are now at a point where we need to supply separate housing for our employees.  That necessitates moving our storage into another space.  To that end, we have arranged to buy a 40’ shipping container to be placed in our compound.  Then the staff quarters will need to be finished with interior rooms and a bathroom.

Our biggest project for the next year is a water filtration system.  Our well water is contaminated with large amounts of bacteria making it unsafe to drink or use for other purposes without boiling.  This is standard for Nigeria.  A water filtration system will allow us to supply the clinic with safe water and have enough output to be able to bottle water for sale.  This would not only employ several villagers, but would bring in income to help fund the clinic.  We have already received a generous $10,000 donation towards the system, which leaves $15,000 to go.

We hope you will be able to help meet the needs of our clinic for the next year.  A monthly pledge or one-time gift will go a long way to support our ongoing mission to the people of Nguru Umuaro.  As always, every cent of money donated goes directly towards the operation of the clinic.  All administrative costs are personally paid by the board of directors.  And all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your contributions in the past.  We hope that our mission still has a place in your heart and you will consider supporting us into the future.

The Continuation of the Dream

Things are going well at the Clinic with new babies arriving every month. We are planning several large projects in the near future as funds become available. It’s exciting to see how far we have come, but a little daunting to realize how much further we need to go.

At present, the majority of our staff for the Clinic have been living in patient rooms. We have grown to the point that we need to move them into the staff quarters where we have been storing the excess equipment and supplies donated last year. To that end, we are purchasing a 40’ cargo container to use for storage. Once the foundation for that is in and it has been delivered the staff quarters will be cleared and construction of sleeping quarters and a bathroom will begin. The cost of a container and foundation is around $4000. We are waiting for the estimate on what finishing the staff quarters will cost, but trust that it can be accomplished soon.

Another project that needs to be completed in the near future is plastering the wall around the compound. The heavy summer rains are taking their toll and the wall is beginning to deteriorate. The estimated cost for plastering is $3500.

We are beginning to raise money for a water purification system that will not only supply the clinic with pure water but will produce enough water that we can bottle it and sell it to the community. With the very sandy soil in Nigeria all the surface bacteria is quickly washed into the water table. Our water tests show that our well has 290 ppm of coliforms (bacteria). The accepted standard for safe drinking water is ZERO! We have to purchase all of our drinking water and water for other purposes has to be boiled to be safe. We have never visited anywhere in the country where the water from the tap was safe to drink. If we are able to sell safe drinking water it will be a profitable revenue stream to help sustain the clinic.

We have been on a tour of a factory in Rocky Ford, Colorado, that produces a solar/wind powered filtration system that would be perfect for our compound. Once the system is in place the only cost would be for bottling supplies. The filters they manufacture have been shown to last over 13 years! The cost of the system is $25,000. Shipping costs and a bottling machine would at another $5000.

We have raised about $15,000 for the water system to date. We are constantly amazed at the generosity of our donors. We will still need to raise another $25,000 to complete all the projects on our to-do list. We are trusting that these endeavors will be blessed.

THE DREAM IS REALITY!

After three and a half years of praying, dreaming, planning and hard labor, the Pat Moscrip Maternity Center at the Beatitude Care Center has opened for business!

Early in the morning on January 11, 2021, the Pat Moscrip Maternity Center opened it’s doors to the public. We would have loved to say that it was with great fanfare that this milestone was marked, but due to the current worldwide pandemic it was a quiet opening. If times had been different, we would have taken a delegation of supporters for a grand ribbon cutting but we did not want to delay the delivery of quality medical care to the residents of Nguru Umuaro just so we could celebrate this great achievement.

We never dreamed in the summer of 2016 when we first met Fr. John Nkwocha that in 4 years time we would be opening such a wonderful facility. In the Spring of 2017 we made our first trip to Egbelu, just to see if we were really called to this challenge. The dreaming and scheming began, and here we are 3 1/2 years later giving birth to this great mission.

Just as in the rest of the world, 2020 was filled with expectation, delay, inertia and great promise for the Beatitude Care Center. It began with excitement about the donation of medical equipment from Project C.U.R.E., then frustration over the delay in cutting through the proper red tape to be able to import the goods. Then there was elation that we were able to help pack up a 40 foot cargo container and send it on it’s way. Two months later we were exasperated to find our shipment stuck in Customs. Once problems there were resolved the supplies made their way to Egbelu where a faithful crew unpacked in the rain and eventual darkness.

Then nothing happened. For a long time. We waited for news that we could travel to Nigeria to interview potential staff. But God had a plan. In October Clementina Agoucha retired from the national hospital in the northern part of Nigeria where she had been in charge of the Obstetrics Unit. Being a native of Egbelu, she came home and wanted to work with us at the Maternity Center. Interviews with Clementina and others were carried out over Zoom and WhatsApp. In December, we were able to continue with our regular Saturday clinics that had been scaled back since the virus erupted in March.

The blessing of a cargo container of supplies and equipment led to a dilemma - where to store everything! The staff rooms in the clinic building were stuffed with boxes, beds, surgical supplies, etc. A storage building (that will later be expanded into staff housing) was hastily built and the newly employed staff spent many long hours getting the clinic equipped and ready to open.

The clinic is staffed by Clementina Agoucha, Celine Orji, and Chioma Ekeocha , Nurse Midwives, and Dr. Sylvia Echekwu. Chizoba Edwin, Nurse Assistant, and Chika Ukachi, Lab Tech will live at the clinic. We also have a small cleaning staff and are contracted for 24 hour security officers. The generous donations from our donors have made it possible to pay salaries and expenses until the clinic can become more self sufficient.

We are humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity that has made this all possible. And we have been constantly amazed at how everything has fallen into place on this journey. We look forward to bringing you more good news in the future as we continue to expand our services. Please know that your generosity is greatly appreciated not only by us but by the people of Nigeria, also.

Doug Moscrip 1938-2020

Our hearts are heavy with the news that our friend and benefactor, Doug Moscrip, has passed away. Without the extreme generosity of Doug and his family the clinic would still be a far off dream. We will be eternally grateful that he shared our vision and helped to make the dream a reality.

We have named the Pat Moscrip Maternity Center after Doug's first wife. Money was given in her memory to support our mission to women and children. Doug and Betty agreed that Pat would have been honored to be a part of this endeavor. We will now look for a way to honor Doug's memory at the Center. The people of Nguru Umuaro have been greatly blessed by his generosity.

You can read Doug's obituary here: https://legcy.co/3gjdIt4

Progress!

It has been a while since I have updated what has been happening at the clinic. We had been hoping to travel to Egbelu in January…then March…May… It now looks like we may not be able to get there until next year. This is very distressing, as there is so much to be done.

But, on the bright side, we were able to raise the funds to install solar energy in the compound. It was completed on June 22. This will save thousands of dollars a year in fuel costs we would have paid to run a generator 24/7. And it will make our campus safer and much more pleasant without the constant roar from the diesel motor.

Our container of medical equipment has finally arrived at the clinic! Project C.U.R.E. in Denver donated enough equipment and supplies to fill a 40 foot shipping container to the brim. We were able to help with the packing of the container just days before Colorado locked down due to COVID 19. The container then was taken to Oakland, California, where it began it’s long ocean journey on March 29. It arrived at Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on May 29. Then is sat on the dock for 25 days waiting for clearance from customs. We have learned a lot about how importing into Nigeria works (and doesn’t work!).

Finally, in the wee hours of June 23rd the container once again hit the road on it’s way to Egbelu. The trip of 60 miles took 16 hours and the truck arrived in a torrential downpour. The providential timing of the installation of solar lights made it possible for the men unloading the container to work through the night and get the container headed back to port. We have made arrangements with Collette Ikem, CNM, to oversee the set up of the clinic. Collette worked with us at the Center for Women’s Health in Greeley and has since moved back to her home in Asaba, about 1 hour from Owerri. We are very blessed to have her expertise in organizing all the supplies and equipment in the clinic.

We are now looking at the difficult task of hiring permanent full-time staff so we can begin operation as a full fledged Maternity Center. Once we hire a matron and doctor we will be able to get a license from the government and begin delivering babies! We had made plans to do all this in person, but due to the current state of the world with the novel Corona virus we will have to trust the ether to do Zoom interviews. We are learning a lot about trust in these past few months as we have been out of control of events.

We are forever grateful to everyone who has helped to bring us this far. We have a long way to go, but the hard work has been done. The dream is quickly becoming a reality!

We Are Moving Forward!

Thanks to the generous support of our donors we have been able to arrange for a cargo container of medical equipment to be shipped from Project C.U.R.E.!  We hope to have the hospital fully furnished and staffed by early 2020 when we will be able to open full-time for maternity and emergency services.

One of the tasks for the near future is hiring staff for the hospital.  We had hoped to interview candidates in July but that didn’t work out.  Our goal is to hire a full-time physician, a midwife and a nurse to be able to open our doors.  Ancillary staff like a lab technician and housekeeping will be on a part-time basis.  We are looking for staff that agrees with our philosophy and will be willing to learn some new ways of doing things that may not be typical in Nigeria.

Project C.U.R.E. is supplying most of what we need to have a functioning hospital.  We chose not to include non-medical items like tables, chairs, filing cabinets, etc., to save room for more important items in the container.  We will have to buy those items in Owerri.  We will also need to procure medications to have on hand.  So, once again we are seeking support.

We will be hosting and online auction beginning November 22 and ending on December 15, 2019, to raise money to ensure a smooth opening or the clinic.  Our goal is to raise $10-15,000 by auctioning off goods, services and experiences that will make unique Christmas gifts.  Please watch this page for details on how you can bid and ask your friends to check out what we have to offer.  We hope to reach a larger audience outside our faithful donors with this event.

Here is a sampling of what we will have to offer:

Denver Center for Performing Arts                                         Pass for 4 for Backstage Tour

SeaQuest Littleton                                                                   Membership for a Family of 4

Denver Zoo                                                                              4 Paid Admissions

Pirates Cove Water Park                                                            4 Paid Admissions

Museo de las Americas                                                              Family Membership for 1 year

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery                                           6 2-for-1 tickets

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame                                                  $100 Tour of Mile High Stadium

American Adventure Expeditions                                             $100 gift Certificate for raft trip

Denver Museum of Natural Sciences                                      4 Paid Admissions

Restoration Medical Aesthetics                                                Gift Certificate for Signature Facial

Molly Brown House Museum 4 paid admissions

Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge RR 2 Standard Class Roundtrip Tickets

7 night Stay in Summit County, CO, condo

7 night stay in 5-star Mexican Resort

More items are being added daily!