The CareNow Foundation was established in late 2005 by Ed and Wendy Bjurstrom after they visited a number of rural villages in Africa in 2002 and 2004. During their visits, they found many people not only suffering from HIV/AIDs, but also were in great need of the most basic healthcare services. Setting a broken bone correctly to prevent a child from living life as a cripple or cleaning and dressing a wound properly to prevent life threatening infections brings stability to an entire family as well as their village. These are simple things that make a profound difference. This is the focus of the CareNow Foundation. Our mission statement is:
“Providing essential healthcare to the world’s least served”
As a fully qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID #59-3814178) CareNow is dedicated to establishing and supporting effective medical clinics in African locations where the most basic healthcare is simply unavailable. While focused on delivering basic healthcare, the teaching and training of local people in basic healthcare practices and establishing community caregivers will have an even greater long-term effect by building self sufficiency in these communities. Here are a few highlights of our current activities and our future plans in Africa:
Mission Medic Air (MMA) is composed of a group of compassionate healthcare professionals who volunteer their time to fly into isolated locations and provide support to remote medical clinics and missionary hospitals. MMA currently flies to eight locations on a scheduled basis. They transport healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists and eye specialists as well as mechanics to repair medical equipment. CareNow works to provide equipment, medicines and funding for airplane fuel. MMA is often the only supplier of medicines to remote locations in Zambia.
Tanzania Christian Clinic - Ngaresh Juu, TanzaniaThe mission of Tanzania Christian Clinic (TCC) is to educate healthcare providers in the arts of tropical and missionary medicine, and to alleviate sickness by treatment and prevention. TCC exists to offer quality healthcare to all who are in need with the primary focus being those who are medically underserved. Mobile medical clinics to outlying areas are scheduled on a regular basis. These clinics serve as venues for teaching preventive medicine.
1000 Hills Community Helpers - Inchanga, South Africa1000 Hills Community Helpers has been an active and dedicated healthcare resource to this community on the outskirts of Durban, South Africa for the past 18 years. Recently, they opened a new facility with the help of a group of part-time volunteers. The clinic is focused on caring for those infected with HIV/AIDS, with particular focus on the needs of women and children in the community. Inchanga is in the center of the KwaZulu region of South Africa that is recognized as particularly hard hit by the HIV pandemic.
Lily Medical Centre - Mophela, South AfricaThrough a partnership with the Lily of the Valley Children’s (AIDS) Orphanage located in Mophela, South Africa, CareNow provides operational support to the Lily Medical Centre. We fund the salaries of indigenous healthcare professionals as well as provide much needed equipment, instruments, supplies and medicines. This clinic serves the local community of 30,000 people as well as the medical needs of the children at the orphanage.
Karero Medical Dispensary - Karero, KenyaThis clinic was founded 2008 and is bringing medical care for the first time to this community located in a remote region of Kenya near the border of Tanzania. This Maasai community is medically underserved and suffers from numerous infectious diseases, parasitic infections, burns and wounds. In addition, the region has recently been devastated by drought conditions which have significantly impacted the nutrition and health of these people.