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6 June 2008
Dear Friends of the Clinica Ana Manganaro,
Today, on the fifteenth anniversary of Anns
passing, the people of Guarjila are having a remembrance
celebration with testimonies, stories and prayers. It is
a fitting time to write my annual letter to you, her friends
and supporters of the Clinic.
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The Clinic is now twenty years old and operates
with a staff of one full time doctor, Dagoberto Menjivar, and two
part-time young doctors who were trained in Cuba; two nurses, Marlene
Cruz and Angelica Serrano; four health promoters and a pharmacy with
natural medicines to supplement pharmaceuticals. The budget for 2008
runs at $82,024.00. Eighty-one percent of the budget comes from foundations
and donations. The rest of their income comes from local contributions
and fees for service. At the end of 2007, the foundation in Luxembourg
which has supported the clinic ran out of money. This increased the
need for all the other donors to increase their contributions.
Why do they need our help? Guarjila has decided
to remain free of the Ministry of Health in order to maintain their
commitment to being a community-based clinic. Through education
and prevention practices, diseases which are commonplace in the
rest of the country have almost been eliminated. Prenatal care,
well-baby and malnourished programs, and chronic diseases occupy
their attention. All a tribute to the work Ann began during her
six years in El Salvador.
For the last couple of years, medical students
from St. Louis University have spent time at the Clinic learning
about community medicine and the lives of Anns friends. This
life-changing experience will influence their practice in the future.
Nerinx Hall students continue to visit each March. A documentary
film and a book about Ann are in process. The chapel has been made
into a monument of remembrance of Ann and Fr. Jon Cortina, SJ.
El Salvador is facing a grave economic situation
with hunger and violence as the daily reality for so many. Nearly
1,000 try to leave each day while many return as deportees. Families
depend on the remittances of family members working outside the
country, but the current economic downturn has radically diminished
the ability of workers to earn enough to send home. The immigration
crisis here in the US has led to desperation for the young
people who have no hope of finding work at home; so many of them
were children when Ann lived in Guarjila.
This March I was able to bring a check for $8,000
for the Clinic through your help and a generous contribution from
the Loretto Communitys Special Needs Fund. We need to raise
this amount again for 2009. Hopefully you will be able to continue
to give to match Anns birth anniversary (62 this July). Perhaps
a donation of $15 is more within your budget. Please help us keep
the Clinic alive and well in Guarjila.
In Solidarity,
Marilyn Lorenz
Program Coordinator
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