Cross-Cultural Maternal/Child Health Care & Disaster Preparedness Training

For Making a Real Difference in the Developing World

Dates: December 30, 2010 to January 13, 2011

and June 13-27, 2011

Held in the Philippines at a lovely beach resort, combining Continuing Education (accredited CEU's awarded) with vacation and inspiration

This two week Maternal/Child Health Care and Disaster Preparedness Training in a developing world setting will give you vital continuing education and practical experiences in cross-cultural birthing practices, and equip you to impact the health of at-risk populations anywhere in the world. The first week will cover three main topics in an intensive format:   the unique needs of pregnant women living in poverty in developing nations, including new and updated "Best Practices" birth protocols from the world health community; the simple prevention and treatment of the main diseases that kill children under 5 in the developing countries; and preparation for disasters, both in surviving disaster situations, and providing aide. We will compare what is similar and what is very different from the western way of looking at these health problems.  You will learn to diagnose and treat  specific complications such as parasites, tetanus, TB, malaria, and the devastating effects of malnutrition, and learn how to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS. Special attention will be given to the five major causes of maternal death in the third world, and you will learn life-saving advanced skills to prevent these unnecessary deaths. We will also focus on practical ways to reduce the high rate of newborn deaths and stillbirths, and Best Practices in child survival. Primary Health Care principles will be taught and practiced.

All this training will take place on a beautiful tropical island where you will reside in a guest house near the sea. During the second week, we will expose you to  valuable experience in providing cross-cultural maternity care. Prenatal and postpartum home visits will further enrich your understanding of the conditions mothers and babies are living with day by day. You may have the opportunity to attend births in the second week. This intensive is open to experienced midwives or nurses, or student midwives or nurses, doulas, childbirth educators, and those who want to decide if third-world maternal child health care is the path they will choose. If you are registered with the National College of Midwifery, or are working through the NARM PEP process, we have approved Faculty/Preceptors on our staff to sign off on your clinical experience. Time will be set aside for fun activities such as swimming or snorkeling in the ocean, or you can enjoy a relaxed break time in a beach chair with a good book. This week is about Education, Inspiration, and Vacation

Two week Intensive Session-
Cost is $1,500 United States dollars.

Included in this cost is pick-up at the airport, accommodations at the beach resort, your training materials, and a free one-hour massage on the beach.  You will pay for your own meals.  Prices are for a shared room; if you are coming with a family, you will pay extra for accomodations.   You will be responsible for your round trip flight into Manila International Airport. Visas are free for 21 days at the airport.

Send in your application:
You may now apply by email. Go to the application below, and copy and paste those questions into the body of an email, fill it out and email it to info@mercyinaction.com. If you are applying as a group, each member and the leader need to fill out a separate application, which the team leader will send to us all at once.

Receive your acceptance by email in 2-6 weeks and make plans to attend!

Pay your fees by 2 months before the start date. This is so we can know how many to plan for when making travel and lodging plans.

The best way to pay is on-line by going to the Training Fees & Donation page on this web site:
CLICK HERE TO PAY

Or you can pay by check or money order in US dollars and mail to our USA headquarters:

Mercy In Action
PO Box 2777
Paso Robles, CA 93447

Get a passport if you do not already have one that is good for at least 6 months past your planned travel time. You can get your first passport or renew your old one by going to a post office or going on line at : http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Visa

You will get a free visa at the airport good for 21 days.

Purchase a ticket to fly into Manila, Philippines. Many airlines fly into Manila, you can ask your travel agent, use a search site like www.kayak.com, or use our Mercy In Action travel agent:
Barbara Lambert at Bon Voyage Travel:
Phone :800-800-8511
E-mail: barbara@bonvoyagetravelintl.com

Bring money to exchange at the airport when you depart for your international flight. At most airports that have international flights there is a booth to change your money into Philippine pesos. Bring enough for eating out occasionally and the wonderful native baskets, jewelry, sarongs, and other souvenirs you can buy inexpensively here. You may also want to pay for activities on our fun days, such as boating, snorkeling, diving, or jet skiing in the ocean, or enjoying a massage on the beach. We have friends who provide all these activities as their businesses. If you are unable to change money before leaving North America, we can help you exchange it here, but it is better and easier to have pesos you can use right when you arrive.

Pack light, you must be able to carry all your own luggage without assistance. The only exception is if you bring donated supplies with you we will pay for a porter to help you. (see below). All the clothes you need will fit in a back-pack. Bring a few sets of tee shirts or tank tops and shorts, and a swim suit. Pack some mosquito spray and sunscreen, and any prescription medicines you are taking.  You will only need sandals, unless you plan to go hiking. Bring one sweater or light jacket for on the plane (probably the coldest you will be!).

Bring medical donations in your luggage to bless the mission of Mercy In Action. The items we need most are gloves, both sterile and non-sterile, gauze pads, band-aids, chux underpads, adult or child disposable diapers, individual packets of alcohol wipes, K-Y jelly, antibiotic ointments like Neosporin, hydrocortisone creams, and ointments for burns. All of these can be bought at Wal-mart or any drug store, (cheap there, especially if you buy generic versions--but very expensive and hard to find here!) or you may be able to ask your doctor or dentist for donations, especially medical gloves, absorbable sutures, 1cc and 3cc syringes, and IV needles.

Application

Send in your application:
You may now apply by email. From this application page, click, copy and paste these questions into the body of an email, fill it out and email it to info@mercyinaction.com.

Application

Course applying for: Maternal Newborn Child Health Care Training Session

Name:

Address:
City, State, Zip:
Email:
Phone:
Age:
Birth date:
Sex:

Single or married:

Spouses name if married:

Children, names and ages:
Will spouse or child accompany you?

Occupation:
Height:
Weight:
Blood type:

Religion:
Any current health problems?
On any medications now?
Is there anything you will not eat?
How would you rate your health and stamina?
Are you current on immunizations and boosters?
Emergency contact, name and phone:
Health care currently involved in:
Education:
How did you hear about Mercy In Action?
Who do you know who has attended trainings in the past?
What expectations do you have for this course?
What do you hope to do after your time with us?

Write a short biography, include your interest in health care, your relationship with God, goals, any addictions or areas of character you are working on, and anything else you would like to tell us about your hopes, fears, special circumstances, future dreams, etc.

Have a leader from your church, job or volunteer organization send a letter of reference by email.