How To Help
MONETARY DONATIONS
African life is difficult…the children suffer the most and many of them are desperate for basic medical care. For many this is provided by CAMM at little or sometimes no cost to them…THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS!
The Central Africa Medical Mission operates solely on donations. We trust in the grace of God to open the hearts of WELS congregations, ladies’ groups, schools, and individuals to provide the necessary funds to continue serving the people of Zambia and Malawi. Every dollar received goes to the efforts of our Christ centered medical missions.
Many groups like to send charitable items, like pill bottles, layettes, blankets and hats to our fields in Africa. The cost of postage to send even a small box to Africa can be costly for the group sending the items. CAMM is very appreciative of these gifts, and feels the goods outweigh the cost, as many of these items are not available in Africa.
However, there is an equal need for financial support to fund the CAMM budget for necessities. Medications and fuel are necessities, along with supplemental maize, nutrients, infant formula, travel and salaries. Our staffs take pride in knowing how to stretch every dollar to its limit.
Along with monetary support, we also suggest service projects or other activities to raise funds for the support of the Central Africa Medical Mission.
By purchasing supplies in Zambia and Malawi, as opposed to buying it in the States and sending it to Africa, the Central Africa Medical Mission also infuses money into the local economies. Many items are available to purchase in the field, and in fact are actually better sourced there.
Donations may be made by:
Check:
Payable to Central Africa Medical Mission
and Mailed to:
(This is intended for monetary donations only and CANNOT accept packages. Please email our Contact Woman Coordinator at cwc.camm@gmail.com if you wish to send a package.)
WELS Gift Processing – CAMM
N16 W23377 Stone Ridge Drive
Waukesha WI 53188
or Donate to CAMM online:
by Credit card or direct checking withdrawal:
Click here to Donate Online. This is a secure link within the WELS synod.
CAMM PRESENTATIONS
Is your church or school looking for a speaker this fall?
Would you like to learn more about CAMM from those who have information and stories to share directly from the field?
Gary Evans, Clinic Administrator and Beth Evans, Nurse in Charge are home from Malawi and available for presentations.
Contact Angela at public.relations.camm@gmail.com for more information or to schedule a date.
PACKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL BOXES TO AFRICA
Pack securely and compactly in STRONG CARTONS – 10 to 15 lbs. maximum (this is a general guideline, not mandatory. Realize the heavier it is the costlier it will be to ship). Depending on the contents you can line the box with a plastic garbage type bag. Another option for some shipments is the USPS Flat Rate boxes. The rates are different than U.S. rates and there is a 20-pound limit. Consider checking with Thrivent on a program they have called Action Team. A Thrivent member must apply for it but can receive a Visa gift card for up to $250 to cover postage. Another idea to help reduce cost is to use larger padded envelopes to send items such as hats, washcloths, socks, rolled bandages, pill bags (not bottles) that cannot be crushed. The envelopes will usually ship for less than a box.
INSIDE THE BOX: Insert a piece of paper with the sender’s information (your name and address and email address or the church’s name and address/email address). This will help in reaching out to you to notify you of receipt. To help reduce postage costs, please include an email address that could be used for a thank you and acknowledgement that the shipment has arrived. You can always include a short note to the CAMM staff to encourage them and let them know you are keeping them in prayer. It offers a bright spot in their days. Please know that due to timing and much different postal procedures/practices there, despite what the USPS here may tell you, you shouldn’t expect to hear that the package has arrived there for 2-3 months. You can be certain, that once we are made aware it has arrived, you will hear from CAMM.
OUTSIDE THE BOX: Please write the name and address of the clinic on the carton. (A strip of clear tape over addresses will protect them from obliteration). USE STRONG REINFORCED TAPE TO SECURE CARTON. (String or cord is not allowed.)
CUSTOMS FORM: When filling out the custom form, always claim “0” for value amount. Never write the word “medical” anywhere on the form. For contents, write “supplies” or “humanitarian aid”, “empty plastic bottles”, etc. If it asks for a phone number, leave it blank if they will allow that. You can put your own phone number on it or I can provide a phone number in one of the fields for it. All packages are sent postal air mail.
ADDRESS BOXES FOR MALAWI:
LUTHERAN MOBILE CLINIC
P.O. Box 30339 • Lilongwe 3, Malawi, AFRICA
ADDRESS BOXES FOR ZAMBIA:
LUTHERAN MISSION RURAL HEALTH CENTER
(Mwembezhi)
P.O. Box 310005 • Chelston Lusaka, Zambia, AFRICA
PILL BOTTLE DETAILS
If you are sending pill bottles to Malawi or Zambia, please send the smaller bottles with caps. Sizes #3(3”x 1-1/4”) & #5(3” x 1”) are best, #2 ok (3-3/4” x 1-1/2”) and avoid #1 & #4. (Bottles are listed from # 1-#5 from left to right)
Please remove all labels and if there is adhesive remaining on the bottles, do not send those. Wash any used pill bottles. The reason for this is that some meds leave a residue in the bottles and we don’t want any of it getting mixed in with liquids that may be given out at the clinics. Make certain they are completely dry before shipping to avoid mold problems when the box is opened. In the inside, leave a note indicating they are washed. To get more in the box you can put bottles inside one another and leave the caps loose. Please make certain all bottles have caps that fit. For Malawi, they can be placed in plastic grocery bags of 50 for ready use at mobile sites each day. Please indicate the bags each have 50 bottles in them. This helps them a great deal.
Interesting information on the pill bottles: Many ladies (and men) at the congregations that send them wonder what in fact they are used for. If anyone does wonder or ask or is interested, they use the pill bottles to send creams, ointments or syrups home with patients. If a particular condition does not require the entire tube or bottle that they purchase from the pharmacy shop be given to the patient, this is the way in which they are able to stretch the pharmaceutical budget even further. Our staff is always watchful of making the funds donated to support CAMM stretch and be put to the best possible use. We are so blessed to have such faithful and dedicated workers.
Some items that can be included in the boxes that do not add much weight and thus increase cost are listed. These are things they can use but don’t often have on hand or are unable to get in Malawi/Zambia. The items are twist ties for baggies, plastic grocery bags, Ziploc baggies gallon size
with the slide tab, not the press together closure, paper towel sheets, paper napkins. These can all be places among the pill bottles for some cushion and to stop some of the rattling of the bottles.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY COTTON BALLS IN THE BOXES OR BOTTLES.
You may be asked to hold onto pill bottles ready for shipment for a short period of time. Once the request is put out for them, we are blessed to get a good response but there is limited storage at the clinics especially in Malawi with it being a mobile clinic. Please notify the Contact Woman Coordinator, before shipping so the fields can be contacted to see how they are with supplies of pill bottles. Any questions or help needed regarding project needs/requests/ shipments of any kind for the CAMM fields, please contact CAMM Contact Woman Coordinator, Cheryl Valus. Her information
is listed below.
Stephanie Otto
cwc.camm@gmail.com