This is the story of how MEMO shipped its 107th ocean container to Uganda. In May, my phone rang and the voice at the other end asked with an Australian accent, “Is this the Doctor Harvey that 50 years ago served at Galmi Hospital in the Republic of Niger in North Africa?”
“It is.” I replied.
“This is Dr. Andrew Wright, 50 years ago you mentored me at Galmi Mission Hospital while I did an elective in medical school. Since then, I have with the help of my church, built a hospital in rural northern Uganda. We are planning a 60-bed surgical wing addition and wonder if MEMO could furnish
it.”
I asked Andrew, a voice from my past, to give us a few days to consider it. Within a week, Michelle Beaulne, Director of Corporate Services, Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Hospital emailed and asked if MEMO would be interested in an anaesthetic machine, 2 operating tables, 10 hospital beds, several stretchers and a lot of other hospital equipment and supplies. We took this as God’s direction to say “yes” to shipping a container to Dr. Wright’s Yotkum hospital in Uganda.
MEMO (Medical Equipment Modernization Opportunity) is a Thunder Bay charitable organization that sends used but still useful hospital equipment and supplies to third world countries. We are a ministry of Thunder Bay’s Grace Evangelical Free Church working under the Evangelical Free Church of Canada’s denomination mission, Serve Beyond, which issues income tax receipts for donations.
For the last 3 months local MEMO volunteers have been busy sorting, inventorying and packing donations from local hospitals, clinics. home care and individuals for Uganda. Erb Trucking company delivered free of charge, all the surgical equipment and supplies from Sioux Lookout to our storage
facilities in Thunder Bay.
On Saturday August 10th. 20 Thunder Bay volunteers packed a 40’ ocean container full of medical equipment and supplies for the new 60 bed surgical wing of Yotkum Hospital in Uganda. The container will be trucked to Montreal and then sent by ship to Mombasa, Kenya, then by truck to landlocked Uganda. Cost $17,000! MEMO receives no government or corporate funding. If you would like to be part of this amazing story you may do so by donating to the shipping cost. Go to memoministry.org for information on how to donate.
Or even better, you are invited to attend our 20th anniversary celebration and fundraising dinner Sunday September 29th at the Italian Cultural Centre on Algoma St. to learn more about MEMO. The dinner is complimentary but reservations are necessary. Phone Elisabeth at 807 577 8869 to make a reservation for you and your friends.
Once again MEMO is so thankful for the generous love of people and institutions in Northwestern Ontario for our neighbours so far away who are in need.