Yezmin's Mom

Bringing Hope To Villages

Hi! My name is Yezmin. My mom is the one wearing the blue. She is standing in front of Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh. It is a hospital and health center in my country. Lutherans in the United States support it. My mom goes into the villages and helps people learn about health and ways they can make their lives better.

My mom travels to villages that are often very far away from each another. One-third of my country is covered by water! My mom often has to travel by boat. Do you ever take a boat to get somewhere?

When my mom gets off the boat, her journey isn't over. She does a lot of walking! Here she is crossing a bridge to get to a small village where she will teach. My mom works mostly with other women. In some places, girls don't have the same chance to go to school as boys do. Some are married when they are 13 years old and don't have ways to earn money. Many women don't have the same rights as men in my country.

My mom helps women start their own little businesses. In many villages, women are poor and do not have the money to start their own projects or purchase things they need for their families. My mom helps them save what little money they have, so that each one can have a turn purchasing what they need. It's like starting a bank the women can give to and borrow from.

My mom also teaches women about health care for them and their families. Here is one of her women's groups talking about immunizations. In my country, many people die because they have not been immunized against diseases. To get immunized, the doctor gives you a little bit of the virus (in a needle!) so that your body learns how to defeat the virus without making you too sick. You probably got shots when you were little!

After being out on the road, my mom goes back to the hospital run by Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh.

It's always crowded there. The people who go there know they can receive good care and come back. There are many young children in Bangladesh who need medicine and health care. Much of the money for our hospital comes from Lutherans in the United States.

Like every hospital, we have doctors, needles and big, complicated machines. We also have people from three different religions working together in one building!

Because it's so hard for some people to get to the hospital, especially when they are sick, the doctors also go out to the villages and set up clinics.

Ed and Karen Scott are missionaries from the United States. They are the directors of Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh. My mom likes working with the Scotts.

Christians who work here are truly inspired people, dedicated to God. I am a Muslim, but am very curious about Christianity. The Lutherans here are willing to share their faith.

And like every hospital we have happy babies with loving mothers and fathers!