Virginia Unseld, Nederland.  Malaria, Newborns, Earthquakes and Cholera: Caring Around the Globe is the title of the presentation given by Beverly Lyne at the Nederland Library on Saturday, February 4, 2017. Beverly Lyne has been the recipient of numerous Mountain Forum for Peace (MFP) grants over the years for her international work as a public health nurse. Last year Lyne was honored as the 2016 Peacemaker of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center in Boulder. Lyne is currently Director of the Nursing Education Program at Colorado Northwestern Community College in Craig.

Lyne’s presentation focused on her work over the years in Nicaragua, Uganda and Haiti.  She credits her passion for helping people around the world to her Methodist upbringing and her international travels while in college.  Although she presented some charts and statistics (U.S. life expectancy 78, Haiti 62, Uganda 53) her talk was really about individuals and developing relationships around the world. As she showed her power point presentation, she stopped to introduce the people in the images and the important work they do.

In 2005, Beverly volunteered with 3 Canadian nurses to go to Soroti, Uganda to set up a primary health clinic. This clinic helped serve the Internally Displaced People (IDP) that set up refugee camps by this town of 15,000 people.  Conditions were filthy and unhealthy. This year the clinic will celebrate its 12th anniversary and Beverly goes back annually to volunteer, this year she will go in May.

The clinic started with 1 nurse, 1 accountant, 1 interpreter and now has 35 employees and a budget of about $350,000. This clinic is funded solely by donations, mostly from Colorado. Lyne helped conduct a needs assessment, and having a safe place to deliver babies was foremost. The clinic focuses on safe motherhood, including prenatal care, birthing, vaccinations, HIV testing and treatment, family planning, and cervical cancer screening.

Lyne also spoke about her work in Haiti with the Colorado Haiti Project after the 2010 earthquake and again when cholera broke out. MFP was instrumental in enabling Lyne to go to Haiti. Donations are essential to the continued operation of Lyne’s work. Donations can be sent to Mountain Forum for Peace, Box 1233, Nederland, CO 80466. Specify Beverly Lyne on the check. MFP Membership renewals for 2017 are currently being sought. You can join or renew for $15 for a family membership at the same address or online at www.mountainforumforpeace.org.