Where in the world were you?
By Kalindi and Cherian Thomas

We hear this question from time to time during coffee hour at St. John’s in the Village and several people encouraged us to share what we do! We came to New York City from New Delhi, four years ago, to work for the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) on Riverside Drive. Kalindi is working with United Methodist colleagues in India, the Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Brazil to promote the model of Community Based Primary Health Care (CBPHC) which was pioneered in Jamkhed, India. CBPHC recognizes that health is determined by many factors like poverty, ignorance, gender inequality, and political, social and cultural constraints. Communities are encouraged to determine their priorities and then empowered to tap locally available resources. A person, usually a woman, is chosen from the community to be trained as a community health volunteer and who is in charge of a number of families. She educates the families about preventable diseases, the importance of immunizations, antenatal checkups, safe drinking water and sanitation. GBGM provides small grants to the communities to carry out his work.

Kalinda is seeing the toll that HIV/AIDS is taking on lives of communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. An urgent issue, especially in Africa, is the number of children who have lost either one or both parents from AIDS. GBGM is supporting local initiatives in Zimbabwe, called AIDS Orphans Trusts, to care for these children many of whom live in child headed households. GBGM recently received a gift of three-million dollars from an anonymous donor for this work and in May we went to Zimbabwe to help launch a new project for AIDS orphans. The United Methodist Church conducted health education and risk reduction workshops on HIV/AIDS in the 90s with the local congregations, youth, women and pastors but the ABC (abstinence, be faithful and condoms) message has not reduced the number of people getting infected with HIV except in Uganda and Senegal. What is the role of the church? In many countries the church has shied away from the topic even as its members, and its pastors, die in increasing numbers from AIDS! At the recent Bangkok AIDS conference (which we did not attend) many faith based groups resolved to act more effectively but until such time that they intervene on the ground with substantial programs much of the rhetoric will remain unfulfilled.

Cherian works with United Methodist hospitals in Africa and Asia in a hospitals revitalization program which GBGM started in 2000. The program has incorporated 12 hospitals in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, India and the Philippines. Turning around a mission hospital, whether in Africa or Asia, has its own challenges. What is the role of a Christian hospital? How does it differ from that of a secular or a government hospital? How does one judge the success of a hospital? What is the healing ministry of the church? Cherian finds his previous experience as General Secretary of the Christian Medical Association of India useful but rebuilding a hospital in Liberia damaged twice by war in a period of four years was a new challenge! The key determinants for successful hospital, company or an organization, remain the same: clarity of vision and mission, a proactive and watchful board, a committed leader, motivated employees, reasonable infrastructure and adequate resources! But most of the time only a few of the determinants exist!At St. John’s in the Village we have discovered a caring Episcopal community of like minded liberals, rooted in faith, with amazing gifts, interests and talents, who have enriched our lives! We cherish the friendships that have bloomed over coffee and conversation and have discovered that many of you travel to far away places like China, Japan and Tibet! So, it will be our turn to inquire: “Where in the world were you?”