It must be different

The pictures we see on the news from all corners of the world relate to war, environmental disasters, and mismanagement. Inevitably, it is the children who always become victims.

It is children who will forge the future, particularly in these countries. But there can only be hope if we make sure that these children are being helped. Hope for a better future. Often, the parents are in no position to do anything for their children. They can neither obtain nor afford what small amount of aid is available in the developing countries. Throughout the world and in all cultures parents have one thing in common: the concern and sorrow they feel over the illness and crippling of their children.

Physicians who are working in those areas are often better educated then we suspect. They know the problems but are lacking the ability to solve them. With their knowledge and scarce means they try to improve the state of health of their patients. If they try to get help form their (local) government it is in vain. Even the governments are not prepared or don't have the ability or money to offer help. Moreover in a lot of countries children in the need of help are hidden, it's bad publicity. The paediatrician, Rob Rodrigues Pereira from Rotterdam in The Netherlands is not only idealist but also realist.

He devotes himself to the cause of the healthcare of children in the former east block countries. He is travelling already for many years to those countries with in his luggage lots of sponsored medical aid and medicines to give the chance to his local colleagues to improve the medical care they are providing. In this way the children are helped because the lack of the most essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins like iron, calcium, iodine and vitamin-D in particular, must be seen as one of the biggest threats to the children's health.

For Rob Pereira it is important to talk continuously about the projects he likes to develop further and the (im)possibilities he is encountering. In one of those conversations he came in contact with a service club in his hometown Barendrecht, a small city just south of Rotterdam. Together with some members of this club, Rob established the foundation MCCEE (Medical Care for Children in Eastern Europe) to structure the fundraising for the projects and to have a thorough accountability.

The members of the Kiwanis Club of Barendrecht felt directly appealed to the good causes because the worldwide motto of Kiwanis is, not without reason: 'Serving the Children of the World'. Under this theme a iodine project was started in co-operation with Unicef a few years ago. Iodine and the other nutrients, minerals and vitamins are indispensable for the development of the children, particularly in the first year of life.

The mentioned ingredients are of vital importance to give the young children the start they deserve and to prevent them from suffering of disorder and invalidity ending in children hostels.