An Alumni “Operation” in Ecuador or the past 14 years Edmonton orthopedic surgeon Thomas Greidanus, ‘64 MD, has been leading an annual medical and dental mission to Ecuador, and Operation Esperanza (Operation Hope), as it is known, has always included many U of A alumni. In 2011, the volunteer team of 52 included a record number of alumni —17 altogether — from the faculties of medicine & Dentistry, Nursing, rehabilitation Medicine, Education and the School of Business. For 10 intense days each January, “Dr. Tom” and his surgical teams set up a clinic in the city of Cuenca, high up in the Andes, where men, women and children come limping in with swollen, painful joints, dislocated hips or twisted club feet. By fixing their patients’ joints, the team not only relieves their pain but also allows the adults to return to work and earn an income for their families. This year, one woman was carried into the clinic on a chair. “Her
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arthritic hip was protruding into her pelvis,” remembers Tom. Another patient, a 70-year-old man, travelled six hours with nothing but a tree branch for a crutch to be treated for a severely arthritic hip. Both of these patients underwent surgery and were able to be discharged within two days. During Operation Esperanza 2011, the volunteers saw about 250 patients; the surgical team conducted 39 hip-and-knee Front row: Chelsea Wood, ’05 BScN; Sharon Litchfield, ’05 BScN; Lindsay Gustavsson (Poelzer), ’00 BScN. Middle row: Thomas Greidanus, ’64 MD; Lorna Cote Greidanus, ’94 DDS; Cari Noelck, ’96 BScN; Bev Bourdin, ’99 BScN; Vivien Wulff, ’78 BCom; Mark Labrentz, ’85 BSc, ’91 BScPT. Back row: Thomas Greidanus, Jr., ’90 BSc; Janet Greidanus, ’94 BScN; Carmen Brauer, ’93 BSc; Rachel Plaquin, ’10 Rehabilitation Medicine, Susan Schubert, ’74 BED; John Schubert, ’75 MD; Helen Vergilio, ’72 Dip(Nu); Nelson Greidanus, ’93 MD.
replacement surgeries; the pediatric team performed another 15 surgeries on children, and the dental team provided dental care to about 200 adults and children in outlying rural communities.
“We had some interesting treks this year, getting the equipment up the mountain to the schools and then back down to our bus—one day during a rainstorm,” remembers Vivien Wulff, ’78 BCom. Vivien, the chief operating officer of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry,
One Village at a Time n 2004, licensed realtor Leslee Greenaway, ’78 BSc, ’89 MSc, made an impulsive decision that would change her life forever. Needing a break from her routine, Leslee picked up the phone and booked herself on a three-week African safari, something she had wanted to do since childhood. The package tour took her around Kenya and Tanzania, and, although it was exciting staying in five-star hotels, “the contrast to the way average people were living was shameful,” she says. During her travel she developed a great admiration for the people of Kenya, who showed hope and passion despite insurmountable daily hardships. When Leslee returned to Canada, she knew she
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A Kenyan villager presents Leslee with a melon as a sign of gratitude.
wanted to do something to make a difference in the lives of the people she had met. The solution to improving their lives, she believed, had to begin at the village level — one village at a time. And so the Alberta-based non-profit organization Save-a-Village was born. The mission of Save-a-Village is to provide clean water, proper
nutrition, education and medical care to the poverty-stricken orphans, widows, grandmothers and families in Kenya’s rural Nyanza Province. Helping villages to become self-sustainable is the ultimate goal. So far, Save-aVillage has helped the village of Omondi by building a school, a medical clinic, a community hall,
makes the trip annually to assist the dentists and hygienists. The children “very bravely” endured multiple procedures in makeshift dental clinics, she says. “Every year there are more people than we can help,” says Tom. “But the patients are always incredibly grateful.” —Julia Necheff, ’81 BA, ’83 BA(Cert)
a rainwater harvesting system, and bio-sand filters for access to clean drinking water. Leslee has also worked to improve the village’s agricultural yields, introduced adult literacy classes, and helped install two playgrounds, which provide recreation for 500 children. “It’s amazing what can be done with a little effort,” she says. “The rewards” — both for the village and for her personally — “are indescribable.” Leslee’s plan for the future is to turn her attention to a second village, where she will continue training locals on issues of health, nutrition, sanitation, agriculture, teaching and entrepreneurship. To find out more information about Save-a-Village, e-mail Leslee at lesleegreenaway@yahoo.ca or visit saveavillage.ca. —Janice Annett, ’11 BCom