The COVID-19 pandemic inevitably altered Bridge of Life (BOL)'s programs in 2020. But one thing that did not change was our commitment to strengthen healthcare around the world. Just as individuals and families learned how to adapt their ways of life, BOL found creative ways to serve our partners and patients across the globe with your ongoing support. Below are the accomplishments that YOU helped us make possible this year. |
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Urgent COVID-19 Program Response
- BOL reacted quickly during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing lifesaving Personal Protection Equipment and supplies to our partners, including: 10,000 KN95 face masks; 30 pallets of hand sanitizer; over 10,000 cloth and handmade masks; 80 hands-free handwashing stations; and hundreds of hygiene and food kits for families in rural communities.
- BOL volunteers also came together virtually to train Community Health Workers (CHWs) on how to prevent, detect and respond to COVID-19 in order to serve over 3,500 individuals.
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Chronic Disease Prevention
- Despite not being able to complete medical service trips, BOL continued to support the healthcare needs of people in remote areas by screening for and raising awareness on hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease.
- In 2020, we empowered 75 CHWs, located in Haiti, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Uganda, and Ghana, with the tools and knowledge to prevent and monitor chronic disease.
- We also supported the monthly distribution of chronic disease medication to 755 high-risk patients.
- Check out one patient's health improvement journey...
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Yeison is a 21-year-old man from the Huaytu community in Bolivia. He is also the grandson of local CHW, Gumersindo. Yeison decided to attend a community health workshop on diabetes and nutrition hosted by Gumersindo in 2020. These health topics were important to Yeison, as he had been trying to lose weight for a long time. Yeison shared about the impact the workshop had on him: "When I heard how dangerous obesity is for causing diabetes, I was scared because I had some of the symptoms...and when I tested with a high sugar level, it made me very sad. I thought that I no longer had a solution and could soon have all those complications. But my grandfather told me that since I was young and my disease had just started, I could solve many things by improving my diet and exercise...Today, my sugar levels are down to normal. I feel happy because I have a second chance and no longer have so many illnesses and pains in my body.”
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Safer Dialysis Treatment
- With your help, BOL supported two dialysis clinics: a new five-station clinic in Sierra Leone and a three-station clinic in Belize. These clinics have had a big impact on local dialysis patients, as dialysis treatment availability is extremely limited in both countries.
- BOL also worked to improve both access to and quality of care for dialysis patients. And we provided our partners in Nigeria, Bangladesh, Philippines, India, and Jamaica with virtual training on topics such as infection control, technical training and operational standards.
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Your 2020 Investment in BOL
- At the start of the pandemic, you raised nearly $15,000 to support BOL's urgent COVID-19 response and program continuation in 2020.
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BOL was also the 2020 beneficiary for the first ever Virtual Tour DaVita, where 3,599 DaVita teammates, family members and friends, patients, Village Service Providers and other community members chose to MOVE IT for BOL by walking, biking, running, hiking, and through a variety of other activities, raising $940,000 to support our programs, partners and continued COVID-19 response.
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Looking Ahead to 2021
With your support, BOL was able to quickly adapt our programs and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 while still continuing our mission to strengthen healthcare globally. But COVID-19 remains a big challenge for the unforeseeable future, and, in order to sustain our work in 2021 and beyond, we still need your help! Please consider offering your background and skills as a virtual volunteer OR making a donation in support of our programs.
Thank you for Caring for Our World in 2020 and making 2021 a happier and healthier year for the people we serve across the globe!
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Bridge of Life (BOL), an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded by DaVita Inc., is an international nonprofit organization working to strengthen healthcare globally through sustainable programs that prevent and treat chronic disease. Our vision is a world where all human beings have access to quality healthcare. We strive to empower local staff, community health workers and patients through training and education to make sustainable changes to healthcare. For more information, click below. |
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Address:
2000 16th St,
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 888-374-8185
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