Circle of Friends

The LRSCC has established a humanitarian outreach program for sister cities in special need.

Circle of Friends outreach has been established successfully in Lansing's Sister City, Akuapem South District, Ghana. The LRSCC will also reach out to Mexico, in a Circle of Friends initiative to provide a refurbished ambulance for use possibly as a Mobile Clinic. We also are investigating outreach to the young people of St. Petersburg, Russia in conjunction with past medical exchange efforts in Russia.

Circle of Friends has resuted in a successful project to provide a Mobile Clinic in the rural Akuapem South District of Ghana, West Africa. LRSCC raised funds to acquire and ship a refurbished ambulance to our sister city.

We also sent more than $600,000 in equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals in a 45 ft. cargo container to the District. Since the initial medical outreach, Lansing's citizens have also sustained and supported a library project, scholarship program for young women, adopted a school to help supply needed educational materials, and has supported a youth HIV education program in the District.

Improved access to the means of education, as well as improvement in access to necessary health care has been made possible through the sister city Circle of Friends outreach.

The Buruli's Ulcer Fund was established to help finance early exicision and treatment for the painful and potentially lethal ulcer. The condition is seen in the Akuapem South District of Ghana.

It is believed to be a water-borne organism that enters broken skin, and ulcerates. It is very painful and cannot be left untreated. However, when the ulcer is excised and treated early, complications such as amputation and deformities caused by the condition can be avoided.

Our Buruli's Ulcer Fund also provides follow-up care and plastic surgery for more advanced cases that require it. We want to reach as many people as possible to halt the terrible consequences of this infection.