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About Us

Sunrise for Rural Dwellers supports the people of Uvuru, Nigeria. One of our projects, Women for Widows, supports the widows in this community. Women in this area of Nigeria are often denied inheritance rights and have their property taken after the death of a partner. With most having no education, they labor for dollars a day, not near enough to feed their children. Since they are widowed, they are often abused socially and many physically by members of their community.

Our organization provided sustenance for the widows and their families through a Christmas meal and food drive in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, we helped the widows secure land, seeds, and tools for a widow-run farming cooperative. Produce from the farm is used to create food stability for the widows and their children. The surplus produce, including cassava and red palm oil, will be sold in the market and distributed among the widows, creating an income generated by their own cooperative farm. At the end of 2023, the widows asked for funds to educate themselves. Our organization provided funds for teachers and supplies.

UpdateNew

June 2024

Our board member, Philip Tirone, returned in June 2024 from Nigeria to inspect a hospital our organization is building just down the road from the widow’s farm. See the farm progress with these three videos taken during the trip.

The Widows Clearing The Farm from 2023:  Watch Video

Interview with Agnes (head widow):  Watch Video 

Seeing the Farm for the First Time:  Watch Video

What is Next on the Farm:  Watch Video

Size of Widow’s Farm: Watch Video  

Project Cure

Project Cure is an American Non-Profit that provides used medical equipment to third-world countries at no cost.  We applied to Project Cure and were approved, subject to Project Cure sending a representative to confirm that 1) The hospital is there (to avoid fraud) and 2) Create a manifest of what the hospital needs.  As of June 2024, Project Cure has shipped 2,401 containers to 135 countries.  302 have been shipped to Nigeria.

In June of 2024, Chuck Irion (Assessor and Board Member of Project Cure) and Philip Tirone (Chairman of the Board for Sunrise) traveled to Uvuru to see the hospital.  

When we saw the hospital for the first time, it was MUCH BIGGER THAN I EVER DREAMED.  

VIDEO:  Watch this video of the walk-around of the exterior.

After the inspection, Chuck said, “This hospital can be an exemplary hospital in this whole area of Nigeria.” 

VIDEO:  Hear Project Cure’s Assessor, Chuck Irion, speaking about the hospital after the assessment.

Because of the Hospital’s size, we will need 4-5 containers to fill it, meaning we will need to raise an additional $120,000-$160,000 for the extra containers.

Other Recommendations

– Hire a full-time Hospital Manager who needs to be trained in Hospital management. They will do all hiring and firing, honor the Hospital, and live onsite.
– Apartments for the onsite staff.
– 24-hour paid security
– A landscaping master plan with continually monitored landscaping (landscape manager). Have a truck that can drag around and an iron rake to keep the driveway smooth without potholes.
– Plan cashew trees and other trees that can produce shade and fruit in the near future.
– Offer vendors the right to sell outside the property for a fee – nobody can sell for free.
– Wall around the entire property with the rocks that are already there.
– Provide sponsorship opportunities for donors to name rooms and parts of the rooms after their family and loved ones.

The Nigerian Board has put together its plan to accomplish all of his recommendations.

The next day, we had a medical mission and provided healthcare to 850 people. The need was overwhelming; 850 people attended the Medical Mission held at our new Hospital, which lasted over nine hours. The total cost of serving the 850 people was $10,000 ($11.76 per person, including examinations by a nurse, doctor, and pharmacist – and all prescriptions). The level of poverty and lack of essential services (like being able to take an Advil) is beyond comprehension to an American. Many of these people have not seen a doctor in years and look much older than their actual age.

VIDEO:  See a walkthrough of us serving the poor and needy in our hospital.

These people were provided dignity and honored- it was beautiful. They were tested for HIV, diabetes, tuberculosis, and high blood pressure (to name a few) and then walked away with medicine- all for free. They were abundantly grateful – and there was never a hint of entitlement.
The doctors, nurses, and pharmacists donated their time and poured into their people. They counseled them and were with them in difficult moments (for example, telling them for the first time that they were HIV positive).

VIDEO: Chuck Irion, the representative of Project Cure, called the Medical Mission “one of the best, organized, best attended” of all the medical missions he has attended (out of hundreds of them).

Our Projects

Uvuru Hospital Project

Rural communities lack government support and rely on charity. Workers often drive patients to a missionary hospital in Nsukka, 40 miles away, taking up to two hours due to poor roads, resulting in tragic deaths during transit.

The Uvuru Hospital Project has received seven acres of land, with the Uvuru Town Council agreeing to fund its care and maintenance once built. The hospital will serve about 3,000 people per month, totaling 36,000 annually, addressing the needs of 50,000 residents.

Women for Widows

Sunrise for Rural Dwellers supports Uvuru, Nigeria, through projects like Women for Widows. Widows in this area often face denial of inheritance rights, resulting in extreme poverty and social abuse. In 2021 and 2022, we provided sustenance through Christmas meals and food drives.

In 2022, we helped establish a widow-run farming cooperative offering land, seeds, and tools. The farm ensures food stability and generates income from surplus produce. In 2023, the widows sought education funds, and our organization provided teachers and supplies, empowering them to improve their lives and those of their children.

"Hundreds and possibly thousands of lives will be saved each year because of the access to healthcare."

Dr. John Dike Ogbonna

Pioneer

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Sunrise for Rural Dwellers
a 501c3, 84-1858664
7137 E Rancho Vista Dr 3012, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251, United States