“We want to bring hope to people in desperate need”

-Mike & Myra Taylor, founders

Why is Three Strands involved in the Central African Republic?

Actually it’s quite simple

Most Central Africans are people of extreme poverty with incredible personal dignity. Three Strands has the ability to make lasting, life-saving differences.

We in the West have tremendous financial and medical capacity, and a little goes a very long way in the CAR.

Ramping up our capacity

Some members of Three Strands have had the privilege of working in the Central African Republic since the late 1980s. Our involvement has convinced us that ramping up our capacity is critical to meet the ever-increasing needs of these wonderful, resilient people. Central African health care workers have open hearts and open hands; we enjoy partnerships at a level rarely seen in the developed world.

Central African patients are extremely appreciative of the services we provide, and they shower us with warm handshakes, friendly smiles, and laughter in the midst of their poverty and daily hardship – gifts so valuable you have to experience them firsthand to fully understand the rewards they bring.

Like any developing nation…

. . .the Central African Republic is plagued with brutal statistics.

  • Malaria takes a child’s life every 15 seconds.
  • One out of every five children dies before their fifth birthday.
  • It is not unusual for a woman to labor in childbirth unattended by any sort of medical personnel for days and then suffer for a lifetime with debilitating childbirth injuries.
  • Average life expectancy is currently 48 years.
  • Only half the population has access to clean water.
  • There is one physician for every 10,000 people and four nurses for every 10,000.
  • Malaria is holoendemic. Every person in the country contracts it at least once a year.
  • In 2012, Doctors Without Borders declared the Central African Republic the second worst place on the planet for health care. They issued a report about the country called, “Central African Republic: A State of Silent Crisis” that outlines the magnitude of the health care crisis in this country of just over four million.

Making a lasting difference

While we have no illusions of solving all of these problems, we know we can continue to make a lasting difference by providing a model of health care that has worked in many other impoverished countries.

We will work through our established clinics to provide affordable care on a daily basis. In addition, we will bring volunteer medical teams to provide specialized care and surgeries that are otherwise unavailable.

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