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Students Fight Polio with Compassion


18th March 2010

In certain areas of India, polio is endemic as stagnant waters left behind by annual floods can often be breeding grounds for the debilitating virus. In 2009, Gospel for Asia Bible college students had the opportunity to fight this dreaded disease with compassion. They teamed up with the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver vaccinations to children.

Teams of students went out in September, and in November and December, students carried out two more phases of the campaign. As before, students were trained by a WHO official.

The student teams covered many locations in the Delhi, India, area, each team equipped with a medical supervisor to oversee the work. In November, they vaccinated more than 1,800 children over a four-day period.

"The onlookers, city dwellers and villagers were impressed by the untiring and relentless work done by our students," GFA's local correspondent shared. "Some people who were previously ignorant about the whole issue were enlightened by our students about the hazards of polio in causing disability to children and paralysis to the elderly."

The WHO official who trained the students spoke of his time being a good experience.

"During his second visit to our campus, he reiterated his earlier statement that whenever he stepped onto our campus he felt a serene peace," GFA's correspondent shared. "This gave him the confidence that if he hands over this responsibility to our students, it will be done in a successful and worthy manner."

On the first day of the campaign's December phase, teams set up booths and vaccinated well over 1,500 children. Over the next couple days, they vaccinated nearly 1,200 more children by going door to door and personally visiting homes.

GFA's correspondent believes the polio outreach will open more doors for Bible college students to minister in Jesus' name in the local community.

"They will be able to pray for their personal felt needs," he writes, adding, "Please pray that our students will be able to utilize this opportunity to speak about Christ's love to these city and slum dwellers."

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