Effect Hope

What does it take to reach women who have been living with symptoms for years without answers?

In her latest Voices from the Field reflection, Christine shares her experience traveling through Liberia during the rainy season and witnessing firsthand the determination of communities, health workers, and program teams working to identify and support women living with female ge***al schistosomiasis (FGS).

From muddy roads to remote communities, her journey highlights an important truth: before women can receive treatment, they must first be found.

💛 Read Christine's story and discover what it takes to bring care closer to the women who need it most.

🔗 effecthope.org/voices-from-the-field-christine/

What will your legacy be?

For Bernadette, the answer began with a moment she never forgot.

While visiting Nepal, she saw a man affected by leprosy begging on the street. That encounter stayed with her long after she returned home and inspired a lifelong commitment to helping people affected by neglected tropical diseases.

Today, Bernadette has included Effect Hope in her will, creating a legacy that will continue bringing healthcare, dignity, and hope to future generations.

"My kids don't need all of my money. But that young person just diagnosed with leprosy? That's someone I can help."

A legacy gift is a powerful way to ensure the values and causes that matter most to you continue making an impact for years to come.

Learn more about legacy giving: effecthope.org/legacy-giving

Change starts with people.

Healthcare workers are often the first point of contact for someone seeking answers about their health. With the right training, they can recognize symptoms earlier, provide treatment, and connect people with the care they need.

Specialized training is especially important for diseases like leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases, which can be overlooked or misdiagnosed without the proper knowledge and tools.

You can help equip healthcare workers with the skills needed to provide early diagnosis, specialized treatment, and ongoing care.

By investing in healthcare workers, you're helping strengthen healthcare systems and improve access to care for entire communities.

Give the gift of healthcare worker training: https://effecthope.org/gift-category/education-training/

Every month, people are finding healthcare, support, and hope because of a community that chooses to show up consistently 💛

The Hope Collective is our community of monthly donors helping ensure people affected by neglected tropical diseases can access the care they need.

For many, these diseases bring more than physical challenges. They can lead to stigma, exclusion, lost opportunities, and barriers to healthcare that affect every aspect of a person's life.

Monthly giving helps Effect Hope work alongside communities to improve access to treatment, train health workers, strengthen health systems, and support people as they reclaim their health and dignity.

Learn more about the Hope Collective at effecthope.org/donate-monthly

Meet Jennifer!

Behind every donation is a team working to ensure supporters stay connected to the impact they're making.

Jennifer manages and organizes donor data, supporting fundraising efforts and helping keep operations running smoothly behind the scenes at Effect Hope.

Their work helps ensure we can continue building strong relationships with the people who make our mission possible.

💡 Fun Fact: Despite a fear of heights, Jennifer once completed the CN Tower EdgeWalk at the CN Tower. Talk about facing your fears!

Celebrating 5 years with Effect Hope! 🎉

At this year's Staff Summit, we had the opportunity to recognize four incredible team members for reaching an important milestone: 5 years with Effect Hope.

Congratulations to Guillermo, Joy, Darcy, and Mary Ellen on five years of dedication, leadership, and service.

Over the past five years, each of them has helped shape Effect Hope through their dedication, expertise, and commitment to our mission. We are grateful for the impact they've made, the relationships they've built, and the ways they've helped move this work forward.

Please join us in congratulating Guillermo, Joy, Darcy, and Mary Ellen on this milestone anniversary! 👏💛

What does your gift make possible?

Finding women affected by FGS is only the first step.

💜 Find HER
Identify where women and girls are most affected.

💜 Understand HER Barriers
Surface what prevents women from accessing diagnosis and treatment.

💜 Equip Care Providers
Support training and tools that help healthcare workers recognize and respond to FGS.

💜 Expand Access
Strengthen referral pathways, medicine access, and long-term healthcare systems.

💜 Reach HER with Care
Help connect women to diagnosis, treatment, and support.

Together, these efforts help ensure more women can access the care they deserve.

effecthope.org/her

Did you know that Liberia has created the world's first national strategy dedicated to addressing FGS?

By embedding FGS into national health systems, Liberia has created a model that could inform how other countries identify, diagnose, and support women affected by the disease.

Together with the Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia, and Unlimit Health, we're building a future where women no longer have to spend years searching for answers.

💜 Learn more about how this work could help shape the future of FGS care: effecthope.org/our-programs/pathways-to-equity/

What if ending neglected tropical diseases was recognized not only as a public health goal, but as a human rights imperative?

Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the first-ever resolution recognizing the connection between human rights and neglected tropical diseases.

This historic milestone affirms that no one should be denied dignity, opportunity, health, or inclusion because of a preventable and treatable disease.

More than one billion people continue to suffer from diseases that can be prevented, treated, or managed because the care they need is unavailable or inaccessible.

Learn more: unitingtocombatntds.org/en/news-and-views/un-human-rights-council-adopts-first-ever-resolution-on-human-rights-and-neglected-tropical-diseases/

| Uniting to Combat NTDs | Fundación Anesvad |

What are we doing to address FGS in Liberia?

We're helping strengthen health systems so women can access diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Through Pathways to Equity, we're working alongside Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia, Unlimit Health, and other partners to train healthcare workers, improve referral pathways, integrate FGS care into routine services, and expand access to treatment.

Because lasting change requires more than medicine alone.

It requires systems that can reach every woman who needs care.

💜 Learn more about Pathways to Equity and how your support helps build care that lasts: effecthope.org/our-programs/pathways-to-equity/