Help is coming
Whether it's food that's desperately needed in Burundi, life-saving vaccines in the Philippines, hospital beds in Uganda or medicine in the Ukraine - the relief organization humedica is in action in all poorhouses and catastrophe regions of this crisis-ridden world. For almost 30 years this charitable organization - with little manpower and big commitment - has been on the spot to deliver medicine, equipment or food quickly and effectively wherever it is most needed.
The Beginning
In 1979, Wolfgang Groß and his brother Dieter founded the association “humedica e.V.” as a result of having personally witnessed the destitution and hardships in the “third world”. In the beginning Wolfgang Groß, a trained nurse, administrated the association voluntarily, and then later as its only paid employee. Now, the association has 16 full and 4 part-time employees, as well as 2 interns. Then and now, successful aid has only been possible due to a tireless pool of volunteers from all possible occupations and ages. In the mid-80’s it became clear to Wolfgang Groß that not only did he want to help from a humanitarian aspect, but also due to the calling of Jesus Christ, unselfish in loving those around him and in sharing with the poor. For many years the employees from humedica have been focused on nothing else but the acquisition, transportation and distribution of relief goods in the innumerable catastrophe regions all around the world. Seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
Actually, recalling Wolfgang Groß from the beginnings of "humedica" in 1979, he had already applied for an apprenticeship at a nursing school. At the time he had connected up with a group of young people, who out of pure idealism wanted to do something about the adversity in the world. A charity event brought in the first donations, and a friend offered up half of a duplex for office and storage space.
"Everything went so well that I said to myself, 'postpone your studies - you can always do that later'," remembers the trained nurse. And so it's remained.
The support of numerous christian congregations, in addition to the many employees and association members, shape the concept of the relief organization. Not only are the material needs of the people dear to the heart's of the humedica employees, but their psychological and spiritual needs as well. "Since I am a christian, every individual person comes into focus. Nevertheless, I don't let the destitution bring me under," says Wolfgang Groß. One can save the lives of 1,000 children with just one case of antibiotics, and when only one dispairing mother is spared the death of her child, then the effort was worth it.
Help with goods and manpower
Due to the support from private donations, public and private business and the Federal Foreign Office, thousands of tons of goods and medical groups have been sent to catastrophe and distressed areas. Alongside the many smaller aid trips are those of entire airplanes which, filled with medical supplies and baby food, travel to impoverished areas like Somalia, Ethiopia, or the Sahel Belt. Much needed help is also distributed to those affected by major earthquakes in Asia, Central America and Europe, and to refugees from all over the world. And due in part to the fact that humedica is in so many places, many of the Cholera epidemics have been either stopped or confined altogether.
