This charity is in the process of being set up by Serena Salamat and Bethany Birkelo, and eventually will be a registered charity as soon as enough funds have been raised. Its aim is to provide free educational materials and health resources to work towards improving health care for those in need. It has been inspired by our experiences in the Livingstone General and Batoka Hospital in Livingstone, Zambia, the name Bindi is taken from the Bindi paediatric ward where we have been working.

Currently, we are applying to the Ministry of Health in Zambia to do a research program on assessing incidence and current understanding of HIV in Livingstone in order to develop free educational leaflets that will be widely available. We are also about to start fundraising to provide basic medical supplies for the new pediatric ward opening at the end of March at Batoka Hospital. This hospital is severely under-equipped, lacking even the most basic medical supplies, such as latex gloves and alcohol hand wash. We hope that by providing hygenic supplies and encouraging hygenic practices, along with education, we can help to reduce the mortality rate, which we've noticed to be quite high.

We would be very grateful for any donation you can manage no matter how small. Monetary donations or new/old medical supplies or equipment would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Serena Salamat is currently in her fifth year of study at Keele University Medical School in the UK, and hopes to graduate June 2008. If all goes well Serena will be starting her F1 (junior doctor) rotation in August this year, at The University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

Bethany Birkelo is currently a student at St Olaf college in Minnesota USA and will be graduating in May 2008. Bethany is hoping go to medical school in the next couple of years and hopes to eventually persue a career as an infectious disease physician to work with under-served populations in the U.S. and abroad.