Change comes very slowly in Ukraine. The country is very poor especially in the countryside and villages. Many towns have unemployment rates in excess of 50%. Corruption and graft are everywhere. The death rate is much higher than the birth rate.
Drs. Art and Marlyce Friesen first went to the Ukraine as tourists in 1998. They met Doctors and Pharmacists from the Ukraine Christian Medical Association and formed friendships. They were invited back and have gone back every year under the auspices of EMAS which has supplied other workers, including Drs. Bob Henderson and Keith Kwok of Ontario, and a nurse, Janet Bergen, of Abbotsford, BC.
EMAS has brought assistance to nursing homes, hospitals and orphanages in the area. The situation has improved over the years.
Drs. Art and Marlyce Friesen
artfriesen@aol.com
