Clean Sheets. Do we take them for granted? If you arrived at a hospital or health center, would you expect the sheets to be clean?  In the DRC, clean linens are an unusual sight. Many centers have to reuse dirty sheets for patients, some do not change sheets between patients or procedures, because of a lack of fresh linens.  This would be unacceptable in the US, but is the norm in many areas within the DRC.  With this, Banding Together is starting The SHEET Campaign.  

Beginning in May, Banding Together will be collecting sheets and clean linens, ones to be sent directly to the DRC.  Mpasa Health center is located on the outskirts of Kinshasa, bringing medical support, as best it can, to over 40 people a day.  Mpasa also has over 60 births a month as well as over 10 beds to keep with fresh linens.  With such numbers, at times there is only floor room for mothers and their newborns and it is not uncommon for as many as 4 people to share a room while being treated for differing diseases.  Many of these beds do not have clean sheets, and some have no sheets at all, only a foam mattress. 

At the Horizon 3000 Health center, the situation is much the same, with too many people for the number of beds.  Horizon 3000 opens its doors to all people, whether they can pay for the treatment or not, sometimes taking goods in payment for needed medical attention.  This center focuses on the more than 15,000 orphans in its surrounding community, treating more than 2,200 of them every year at no cost. Because there is not cost they cannot afford much of the needed linens to keep their beds clean.

For more information on how to donate linens or how to get involved with the SHEET Campaign, contact Erica Heesch (Volunteer Coordinator) at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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