Two organisations which were introduced via Medilink East Midlands (EM) have joined in an exciting collaboration which has the potential to benefit hundreds of children and families in India, and even save lives.
“A Germ’s Journey” is a project led by Dr Katie Laird and her colleagues at De Montfort University, and focuses on teaching young children the importance of hand washing and how it can prevent the spread of disease. The team created a children’s book as well as an interactive website, and so far one thousand books have been donated to schools and community centres both in the UK and India.
Katie is now crowdfunding to launch a new project: “A Germ’s Journey Around the World”, which hopes to provide a range of handwashing educational resources to teachers, children and healthcare workers on an international scale. She would also like to translate the children’s book into Gujarati, and distribute it throughout the Gujarati region of Ahmedabad, India. The book, along with culturally relevant posters and guides for parents and teachers, will provide valuable education on how quickly germs can spread and what children can do to reduce the risk of infection. This could be a life-saving tool for children in one of the world’s most deprived areas.
To launch the project, Katie Laird and her team need to raise £10,000, and are looking for companies and individuals to pledge their support. Medilink EM member Pal International have been the first company to take up Corporate Sponsorship; a pledge of £1,000 which allows the company to have their logo featured in the book as a corporate sponsor, and a link to their website on all digital resources.
Pal International is a manufacturer of disinfectant wipes and hygiene workwear, providing hygiene solutions to food and healthcare markets throughout the world. As a member of Medilink EM, Pal have access to sector-specific business support and meet periodically with their account manager to discuss new opportunities. When Pal expressed an interest in working with someone who had a passion for infection control, Medilink EM put them in touch with Dr Katie Laird.
Perminder Rupra, Managing Director, Pal International said;
“Having been successfully working with Katie on Infection Control projects for approximately one year, we felt that being a corporate sponsor for the latest project would be a great opportunity for us to get involved in a project we really believe in. We will continue support Katie with her mission, and would like to thank the team at Medilink EM for the invaluable introduction.”
Dr Katie Laird, Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group at De Montfort University, commented;
“We’re delighted that Pal International have decided to sponsor the ‘Germ’s Journey Around the World’ project, and the money they are providing takes us a huge step closer to reaching our target. If the crowdfunding is successful and the project goes ahead, we are confident that it will have a significant impact on children’s lives including their education, hygiene practices and their health.”
To find out more about the project, and how you can pledge your support, please go to dmu.hubbub.net/p/germsjourney/
To find out more about Pal International, please go to www.palinternational.com