Kosovar Children Receive Health Kits with Unadulterated Joy

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A boy living at Stankovec II Camp in Macedonia (1999) cleans his teeth with a toothbrush from an UMCOR health kit.

During the Kosovo refugee crisis, people who had fled their homes had none of the resources that we take for granted as we live our daily lives: no toiletries, no kitchen or cooking utensils, no bedding, little food, no schools or school supplies, little to relieve the boredom and daily struggle of life in a camp.

United Methodists sent tens of thousands of health/hygiene kits that were distributed to refugees and continue to be distributed to Kosovars who have returned to their homes, but still have next to nothing.

UMCOR received the letter below from Jackie Switzer, a nurse who worked in a Kosovar refugee camp in Macedonia. Her story and the accompanying photos illustrate how basic supplies become treasured possessions under harsh circumstances.

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Greetings!

I am a Registered Nurse, working with International Medical Corps, who has just returned from a volunteer assignment at Stankovec II Camp, just outside Skopje, Macedonia. We provided health care and instruction to refugees at the camp, which increased in number from 500 the week of my arrival to over 2,200 one month later.

One of our teaching projects for primary and nursery school children focused on oral hygiene. The children found our pantomimed presentations quite humorous on the several occasions. We did not have access to an interpreter. We managed, however, to get our point across and enjoyed the return demonstrations by the students.

These children, torn from their homes, living in tents, wearing donated mismatched clothes, accepted your donated hygiene packets (health kits) with unadulterated joy. They waited patiently until asked to unwrap their treasure, then delighted in the simple pleasures of having a towel and washcloth, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Some of the more exuberant students plastered all their bandaids on their arms where they could see them, others immediately combed their hair. Some had unexpected treasures that had been used to secure their packets–a ribbon for the hair, a usable length of twine, or a simple plastic bag. Many patiently attempted to read the message you had enclosed–"UMCOR".

I couldn’t recall ever before having seen children so intrigued with some of health’s most basic necessities. I watched these children in camp for the entire month I was there and never saw any of them whine or fight. Only a few of the younger ones shed tears. Nevertheless, we had extracted all the steel nail files you had so generously included in some packets!

All the children expressed their appreciation for the hygiene packets you sent. I, as your enforced representative, accepted their gratitude. I am enclosing photos of the children at camp so you, too, may share in the moment. From the children, "Thank you."

Sincerely, Jackie Switzer

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Also of Interest

Kosovar kids in Stankovec II Camp say "Thank You!"

• UMCOR's Kosovo Emergency Page, news, photos, maps, history
• Kosovar Children Welcome School Kits from U.S. Churches, UMNS, October 5, 1999 (with photos)
• United Methodists Prepare 100,000-plus Health Kits, UMNS, August 16, 1999 (with photos)

Photo credits: Jackie Switzer. Used by permission.