Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, July 11, 2008

KJ Lang: Rasch visits former student in Africa

By KJ Lang / La Crosse Tribune

A former Western Technical College student who opened a dental clinic in Shisong, Cameroon, has given the president of Western an inside look at life there.

Lee Rasch, Western president, visited Sister Mark Verjai, who studied dental hygiene and dental assisting from 1999 to 2000 at Western.

Verjai came to Western from her home in Shisong as part of an exchange program with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.

Rasch visited this portion of western Africa while on vacation. Verjai helped arrange for a driver from St. Elizabeth Hospital, where her dental clinic is located, to drive him to five other hospitals and clinics in Cameroon.

The connection with a former student allowed Rasch to enter parts of Cameroon he otherwise would have been unable to travel to because of military checkpoints, he said.

He experienced life beyond the outward beauty of lush green mountains and rushing waterfalls, seeing remote villages where people live in poverty — many live with HIV and AIDs — and where the need for health care is immense.

He saw families of patients sleeping on the hospital grounds because they had no accommodations, yet they were responsible for bringing their family members food while staying at the hospital, he said.

The experience made Rasch interested in raising funds for St. Elizabeth Hospital through his involvement in the Downtown La Crosse Rotary.

The hospital is particularly in need of computers and Internet access to help educate nurses, Rasch said. Money could be used to open a computer lab at the hospital, he said.

“High quality nurses are needed to educate their own,” said Rasch.

Additional dollars could be used to help build living quarters for family members to stay while caring for their loved ones in the hospital, he said.

Get out and about

Are you itching to get outdoors while summer is still in swing?

I’ve had a several enjoyable journeys this summer on the backwaters of the Mississippi River by kayak with other women in Set Free.

This group of women not only goes kayaking but also canoeing, hiking, biking and more. A membership fee is required as well as equipment rental. For more information, call (608) 781-7367, e-mail setfree2enjoy@yahoo.com or visit www.setfree2enjoy.com.

KJ Lang can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or klang@lacrossetribune.com