THE JMU CONGO EBOLA PROJECT

It started with a trip to Congo. Our partner, Dr. Mark Smith from Mihret Medical Supply, had a deep connection to the people of the Congo through field-work and research. After years of suffering from the civil war, the people of Congo are now facing an outbreak of Ebola. Mark volunteered in the Congo to provide medical help to those that have suffered from the consequences of war. Going through this experience, Mark came back with the idea of starting Mihret Medical Supply, where his mission states: "to mercifully redistribute quality donated medical equipment and supplies to hospitals that serve the poor in underdeveloped and developing countries of the world." From here, Mark reached out to our ASCM Faculty Advisor, Dr. Bill Ritchie to find out if the JMU ASCM chapter could help.

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How JMU got involved. During the Summer months, 2019, Dr. Smith and Dr. Ritchie met to discuss project ideas. Dr. Ritchie introduced the ASCM team to Mark at the beginning of the Fall term. The JMU Dukes have a proud motto that states "If you need a helping hand, we can give it to you." As students of the College of Business, the ASCM chapter was more than happy to help those in need!  As an organization we will handle the logistics of receiving and distribution of medical equipment/supplies.