Feel Good Friday! The Story of Dr. Jay Nash and StandProud in the Democratic Republic of Congo

For this week's feel-good story, we go half way around the world to the democratic republic of Congo to shine a light on a man named Jay Nash and the organization he founded called StandProud.

Mr. Nash first began assisting disabled people in the developing world when serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  He resumed spare-time work with disabled Congolese youth upon returning to the Congo in 1998 to work for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and in 1999 helped them to organize themselves into a charity (ACDF) designed to assist other poor, disabled young people to obtain free orthopedic equipment. In 2000, he founded StandProud in the United States to serve as a funding source for the Congolese organization.

Here in America, we are fortunate that polio has been all but eradicated.  However, in other parts of the world, it is still a sad reality, and it leaves many destined to a life of dragging themselves down dirty streets in shame and humiliation as they are subjected to ridicule from their community and sometimes even their own family.   Stand Proud builds and provides braces for these young men and women.  They are a non-profit organization that has helped more than 5000 people stand up and walk.

 For more information, or to make a donation, please visit:
https://www.standproud.org/

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