BYU NewsNet - Student Helps Provide Care in Developing Countries

Teoderico Callejo was born on the island of Mindora and shunned by his peers and community because of his deformed cleft pallet. To make matters worse for the family, he was the second child in the Callejo family with the same condition. The family faced isolation and ridicule from society and planned for harsh difficulties because of the lack of resources and money.

Countless families and individuals like Teoderico and the Callejos suffer from deformities and abnormalities that are hopeless because of their economic position in a third world country.

Since 1989, The Deseret International Organization, a volunteer-based nonprofit group has created a partnership with local doctors in order to establish a lasting and maintained healthcare in 17 developing countries.

Caleb Manscill, a junior from Orem majoring in American studies, was recently selected to compete in the finals for the Marriott School's Social Venture Competition. The venture, Next Deseret, works with Deseret International by creating a low-cost surgery model that will build surgical centers in the developing world and help medical doctors earn ownership of those centers.

"Doctors earn ownership by paying monthly payments back to us as fast as five to 10 years," Manscill said. "We, Next Deseret, then use the money and plow it into a new surgical center in the developing world."

Manscill makes a comparison between Deseret International and the LDS Church's Perpetual Education Fund in that the organization finds local doctors and provides facilities and appropriate training so they can start their own practices. The goal is to build perpetual medical infrastructures in the developing world.

On Thursday and Friday, student organizations like Next Deseret will come together to promote awareness for Deseret International and encourage student involvement on campus. Fliers will be handed out throughout campus to promote awareness of the issue.

"One of my goals in life was to find a way to serve the developing world," Manscill said. "I saw an opportunity and found a way from there."

Michael Althoff, a junior from Blue Springs, Mo., majoring in international relations is heavily involved in the program and gives much of his time to volunteer for the organization, specifically organizing the awareness days.

"The whole idea of Deseret International is to teach a man how to fish," Althoff said.

"This organization is not well known at BYU." Althoff said. "Come to the tables on the third and fourth and get involved in service somehow."

Mallory Bettridge, a BYU Marketing Association member, has volunteered 10 to 20 hours of volunteering to make the awareness days a success. Bettridge is in charge of getting volunteers and awareness in passing students.

"I hope students become more aware of this organization and they get excited and interested in volunteering with things like this in the future," Bettridge said. " Deseret International is an amazing organization that does a lot of good and I think it's a great thing to be involved with."

BYU's Marketing Association and Social Venture Organization are putting on The Deseret International Awareness Days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 3rd and Friday, April 4th, 2008. Students can sign up to volunteer at http://deseretinternational.wikispaces.com/, or visit the tables for more information.