MKI Health Information Centre @ Cotland in Soweto

With the 4 new MKI Trainers of Soweto


With the representative of the Dutch Ambassador
and Jackie Schoeman, Executive Director of Cotland

It was an unforgettable beautiful day yesterday, Tuesday may 12th in Soweto.
So many people showed up for the grand opening and the celebration of a very special partnership between MKI and Cotland

African ladies dressed in their finest traditional dresses were dancing and singing under a sunny blue sky.

The Dutch Ambassador was represented and the audience enjoyed the personal message from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

"I am deeply sorry that I will not be able to participate at the opening ceremony of the MKI Health Information Centre at Cotland ion Soweto.

But let me start by saying that I will be there with all of you in spirit.

I am very excited that the Medical Knowledge Institute, with whom I am proudly associated, has entered into a healthcare education partnership with Cotland, one of South Africa's oldest and most well-loved children's charities.

I am well aware of the activities of both organization and applaud their partnership.

The MKI Health Information Centre have proved to be very successful, a very simple grassroots centre, that offer a variety of training courses which impact different life skills and provide contacts with relevant support and information. The centres are creating a critical mass of trainers who will continue to empower their local communities. The Medical Knowledge Institute acts from the premise that healthcare is a human right. Its programs are designed to improve the quality and values of life.

Cotlands, founded in 1926 was originally created as a care center for unwed mothers and their infants, and over the years has evolved into a shelter for abused, abandoned, HIV positive, orphaned and terminally ill children from birth to fourteen years of age.

The activity of Cotlands has reflected the changing needs of our society and has increased both the quality and quantity of services provided. Today's Cotlands has identified and urgent need to care for children directly impacted by HIV AIDS and other public health diseases. That is why I support this partnership between the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) and Cotlands.

Successful partnerships are built on trust, shared vales, and a clearly articulated vision of outcomes and this partnership between Cotlands and MKI is one of them.

I salute Jackie Schoeman, Cotlands Executive Director and my good friend for many years now, Dr. Harold E. Robles, President of the Medical Knowledge Institute for presenting Sowetans with a Health Information Centre where they will be able to receive relevant healthcare education and information so desperately needed.

The creation of an MKI Health Information Centre is not only powerful for the community of Soweto it is also most powerful health prevention tool for all.

I wish all those involved with Cotland and MKI my very best wishes.

May both organisation continue to serve the people f my wonderful country.

God Bless you all.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

A new virus in town.

What started as a normal day on Wednesday April 29 turned into a very official, beautiful and unforgettable day.

On behalf of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands I received a knighthood in the order of Oranje Nassau.

Family and friends came from across the country to witness this event including my 88 year old dad, unfortunately without my mother who is very ill and would have not been able to make the trip from Amsterdam to Oostvoorne, the beautiful little town by the sea in the south of Holland.

After Mayor Peter de Jong had reviewed my life in the form of an obituary, Baron Kraijenhoff, honorary Chairman of MKI informed the audience that the Swein Virus had been overruled by the “Robles Virus”. No one had to be afraid this virus was not at all dangerous. The only problem with this virus is that if and when contracted it would be there forever.

I will leave it to the wonderful pictures to tell the rest of the story about April 29 and the new virus.

Pictures by Wout v.d.Blink

Millennium Development Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

I was very pleased to accept the invitation of Medical Students of the University of Amsterdam to speak on the 6th of April about the 6th goal of the Millennium Development Goals during one of their regular weekly meetings.

Below a report from Saskia Bogers one of the students.
On Wednesday the 6th of April, the sixth lecture of the MDG-8 Focus series took place at the cultural centre of the University of Amsterdam. During this evening the sixth millennium development was discussed.
After a short introduction about the nights’ subject, the first speaker, Dr. Robles started his lecture. Dr. Robles is the co-founder and president of the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) and a member of the third chamber, which is very engaged with the millennium development goals (MDG’s). He held a very enthusiastic and informative speech about the MKI and the experiences he’s had during his work for this organization. One of the projects the MKI has set up is YOELL®, in which AIDS-infected women in South-Africa make exclusive jewelry which is sold in the Netherlands. While doing this, the women earn money with which they can take care of their families. Another project of the MKI is the “mother and child first”-training programme. This is a training programme in which midwifes and other health personnel is being educated and trained in order to prevent HIV infections being passed on from mother to child. The lecture Dr. Robles gave was inspiring and was ended with a short message from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who supports the work of the MKI.
The second speaker of the evening was Dr. Joep Lange, who is working as a professor in internal medicine, especially viral infections, and who is head of the department Poverty-related Communicable diseases at the Academic Medical Centre of Amsterdam. He is very active in the world of AIDS-related medicine. Dr. Lange held a lecture about the discovery and the spread of HIV/AIDS and explained the process of how a therapy for AIDS was created, and why this had happened so fast. He also told the audience why these medicines aren’t really available in developing countries, where they are most needed. Finally, he spoke about the development goal as a whole and if it was going to be reached in 2015. The evening ended with a short discussion and questions of the audience were being answered by both Dr. Robles and Prof. Lange. It was a very informative and interesting night!