Dr. Heather Logan, originally from North Queens visited the African country of Sierra Leone in March 2006 after hearing about her colleagues’ experience with World Hope Canada.

Setting out to educate about medicine, the group of 11 saw quite a few malnourished children, one of which was Alpha, who weighed just 16 pounds.

He later died.

Dr. Logan said from that experience came the “Alpha Project,” which is an in-hospital feeding program for malnourished children.

The Alpha Project provides food and medicine for free for any child that fits the criteria of being severely malnourished, explained Dr. Logan.

It also focuses on health and nutrition education for caregivers and parents.

Dr. Logan, who graduated from the Dalhousie Medical School in 2001, has a family practice in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

She has traveled to Sierra Leone twice and will be going back in November.

When seeing malnourished children, she said, “I think it’s always a little bit unsettling.”

A lot of kids are grumpy and don’t want to be bothered at all, she said, adding the people are what keeps her going back.

There are many contrasts in Africa, she said.

They may have great poverty but they also have great joy.

Dr. Logan said she never loses sight of the fact most people she meets in Sierra Leone are happier than most people she meets here.

What upsets her is the lack of access to education for young girls and female genital mutilation, which is “well over 80 per cent” in that country.

“That is probably what I find the most frustrating and saddest thing,” she said, “the eagerness of the children to learn and the lack of access to education.”

Dr. Logan said the mortality rate for kids with malnutrition is well over 50 per cent and sometimes reaches 90 per cent in that area of Africa.

“We have seen a definite decrease in mortality rate just in hospital for these kids” since the Alpha Project began, said Dr. Logan.

The mortality rate is down to 25 per cent.

She recalled during her last stay a father carrying his daughter 30 miles to the hospital because he heard about the Alpha Project.

Dr. Logan said some people believe if you feed a small child an egg they will turn into “wizards,” so it is important to educate people as well.

Over the last year and a half, it has cost just $3,000 to keep the Alpha Project running.

Dr. Logan said it costs $30-to-$40 USD to treat a child.

She believes everyone deserves the basics of safety, shelter and food.

“I think as Canadians we recognize that,” said Dr. Logan.

After speaking to a group of children, she said a girl just six years old at the time wanted to help raise money.

In the last year, she has made $1,000 making jewelry.

She is now eight years old, she added.

“It’s very interesting work,” Dr. Logan said about her job. “It’s very fulfilling.”

For more information visit www.worldhope.ca. Dr. Logan recently spoke to a crowd about her experiences at Maitland Bridge Community Centre.