By Marie-Claude Pelchat | Project Leader
As 2025 draws to a close, we are filled with gratitude for your unwavering support. Because of you, the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation has bridged the gap between specialized knowledge and the healthcare professionals who need it most.
Our mission this year was clear: to ensure that no matter where a burn survivor lives, they have access to quality care through sustainable capacity building.
1. Empowering Professionals Through Online Education
This year, our digital classroom became a hub for global expertise. We conducted 6 comprehensive online course series (3 in English and 3 in Spanish), totaling over 12 hours of intensive training.
The impact exceeded our expectations:
Global Reach: 295 participants from 38 different countries.
High Demand: Our registration rate hit 156% of our target, proving the global hunger for specialized burn rehabilitation training.
Proven Results: Our students—primarily Physical and Occupational Therapists—achieved a 91% passing rate, with an average score of 92.
2. A Hub for International Knowledge Sharing
On September 30th, we had the privilege of hosting international trainees from the Taiwan International Healthcare Training Center (TIHTC). Healthcare professionals from Mongolia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, and beyond joined us for an intensive day of learning.
As part of the Emergency Care & Burn Injuries Management Project Training Program of TIHTC, we explored two critical aspects of recovery:
Pressure therapy management for burn scars.
Post-burn hand edema management.
The trainees' insightful questions and dedication showed a genuine commitment to bringing these evidence-based practices back to their home countries. These exchanges remind us that advancing burn care transcends borders; when we learn together, survivors everywhere benefit.
3. From Screen to Shore: Strengthening Ties in the Philippines
In September 2025, your generosity also allowed our team to travel to the Philippines to turn digital connections into human ones. We visited the burn unit at Philippine General Hospital and presented at a conference organized by Physicians for Peace Philippines.
During our hands-on workshops, we focused on capacity building by teaching accessible, low-cost techniques. We demonstrated how to manage post-burn edema and scarring using affordable materials like Coban and gauze bandaging. These methods are:
Safe and Effective: Proven to improve mobility and healing.
Affordable: Accessible to clinics without expensive equipment.
Immediately Applicable: Allowing therapists to help their patients the very next day.
The Ripple Effect of Your Support
Every therapist we train—whether through an online webinar, a visit in Taiwan, or a workshop abroad—represents dozens of burn survivors who will receive better care.
When you donate to our project, you aren't just funding a single treatment; you are investing in a self-sustaining network of care. You are helping us build a world where a survivor's location does not determine their level of recovery.
Thank you for making 2025 a year of incredible growth and healing.
Join Us for 2026
We are already planning our next steps to expand burn rehabilitation services to even more underserved regions. Can we count on you to help us start the new year strong?
Together, we are upgrading the standards of care, one therapist and one survivor at a time.
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