After 7 mission trips to Africa, Columbus man finally gets to bring medical team

Alfie Jelks says when he began making his humanitarian trips to Africa, he wanted to bring a medical team but he couldn’t get it done.

“My vision was bigger than my reality,” Jelks said.

But this year is different.

His reality has caught up.

In September, Jelks will be making his seventh mission trip, the third in a row, to the city of Jinja in Uganda. Last year, he took more than 600 pounds of shoes and more than 150 pounds of dental supplies to the area. He is expecting to do the same this year.

However, three nurses will be making the trip and there will be medications, bandages and other health-care items.

“It is what I always dreamed about happening,” Jelks said. “I am so excited about what God is doing for this organization.”

The Columbus resident, who has done ministerial work locally, is the owner of Alfie’s African Treasures on University Avenue. He is also founder of the nonprofit The Soul of My Footprint.

Jelks believes helping the needy, especially those in Africa, is what he was meant to do.

“I believe most people spend their life searching for a purpose. God defined my life for me. God told me he wanted me to be a blessing to his children in Africa,” Jelks said.

He hopes at least 15 people sign up for trip.

“I am glad to see the number grow. People want to give back in a significant way,” Jelks said. “We would like to feed an entire village on this trip. We know we can’t fix the great poverty there, but for a moment, we can put the people in a better place.”

Jelks accepts donations of new shoes from the public. Walmart also donates shoes to Jelks.

“Some of the children in Jinja have never had a pair of shoes. Imagine that,” he said. “There is great poverty there. We are concentrating on shoes for children this time, but we had to turn too many away last time.”

The three nurses coming on the trip are Teya Baldwin from Richmond, Va., Katrina Denson from Atlanta and Desiree Smith from Columbus.

Smith is retired military. She is a labor and delivery nurse at Midtown Medical Center.

“I take care of people on a daily basis and would like to move out of the community and provide service,” Smith said.

Smith believes she will be able to share knowledge with pregnant women.

“I think most of the work will likely be treating wounds and such,” she said. “I take blood pressure, check blood sugar. We will bring some antibiotics. We will not be sure exactly all what we can do until we get there.”

Smith said she is looking forward to the trip.

“I always wanted to go on a mission trip,” she said. “I like to help people, and this is a great opportunity to do that in a big way.”

Denson, a Jordan High School graduate, is Jelks’ cousin. She said she has followed his trips to Africa and dreamed about going with him. She said she wanted to support his program with more than money.

“I saw the pictures and said to myself, ‘I have got to get there,’ and now I am getting that chance,” Denson said. “I have always dreamed of going on a mission trip, and I have always dreamed about going to Africa, and now I am getting to do both.”

Denson said she would like to see a clinic started in the African city.

Baldwin said she is “extremely excited” about the trip.

“I am eager to help. I am eager to learn,” said Baldwin, who is an emergency room nurse and educator.

She believes there will be plenty of work for the nurses, and said she is hopeful that Jelks can get a pharmacist to come along.

“We will be there a short time, but a lot can be done,” she said. “Helping people like this is a reason that I got into nursing.”

Jelks said he would like a church group to choose to support the trip, which is Sept. 18-25. Anyone who wants to help can visit alfiesat@aol.com or call 706-249-5639.

“I think the people coming with us will be overwhelmed by what they see,” he said. “There will be a crowd to greet us. I think we will do more for the people than we ever have before. We are expecting to do some great things.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 6:05 PM with the headline "After 7 mission trips to Africa, Columbus man finally gets to bring medical team."