Village Health Works

The ability to receive quality and dignified care should not be dependent on your geography. We often take for granted the fact that, in an emergency, we would be transported to a nearby hospital with the medical professionals and equipment needed to ensure a safe recovery. In contrast, Burundi has one of the lowest densities of physicians in the world, with one physician per 20,865 people. As stark as the resource gap is for the country as a whole, it is even worse for the vast majority living in rural areas, where VHW works. An estimated 70% of physicians in Burundi practice in Bujumbura, the country’s largest city, which contains only 10% of the country’s population. Help us address these grave inequities by donating here: https://bit.ly/35x3SAF

Today is International Day of the African Child - a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of improving and strengthening the education systems throughout the African continent. As we celebrate the progress made in educating children throughout our catchment area, we are reminded of children like Adelin. Adelin is the seventh and last child in his family. His parents are farmers and the family lives on a small plot of land which they farm to make a living. Years ago, A...delin was enrolled in our Kigutu preschool. With access to free meals, after school programming, and dedicated teaching staff, Adelin has thrived. He is now in 6th grade and shared, "I would not give school up for anything. I am so proud to now be a rising star in my family. At Village Health Works, we continue to work to ensure all children have the same opportunities as Adelin. We know that all children deserve a quality education regardless of where they live.

Today is #WorldBloodDonorDay. As we prepare for the opening of the Women’s Health Pavilion, we have made sure that our blood bank is ready to start operating next year when the hospital opens. Safe access to blood transfusions are essential for trauma patients and pregnant women with complications. Thank you to the Deerfield Foundation for funding our blood bank! We are so excited to be one step closer to providing safe, dignified and compassionate care to so many!

Have you had a chance to read our Q1 Impact Report? https://bit.ly/3gwlPo9 Inside you can read about the impact our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are making in the lives of thousands. Today, Village Health Works has 200 CHWs that are distributed throughout our catchment. Mariam Horizana (Right) is a Community Health Worker who lives in Mutambara commune Rumonge in the Mutambara peace village, where people repatriated from Tanzania and some indigent residents were given sh...elter. She has spent over 11 years being a community health worker in Kigutu. She has three children and all of them are well thanks to the knowledge she has gained from her profession. "It is for this reason that I am dedicated to teaching others in my community so that all of us can have better health for the development of our country. Very early one morning, I saw a phone call, and I heard the voice of my neighbor Solange Musaniwabo (Left), who is pregnant telling me that she is not feeling good. I rushed to her house to see if she had any other discomfort and assess her state. Once I evaluated her and determined how her labor was progressing, we headed to the clinic in Kigutu where she had received prenatal care. See more