African Refugee Health Initiative
This entry has been selected as a finalist in the
Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition competition.
To improve access to medical care and health education for the 2,000 refugees living in Block G or the Meheba Settlement, which has not had a working clinic for more than five years.
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Field of Work
health/sports
If Field of Work is “other” please define in 1-2 words below
Year project started (or projected start date) (yyyy)
2008
YouTube Upload
Project URL (or link to any media coverage)
What is the primary problem your venture is trying to address and how are you addressing it (or planning to address it)?
There has not been a health clinic for the 2,000 refugees from Rwanda and Burundi living in the remote area of Block G in the Meheba Refugee Settlement, Zambia since 2003. Since then, my community has had very limited access to any clinical services. This has been especially problematic for pregnant women and for those vulnerable people who need frequent health care services because they are physically unable to get to a clinic. The community also does not have a system to refer serious cases that must be treated at a hospital. To address this problem, with a team of my fellow Block G community members, I have devised a plan for a community-run health clinic. While the health center will not offer full clinical services, it will provide maternal health care by trained midwives, consultation and referral services by trained community health workers, basic medicines to those patients who are unable to make it to the nearest clinic, and communit y-wide educational workshops and sensitizations about topics such as nutrition and water-borne illnesses.
Name Your Project
African Refugee Health Initiative
Describe Your Idea
To improve access to medical care and health education for the 2,000 refugees living in Block G or the Meheba Settlement, which has not had a working clinic for more than five years.
Innovation
Project Description
To improve access to medical care and health education for the 2,000 refugees living in Block G or the Meheba Settlement, which has not had a working clinic for more than five years.
Unique and different
The FORGE Health Services project is unique and different because it is a community health project designed and implemented directly by community members, instead of by staff members of NGOs working in Meheba. While the project is heavily affiliated with FORGE, the organization that will help us find financial support, all decisions about program design and implementation are made by Meheba community members who are refugees, whereas all other projects in Meheba are designed by outside organizations. This distinction is essential given the level of ownership our community has for the project's success. Furthermore, in addition to providing basic clinical services as have been provided in the Block G community in the past, the FORGE Health Services project uses a uniqu community-health-worker approach that focuses on certifying a group of community members to provide basic consultations and make basic referrals and provide health education wor kshops within Block G.
Project plan
Over the next 6 months, depending on the amount of funding the FORGE Health Service project is able to secure, our plan is to begin training midwives and community health workers through certification processes through the government of Zambia, to reach out to pharmaceutical suppliers to stock our offices with basic medicines, and to draw up a curriculum for workshops and sensitizations about nutrition and diseases our community is at risk of contracting.
Partnerships
The most successful partnership the Health Initiative has created to date is our connection with FORGE, a US-based NGO that works in three different refugee camps in Zambia. FORGE helps connect us with financial sources of support, and provides a strong link to officials working with the UNHCR (United Nations refugee agency). FORGE is the organization responsible for initiating the idea of a refugee-driven and designed project in our community, and for undertaking the process of working with the Block G community to adopt a strategy to address our community needs. As a result, the Block G community formed a team of Block Representatives to design a plan for a project that would address some of our most urgent needs, and we have been communicating with FORGE ever since about how we plan to proceed once seed money for the project is secured. We have also developed a partnership with the Zambian Ministry of Health about our plans, and have received their blessing to proceed with this project.
Impact
Impact
The sick will be offered basic medicines and consultation services from a trained health worker. Trained health advocates will work in the community to find cases that need health care services from the FORGE Health Service office. Women will be offered maternal health care and nutrition education to teach them how to better care for their children. The health center will also benefit those community members who are not sick because preventative education workshops and sensitizations will be offered during every month.
Effectiveness
When the Health Initiative is running, it will benefit all 2000 Rwandan and Burundian refugee community members, regardless of age or gender.
How do you engage and impact the community?
The sick will be offered basic medicines and consultation services from a trained health worker. Trained health advocates will work in the community to find cases that need health care services from the Health Initiative office. Women will be offered maternal health care and nutrition education to teach them how to better care for their children. The Health Initiative will also benefit those community members who are not sick because preventative education workshops and sensitizations will be offered during every month.
How do you measure this impact?
FORGE Health Services will measure impact by collecting monthly indicators of how many people are benefiting from project services, including:
? how many people have received consultation
? how many have received information/resources
? how many have received referral to clinic
? number of live births assisted by FHS-trained midwives
? number of workshop participants
? results of health education assessments (surveys given to workshop participants about their knowledge of health-related topics)
? number of Block G residents trained as community health workers and midwives
Obstacles
The obstacles we face relate to resources and the community. Given the uncertain financial situation many international funders are in, we will have to work hard to fund our project throughout the year. Also, because we serve refugees, there is always uncertainty about how long our community will exist. Some refugees go home, and others may move to other places. Although we are confident our community will survive the next three years, we cannot know exactly how long Block G will be here.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
Financing source
(or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)
This field has not been completed. (166 words or less)
Aside from financial sustainability, how do you plan to grow and sustain your project?
This field has not been completed. (200 words or less)
Finance details
So far, our project has raised $282 US dollars from donors through our project website. To fund our first year of operations, we need to reach our first year budget goal of $2500. We expect to secure office space at no cost from the Meheba Settlement camp administration, the Zambian Government's Ministry of Community Development and Social Services. Additionally, we expect to receive basic medicines for the project for free or at a highly reduced price from pharmaceutical suppliers in Zambia.
Creative funding
So far, the Health Initiative has raised funds by developing a profile for our project online to attract Internet users from around the world. We get creative with this idea by updating blog posts to the profile regularly, and by posting new photographs so that donors have a window into the project even if they live very far away. We are also pursuing small grants like the Youth Venture – Staples competition.
Other non finance needs
In order to sustain the Health Initiative, we will need access to basic medicines and health supplies including but not limited to sanitary gauze, condoms, and surgical tape. We will also need an examination platform for patients, a scale, a few blankets, a desk, and a bookshelf or supply closet.
The Story
Motivation
The community where I live has no health center. We currently have more than 20 mentally sick persons and many are traumatized. The whole community is at high risk to getting diseases. Malaria has become our neighbor. People have been trying to get to the nearest clinic 15 kilometers away. Many died due to failure to reach the clinic. Many mothers have had miscarriages and few have been referred to higher medical attention for five years.
In a research process initiated by our partner organization, FORGE, community members identified health as the primary concern in Block G. We organized seven Block Representatives to conduct a full assessment of health problems. When our research was completed, I was selected by the community to be the primary coordinator for a new project that would address this need, and that is how I came up with FORGE Health Services, together with my community.
Awards
In 2006, I graduated at the top of my class from the Meheba Secondary School.
Broader context
This field has not been completed. (166 words or less)
Ongoing
This field has not been completed. (166 words or less)
What is your age?
20
How did you hear about this competition?
Other websites
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Comments
Hello Anthony,
Providing health services to this population of refugees is very important project. Are there any potential partners in the camp that could possibly help in terms of supplies or trainings? Are there any people in Block G that worked as midwives or nurses before arriving at the camp? Will the certificates that are given to the trained participants be recognized by the government when people return to their homes?
I wish you the best of luck in this very worthwhile project.
Jim
Ashoka's Youth Venture
Hi Jim,
I just wanted to respond to let you know that because Anthony lives in a refugee camp without electricity, cell phone network, or internet, he's not able to respond to these questions or help get out the vote. FORGE, the organization he's partnering with, has been helping him to do so.
In response to your questions, I do know that there are a few trained nurses and midwives in Block G that the project is planning on hiring once they get the resources. I also know that any new trainings for midwifery would be recognized upon the refugees' return to their countries. As for partners, in addition to FORGE, there is a pharmacy in the closest town that is willing to help with basic medicines and supplies and UNHCR has offered to help transport a doctor to the new project once per month.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Kjerstin
www.FORGEnow.org
Hi Anthony and Kjerstin,
Your entry is really interesting as the solution seems to be a direct result of listening to what those in need articulated as their daily challenges. The process resembles human centered design methodologies being used by large corporations around the world but rarely applied to social problems. One way to look for more resources could be to publish or present the research process and findings. Just a thought as I was excited by your entry and hope to see it succeed.
Thanks,
Charlie
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