Joseph

The post-conflict setting of extreme poverty and abysmal health outcomes in Burundi have had devastating consequences on Burundian society as a whole. With disease and misery such fundamental aspects of every day lives, even family units are faced with previously unthinkable choices. Families in prosperous countries can perhaps glean an understanding of what this looks like through the following heartbreaking story. A young boy suffering from end-stage malnutrition was found by the side of the road by a stranger who took him to a nearby hospital for medical help. There was no money to pay for services and so the hospital was unable to help. The boy was taken to another clinic about 25 km from Kigutu by yet another stranger, but with a lack of resources they too were unable to help. Eventually, the plight of this dying child reached the ears of one of our Village Health Workers, who sought him out and then correctly diagnosed him with marasmus (severe malnutrition) due to intestinal parasites.  

The boy was brought to VHW’s clinic in Kigutu for treatment and nutritional rehabilitation in our Malnutriton ward. One month later he was smiling and back to an appropriate weight for his age.

When the boy’s family finally came to our clinic, they could barely recognize their own son. They were filled with overwhelming joy at the miraculous recovery of their loved one. They explained how they had been profoundly affected by previously losing children, and the bitter despair at feeling helpless to save their child. This family is now among VHW’s Community Ambassadors in disseminating health-seeking behavior in their village through referrals to our clinic.