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A Message from Sarah & Kris
Thank you for considering making a donation to Village Health Works in honor of our wedding.
Village Health Works is a non-profit corporation dedicated to bringing quality, compassionate health care to those who need it most. Its pilot project is the construction and operation of a community health center in Kigutu, Burundi. The organization was founded by Kris’s friend Deogratias “Deo” Niyzonkiza, a native of Burundi and the subject of the book “Strength in What Remains” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder.
Kris first became involved with Village Health Works in early 2006. He and Deo were taking a break from the rigors of medical school and sharing a drink at a local bar in Lebanon, NH. During the conversation, Deo began to talk about his plans to open a health center in his native Burundi. He subsequently invited Kris to join him that summer on a trip to Burundi to continue planning and preparation for what is now the Sharon McKenna Health Center in Kigutu, Burundi.
That shared drink proved life changing for Kris. Barely two weeks after he started dating Sarah, in June, 2006, Kris departed for a five-week trip to Burundi. Once there, he joined Deo, and several others (including fellow medical students, physicians, and an architect), all working to bring quality health care to Kigutu. 
Each day revealed new tragedies but also increasing confidence that dignified, quality health care could be provided in Kigutu. Perhaps most impressive was how the people of Kigutu, all of whom lacked the traditional elements of power – money, connections, etc – were able to, through hard-work and dedication, bring about incredible change in their community with modest assistance from outside.
The story of the road to Kigutu is a good illustration of this. Towards the end of a trip with many successes, a stumbling block was encountered. The road leading to the health center was too narrow and rough for heavy trucks to pass and bring construction supplies to the newly acquired VHW property. Deo contacted a Belgian construction company to inquire if they could do the job. They provided an estimate of $50,000 to complete the task, which was many times greater than we could afford. Dismayed, Deo related the challenge to the community leaders, expecting a long delay before sufficient money could be raised to start the project. ‘What are you talking about?’ one of those in attendance asked. ‘We are not poor because we are lazy. We will fix the road.’
Over the next few days, scores of community members gathered with their children 
on their backs and farm tools in their hands to work. Little by little, using the power of their combined effort, Kigutu villagers widened and resurfaced 6 km of dirt road by hand. One woman who came to work had a very sick child on her back. When asked why she was there with the sick child instead of seeking medical care, she responded ‘My last child died, my child before that died also, and this child might die too. There are no good options for medical care now for those of us who have little money. I hope that if we make this road and build a clinic, that perhaps my future children will live.’
A few days after the people of Kigutu completed the road, the Belgian construction company called back with a lower offer. ‘Never mind,’ Deo replied, ‘the work is already done.’ ‘What? How?’ They responded. ‘We are the only company in Burundi that can do this work.’ To this, Deo memorably responded: ‘Not anymore.’ Less than a month later, a large truck brought the first load of construction supplies to Kigutu and construction began on the Sharon McKenna Health Center.
Having witnessed both the overwhelming need for better health care and incredible
potential for positive change in Kigutu, Kris shared his stories with as many people 
as possible upon returning to the US. Sarah, Kris, and several of their medical school classmates began spreading the word about the amazing things happening in Kigutu to various community organizations as well as raising money for the project in and around Hanover, NH. Two of Sarah and Kris’s classmates even organized a dance marathon that raised enough money to build a water tank and filtration system, which now provides the health center and the community with clean drinking water.
Kris (with the support of Sarah, and many others) continued to spread the word about VHW as he could during medical school and his family medicine residency. Finally, in August, 2011, Kris was able to return to Kigutu, now as a physician, and 
volunteer in the health center for a month. The change in the community over the five years between Kris’s two visits was incredible. A small patch of land on a hilltop in a remote region of one of the poorest countries in the world had been transformed into a center of health, learning, and commerce. In addition to providing dignified health care to all who come wanting, regardless of their ability to pay, VHW now has a comprehensive program that seeks not only to cure disease, but also to eradicate the conditions that lead to disease, especially the extreme poverty that pervades Burundi. VHW partners with local schools to improve educational opportunities for children. They provide classes on diversifying crops and sustainable farming practices to improve people’s access to nutritious food. They help with the organization of co-ops that help farmers and craftsman bring their goods to market and buy needed supplies. They organize soccer tournaments with educational programs aimed at preventing the spread of HIV. They partner with the government to provide comprehensive treatment programs for HIV, TB, and malnutrition.
The scope and impact of the project is staggering and the progress in just a few 
years has been incredible. While Kris was serving at the health center in 2011,
the president of Burundi visited Kigutu to lay the first brick of what will become a women’s health pavilion. The completion of this pavilion will allow VHW to expand its services to include advanced obstetric care, advanced newborn care, X-ray services, and dental care. It will be a huge step forward to decreasing maternal and newborn mortality in the Kigutu area.
We hope you will consider exploring the VHW website to learn more about this incredible organization and its many projects. Please also consider a donation in honor of our wedding in lieu of a traditional gift. Even a small donation can have a large impact. Five dollars covers the cost of a mosquito net that prevents a life-threatening infection with malaria for a pregnant woman or young child. Twenty-five dollars pays for a round of immunizations for 10 children. A little over one hundred dollars can supply a family with seeds and supplies needed for a home garden to grow nutritious food for an entire growing season. And, a little over six hundred dollars covers the cost of about a week’s worth of medications for the entire health center.
Thank you. We look forward to celebrating our wedding with you.
Sincerely,
Sarah and Kris
Mothers Day in Burundi
This Mother’s Day, Village Health Works invites you to celebrate the mothers in your life by honoring mothers all around the world. Make a donation to Village Health Works and we would be happy to send a personal note or e-card alerting the recepient(s) you choose to honor. (Please just note the names and preferred contact information of your honorees in the "Comments" field of the donation form.) With your help, more mothers will be able to celebrate what all moms want—a healthy family and bright future.
Co-Op Photo Gallery
The Women's Co-Op
Janette learned to sew while living as a refugee in Tanzania. In 2009 Janette returned to Burundi with her three children, working as a seamstress to support the family. Given the uncertain economic conditions, Janette’s husband works in Tanzania while Janette lives in Busimbwa Peace Village, a settlement for repatriated refugees. Village Health Works hired Janette as a sewing training in November 2011. A founding member of the Women’s Empowerment Co-operative for sewing, 25-year-old Janette will provide nine women from her cachement area with critical skills and will lead the development of new designs and concepts.
Originally from Gitega, Gloria joined Village Health Works as a weaving trainer in June of 2011. A single mother, Gloria has been supporting her self and now, her young son, by weaving beautiful baskets since she was 16 years old. Gloria learned her craft from her mother and aunt, secretly at age six. From bracelets to baskets, Gloria’s designs share a respect for tradition and a willingness to experiment. Today, she is excited that her skills will help others improve their conditions.
Isidonie Ngezahayo
Age 60, Lives in Kigutu
Isidonie is married and the mother of eight children. She says, “my daily life is very difficult; I don’t have enough land to feed my family I hope with being a member of the soap making co-op I will improve my life.”
Aline Ndayipfukamiye
Age 18, Lives in Karirimvya
Aline says, “I went to school until 5th form but I didn’t continue because I had poor vision. Before joining the soap-making co-op, I used to cultivate my family’s small land. Now, I’m getting skills in soap and candle making and it will be very helpful in my life.”
Adonette Nimpaye
Age 30, Lives in Mugara
Adonette is married, with four children. She and her family have recently returned from Tanzania after fleeing the war. She says, “my husband and I cultivate land for other people in order to feed our children but we don’t get such work every day and we don’t have our own land to work. Now I’m in the soap-making co-op - it’s a huge opportunity for me because I hope to improve my life and the lives of my family.”
Honoree Hafashimana
Age 22, Lives in Karirimvya
Honoree is married with one daughter. She says, “I have studied only in primary school; when my parents died I was forced to leave school. I went to cultivate the family land to grow food for my young brother. Now I’m a member of the soap and candle making co-op. It’s a huge opportunity for me because I get skills which will be helpful for my whole life.”
Clementine Hamenyimana
Age 26, Lives in Mugara
Clementine is married with four children. She says, “I only attended school until the 6th form. My husband and I originally came from Bururi commune, far away from where we now live. We had to come to Mugara because we were displaced during the war. Now we have problems getting land. Being in the soap and candle-making co-op is the only source of hope in my life.”
Marie Nikobahoze
Age 60, Lives in Mugara
Marie has five children who are all married; she lives with only her husband. She says, “My husband and I are repatriated refugees from Tanzania. It is a great task to figure out how to feed our selves. Now I’m among the soap and candle makers - Long life to VHW!”
Lea Nizigiyimana
Age 32, Lives in Mugara
Lea says, “I’m divorced and have four children with me. It’s very difficult for me to feed my children and to send them to school. I’m a member of soap making co-op and I can now foresee a bright future for all of us.”
Pelagie Ndihokubwayo
Age 40, Lives in Mugara
Pelagie is married and the mother of six children. She says, “even though I didn’t get to go to school during my childhood, it has been wonderful for me to learn new things today. I’m a soap and candle maker.”
Speciose Harerimana
Age 21, Lives in Kigutu
Speciose says, “I’m divorced and I have three children. I live with my parents at our home land. My three children and I depend on my mother to live. The co-op is a big opportunity for me to get skills, which are very important to my future and the future of my three children.”
Esperance Harerimene
Age 20, Lives in Kigutu
Esperance says, “I didn’t get the chance to go to school so I’ve only had the opportunity to cultivate our land. Now I’m one of the soap and candle makers at Kigutu, thanks to VHW and all of its supporters.”
Triphonie Nizigama
Age 35, Lives in Kabwayi
Triphonie is married and the mother of five children. She says, “In our locality we live by agriculture,.but now it’s not easy to get enough food. I heard during volunteer work at the clinic that there would be new co-ops at VHW, Kigutu. I’ve chosen weaving and now I’m able to make bracelets and baskets…In the future I expect to be able to solve many challenges facing my family.”
Chantal Harerimana
Age 35, Lives in Kigutu
Chantal is married with five children. She says, “I have never been to school and I don’t know how to write or read because of the war. My husband and I do not have a source of income other than what we make cultivating our small piece of land. I’m now one of the weaving co-op members and we are learning to make many things. I hope those beautiful thinks we are making will reach all over the world.”
Celine Kabura
Age 18, Lives in Kigutu
Celine says, “I’m single and only studied until the 4th form. I gave up because of my eye problems. Since leaving school, I have been helping to cultivate our family land but now I’m happy to be one of the weaving co-op members because I’m getting helpful skills. I’m happy, also, to have something in my life that I can maybe teach other people someday.”
Liberate Havyarimana
Age 54, Lives in: Kigutu
Liberate is married and has four children. Liberate says, “my husband is handicapped and can’t work. I do my best to feed all my family myself, which is not easy. When I heared that there would be co-ops at VHW, I said to myself that even if I’m old, I will go and try my best to be selected. Now, I’m one of the weaving co-op members and I expect to know very well how to weave and improve my life.”
Hellene Tabu
Age 43, Lives in Kigutu
Hellene says, “I have five children. I’m a repatriated refugee from Tanzania and my husband is still living there. I’m with my children only now and though we got land to build our house, we got no land to cultivate. Many times we pass the whole day without eating. Now with the co-op, our future is bright. I hope I will be able to support my family.”
Monique Nzeyimana
Age 52, Lives in Kigutu
Monique is married with twelve children. She says, “I’m a repatriated refugee from Tanzania. Now, I’m one of the weaving co-op members. I joined the co-op in order to improve my life. I expect to be developed and have something to sell in our country and overseas.”
Yvette Irankunda
Age 18, Lives in Kigutu
Yvette just gave birth to her first child and surprised us all by coming back to work just one week after! She says, “my daily work is to cultivate our land and before, I did not expect to have any other things to do. But now, I’m one of the luckiest people because I’m in the weaving co-op. Even though we’ve only worked three months, we already earned money! I expect to have good life in the future and a strong co-op.”
Mathilde Ndayisaba
Age 53, Lives in Kigutu
Mathilde is married and has ten children. She says, “my whole life, my daily work has been to cultivate. My husband and I didn’t think about planning our family and now we have trouble feeding our children and finding money for school fees. I rely on my co-op to help me face our many challenges. I now have new friends in the weaving co-op and I know I can get their help if I’m ever in need.”
Video Gallery
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Spring 2012 Internship Opportunities
Village Health Works is currently seeking dedicated individuals for the following positions:
Administrative & Development Interns - Village Health Works is seeking detail-oriented interns to help in the New York City office with regular administrative responsibilities. Interns need to be available during regular business hours for a minimum of 15 hours per week and should be able to commit for three months. Strong communications skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office, patience, and flexibility are critical for this position. Interested applicants should complete the general volunteer and intern application form found here. Please be sure to submit a copy of your resume when prompted as part of the application.
Translators – Village Health Works is currently seeking an experienced French-English translator to assist with translations of documents such as training manuals, research materials, communications, and work orders. Translators may be needed on specific dates for intensive short-term projects or on short notice to translate documents. Interested applicants should complete the general volunteer and intern application form found here. Please be sure to submit a copy of your resume when prompted as part of the application and to also include a sample of previous translation work.
VHW Women's Cooperatives
Thanks to the support of the US Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, VHW developed our Women’s Cooperatives to provide employment, training and social support to local women, including gender-based violence survivors.
Currently employing about 45 women, the co-ops are comprised of sewing, weaving, soap-making and baking groups. All profits made go directly back to the women of the co-ops.
Purchase
To help support, you can purchase goods made by the cooperatives here:
http://beautifulburundi.bigcartel.com
Meet The Women Involved
Click the image above for a look into the lives of some of the women involved.
News and Stories
Individual Experience In Economic Development
Growth: Kigutu's First Ever Fashion Show!
Photo Gallery
Click the image above to take a look at our gallery.
This funded in part by the U.S. State Department Office of Population, Refugees and Migration.
Village Health Works Forum Communautaire
Bienvenu!
Vous Etes Invités
Village Health Works Forum Communautaire
“Des environnements sains, communautés saines”
Le forum annuel est une occasion de collaboration, d'évaluation, de délibération et de planification. Chaque année, nous réunissons nos communautés ceux qui vivent dans Kigutu et les régions environnantes, les amis de partout au Burundi et sympathisants du monde entier à réfléchir sur nos progrès et guider notre travail pour l'année à venir.
Cette année, nous envisageons de nombreuses façons de voir comment notre environnement influence notre santé. Comme nous voulons améliorer continuellement la qualité de soins dans la clinique, nous cherchons aussi à répondre à ces besoins - sur et hors de notre clinique - et les conditions qui mènent au bien-être de la société.
Veuillez répondre à cet e-mail s’il vous plait.
Planification
Les invites sont encouragés à assister aux deux jours. Le campus offre un espace de camping amplement spacieux pour ceux qui préfèrent apporter une tente pour dormir sur place. Petit-déjeuner et le dîner seront fournis pour les invités qui resteront la.
Hébergement à l'hôtel peut être faite à l'hôtel ci-dessous; des tarifs spéciaux pour les invités Village Health Works est disponibles. Village Health Works offrira un service de navette chaque matin et soir entre l'hôtel et la clinique. Le déjeuner sera offert pour tous les visiteurs.
S'il vous plaît soyez conscient que les températures sont plus froides à Kigutu qu’a Bujumbura. S'il vous plaît veuillez apporter des vêtements chauds et une tente imperméable si vous avez l'intention de camper.
S’il vous plaît email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. pour de plus amples informations et réservations.
Faits Saillants du Forum
"The Community-Driven Model" Deogratias Niyizonkiza, Founder
"Building an Agricultural Cooperative" Dr. Richard Deckelbaum, Director, Institute of Numan Nutrition, Columbia University
"The Built Environment" Louise Braverman, Architect
"A Dignified Environment for a Clinic" Dr. Melino Ndayizigiye and Dr. Dziwe Ntaba
"Healthy Relationships in Living Communities: Involving Men in Preventing Gender-Based Violence" Fidel Rutayisire, Rwanda Men's Resource Center
"Healthy Communities Through Education," Dr. Julien Nimubona, Burundi Minister of Education
"Surgery Recovery at Home" Dr. Steve Glickel, Director, Hand Surgery, St. Luke's Hospital, New York
2011 Kigutu Forum
Welcome!
You're Invited!
2011 Village Health Works Community Forum
"Healthy Environments, Healthy Communities"
Kigutu, Burundi
December 28 & 29
Noun: The surroundings or conditions in which a person lives or operates.
The Annual Forum is an opportunity for collaboration, assessment, deliberation, reflection and planning. Each year we bring together the VHW community—community members from Kigutu, friends from across Burundi, and supporters from around the world come together to consider our work over the past year and to guide our work for the coming year.
In 2011 we are considering the many ways that our environment impacts our health. As we continuously improve quality-of-care in the clinic, we also seek to address those spaces –on and off the clinic grounds – and conditions that impact well-being.
Planning
Guests are encouraged to attend both days. The VHW campus offers ample camping space for those who prefer to bring a tent to sleep on-site. Breakfast and dinner will be provided for overnight guests.
Hotel accommodations are also available. Reservations can be made by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Special rates for Village Health Works guests are available. Village Health Works will provide shuttle service each morning and evening between the hotel and the clinic. Lunch will be provided for day visitors.
Please be aware that temperatures in Kigutu are cooler than in Bujumbura. Please bring warm clothes and a waterproof tent if you intend to camp.
For more information and to RSVP, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Forum Highlights
"The Community-Driven Model" Deogratias Niyizonkiza, Founder
"Building an Agricultural Cooperative" Dr. Richard Deckelbaum, Director, Institute of Numan Nutrition, Columbia University
"The Built Environment" Louise Braverman, Architect
"A Dignified Environment for a Clinic" Dr. Melino Ndayizigiye and Dr. Dziwe Ntaba
"Healthy Relationships in Living Communities: Involving Men in Preventing Gender-Based Violence" Fidel Rutayisire, Rwanda Men's Resource Center
"Healthy Communities Through Education," Dr. Julien Nimubona, Burundi Minister of Education
"Surgery Recovery at Home" Dr. Steve Glickel, Director, Hand Surgery, Roosevelt Hospital, New York
Recommended Films
Kamenge: Northern Quarters – Award winning documentary that asks, and looks for the answer to, the question, “where now for Burundi’s troubled democracy?” You can find information and a clip of the film here.
Bang for your Buck – A film about the arms problem in Burundi. You can find information and a clip of the film here and the full film here.
Histoire d’une haine manquée - You can find information and a clip of the film here.
Na Wewe – Tells the story of an attack by rebels on a minibus carrying civilians during the Civil War. You can find information here and the trailer below:
In the Wake of War – A documentary about war, peace, and poverty in Burundi. You can find information and the film here.
Gito, l’ingrat – Burundi’s first feature film. Tells the fictional story of Gito, who returns home to Burundi after studying in France. You can find information here.
Visit the Burundi Film Center for further information and suggestions.
Community (2)
Village Health Works is part of an exceptionally determined community in Kigutu, Burundi. By discovering strength in common purpose, this community has grown from misery and strife to health and social harmony. A remarkable distance has been covered during this breathtaking transformation. On the heels of unthinkable violence, in the poorest country on the planet, a stunning paradigm shift has taken hold.
After suffering from a 13-year civil war that ended in 2005, our community took it upon itself to provide for the founding of Village Health Works. Former enemies came together to resolve their dehumanizing differences. They donated land, cleared a road, made bricks and laid the foundation for our clinic.
The, “unparalleled level of community participation,” as described by Dr. Paul Farmer in 2006, gained traction almost instantly. And it continues to gather momentum to this day. Ongoing community engagement is demonstrated through our growing number of village health workers, agricultural cooperatives, and through tangible results like informing Village Health Works strategic initiatives in education and economic development.
Letter from Dziwe Ntaba
Dear Friends and Family,
"Patients who have been treated in Kigutu keep coming back and ask what they can do to help."
Greetings from our Village Health Works clinic in Kigutu, Burundi. Our site sits atop a plateau in the midst of a seemingly endless cascade of hills covered in lush palm forests that rise out of vast Lake Tanganyika. A rocky dirt road zigzags up a steep incline until it levels off and leads to the tree-lined mosaic driveway of our clinic. Inside the beautifully manicured landscaped grounds, one finds the busy activity of nurses and doctors attending to long lines of waiting patients. As you pass through the covered walkways alongside the patient care areas, Lake Tanganyika comes into view across the horizon. Beyond, you can see the emerald mountains of the Congo (DRC) shimmering in the distance. The sweet smells of our flower gardens bring a smile to everyone’s face, and it strikes you what a beautiful place of healing Kigutu is.
I have had the privilege of living and working in this setting for about 18 months now and been humbled by the tremendous adversities faced daily by those living in this region. I have learned that along with poverty comes a terrible burden of disease. This is true for scourges like AIDS, TB, malaria, and malnutrition as well as for problems more common to the West, such as diabetes, peptic ulcers, asthma, chronic arthritis, and traumatic injuries. Compounding this tragedy in Burundi is the catastrophic disruption caused by the 13 years of civil war that only recently ended here.
"I’ll never forget the time a patient who was vomiting blood told me that she would rather die in my hands than take her chances at the regional hospital. I have lost a lot of sleep over predicaments like these, and we’ll keep facing them until we are able to provide more comprehensive services on site in Kigutu."
It is hard to describe the impact war has had on people’s health. The most obvious consequence is the extraordinarily dilapidated healthcare infrastructure and complete lack of health services in such villages as Kigutu. Those who do have access to healthcare often do not seek it because failure to pay bills is punished by incarceration in the very hospitals in which they sought care. This policy of incarceration, part of a disastrous fiscal remedy aimed at cost-recovery, is a deterrent that leads to more advanced stages of disease, which are increasingly difficult to treat.
As a result, people are unsuccessfully treated by traditional healers instead. Almost everyone in these communities has visible marks somewhere on their bodies from these doctors’ ritual scarification.
The prospect of incarceration for being too poor to pay complicates medical decision-making in our clinic. Oftentimes patients who need interventions beyond our capacity adamantly refuse to be transferred. I will never forget the time a patient who sat there in front of me vomiting blood and told me that she would rather die in my hands than take her chances at the regional hospital. I have lost a lot of sleep over such predicaments, and VHW will keep facing them until we can provide more comprehensive services in Kigutu. Ultimately the reversal of harmful policies like incarceration depends on close collaboration with the local government, which is why VHW has worked on fostering a relationship with the Burundian Ministry of Health from the very beginning.
I was introduced to the plight of this community, along with the remarkable opportunity to help, through my dear Burundian-American brother Deo. I first met Deo on the afternoon of September 11th, 2001. He was speaking at an informal gathering of students and faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. We had come together to collect our thoughts after the events of that terrible morning. Deo shared some remarkable insights on the grieving process based on his own traumatic experiences in Burundi and Rwanda. He spoke with great clarity about the potential dangers of recurring cycles of violence. Like many at the gathering, I immediately had a deep sense of respect and admiration for Deo, and these sentiments have continued to grow and solidify ever since.
More recently, I have had the opportunity to observe first hand the leadership qualities that make Deo so effective. In the summer of 2006, he invited a group of American medical colleagues to Burundi. He wanted us to see for ourselves the human misery that has suffocated his country. Our group arrived to find what the World Bank has determined to be the most poverty-stricken country on the planet, now emerging from the fog of a protracted civil war. We saw the tremendous burden of disease, a nascent government struggling to cope with corruption and external pressures, and a population seemingly gripped with a sense of hopelessness and despair. This bleak perception began to change, however, as soon as Deo introduced us to the people of his home village of Kigutu.
Upon our arrival, the community greeted us with song and dance. They told us how grateful they were that we had traveled so far to visit when people in their own capital never even bother to check up on them. They made poignant pleas for us to continue with our efforts to bring healthcare to their community. It was at that point that we all began to fully appreciate Deo’s leadership qualities and his boundless determination. Through careful preparation, tactical negotiation, sheer charisma, and an uncanny knack for compelling moral argument, Deo had laid the foundation for an achievement that most people thought impossible.
This accomplishment was made possible by the community’s extraordinary participation. From the start, Deo organized the village chief and elders into a gender-balanced management committee, which is no easy task. After energizing the local community members and receiving the enthusiastic endorsement of Dr. Paul Farmer and his colleagues at Partners In Health, Deo solidified support from the most senior levels of Burundian government. This included developing existing relationships with the Minister of Health, Minister of Finance and the Minister of Planning & Development as well as the Governor of the province where we now work. Soon thereafter, VHW was born.
In the bizarre logic of a post-conflict, poverty-stricken society, VHW soon became the target of envy and ill will in some quarters. VHW seemed somehow threatening in a setting where violence and intimidation had been the status quo for so long. For close to a year, VHW faced recurrent threats of violence. It reached a peak in the spring of 2007, when a high-level government official visited the construction site in Kigutu. Shortly after his departure late that afternoon, a group of at least a dozen men armed with semi-automatic rifles and other weapons approached his vehicle believing Deo was inside. Fortunately, the government official’s own armed escort fired shots into the air and drove off the attackers.
Much has changed since then. Today, Kigutu community members host patients who come from far away or who are too sick to return home the same day. These are the same people who had spent the better part of 13 years living in self-isolation, fear and mistrust as a result of the ethnically-driven civil war. They now take great pride in working together to transform the surrounding landscape into an aesthetically pleasing and dignified environment. VHW provides them with the one thing that makes them overcome their differences, and that is their desperate need for health care.
The geographical location of our clinic serves as an ideal setting. The plateau where the clinic is situated sits mid-level between cascading hills to the East and low-lying lakeshore regions to the West. It is a place where people from East, West, North and South meet, sit and chat while waiting to be seen. Some of the locals call our site “America.”
Every morning when Deo is at the clinic, he talks to a crowd of patients for about 15 minutes before they are seen. In addition to providing basic health advice, he appeals to community members to look after each other like family. He tells them how many friends in the United States have donated money to help build the clinic and how important it is for the people of Burundi to learn from the American ideal of unifying as one people to work towards a collective sense of humanity.
"VHW speaks to the human capacity to overcome tragedy and to transform painful experiences into something beautiful."
Again and again, the patients claim to have never heard a message like this. They talk about how their country has suffered from an obsession with ethnicity (or “disease” as they call it) and the conflicts it has caused. They talk about how this has been perpetuated by greedy politicians. Some break into tears of joy for having a place to heal mind, body and soul. Others return after being treated and ask what they can do to help.
Since opening in late 2007, VHW has served the primary care needs of more than 28,000 patients. We have specialty clinics that treat complex conditions such as HIV, TB and malnutrition. We provide services including prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, so that the chances of an expectant mother who is HIV+ transmitting the virus to her baby is close to zero. Recognizing that malnutrition underpins much of the morbidity and mortality in the communities that we serve, VHW is implementing a food security program that promotes modern farming methods for sustainable agriculture. We have also installed a 15,000-gallon water collection cistern and are working to supply clean potable water to Kigutu and its surrounding communities.
Through the kindness of generous donors, VHW now has a solar-powered source of electricity along with an Internet connection that allows for tele-medicine and program coordination in Kigutu. The construction of our Community Center is nearing completion, which will allow dedicated space for training community health workers as well as community engagement and activities. We are now breaking ground on a Women’s Health Pavilion, complete with surgical, laboratory and radiology suites, which will allow us to more effectively tackle Burundi’s terribly unjust maternal and child mortality rates, which are amongst the highest in the world.
VHW is helping to turn Burundi’s focus from strife and hostility to community development and dignity. Through this grass-roots partnership, we are providing a platform to heal both individuals and the fragmented communities in which they live. VHW is also working to dismantle the economic cost-recovery paradigms that lead to “prison hospitals” and worsen patient outcomes. This union of delivering quality healthcare, engaging the community in sustainable agriculture, providing space for peace building, and promoting human rights for the rural poor exemplifies why Kigutu is such a fitting place for humanitarian work.
VHW speaks to the human capacity to overcome tragedy and transform painful experiences into something beautiful. We are demonstrating that cooperation among former enemies can lead to the restoration of health and dignity. VHW is developing a standard for healing individuals, communities, and even entire societies. As one woman so eloquently put it, “Kigutu was hell during the war but, thanks to VHW, it is now heaven.”
Letter from the Founder
Compassionate People Can Change The World
After spending years in the midst of misery and man-made tragedies, I think it is fair for me to say that I know and understand what suffering is. I have worked alongside some of the world’s bravest advocates for global social justice and know that those stuck in the shadows can come out and find bright, hopeful futures.
"I believe from the bottom of my heart that with the right vision, the right leadership and the energy and creativity of all of us working together, the world can be a better place. There was a time when I was living in darkness, isolated by the many preventable tragedies that have silenced and decimated millions of lives in places like my home, Burundi."
Through my personal journey, I know that compassionate people have the power to end human misery and make the world a better place.
In 2006, we started building a clinic in the rural area of Kigutu. In the first nine months, our staff saw and treated more than 16,000 patients. In our first three years we saw more than 50,000 patients—and our numbers only continue to grow.
The Village Health Works clinic in Burundi is a living testament to what is possible when dedicated and determined individuals unite to benefit the lives of others—no matter the distance or supposed difference. Community members in Kigutu (the same people who had been killing each other with machetes and machine guns for more than a decade) came together to talk about peace, volunteer their services, and build their own clinic. Today, those who live near the clinic even host patients who travel miles seeking care.
Witnessing their involvement, it became evident that human suffering, illness and disease are not someone else’s problem, but the responsibility of us all.
I will never forget one Burundian woman who came to help build the road leading to our clinic. She had a child who was sick—her only surviving child of the five she had birthed. I asked her why she came to work with a child this sick, and she said to me, “Instead of staying at home watching my baby die, I would rather come and join others because at least then my contribution can save someone else’s child.”
Her child was eventually treated for malaria. Days later, the woman came to me and said “The medication you gave my child was the greatest gift a mother could receive. Never doubt for a single minute, this work is much loved and has a more precious element than you know.” I asked her what was the more precious element. She said, “Ending the crisis, the crisis can end. People have been talking and working together.” VHW is not just building a clinic, we are building peace.
Indeed, peace happens when people see hope for a better future, when their children have what they need to go to school, when their families have food, shelter and access to quality and dignified healthcare. I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that with the right vision, the right leadership and the collective energy and creativity of compassionate people, we can make this hope a reality.
The fight for global health has begun, but it will not be won by the works of one organization alone. Nor will it be won if we, as a society, do not change our way of thinking. We cannot continue to follow yesterday’s ideas and beliefs, and spread such false allegations as Africans cannot take HIV drugs because they cannot tell Western time, or an entire continent of Africa is defined only by darkness and tragedy. This fight for global justice will be won by an army of compassionate people who think globally and understand the world as it truly is today.
For millions throughout the world, whose futures have always been burdened by extreme poverty and illness. Yet, with the right philosophy and the right people, we can treat cancer, mental health, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, poverty and the other causes of human misery. Challenges are inevitable and can be very isolating, but to give up is unforgivable.
Thank you for being a part of this effort.
