Burundi-US NGO To Host First Annual Harvest Day Event

Community gathering to feature presentations and guest speakers on agriculture, livestock husbandry, economic cooperatives, and nutrition

KIGUTU, BURUNDI—Village Health Works (VHW) will hold its first annual Harvest Day today, featuring speeches and presentations by agricultural cooperative members, VHW staff, agronomists and physicians, and the Burundi Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. 

“The event will help people in agriculture, health and government work together and learn from each other,” said Gerard Nayuburundi, Director of Community Development Programs at VHW. 

“At VHW we always say, ‘food is medicine,’” commented Dr. Dziwe Ntaba, VHW co-founder and Director of Medical Programs. “Health, nutrition, economic development—these issues are intertwined and we can maximize our impact by bringing people together to collaborate.” 

The event highlights the growth in agricultural initiatives VHW has fostered in recent years. “The programs have developed from an adjunct to our malnutrition treatment care, to income-generating opportunities for community members,” said David Cohen, Executive Director. “It’s a great example of an integrated program approach and how programs become sustainable.” 

Video footage and photographs from the event will be available. 

VHW was founded by Deogratias Niyzonkiza, the subject of Tracy Kidder’s NY Times bestseller Strength In What Remains, the story of his escape from the Burundi genocide and journey to the US. VHW is a New York-based 501(c) 3 with operations in Burundi. VHW serves a catchment area of more than 200,000, providing community-driven health care, education and community development programs. VHW’s board includes Partners In Health founder Paul Farmer, author Tracy Kidder, and Kayak.com founder Paul English.

For more information, visit villagehealthworks.org.