Construction of a Center for Collaboration and Transformation of Rwanda's Future

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Katy S

people helped14166
People Doing It 37

The Problem

Every hospital in the developed world has a waiting room, where patients and nurses can consult, in private, in order to determine the necessary steps for healing. Why is it that so many developing countries lack such an important space? GlobeMed at GWU partners with the Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP) in the southern province of Rwanda attempting to address this issue. The Huye Health Center, situated just outside of te city of Butare, currently does not have a waiting room, yet is the primary health center for over 14,000 individuals. On any given day in Butare, there is a line of patients waiting outside of the clinic, sitting on the grass in the hot sun. This summer, we hope to tackle this problem by constructing the necessary waiting room. The space will play a dual role; providing a waiting area, as well as an interactional education center with TVs displaying maternal education campaigns throughout the day. Not only will the education sessions be shown, but plans are drawn up to provide numerous white board where nurses, visitors, and patients can leave their comments and concerns. The addition of this room will give the nurses a cleaner and safer place to work and assist those in need, while giving the patients a feeling of comfort and ease in an area where they feel welcome. From our past experiences, we know that with the provision of an open, safe environment, the women of Butare feel comfortable sharing their honest experiences and concerns. This can become a model for the rest of the province, particularly because it will also act as an education center, bringing many community health issues to the attention of patients, community members, and Rwandans across the country.

Plan of Action

In order to start the construction of this facility, where teaching sessions will be provided and we can start to improve the lives of Rwandan citizens, it will be necessary to be in constant contact with members of our partner organization in Rwanda. This is one of the strongest aspects of the program that we have developed throughout the past five years. In order to demonstrate our dedication and ensure that everything from building supplies to the budget is taken care of, RVCP and GlobeMed communicate through Skype on a weekly basis. There is also a constant drive, both from RVCP and GlobeMed to discuss ways to improve and implement changes to improve the functionality of the programs at the Huye Clinic. This is supported by the diverse range of knowledge in public health, anthropology and human rights that George Washington students can provide, in combination with the strong local background that RVCP members provide in medicine and pharmaceuticals. In fostering a sense of collaboration and cooperation with RVCP, we’re able to design and implement projects that are uniquely fitted to the needs of the women and children in Huye. In addition to the strong working relationship, the education programs are further supported by Income generation projects, which seek to provide economic opportunities and incentives to women in the community. These are run by RVCP as well, and GlobeMed helps to raise the money necessary for up-starting such projects. It is well understood that in order to lead a safe, healthy life for a mother and child, it is necessary to have a sense of economic stability to provide essential materials for life. At the present time, the women who are able to participate in the Goat Income Generation Project must be enrolled in the Maternal Health Education campaign, and there are plans to expand this further with a possible insurance program to increase interest further. With the expanded waiting room, more will be able to enroll in the Maternal Health Education program and thus partake in the Income Generation project. This will have a sustainable impact on the economic and medical well being of an ever-increasing number of Huye women.