Support Healthy Villages

“For he who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.”

- Owen Arthur

Healthy Village Workshops

To identify the most urgent health needs in each village, Healthy Village Workshops were created in 2005. Village chiefs form Village Health Councils and we facilitate planning sessions to help villagers identify their goals for a healthier village. The Healthy Village Workshop is a three phase process with villages completing one phase a year. Since these health plans began, incidences of malaria and diarrhea have decreased by significant amounts. Village cleanliness and new health efforts are initiated.

Projects from the workshops have included:

Effective Health Workers

A people-centered health care delivery system is key to our success in achieving our health goals in sanitation, nutrition and disease prevention. We provide ongoing training and support to our health workers, which allows them to provide basic medical care and act as health educators in their communities. Investing in and training village health workers not only provides jobs in poverty stricken villages, but also builds human capacity and independence.

Each of our 26 partnering villages has a resident Health Agent, Health Matron and Matron apprentice. They are the first line of defense against health related issues. Because they have trusted relationships in their communities, they possess indispensable knowledge about the health challenges facing the villagers. They play an integral role in our partnership with Village Health and Education Councils.

Health Agent

Our Health Agents are selected by the village chief and play a significant role in creating a healthy village environment. They receive training by our Mali staff to address health issues in their villages. Health Agents provide basic medical, wound care and critical health education. They also coordinate the distribution of mosquito nets and vaccinations, and act as liaisons between the villagers and the Ouelessebougou hospital during our medical expeditions.

Health Matrons & Apprentices

Our Health Matrons & Apprentices work not only as the midwives in their villages, but also serve as resident authorities in all matters of family health. They receive training and resources to meet the needs of village families. Matrons provide education on women’s health, pre- and post-natal care, breastfeeding, infant care, nutrition, safety and more. They work closely with our Program Manager, Teniningni, to facilitate Days for Girls hygiene kit distribution and provide menstrual education to village women and girls.

Why are Healthy Village workshops important in Mali?

Mali has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates with an overall life expectancy rate of only 60 years old.

Poor nutrition due to famine, poverty, and lack of education all contribute to why the death rates are so high in Mali. Poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water only increase Malian’s susceptibility to infectious diseases. Our partner villages are located in extremely rural areas without access to health care facilities like clinics or hospitals. Facilities are often too far away or too expensive for villagers who do not own vehicles. Our healthy village workshop, health agents, and health matrons and apprentices all work to trouble-shoot these issues on a local level to come up with solutions to get community members access to the healthcare and nutrition they need.

  • Teninfing Samake

    N’Ton Coulibaly

    HEALTH AGENT IN DJENFING

    “Before the Healthy Village Workshop, we saw many cases of malaria and diarrhea. The villagers didn’t understand cleanliness. We taught them about sanitation. They are now healthier and drink good and clean water.”