Chapter Profiles GlobeMed at GWU

Who We Are

GlobeMed at GWU is one of 46 GlobeMed chapters working to improve the health of people living in poverty around the world. We partner with the Rwanda Village Concept Project in Butare, Rwanda to provide sustainable improvement in the health and living standards of underprivileged communities in Rwanda’s Huye District.

Our Partner - Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP) // Butare, Rwanda

The Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP) is a non-profit organization run by students from the National University of Rwanda located in Butare, Rwanda. It is part of the larger International Student’s Association of Village Concept Projects.

Working with students and local volunteers is a key part of the foundation upon which RVCP is built as it strives to increase awareness and develop students’ problem solving skills, aptitude for fieldwork, and project planning abilities. RVCP takes creative approaches to solving problems found in the communities surround and in Butare, Rwanda. RVCP also works to bring sustainable income generation projects to those communities as well as working with the Huye Health Center and sponsoring several youth clubs focusing on both malaria prevention and STD/HIV prevention

Our Project - $16,000 for income generation programs, women's health education, and clinic waiting room construction

This year, GlobeMed at GWU is aiming to raise $16,000 to fund the construction of a waiting room for an RVCP clinic, the expansion of an income generation program, and women’s health educaiton programs in Huye, Rwanda with RVCP.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Through teaching our Maternal Health Education Program, we found that most women in the rural community are taught repeatedly about proper maternal health and child nutrition, but lack the means to achieve it. Furthermore, in a male dominated community where the man is the only one expected to work a job, most women don’t have any say on how their money is distributed. These factors, instead of the lack of knowledge, are the primary reason for poor health and children malnutrition.

How will this project solve this problem?

Our funds will support an Income Generation Cooperative that will allow local women to raise the standard of living for their family, provide proper nutrition for their kids, purchase health insurance and obtain respect for women. By enabling 50 mothers to farm for profit, this project both empowers women in households and enables participants to provide proper nutrition for their kids.

Potential Long Term Impact

The cooperatives provide micro-finance opportunities for participants to start their own businesses. In the long run, the project will give the whole community the means to improve their own lives in their own way with their own power.

Project Message

‘My child was 5 kgs. After attending teaching sessions about proper feeding the kid is now 14 kgs.’ She said she will never stop coming to sessions because they were so useful."
- Unknown, , Mother and participant in the MHEP

VIEW GLOBEMED AT GWU’S 2010-2011 ANNUAL REPORT

Get Involved

If you want to learn more about all the things going on at GlobeMed at GWU, shoot us an email at gwu@globemed.org!

Contact

gwu@globemed.org

Partnered With

RVCP
Butare, Rwanda