Celebrating Education at All Stages

Brenda sits behind her friend at the Kafwa literacy class.

Denied the chance to attend school as a child, Brenda found a supportive community through the Kafwa (Zambian community health workers). She was first introduced to the Kafwa by her husband, Abraham, who was a Kafwa member himself. Abraham was blind, but a loyal and wonderful Kafwa member, navigating the village with the help of his daughter as he went to help his community. Sadly, Abraham passed away not long ago. 
 
After the passing of her husband, Brenda was comforted by the other Kafwa. As they uplifted Brenda, the Kafwa challenged the older gender "norm" that only boys should attend school, and encouraged Brenda to start her education.
 
Now that she has begun, she is INSPIRED! Brenda shared: "It is of great joy that am in school for the first time in my life and this is all because of you friends!"  Her excitement is contagious, and her profound desire to learn will be passed on to her children, and their children after. We are so proud to be supporting women like Brenda in their journey towards education and empowerment!

Psst... Important news! Our new website is launching NEXT WEEK on March 1st! We invite you to check it out!  >>  http://healthedconnect.org/

Tea Time

 

A man harvests tea from a field

A warm welcome to Biratnagar, Nepal

How often do you drink tea? In American culture, coffee reigns king, and tea seems almost an afterthought. 

In Nepal and Africa though, our colleagues would tell you that tea is part of their everyday life! Tea is a drink offered to welcome guests, a way to start the day, and a staple "food" for many people.

When Dr. Sherri Kirkpatrick made her first trips to Asia and Africa, it was nearly impossible to convince people that tea did NOT count as a food. Since then, research has uncovered the many benefits of tea as a holistic agent. Unsurprisingly, tea has remained a staple that our colleagues can use to increase antioxidants, soothe common ailments, or comfort others.

It's an important part of both areas' agriculture as well. Lush, green fields create a stark contrast against the red soil in Africa, and Nepal has a government sector dedicated to their tea exports. Much of the tea that's consumed in the United States was grown in Asia and Africa. 

Today, we invite you to pour a cup of tea and consider a small piece of the culture that's shaped some of our dear friends! 

Our Nursing Scholars are Uplifting Lives!

Pictured above: Karen Mulubwa in the nursing skills lab

February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science! This week we have been highlighting several recipients of our nursing scholarship this year, recognizing their study of health sciences and service to improve the health of people in their communities. 

“I decided to train as a nurse because of my experience from my immediate environment, my community which is actually flooded with alot of helmets (diseases) and the presence of many vulnerable people who sometimes do not get utmost attention and support due to their  social and economical status. I thought my training will enable me to provide a service to all these people and possibly volunteer to those who  are in my reach. Furthermore, I am interested in engaging myself in community health groups such as the Kafwa helping the women cleaning wounds of clients with no relatives.” -Karen Mulubwa, Zambia

 

Fun fact: Karen was one of our amazing teachers at Mapalo Young Peacemakers School and she loved teaching. She struggled to decide whether to pursue nursing or teaching and finally followed her heart to nursing. Karen has long watched her mother, Grace, a Kafwa community health worker leader, tending and supporting the health needs of community members in Mapalo. Based on her experience in her community, and watching the Kafwa, her heart was led to pursue nursing and we know her compassion and skilled care will impact many lives! 

To empower other aspiring nurses who wish to serve their communities, click the link below and choose “Nursing Scholarship Endowment” to give others the same opportunity as Karen! 

http://bit.ly/Okagy1

Bright Futures Ahead!

Hats off to the graduates! Left to Right: Linda Mutalala (teacher), Memory Namonje, Helen Mukuka, Kennedy Muteswa, Loveness Mulemba (head teacher)

Graduates share how they feel about graduating! "Thank You", "Excited", "Thankful"

We are so proud of our Girls Achievement Program (GAP) and General Scholar graduates! From our primary schools to high school and now beyond, they've worked so hard to receive their high school certifications. They have big dreams for their futures, and we have no doubt they’ll achieve them! 

Kasompe Community School of Peace held a ceremony to celebrate the scholars from their area. It was so exciting to see these scholars - previously students at our primary school and further mentored through the GAP weekly program - now graduating from high school! Head teacher, Loveness Mulemba, reported: “It was really an exciting moment to have the first fruits of the grade 12s at our school. We had to invite the parents to the graduates, the kafwas, school board and the teachers at large. This was awesome, we enjoyed the speeches from our graduates in which they thanked everyone and especially our sponsors the HealthEd Connect who made it possible for things to happen.”

To say we are THRILLED for the graduates would be an understatement! We are beaming with happiness and celebrate their achievements! And we feel grateful to supporters like you, who helped make this milestone possible!