ukwe health clinic

 

location: ukwe village, lilongwe district

population: 30,000 people

cost:

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summary: established over thirty years ago, ukwe health clinic provides 24-hour care to more than 30,000 people, with only one nurse that also serves as the clinic’s midwife. for years, patients at ukwe were treated in the dark. women gave birth next to kerosene lamps, and newborn babies took their first breath inhaling dangerous fumes. ten years ago, the malawian government installed solar power at ukwe, but over time, they found that they could not afford to replace light bulbs and batteries or maintain the solar system. because the project was not sustainable, ukwe had to return to serving its patients in the dark, once again using candles and kerosene. the solar refrigerator meant to store vaccines broke down, and children once again remained without immunizations. jewish heart for africa, with permission from the local government, decided to rehabilitate this project. with our improved technologies and sustainability program in place, ukwe once again has access to solar energy. this time, with income from the solar micro-business we install at each of our projects, the people of ukwe can maintain their project themselves. the clinic serving 30,000 people can count on 24 hour lighting and solar powered refrigeration for the first time in years, restoring their faith in sustainable energy and improving healthcare in their community.  

kapudzama cbo                                                                                             

location: kadpudzama village, lilongwe district

population: 1200 people
cost:                                    

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summary: kapudzama community based organization (cbo) provides free nursery school, vocational training and HIV/AIDS education, counseling, and care to a community of 1,200 people and 500 orphans and vulnerable children.  they also have a band, a soccer team, and a drama club. electricity has never been an option for the people of kapudzama, who live miles away from the nearest town with electricity. without light, the facility could not offer its services after sunset, and was forced to close in the evenings. in february of 2011, jewish heart for africa installed solar energy on the roof of kapudzama cbo, providing both light in the facility and electricity for a computer lab. now, with light and power, kapudzama can open its doors even at night and become a study center for the children of the community. it can also begin to offer evening activities and services, providing a brighter future to an entire community.

 

the computers at kapudzama computer lab, which will offer IT courses to both students and adults, will be provided by our malawi partner, goods4good >