Potable water access project supported by USAID & UNICEF at Mazembe Sinkhani Community Center in Malawi, a HealthEd Connect partner, providing clean water to thousands of village residents.

Many are following the news and see that the changes and reorganization under the new U.S. administration are fast-moving and uncertain. The long-term impact these changes will have on international aid is unclear. For now, there is immediate disruption to programs that provide access to lifesaving medicines, family planning resources, and clean water which will impact the communities where HealthEd Connect serves. 

HealthEd Connect stands with our partners and will continue to support community-led programs in Africa and Nepal without interruption. As a registered public nonprofit, we rely on donor support, and appreciate your continued investment in our programs empowering women and children through evidence-based health, education, and advocacy.

Scholar receiving school supplies during the scholarship orientation session with students and their caregivers

January marks the beginning of a new school year in Zambia. HealthEd Connect is proud to sponsor scholarships for 126 high school students, thanks to donor support. Scholars receive school supplies, including notebooks, study kits, uniforms, shoes, backpacks, and academic tutoring throughout the year. These resources allow young scholars to focus on their studies, participate actively in class, and achieve their academic goals.

These scholars have attended one of our three community sister schools in Zambia, providing access to quality education for orphans and vulnerable children from grades K - 7. After completing grade 7, students may continue onward to their local government high school, but this progression is not always guaranteed. Although school is free, students must acquire their own supplies and uniforms, and of course, pass exams. Their parents/guardians face hardships, causing barriers to acquire these necessary supplies, and academic support when needed to help the student stay in school.

Thanks to your generous support, high school scholars are receiving the essential school supplies and academic support they need to thrive in their educational journey. This initiative instills hope and confidence, paving the way to a bright future full of potential!

High School Scholars group from Ndola, Zambia. Mr. Chipyango (far right, white shirt) will serve as their academic tutor throughout the year.

The Kasompe, Zambia Kafwa group shares thanks!

This week, as we recognize the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., we wish to share our gratitude with YOU! HealthEd Connect programs empowering women and children through evidence-based health, education, and advocacy are made possible thanks to your support. Our health worker volunteers and community school colleagues are grateful for the opportunities to learn, grow, and help others. We thank you!

Watch this short video of thanks from our team in Kasompe, Zambia!

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Soyamsebika baking group with other classmates celebrating earning their certificates!

With the help of a HealthEd Connect leadership development award, some of our friends in Kathmandu, Nepal have just finished their beginner’s baking course! Three Soyamsebika health worker volunteers and five community women joined together to take a 30-day course over basic baking techniques, with the hope of advancing later on. Nepal coordinator, Pinkey, shared about the group’s hopes to start a small business, writing “All are searching for a good opportunity, [they will] do the hard work and manage a small income to support their families.”

She also shared that the group learned how to make many different items within the month-long course: “We learned to make bread and buns, croissants, cinnamon rolls and Danishes, donuts, pizza, brownies, cookies, sponges, and basic cakes.” After completing a more advanced course, the women plan to start a small business together, uplifting financial autonomy for the women involved. Having a way to generate income is an important step towards empowering women within their own homes and communities! We look forward to hearing what this group cooks up next!

We are feeling grateful, because there’s now access to clean water at the Mulundu Community Center in Luapula, Zambia! Thanks to a generous grant from the Community of Christ World Hunger Committee, this water project includes drilling a borehole to an underground water source and installing a solar-powered pump to fill a 5,000-liter water tank connected with a faucet. 

Our Kafwa volunteer health worker leaders organized for the first day of drilling at the center. Together with community members, the Kafwa team, and children who attend preschool at the center, there was quite a crowd to welcome the workmen and share in the excitement when they hit the water source! (Click below to see a video from the first day of drilling and the group’s excitement!)

The water now supplied to this location can be used by surrounding community members as potable drinking water, tending the community gardens that nourish families, and proper sanitation at the center, where numerous programs take place. We are thrilled and grateful for all the ways this access to clean water will impact the health and wellbeing of the community!  

It's #501cDay!* At HealthEd Connect, we are grateful to be part of an international team that works to empower women and children through evidence-based health, education, and advocacy! Every day brings new opportunities to listen to community wisdom and support programs that change lives.

We invite you to share: what's YOUR favorite part of being involved in HealthEd Connect?

*501c Day is a celebration of community impact through nonprofits, recognized on May 1 (5.01). Nonprofit Connect is pioneering this campaign to shine a spotlight on the nonprofit sector and the individuals who are part of it. 

This week, on April 25, the World Health Organziation (WHO) recognizes World Malaria Day and the need for continued support in combatting the effects of malaria, especially on those most vulnerable. As efforts continue to make preventative solutions and antimalarial drugs more accessible, women and children are still disproportionately affected. Pregnant women are at risk due to their reduced immunity to malaria, increasing the chances that both mother and child experience unwanted outcomes. Young children remain most in danger, though, with the WHO reporting:

“In 2022, an estimated 4 out of 5 malaria-related deaths in the African Region were among children under 5 years of age. Inequities in access to education and financial resources further exacerbates risk: children under 5 years of age from the poorest households in sub-Saharan Africa are 5 times more likely to be infected with malaria than those from the wealthiest households.”

Our volunteer health worker colleagues have seen first-hand how malaria impacts their communities and are there to provide support! They educate families on how to reduce the risk, warning signs of a possible malaria case, and encouragement to visit the clinic and receive antimalarial medications when someone falls ill. Our colleagues also teach families how to make Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to combat dehydration, which often happens as the body experiences the negative symptoms of malaria. This health education and support is life-saving! 

This World Malaria Day, we thank our volunteer community health worker colleagues for their support in addressing malaria and working toward a healthier future!