Mapalo Kafwa getting a first look at their "dedication book", You've Settled in My Heart

We’ve been celebrating a lot of milestones recently: a return trip to visit our African colleagues, Boss Mirriam’s growth and new scholarship, and our last twelve years of empowering women and children, just to name a few! Have you ever wondered how it all began? Do you wish that you could learn more about the individual stories that led to the start of HealthEd Connect?

You’ve Settled in My Heart, written by our co-founder Sherri Kirkpatrick, is a great way to “meet” the little bosses and community health workers that inspired HealthEd Connect. Walk side by side through the communities that shaped our organization and share in the joy and sorrow that only deep friendships can bring. Described as the “dedication book” by our colleague Jane Chibwe, this book is dedicated to the health workers who work every day to uplift empowerment.

Visit our book purchase page to get your copy and share in the beginnings of HealthEd Connect!

P.S. This week is Sherri's birthday, another important milestone! And sharing the story of HealthEd Connect is one of her greatest gifts! *All proceeds from the sale of her book go to HealthEd Connect.

Comfort Mwape

If you’ve seen our most recent Annual Report, you’ve seen the sweet face on the cover! Comfort Mwape was a student at the Zamtan Community School of Peace when this photo was taken in 2016. After meeting with her mother in June and sharing this copy of our Annual Report, we asked if Comfort would mind sharing an updated photo with us. Look how she’s grown! Now in Grade 10 in high school thanks to our GAP (Girls Achievement Program) scholarship, Comfort is working toward her diploma and dreaming of the future.

We wish Comfort luck and happiness as she continues on her journey!

Sinkhani volunteer, Medfy, helping with weighing

A long walk outside of Mzimba, Malawi, is the small village of Champeta. At the beginning of each month, this community comes together to uplift the health of children and the empowerment of women. Mothers awaken early, ready themselves and their children under age five, and must remember to bring their “Road to Health” booklet that tracks their child’s weight and vaccinations. Some walk very long distances to be sure that their children are growing and thriving.

Medfy, a member of the Sinkhani, is the only one in her area. Like the mothers, she walks over four miles to help with the weighing, helping the children up to the scale and writing their weights on tiny hands. Medfy supports two government Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), Eunice and Deacon, as they update booklets, counsel mothers, and provide vaccinations. This team of three will spend most of the day, weighing over 50 children, before walking home in the dusk light.

Government HSAs and Sinkhani volunteers like Medfy provide essential support to communities as they protect their children from malnutrition, stunting, and transmissible diseases. We are proud to partner with the many Sinkhani who take it upon themselves to change the world, one small village at a time!

Boss Mirriam, 2009

Boss Mirriam, 2022

When HealthEd Connect began, a sweet two-year-old girl named Mirriam captured our hearts. Every decision going forward was based on the welfare of this little one we have lovingly referred to as Boss Mirriam. She has motivated us to do our very best empowering women and children through health, education, and advocacy.

Mirriam was born with HIV, but thankfully she and her mother, Ethel, have diligently followed their treatment plan and are staying very healthy. Mirriam is now in the 9th grade and shows compassion and understanding towards those on the margins, much like our community health worker friends. We're also happy to report that Mirriam is a recipient of our GAP scholarship to support her studies through high school. Her continued education means that she is more likely to avoid early marriage, increase her future earnings, and have healthier children if she chooses to start a family.

Supporting the education and empowerment of girls is essential to building strong communities. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the growth and unfolding opportunities of our boss!

Mapalo GAP and General Scholars with KIT Coordinator, Mr. Chipyango

The Keeping In Touch (KIT) Club is growing and developing, just like the GAP and General Scholars who are part of it! A few years ago, our sister school leaders held a roundtable meeting to discuss additional ways of ensuring that scholarship recipients would be supported academically, socially, and emotionally throughout high school. After completing grade seven, scholars go to a much larger government secondary school, without the same support system they experienced at our primary schools. As a result, some of the scholars were struggling, and we all wanted to identify ways to help them thrive.

Fast forward, and today you'll see many enhancements to the foundational support provided to scholars through the KIT Club program! A big one is the hiring of KIT Coordinators based at each of our three sister schools to lead tutoring, communicate with students' teachers and caregivers, and facilitate KIT Club meetings. Isaac Chipyango, a trained secondary teacher, is the new KIT Coordinator at Mapalo Young Peace Makers (YPM) school, monitoring each student's academic progress, ensuring 'after hours' access to the computer lab and library at YPM, and supporting extracurricular activities with fellow teachers and Kafwa volunteers. We were thrilled to meet with Isaac and some of the scholars last month, and listen to their hopes for the group and future opportunities!

Teams are working together to support students as they work hard to achieve their high school diploma. Teachers, Kafwa, KIT Coordinators, and YOU, all uplift the education and empowerment of youth!

Happy Zamtan students!

After a wonderful three weeks on-site with our colleagues from Zambia, DRC, and Malawi, the HealthEd Connect staff has returned home and are excited to share many updates! We are full of joy to have shared conversations, meals, and brainstorming sessions and excited for the opportunities ahead to impact more lives. Inspiration and creativity flow as we prioritize new ideas and identify next steps!

Watch for our blogs each week as we spotlight the incredible women, men, and children who lead and make our programs so meaningful.

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After three years, we are thrilled at the chance to reunite with our friends in Africa! We are just a day away from traveling to Zambia and Malawi, meeting with our colleagues and discussing their hopes for future developments. With the Wasaidizi (D.R. Congo community health worker) team coming into Zambia to meet with us, it will be a pleasure to brainstorm with teams from three countries and visit the community centers that have been constructed since the last visit!

Stay tuned for photos, stories, and updates that will surely be coming after our time with our partners.