Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
22 August 2016
Who’s beyond ‘One Humanity’?
As we celebrate ‘One Humanity’ on World Humanitarian Day we want to introduce the work of our great partners to show their amazing work and how they live the spirit of ‘One Humanity’ day by day.
This post is about Health and Hope, our local partner in Burma working in the Chin state.
The Chin state
The Chin State, also known as Chin Hills due to its mountainous geography, is widely recognized as the most impoverished State in Myanmar, with an estimated 73% of inhabitants unable to meet basic food and non-food needs.
Chin State has the highest incidence of malaria and diseases of the digestive system. The primary causes of death are from preventable and curable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. However, medicines are scarce and expensive, there is no fully functioning hospital in the region and less than one fifth of the necessary medical doctor positions are filled.
The Chin State. Photo: Chin Foundation
The Chin State. Photo: Chin Foundation
Who is Health&Hope?
Health and Hope is a grassroots organization who brings healthcare, education, hope and development to the poorest and marginalized people in and around Chin State through community engagement and empowerment.
At the heart of Health and Hope’s work is the training of Community Health Workers (CHWs). This is a participatory approach to healthcare, deeply rooted in local communities. Villages from across Chin State and beyond each send one man and one woman to Health and Hope. After receiving comprehensive training at Health and Hope’s residential centre, they return to their villages, where they are able to provide health education as well as essential medicines, bringing relief for illnesses formerly left untreated and helping with prevention
Health and Hope free medical healthcare. Photo: Health and Hope
What is Health&Hope doing?
Since 2009, Health & Hope has trained 834 Community Health Workers (CHWs) from 551 villages serving a population of over 120,000 villagers.
They have also trained 93 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), and supported villagers to build 19 Community Health and Education Centers across the region.
In 2009 they launched an educational scholarship program to support the next generation of leaders in Chin State, with first medical doctor graduating in 2016.
Health & Hope continue to respond to the critical issues of food insecurity and malnutrition.
Distributing UNFPA dignity Kits to women in Chin State. Photo: Health&Hope
Installing a hydo electric solution and providing clean water to the training center and villages. Photo:Health&Hope
How does HART’s support looks like?
HART has been supporting Dr SaSa since 2005, and Health and Hope since it was founded in 2009.
In 2014, 157 new CHWs were trained, bringing the total number trained up to 838, with 473 villages now benefitting from the activities of a trained CHW.
These CHWs are estimated to save the lives of around 8 out of ten people who would previously have died.
Caroline with the new CHWs during the last HART visit in February 2015. Photo:HART
Lady Cox (Mama Caroline) Clinic. Photo: HART
We’re so thankful for all of the amazing work Health&Hope is doing. They are truly inspiring with their work improving the health conditions in the Chin state.
To find out more about their great work visit Health&Hope website!
Also, have a look at our last report about HART’s visit to the Chin state!