Village Wellness Program

Karatu District of Tanzania, Africa   
A partnership with St. Joseph Medical Center

Our Mission
Our mission in Africa, the Village Wellness Program, has benefited 70,000 villagers through the support of so many in our own community—friends and donors—who believe that they can indeed reach across thousands of miles and change the life of another.

During the past six years, 70,000 villagers have benefited from the Medical Center’s presence in Karatu:

Malaria prevention through insecticide treated bed nets
Malaria is one of the world’s most deadly, yet preventable diseases. Each insecticide treated net costs roughly $5 USD and can last up to four years. More than 3,000 children die each day from malaria, many in sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania, the location of the Village Wellness Program. With your help, we can SAVE a LIFE! 

St. Joseph Medical Center purchased 62,000 insecticide treated bed nets for the Village Wellness Program to distribute to the 21 villages supported by the VWP in Tanzania. The St. Joseph VWP Team traveled to Tanzania in October 2008 to kick-off the distribution process!

Background on nets and the project 

Health Care:
Recent health care initiatives include:

• the purchase of medical supplies, clothing and furniture for the hospital
• regular visits from teams of clinicians, who provide training in procedures, hygiene, malaria testing, and AIDS prevention and education and counseling
• acquisition of a four-wheel drive vehicle for use as an ambulance
• a washing machine for the hospital
• cell phones for better communication between the health care systems in the villages

Small Loans and Animal Projects
Partnership projects that ensure self-sufficiency include:

• small loans for adults and youths to start businesses
• animal projects that provide heifers, goats, pigs, chickens and bees

Capacity Building
St. Joseph has helped the villagers acquire or build:

• portable pit latrines
• water collecting vessels
• slow sand filters to purify water

 
THEN … and now … one need only to look at the photographs above to see the dramatic impact of our work in the District. Reused surgical gowns and gloves drying in non-sterile rooms have been replaced by modern equipment in a large, bright medical procedure room.

Our Promise
St. Joseph Medical Center promised the people of the Karatu District of Tanzania that it would be a trusted and long-term partner in health and economic reforms. Success of the Village Wellness Program relies on clear and constant communication. St. Joseph’s team delivers expert oversight on issues such as infection control, clinical laboratory testing, facility design and maintenance, medical consultations and leadership development. This oversight is delivered through regular visits to the Karatu District, daily Internet communication and satellite phone calls.

Please consider supporting St. Joseph Medical Center’s Village Wellness Program in Tanzania. Our project is funded entirely through the generosity of benefactors. To continue at our current level of commitment, we need to raise $250,000 annually.

Your gift will make a significant impact in the lives of villagers in the Karatu District!

Village Wellness Program Costs (in U.S. dollars): 

$186 will buy a 2,000-liter water jar for collecting water

$78 will buy a slow sand filter to provide clean and safe drinking water for villagers

$68 will purchase a portable pit latrine to help stop the spread of airborne diseases

$1,000 will allow five village families to start chicken farming, providing 10 chickens, a rooster, feed, vaccines and training

$164 will purchase a mama stove with two burners to alleviate respiratory problems associated with smoke inhalation from open flames

$500 will provide small loans for one group of women to start businesses and generate income for their families 

$9,000 will give 15 families the chance to raise a heifer, providing milk for consumption and excess for sale. Each family is trained in the care of their heifer and supported by a veterinary service

$230 will buy a goat for one family

$25 will provide vaccinations for five chickens, ensuring healthy productivity

$20,000 will purchase an additional four-wheel drive vehicle to transport patients, workers and supplies

The Catholic Review features the Village Wellness Program and a recent visit from Dr. Willibrod Slaa, member of the Tanzanian Parliament in the October 18 issue. Click here for the full story.