Rusamambu, on the road to recovery

A dark period in Rusamambu’s history  

Violence and terror ruled Rusamambu for the longest time, forcing its inhabitants to flee in order to stay alive. After the war, life became unsustainable in the isolated poverty-ridden village. The pathways built during the colonial era are still the only routes to access Rusamambu. The local health facility, with its modest mud buildings, was struggling to provide quality healthcare.

Eric, the head nurse, remembers those dark days. He talks about how he had to care for patients in makeshift shelters, without the necessary equipment. One tragic event in particular has scarred him: a new-born died during a complicated delivery because of a lack of resources.  

“I still remember the terrible conditions we had to work in, here. We only had those little mud huts, with their thatched roofs. The pregnant women had to give birth there despite the fact that they got flooded every time it rained. Helpless, I had to witness the birth and death of a child because the prenatal care was not good enough. The baby would have survived if it had received the necessary treatments. That life is lost forever. It’s hard for me to accept. The conflict has halted this village’s development and caused great poverty. We still carry the scars of that time.”

Medair’s coordinated multi-sectorial response

“My name is Ruth, I fled here with my family to seek refuge. I lost everything in the conflict. I couldn’t even find enough food for my children and myself. I was so scared there were going to become ill. When someone told me that people in Rusamambu had free healthcare, I decided to settle here. For us mothers, our children’s health is a question of life and death. This morning, I woke up with a fever, and so I came. I’m relieved and thankful to know that I will be looked after.”

Ruth’s story illustrates the impact that health projects can have on a community. Since the beginning of the year, Rusamambu has welcomed about 5,257 displaced persons fleeing conflict. For such families, finding shelter in an area with a free health centre, in the midst of a crisis, is like a sanctuary.

Since Medair’s arrival in November 2003, approximately 12,000 people were treated at the health facility. “If Medair hadn’t come, Rusamambu’s health centre would not have survived,” says the head nurse.

Rusamambu’s health facilty has undergone a spectacular transformation. Not only can patients be treated, but the centre now has the necessary health equipment and infrastructure to care for them as efficiently and quickly as possible. The small mud huts have been replaced with fully equipped semi-permanent buildings, making the health centre much more welcoming. Moreover, some latrines were rehabilitated and new ones were added, and a waste treatment system was built so that the health centre meets the highest hygiene standards.

“I say this in truth and honesty: without Medair’s intervention, Rusamambu’s health center will never have survived. As soon as you walk in, you can tell Medair and its partners have had a tremendous impact,” says Eric.  

Alongside its infrastructure work, Medair has made sure the local communities were involved in the project, through behavioural change campaigns, mass communication sessions, and the training of community-based teams who intervene on behalf of Medair within the village.

“As far as community engagement goes, our priority in Rusamambu was to hire and train local teams, namely community liaison officers. They are volunteers living in the village who serve as mediators between households and essential social services. They agree to spend some of their time to serve the community in order to help their village sustainably reach its development objectives. We give them the tools and instructions to alert families on what healthy practices are. They go from door to door, making sure diseases and epidemics are treated and contained. They also screen for malnutrition within young children, and send the sick ones to the health centre”, explains Alain, in charge of Medair’s community engagement.

How to restore a community

When asked about Medair’s impact within the community, the nurse’s response is full of joy:

“Nowadays, when you walk around Rusamambu, you can hear the children laughing and playing. Pregnant women receive the care they need, and families feel hopeful once more. Not only has Medair improved the physical health of the villagers, but also their emotional health. The community is stronger, more resilient, and think of their past as a bad dream that is over. It’s wonderful to see everything that has changed in our community.”

The story of Rusamambu is that of a profound transformation, whereby the impact of Medair’s work was the catalyst for a better future. By facilitating access to primary health care, thanks to USAID’s BHA financial support, Medair not only improved the quality of life but also gave back hope to a community ready for change; indeed, this project would not have been successful if the local community hadn’t stepped up to support it.

Medair rehabilitated the only water point available to the community, and the villagers supported the work by building the fence around it. “Even if we have other needs, like access to more water points, the idea of a better life is what keeps us going. We are very thankful!”, concludes the nurse.

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This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.

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