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Success Stories Population Health and
Nutrition
 Helping Others
Help Themselves
The village of Mupeta is like many in northern Zambia - it is poor.
Poverty prevents people from doing many things, including obtaining proper
health care. It is hard to stay healthy when you are malnourished, and
it is hard to buy medicines when you have no money. It's impossible to
see a doctor when you can't pay the clinic fees.
But the people of Mupeta aren't letting poverty stand in their way. They
are taking action, and learning how to help each other. The Zambia Integrated
Health Program, or ZIHP, is a joint effort between USAID and the Zambian
Central Board of Health to strengthen health care for people in rural
and remote areas. ZIHP's support takes several forms, from providing
technical training to supplying information materials and medical supplies.
But the greatest benefit ZIHP provides the people of Mupeta is a sense
of individual empowerment and collective responsibility. The villagers
have done more than form Neighborhood Health Committees and provide training
and information about better health practices in Mupeta. They have identified
their greatest challenge, and created ways to overcome it. "Poverty
hurts," explains Peter Kaoma, the chairman of his NHC. "Some
people can't afford to buy soap. Even if they know they need to wash
their hands before cooking, they can't afford to."
The neighbors of Mupeta help each other. When someone needs to visit
the clinic but can't afford the fee, neighbors collect the money and
pay the fee. Instead of paying back the borrowed fee in cash, the beneficiary
will pay by providing manual labor, supplying food, or other appropriate
ways. To help people escape the poverty cycle, Mupeta's NHC volunteers
have established income generating associations and conduct training
sessions in fish farming, beekeeping, knitting, sewing and farming methods.
With these skills, people can earn enough money to better provide for
healthcare and other needs. Peter also wants his neighbors to learn about
the joy of volunteering. "When we help someone at their home we
ask them to help others. We teach someone how to build a proper pit latrine,
and for 'payment' we ask that they teach their neighbor. And for their
payment, their neighbor teaches someone else. That way the knowledge
keeps going." Peter's neighbors, empowered to help themselves, learn
better health practices, income earning skills, and how easy it is to
help someone else. "I've been involved for two years, and I've seen
a reduction in the spread of diseases like malaria. Great things are
happening in Mupeta."
For more success stories please read the press
releases.
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