Strengthen medical and educational equipment
Two new maternity wards with operating rooms for safe childbirth...
Giving birth in the maternity wards of Mugote and Bunyakiri!
Well-maintained maternity wards equipped with medical equipment allow expectant mothers greater privacy and better care before, during and after childbirth.
In the Idjwi health zone, MMS supported the construction of two maternity wards. The community was closely involved in this process. The essential role played by the community, both during the preparation phase and throughout the construction work, was crucial to the success of this project.
The participation of the local population was impressive. Kizito, our logistics coordinator permanently on site, ensured the smooth running of operations. Our partners: the Swiss NGO ( Association for Aid to Monvu Hospital ).
2020 and 2021 were exceptional years for construction work. A project supported by the Juniclair Foundation and the Kitumaini Fund, along with numerous private donations from supporters, made it possible to build these new maternity wards and will soon see improvements to the Mugote hospital. During the planning stages, particular attention was paid to hygiene standards and sustainability criteria.
The entire village community participated in the construction of the two maternity wards. Together with the women of Idjwi, let us all strive to ensure they can give birth safely.
Health centers
In health centers, primary care is provided . This is comparable to that offered by general practitioners in Belgium, but with the added benefit of maternal care: uncomplicated births can therefore take place there. When a health center lacks a maternity ward, expectant mothers are placed in the center's rooms, alongside other sick patients and without privacy. Without the necessary equipment, pregnant women cannot receive optimal care.
Mattresses, beds, thermometers, and ultrasound machines are all essential equipment for welcoming new mothers. MMS tries as much as possible to purchase equipment locally, based on requests from medical staff, so that it is suitable for the local context.
In hostile territory!
Ensuring their regular fuel supply is sometimes extremely complicated.
"The new maternity wards in Mugote and Bunyakiri are surrounded by steep roads and stone paths, and the teams, especially during the rainy season, are forced to transport fuel by motorbike on long journeys over slippery mud tracks."
- Kizito, logistics expert
Pictured here, Tony Moens de Haese, manager of Energy Assistance, meets with Claire Thibaut and local stakeholders.
Contribution to
the construction of schools
MONVU Primary School is located in the village of Bulundi, in the Idjwi territory. It is built on the shores of Lake Kivu, next to the Idjwi Referral Hospital, the Community of the Sisters of the Company of Mary (Our Lady of the Lake Community), and the port of Ruhundu. It is under Catholic administration within the parish of Kashofu.
Thanks to the support of the Kitumaini Fund , MMS provided logistical support for the construction of a new primary school.
