Rushashi Health Center Water Project – Rwanda

Location
Muyongwe cell, in Rushashi sector, Gakenke District, Northern Province, Rwanda

Community Description
The Rushashi Health Center is located in the Northern Province of Rwanda (Gakenke District). The catchment population of the health center is 19,046 people.

The local population consists mostly of farmers (potatoes, sugar cane, pineapples, passion fruit, manioc and corn) and cow farmers. The primary health problems of the community are parasites, upper respiratory infections and diarrhea.

This rural health center has been open since 1946. It is a relatively large health center with six buildings, including HIV and maternity services as well as routine consultation services. The health center has 20 employees.

Currently in the consultation rooms there are no sinks. The nurses wash their hands using a small metal container, which must be constantly refilled with water. This leads to problems washing hands after each patient.

Patients stay overnight in the hospitalization rooms, sometimes for extended periods of time and they have all of their meals in the room. Oftentimes these patients already have a weak immune system and are at risk for contracting diseases from other patients and from the medical staff.

The family planning, hospitalization, consultation rooms, injection room, and pharmacy services do not currently have running water. One of the services has a sink but it is not connected to a water source.

Project Description
This project is to install sinks and running water into the following services of the health center: family planning, hospitalization, 3 consultation rooms, an injection room, and the pharmacy.

The health center will pay over 35% of the total cost in order to complete the project. This contribution demonstrates the motivation of the health center.

The maintenance staff has already been trained in how to fix and clean the new sinks that they will install as a result of a previous Appropriate Projects project.

Project Impact
The entire catchment population of the health center of 19,046 people will benefit from the project.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Kitty Hall

Comments
This project will result in an improvement in the hygiene and sanitary conditions of the health center. It will allow the nursing staff to wash their hands and materials before and after consultation with patients and will reduce the rate of transmission of hygiene-related diseases within the health center.

Kitty previously completed the Coko Health Center Water Project – Rwanda, Gakenke District Health Centers Plumbing Training – Rwanda, Rusoro Health Center Water Project – Rwanda and Rutenderi Health Center Water Project – Rwanda.

Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00

Donations Collected to Date
$555.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded, through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.

We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify the Peace Corps Volunteer of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by the PCV and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.

This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.