Founded in 2019, Ubuntu Village of Life (UVL) is a local association which envision to strengthen the community by providing a holistic, affordable, high quality and patient centred care to all while addressing social determinants of health. To achieve its vision, UVL has focused on the areas of health, nutrition and food security, and education.
As far as health is concerned, Ubuntu clinic was built and after two years it has already served more than 15,000 people from the Mugamba commune and other communes of provinces of Mwaro, Rumonge, Makamba, Bururi and Rutana. More than three hundred people have been transferred to the clinic thanks to the clinic’s ambulance and 200 women have given birth at the clinic. This is a commendable action because before, women used to deliver their children at home. “The training of community health workers in the communities has been our priority in order to improve health seeking behavior and to follow up our patients,” says Dr. Alexis Nizigiyimana.
In the area of nutrition and food security, a Permagardern demonstration site and seed multiplication center have been set up to increase the production of selected seeds in the community and to fight against malnutrition which threatens children under five years old.
In terms of education, a center called Bururi American shelf has been set up with 15 machines with internet and more than 1000 English books to improve the quality of education in areas of agribusiness, agroecology, computer science and English language. The center is aiming to train more than 10 000 young people from Bururi, Rumonge, Mwaro and Rutana provinces in agribusiness, agroecology, computer science and English language in next five years. The American shelf is supported by US Embassy in Burundi and Rotary club Bujumbura.
The inauguration of the new buildings of Ubuntu Mugamba Medical Clinic located in Ntentamaza took place in September, 2022. Present in the ceremonies were the U.S. Ambassador to Burundi, Ministry of defence and health, the Governor of the Province, Mugamba commune administrator and its natives. A basketball game opened the festivities before heading to the new facility where the ribbon was cut to signal the opening and commencement of the clinic’s activities. We also celebrate the first anniversary of Bururi American shelf.
Ubuntu Village of life get the new buildings thanks to the support of Madiro foundation, and the US Embassy in Burundi is working to provide medical equipments to the clinic.
In his welcoming remarks, the representative of Ubuntu Life Village, Dr. Alexis Nizigiyimana, appreciated the partners, including the government of Burundi, the U.S. Embassy, the Rotary Club and the local administration of Mugamba commune and Bururi province.
In the future, the Ubuntu Medical Clinic is planning to expand the clinic by building a bloc of a maternal and child pavilion with 80 beds equipped with medical equipment to serve more women and children from the South-East region of Burundi. We also plan to solarize the clinic with green energy and purchase a mother and childcare ambulance that focus on mother and infant emergencies and equipped with implements for safe transport. We thank our partners: Government, US Embassy, Madiro foundation, Rotary club Bujumbura-Ingoma, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem for their unwavering support.