Our philosophy
HELPING PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES means quicker recovery
Whether it is women learning to do pelvic floor exercises in order to speed their recovery from fistula repair, women who’re learning new ways to prepare for their own safe motherhood, or displaced women learning to live in different circumstances with dignity, part of healing means taking ownership for our own situation. It is a huge part of solving our own problems. Knowing you’re not alone is another big part of the solution. That’s why HEAL Africa’s staff are such a key factor in the success of the programs. It might be the grandparents taking care of their HIV orphan. They need to know what that child should be eating, when to take the medicines, and when to bring the child in to see the doctor. So the doctor and the nurses in the CAP (Children’s AIDS Program) work closely with the family members of the patient. They use other patients willing to share their experience, as “patient experts”. It’s a team approach to the whole situation. HEAL Africa’s staff understand the situations and challenges because they’re living them as well.
Counselors for all HEAL Africa’s programs are chosen from their own villages, and are supported by supervisory staff from Goma who come and visit them on a regular schedule. The activists for the HIV program Choose Life, and for Children like Us, or Heal My People or Safe Motherhood are also from the villages they serve, supported by staff from Goma. It links rural and urban programs, informs each other of the actual situation on the ground in real time.