What the future looks like for young women once they can access medical care
When a student is sick or in pain, it affects everything. When her child becomes sick, it triggers additional worries. At Neema, compassionate medical care helps her keep moving forward.
For Allegra*, that meant surgery for an umbilical hernia that was causing debilitating pain, keeping her away from the classroom and unable to attend to her son. Neema helped Allegra’s family register for national health resources, took Allegra to a specialist for diagnosis, and made sure financial need would not keep Allegra from getting the surgery she needed. Today Allegra no longer walks doubled over with pain. She is able to concentrate fully on her training and the future she is building for herself and her child.
This month we’re celebrating the medical care that helps young women and children stay healthy and keep learning.
“I want to thank Neema for helping me in taking care of my child through the doctor's advice and the provision they gave…Her health issues had been disturbing me such that I had lost concentration but from today [I am able to] focus on my education.” - Current Student
Specialists can be hard to find and misdiagnosis is a real problem. Some families don’t trust medicine, believing illness is related to curses or witchcraft. Others can’t afford the costs of traveling to the hospital and getting tests done, much less the costs of prescriptions and procedures.
Last year Neema met 495 medical needs in the community. We’re thankful for the ongoing tuberculosis treatment that is helping Neema’s community live without long-term lung damage. Young women receive eyeglasses and HIV medication. Children receive early childhood checkups and vaccinations so they grow and thrive. A nurse holds classes at Neema, empowering young women with knowledge about their health. Our farm also provides nutritious fruits and vegetables to improve the students’ and children’ health.
With access to medical care alongside vocational training and holistic support, young women and children can live longer and build healthy futures.