This #GivingTuesday donate to the Peace Corps Community Fund to support the construction of a health clinic in Zambia. Donate today and directly impact the health and wellbeing of hundreds of people.
The need: a community health clinic
Timothy Alvarenga is a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) from New Hampshire serving as a Rural Education Development Volunteer in Zambia, where he teaches English and music to his fifth graders at Chinsanka Primary school.
In partnership with his community, Timothy is working hard to raise funds for a local health clinic for his community in Chinsanka, a densely populated series of fishing villages on the Kapata peninsula. Although surrounded by wetlands, the soil in this region is not ideal for farming so the majority of villagers are dependent on fishing for both their daily meal and any income.
The people have very limited access to basic resources. The nearest health clinic is more than 10 kilometers away. Ill or injured villagers are not capable of travelling this distance. To make matters worse, the roads in the area are not paved so during the rainy season they are often impassable, cutting off the residents of Chinsanka from much-needed medical care.
The community has long seen the need for a health clinic, and in 2010 with the help of local a politician, the foundation for a building was constructed. However, once the official left office, the funding for the project stopped and the building remained unfinished and unused.
A community mobilized
In May 2015 Timothy created the Chinsanka Health Committee in partnership with Masidah Gondwe, a Chinsanka resident and fellow teacher at Timothy’s primary school. The Committee, which consists of 14 members— 6 of whom are trained community health workers — strongly believes that construction must continue on the building. Chinsanka needs a health clinic. In addition to urgent medical treatments, the clinic would provide basic preventative care and offer classes on maternal health to the local community.
The Committee has consulted with contractors and created a budget for the project. They hold regular meetings inside the unfinished building and have given over 20 presentations which helped them gain the support of over 45 headmen and women. In addition, they are asking the local community to contribute to the project. To date, more than 400 households have contributed monetarily. Those who are unable to spare the money have volunteered their time and labor once construction begins.
How you can help
Timothy and his community need to raise $5,000 to cover the building materials needed to complete the clinic. They need the help of the Peace Corps community.
Please act now to support Timothy and the Chinsanka community by making a tax-deductible donation to the Peace Corps Community Fund. Through the Peace Corps Community Fund, the NPCA supports the grassroots projects of current and Returned Volunteers across the globe. Become a Mission Partner and support the communities like Timothy’s around the world.
