Village Health Works (VHW) is a 501(c)(3). It is a social justice organization. It was founded on the belief that global health equity is not a commodity but a right. Currently we are operating in Burundi, East Africa, with offices in New York and Burundi. Founded in 2006, VHW’s mission is to sustainably end extreme, multigenerational poverty in a way that uplifts and engages communities with dignity and in their own context.
Our core values are as follows:
● Every member of VHW’s team must value the dignity inherent in each individual, aspire to excellence in all we do, proceed with boldness and perseverance.
● Compassion and justice must be at the heart of our organization.
● To accomplish the mission of our organization we must be accountable to each other and to our community.
VHW was founded in partnership with the community we serve. We believe that the lack of access to quality healthcare and education based on critical thinking is the biggest threat to development and world peace. The organization uses a holistic model (see our Strategic Plan) to strengthen communities by removing barriers to human dignity and restoring hope, focusing first on treating and preventing illness through primary health care services. We have integrated into and alongside our healthcare programs education, food security program, music, arts and culture, and economic development programs working closely with a strong community engagement program. VHW has built an extensive campus in Kigutu (99 km from the City of Bujumbura) that is nestled amongst lush mountains and overlooks beautiful Lake Tanganyika. With over 500 full-time and part-time employees in Burundi, as well as a small team in the United States, VHW delivers a wide array of programs in a catchment area of 200,000 people within the southern provinces of Burundi.
VHW has invested in two new initiatives that will extend its impact across Burundi and serve as a model for the country and region. VHW has completed construction of the Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion, an 85,000 sq. ft. state-of-the art teaching hospital with surgical capacity, opening in June of 2023. Additionally, VHW has established the Kigutu International Academy, a grade 9-12 boarding school to equip young minds with an education based on critical thinking to prepare them to become the leaders we wish their country and the continent to have.