Healthcare
Prevention, anticipation and fast action
The health of the children is of great concern to us. Prevention such as personal hygiene, mosquito nets and regular medical check-ups is a common occurrence, but we cannot always prevent diseases. But accidents happen.
We try to ensure that the children in our care are protected from illnesses and their progress is monitored so that they can reach their full potential.
Homeless children face many risks to their health. Malnutrition can make them more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis, malaria, tuberculosis, polio, dengue and HIV/AIDS. In addition, living on the street often entails physical and emotional abuse.
It therefore often happens that the children who are brought to us have diseases among their members. These must be solved or under control before they are transferred to the children's village. Apart from the fact that we want to prevent such diseases from spreading, the medical facilities in Dar es Salaam are much better than in Mkuranga. The regional hospital in Mkuranga is actually a small medical post. There is also a small hospital run by nuns.
The regional hospital in Mkuranga.
Annual examination in infirmary by a volunteer doctor.In the Children's Village we have a small infirmary with three beds and medical supplies. The mothers have all followed a first aid course and receive an annual refresher course. In addition, one mother has a somewhat broader medical background.
We are also very happy with the volunteers with a medical background who visit our Reception Home and Children's Village to check on the children.
We are also very happy with the volunteers with a medical background who visit our Reception Home and Children's Village to check on the children.
Malaria is widespread, so we make sure all children sleep in treated mosquito nets. All buildings are disinfected twice a year with a long-acting insecticide. Despite these measures, one or two children every month get a fever and have to go to hospital to be treated for malaria.
Medical costs can be high, which is why we have taken out health insurance policies for all children. Including for the children in our Relatives Support Program.