Abayudaya Projects Overview

The Most Important Abayudaya Community Needs The most vital Abayudaya community needs are improved healthcare, disease prevention, and sustainable economy.

The Abayudaya Health & Community Development Project
The democratically elected Abayudaya Executive Council requested that Be'chol Lashon serve as the clearinghouse for long-range planning and financial resource development. Feasibility research led to the design of a five-year Abayudaya Community Health & Development Plan.

The Abayudaya Executive Council and Be'chol Lashon in consultation with the government of Uganda, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, physicians, engineers, and donors are helping to implement health care delivery and support systems.

Improved healthcare and community development provided by the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda to their Christian and Muslim neighbors fosters good will and cooperation among the communities.

Project Components:

Disease Prevention
One of the best ways to improve healthcare is to prevent people from getting sick. Education about preventing disease significantly reduces a variety of health concerns, particularly malaria, the primary cause of death in Africa.

Tobin Health Center
The director of Be'chol Lashon, Diane Tobin, and members of the Be'chol Lashon team traveled to Uganda in June 2010 for the dedication of the Tobin Health Center, named for Gary Tobin. The health center represents a major step in an ongoing health and development project undertaken by the Abayudaya and Be'chol Lashon. View the podcast.

Sustainable Economy
While community health is the primary component of the project, other systems need be in place in order for the Health Center to be successful. The Abayudaya Jewish community is shifting from being donor reliant to being entrepreneurial and self-sustaining. Community development projects will provide jobs and income for individuals to pay for utilities and healthcare themselves.

History

Feasibility Research
Be'chol Lashon conducted feasibility research with a variety of experts. A JDC engineer from Israel evaluated the water and electricity in the villages. An American tropical disease specialist (licensed to practice in Uganda) conducted field research regarding health services. Ugandan government officials were also consulted about health services in the Namanyonyi sub-county region.

The research confirmed that improving healthcare is a critical need for the Abayudaya Jews and their neighbors. Diseases such as dysentery, amoebas, infections, tuberculosis, and malaria flourish, and HIV/AIDS are prevalent. The community suffers high morbidity and mortality rates.

The available water in the villages is contaminated and clean water from wells is located long distances from the villages. Women are responsible for manually pumping the water and carrying it back to their homes. This includes young girls carrying "jerry cans" or 20 kgs (44lb) water containers-that are sometimes close to their own weight.

The Ugandan Ministry of Health initiated a health program in 2004 with the goal of regularly reaching the population for preventative health issues such as vaccinations, de-worming, vitamin supplementation, reproductive health, sanitation, malaria and HIV/AIDS. These services are normally conducted through a health center. However, in the area where the Abayudaya reside, neither the "parish" nor the Namonyonyi sub-county has a Health Center.

The nearest medical center to the Abayudaya Jews, Mbale Hospital, is strained to the limit. One of the reasons that the health centers in Africa are severely overcrowded is lack of measures to prevent disease.  

Disease Prevention

Water
The first step in providing healthcare is providing water for sanitation. Be’chol Lashon launched the Abayudaya Community Health & Development Project in March 2007 with the drilling of the first well in Nabagoye. Since Nabagoye is located on top of a hill, the water needed to be pumped up to the village. The Mbale Electricity Authority installed new poles and electric lines to the well to power an electric pump. Generators are also necessary as the electricity in Uganda is unreliable.

Wells were also drilled in the remaining Abayudaya villages such as Namanyoni and Nangolo. The wells and tap stands have had a significant impact on the populations in the region. According to Saul Ekusai,

"Water is life and sanitation is health. Water, a basic human right, is at the heart of a daily crisis faced by millions of the world’s most vulnerable people. This crisis threatens life and destroys livelihood on a devastating scale. Water gives life to everything. People need water as they need oxygen. Without both, life would be non-existent. When people are denied access to clean water, it means that their freedoms are being constrained by vulnerability and ill health. Delivering clean water, removing wastes from water, and improving sanitation, are the three of the most basic foundations for human progress facing the Abayudaya Health Committee."

Mosquito Nets
Since mosquitoes breed in water, it is important to provide the tools to avoid disease. This includes mosquito nets over beds and screens on the windows, doors, and vents of buildings to provide barriers against mosquitoes and other vermin. A study featured in a New York Times article dated October 9, 2007 cites the success of net distribution in the fight malaria, "...insecticide-filled nets, when used by 80% or more of a village, create a barrier that kills or drives off mosquitoes, protecting everyone in the area, including those without nets..." Thousands of mosquito nets have been purchased and distributed.

All windows, doors and vents need to be fitted for screens as barriers against mosquitoes and other insects and vermin. Screens need to be customized for the homes and since construction is not standard, some of the homes need to be retrofitted with frames before the screens can be installed properly. This project is underway in Nabagoye Village, and will continue in the other villages.

Health Center
Based upon the Ministry of Health guidelines, Abayudaya community qualified for a "Health Center IV" Center to provide medical care to the Abayudaya Jews and their Christian and Muslim neighbors. The Abayudaya Heath Committee worked with government officials to obtain the necessary guidelines for building, staffing, and maintaining a Health Center. It was decided to build the Health Center in Mbale, as it is the most accessible location to all the Abayudaya villages, and has access to medical professionals.

In 2007, While the Medical Center was undergoing planning, fundraising, and construction, a pre-existing building in Nabagoye was renovated to serve as the Sharei Refuah (Gates of Healing) First Aid Station. In addition to attending to immediate medical concerns, one of the most important activities of medical professional, Samson Wamani, was providing education about disease prevention.

HIV/AIDS Prevention
The First Aid Station provides HIV/AIDS prevention education, testing, and counseling. Every six months they coordinate free communal education and testing in conjunction with organizations such as the AIDS Information Center (AIC). AIC provides counselors and lab technicians, and performs educational skits as part of the dissemination of information about the deadly AIDS virus. AIDS medical treatment is referred to other facilities.

Women's & Children's Health
The infant mortality rate in Uganda is high. Many women give birth at home in their village and never seek pre- or post- natal care. Often the conditions are not sanitary and both mother and child contract tuberculosis. The midwife on staff will make special visits to women with complicated pregnancies requiring special attention, in addition to offering education about nutrition, the birth process, and care of infants to all women in the region.

Village Health Workers
Village Health Workers travel to all the villages to provide healthcare education including the proper use of the mosquito nets and screens, sanitation, nutrition, and pre- and post- partum education. They also provide de-worming, vaccinations, plus malaria and HIV/AIDS testing. The workers attend a 6-month government certified medical training program. They are equipped with bicycles to visit the entire region twice a month and have cell phones to make medical-related phone calls. When cases are identified beyond the scope and skills of a Village Health Worker, the patient is either brought to the First Aid Station or referred to the nearest hospital in Mbale.

Developing a Sustainable Economy

Micro Lending
Micro lending is a viable way to start small business projects in the community. Expanding commerce provides much needed jobs and the necessary revenue for the community to support health care systems and utilities. Some entrepreneurial endeavors, such as a guesthouse and Internet café, have been financed by donations, and are being developed into self-sustaining businesses with additional funds from micro loans.

The Abayudaya Guest House
Be’chol Lashon built a guest house to capture a desperately needed stream of revenue. The Abayudaya Guest House offers a viable economic development opportunity for the community, allowing them to benefit from the expanding tourist industry. The Abayudaya community host an increasing number of tourists and volunteers each year. The community needed to increase their accommodation capacity. The Abayudaya community members had been hosting individuals in their homes, providing food and lodging without appropriate compensation. This is a legitimate business opportunity moving the community towards economic self-sufficiency.

The Guest House has the potential to host additional sustainable enterprises such a restaurant and tour business. These projects and others featured below are being developed with micro loans:

Dairy Program and Famine Relief
Uganda's high child mortality rate is related to poor nutrition. The Abayudaya Health Committee is starting a dairy program to provide a consistent source of protein and vitamins for malnourished children and mothers. Once a stable source of milk can be established, Village Health Workers can sell the milk at a low cost to families. This economically sustainable business will significantly improve the health of the community. Members of the Abayudaya also deliver food relief to hungry families who are among the approximately three million people in Uganda facing starvation.

Crafts
The Abayudaya women currently crochet kippot as a source of income. They are in the process of expanding their production and distribution capacity. They have also expanded to include jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, made from recycled magazine beads.