Programs
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The Nyadire Connection maintains many ongoing programs, focused on Health, Orphans, and Education and Relationships:
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Rural health clinic rebuilds
Program leader: Ralph Duckworth Email: [email protected] Read Post-Gazette story about TNC's clinics program In 2013 TNC visited the six rural medical clinics affiliated with the Nyadire United Methodist Mission Hospital in Zimbabwe to perform an assessment of their ability to provide adequate medical care to the thousands of local villagers living near the clinics. We found that the facilitates were too small and inadequate to provide appropriate health care to the local people. The clinics had no indoor plumbing, electricity, sanitary facilities, or other basic medical facilities. Our vision came into focus when we met with church and government health officials, and listened to stories from people in the local communities. We discovered that the clinics were the first line of defense for thousands of villagers with diseases such as malaria, cholera and HIV; and that expectant mothers walked to the clinics from as far as 10 miles away to deliver their babies. Over the past 10 years, local villagers handmade hundreds of thousands of bricks used in the clinic projects, and local construction workers rebuilt the clinics on time and on budget. “We called this effort a ‘moon shot’ because when this program began, we had no idea if we could raise the $2 million needed to make it happen,” said TNC Chairman Ralph Duckworth, who attended the ceremony in February 2025 to celebrate the completion of the Chindenga Clinic, the last of the 6 clinics to be rebuilt. “Today, we can say ‘Mission Accomplished!’ thanks to the commitment, passion and support of our network of churches and many individual donors.” As a result of the rebuilt clinics, the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area Health Board documented many improvements in health care, including: · With adequate staff housing, the number of medical personnel at the clinics has more than doubled · With more space for delivery rooms, at-home births have been reduced by half · Clinics now have adequate space to test and treat patients with malaria, HIV, and other diseases to ensure privacy and confidentiality for each patient · More shelters for expectant mothers have led to improved birth outcomes · Additional housing for staff has enabled the clinics to accept more student nurses, expanding opportunities for education and jobs. The six clinics are: Chikwizo, Nyahuku, Dendera, Dindi, Mashambanhaka and Chindenga. Each rebuilt clinic includes an expanded clinic building; housing for expectant mothers; lecture area; staff housing for nurses and nurses’ aides; as well as security, electrical service, running water, sewage and medical waste disposal facilities. The cost of each clinic rebuild was about $330,000. The local communities had strong ownership of the program and produced by hand all 500,000 bricks required for each clinic. They are also maintaining the clinics after completion. We are grateful to our hundreds of donors who made this miracle possible. Your love and generosity are helping thousands of our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe receive basic medical care. Tatenda! |
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