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What?

The FORGE Health Service provides access to basic healthcare services that are otherwise unavailable or difficult to access for the community. The trained staff of FHS hold free consultations for any interested individual, during which they collect basic health indicators as height and weight and handle simple health and first-aid issues. For more specialized needs, the FHS staff refer patients to the government-run clinics in Meheba so that they can get the treatment they need. The FHS staff follow up with these individuals to ensure they receive the medical attention they require.

FHS also educates the community on basic healthcare topics and preventative medicine to decrease the number of health problems in Meheba and relieve the amount of pressure placed on the existing medical system. FHS offers educational seminars on such topics as nutrition, family planning, STI prevention, dehydration, alcoholism, malaria, and respiratory infections.

In 2010, FORGE Health Service will:

* Provide the remote neighborhoods surrounding FHS access to healthcare and basic check-ups.
* Offer educational workshops to improve the community’s awareness and knowledge of prevalent health-related issues
* Administer a basic health screening to anyone in need who contacts the FORGE Health Service
* Give referrals to clinics for individuals who otherwise would not have access to clinics
* Deliver two two-hour field workshops per month on topics such as: nutrition, dehydration, hygiene, first aid, malaria, HIV/AIDS, respiratory tract infections, sexually-transmitted diseases, family planning, and maternal health
* Provide condoms, first aid materials, health pamphlets, and other basic health supplies to refugees in need
* Actively seek out vulnerable individuals in the community who are unable to act on their need for medical attention

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Why?

The existing clinical structure in Meheba Refugee Settlement is limited. Many refugees live in areas of Meheba that are removed from available clinics and have difficulty reaching them; those who are able to access them have found the facilities are stretched beyond their means. As a result, many of the major health issues that Meheba’s refugees face are entirely preventable including malaria and dehydration; a properly informed population would be able to implement the means to protect themselves from such conditions.

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How?

FHS is run by two refugees from the Meheba community. With oversight from a FORGE Project Manager, the FHS staff oversee all of the project's daily activities. They work with FORGE staff to manage the FHS budget, track the program's impact, and plan changes to improve it. As FHS has been running for almost two years now, the program's staff is highly trusted by both the community and the officials who work in the health system in Meheba.

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History of Meheba Refugee Settlement

Meheba Refugee Settlement opened in 1971 to host refugees who fled Angola during the Angolan Revolution. In the 1990s, Meheba began receiving refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi. Meheba was projected to close down after thousands of Angolan refugees voluntarily repatriated, but in 1998, the Angolan war restarted. Although nearly 64,000 Angolan refugees have been successfully repatriated, efforts to repatriate Rwandan refugees have proven unsuccessful.

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Community Population: 13,000

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Climate

Meheba is located in the temperate grasslands of northwestern Zambia. The dry season generally runs from May to November, and the rainy season lasts from December to April.

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Challenges facing Meheba Refugee Settlement

The Zambian Ministry of Health operates five clinics in Meheba where medical staff and medication are often in short supply. Malaria is a primary health concern, especially among young children. The adult HIV/AIDS prevalence of Meheba residents is unknown.

Education levels vary greatly. Most refugees living in Meheba have received some primary education, but very few can afford the high cost of secondary school. Classes are conducted in English, and schools are generally overcrowded and under-resourced. The Zambian Ministry of Education runs five elementary schools and one high school in Meheba. Many smaller communities within Meheba are too far from government-run primary schools for children to attend classes there. As a result, many children in Meheba do not attend school at all. Some organizations offer vocational and trade classes to teach practical skills.

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Main Occupations

There are few employment opportunities in Meheeba; the few available are related to farming, small businesses, and limited agency jobs. Men are more widely employed than women and have usually received more schooling. Most women are married with children by their late teens.

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