Having suffered from period poverty, a lack of information and guidance in her adolescence, Sharmin Kabir was inspired to work on the period “taboo” to make a better world for girls and women. She started Wreetu in 2016 with a vision to build a period-friendly world. 

Wreetu is a social enterprise that delivers menstrual education through community-based seminars and comic books. Wreetu also engages the community in fruitful menstrual discourse and offers washable, environmentally friendly, and economically viable menstrual hygiene products. Wreetu has been working to reduce gender inequality and empower women by ensuring their good health and well-being.  This has been achieved by involving the community in ensuring the accessibility, availability and affordability of menstrual knowledge, products, and services.  

Since its inception, Wreetu has developed the first comic book on puberty and menstruation for adolescent girls, through which they have educated over 100,000 girls and community members. Wreetu has also manufactured and distributed 17000+ comic books, 25,000+ reusable period products, and renovated 23 slum toilets while 8 more and 10 shower places renovation are in the process for girls and women so they can have their period dignity. Further, a video series and a period guide created for Dads have helped encourage healthy menstrual discourse with their daughters. Translating Wreetu Comic Book in Chakma Language has gained the attention of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) experts in Bangladesh.

With QECT’s support, Wreetu plans to finalize the development of a non-biased Gynae Services m-health App in Bangladesh, which will help address the gynecological needs of adolescent girls and women in hard-to-reach areas. With this platform, any girl or woman from Bangladesh will be able to read about various gynae topics, book services and talk to a doctor. It will also be a forum to interact with other users and buy affordable hygiene products.  

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Lesego Ndhlovu is a paediatric gastroenterology doctor. While on internship in rural South Africa, she observed wards full of severely malnourished children. She also noticed that only few mildly malnourished children were seen by medical professionals and were only taken to hospital when really sick. As a result,  failure to rehabilitate mildly malnourished children was putting their health at risk. Together with her friend Dr Keketso Mopeli-Tshehla she co-founded Marotholi Outreach to address this.

“A simple infection can quickly progress to severe illness for malnourished children. It is important to attend to them before this progression. ”

Dr Lesego Ndhlovu

Marotholi Outreach reduces the number of malnourished children in vulnerable communities in Motsoaledi and Tembisa townships in South Africa. It undertakes nutritional screening of children below five years and offers one-on-one nutritional counselling to care givers of children at risk of malnutrition. All children at risk aged below two receive, in addition to the counselling, a highly nutritious therapeutic food pack to help reduce malnourishment.

Marotholi Outreach is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022​, Marotholi has been able to: ​

Screen and rehabilitate 287 children in Tembisa and Soweto townships

Ensure a consistent supply of ready-to-use-therapeutic foods, for children assessed as malnourished

Hire a project coordinator and migrate to paperless data capturing, enabling founders and volunteers to see more children

Rent office space that doubles up as equipment storage space

Strengthen its systems and processes in finance and governance

“ We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from QECT, both monetary and technical. Through this programme we have been able to successfully expand to a new site, allowing us reach more children. It has also enabled us to more effectively rehabilitate children through more efficient screening processes and the procurement of rehabilitation foods.”​

Dr Lesego Ndhlovu

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

Marotholi Outreach aims to set up operations in a third site and screen more children.

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Felix founded Tanzania Young Eco Protection (TAYEP) to improve water sanitation and hygiene in schools in Tanzania.​

“In Tanzania today, out of every ten children who die, nine die from diseases related to contaminated water. I would like to change that.” ​

Dr Felix Manyogote

TAYEP is a youth-led organisation committed to pioneering solutions in clean water, sanitation, and climate challenges in schools to improve the quality of life in Tanzania. TAYEP’s ‘Maji Tap’ project designs, manufactures and distributes foot pedal operated hand washing stations. They provide access to filtered water and liquid soap to schools in Mwanza, Tanzania. This is at an affordable cost of 120 USD payable in instalments by the schools. TAYEP also create awareness on proper handwashing techniques through training, workshops and infographics prepared in the native Swahili language.

This helps prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections, hence keeping students healthy and in school. TAYEP has been running this project for 2 years and has so far distributed over 120 handwashing stations in 30 schools in Mwanza while impacting over 15,500 children and raising some income to support its operations. 

TAYEP is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022​, TAYEP has been able to: ​

Design, manufacture, and distribute 120 ‘Maji Tap’ stations in 30 schools​

Promote awareness on proper handwashing techniques through workshops and information materials  in 15 schools​

Reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases in schools by over 40%, positively impacting the lives of 15,000+ school going children ​

Strengthen its systems and processes in safeguarding and in finance​

“QECT’s  leadership coaching sessions, access to practical tools and flexible funding opportunities have enables us to scale our work and impact a wider and wider population” ​

Dr Felix Manyogote

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: TAYEP’s goal is to provide schools in new geographies with access to ‘Maji Tap’ stations​

The post Tanzania Young Eco Protection (TAYEP) – boosting pupil’s education enrolment and performance by lowering the risk of poor hygiene related diseases​ appeared first on Queens Commonwealth Trust.

Bukola Bolarinwa has sickle cell disease requiring blood transfusions. She personally experienced the difficulty of getting blood in Nigeria, and so founded Haima Health Initiative (HHI) to address blood supply shortages and to save the lives of others, including fellow sickle cell disease sufferers.

“Our mission is to make sure patients in hospitals across Nigeria get access to blood, when they need it, no matter where they are.”

Bukola Bolarinwa

HHI is a social enterprise that organises monthly blood donation drives and emergency response for patients in need of blood transfusions across six states in Nigeria. HHI addresses the shortage of blood supply for persons in need of blood due to inadequate voluntary blood donations, the prohibitive cost of acquiring blood and the absence of a centralised blood banking system in Nigeria.

Through its 24-hour helpline, WhatsApp, and online database, HHI connects voluntary donors to patients in need of blood. HHI also organises transportation of donors and blood components, such as platelets, to patients in need. 

HHI runs monthly blood drives and mobile blood delivery services to improve access to blood for people who need  lifesaving transfusions. 

Since its inception in 2015, HHI has registered over 4,000 voluntary blood donors and supported the collection of over 4,500 pints of blood. Haima responds to over five hundred blood requests every year with its advocacy that reaches over 10,000 people online. 

HHI is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022 HHI has been able to:

Launch Haima Mobile, a mobile blood delivery service, and work with 12 hospitals ensuring speedy access to blood. 

Organise 26 blood drives that collected a total of 552 units of blood from donors in Kano, Lagos and Abuja cities of Nigeria.

Strengthen its organisation, with improvements to safeguarding, and a clearly defined strategic growth plan. 

“QECT ‘s YVP funding has made a significant difference to our impact. This has allowed us to expand from collecting blood through donor drives to improving the blood supply chain by delivering blood using cold chain delivery bikes to patients and hospitals in Nigeria.”​

Bukola Bolarinwa

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

HHI’s goal is to further advocate for voluntary blood donations and to roll-out Haima Mobile services in 24 hospitals in Nigeria.

The post Haima Health Initiative – addressing the shortage of blood supply appeared first on Queens Commonwealth Trust.

Brad Gudger, a two-time cancer survivor, realised that there was a lack of dedicated space for young people with cancer to support each other online. 

“Living with cancer can be lonely. Speaking to others who have been there, done that, and worn the unflattering hospital gown makes all the difference. That’s what the Alike app is for.”   

Brad Gudger

Alike connects people affected by cancer and helps them to combat loneliness. Peer support through the app is available any time, any place, and at any stage of cancer, improving the mental well being of patients and survivors.

Alike is currently the only not-for-profit peer support app, designed specifically for cancer patients and survivors over the age of 18. 

This app is the first of its kind and has already received an incredible response from the cancer community, the charity sector, and the wider public. Alike is working in partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Lives vs Cancer and Trekstock Cancer Support. Alike is also working closely with Macmillan Cancer Support and NHS England.

Alike is among nineteen organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QECT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years. 

With QECT’s support since March 2022, Alike has been able to:

Amass a community of over 3,000 cancer patients and survivors

Implement Safeguarding and Privacy Policies

Re-assess and evaluate its operations and strategy, resulting in confidence to present their work to other funders 

“QECT’s continued support over the years, from our initial COVID-19 grant to our multi-year funding through the YVP, has encouraged other grant-making bodies and philanthropists to support our cause leading to a vital increase in income year-on-year. Beyond this, the insight and knowledge from the QECT network has really helped us explore avenues of income sustainability to ensure we can continue to provide Alike’s platform long-term without having to rely solely on charitable fundraising. ” 

Brad Gudger

Future work supported by QECT in 2023: 

 Alike aims to have more users and features on the app, bring positive advantages to community and  support Alike’s sustainability.

Click below to watch Alike’s video.

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Founded in 2016 by two young pioneers, Dr Nick Laing and Pranav Sridhar, a social entrepreneur. The duo was determined to find a permanent healthcare solution for the millions of Ugandans living in healthcare black holes, places with no access to quality healthcare. Earlier on Pranav had observed the same healthcare black holes in his native India. With Pranav and Dr Laing’s passions aligned, they combined social entrepreneur skills with medical and health management expertise. After having 4 OneDay health centres in early 2018 they expanded rapidly with 29 health centres now operational which have treated over 120,000 patients in remote villages.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust’s partnership and funding of OneDay Health has enabled OneDay Health to have a huge impact on rural communities in Africa. In March 2021, ten OneDay Health centres were launched through QECT support treating over 20,000 patients to date. For decades these communities struggled when families became unwell, now they have a good healthcare option. Talented nurses have found long term employment through OneDay Health, jobs created through QECT funding.

QECT facilitated OneDay Health’s first ever full staff training programme that brought together 25 nurses from across 16 Ugandan districts. QECT training also empowered their management team, two of whom experienced online meetings for the first time.

“QECT’s focus on the strength of our organisation has helped us to professionalise and strengthen our organisation especially in the areas of safeguarding, organisational reach and finances.” Dr Nick Laing.

The consistent support and mentorship received from QECT staff such as Winfred has enabled Nick and Pranav to effectively manage OneDay Health and also gain expert advice and assistance with social media and pitching to funders.

Exceeding expectations

One of the first Heath centres to be launched was Pwunu Dyang and it has been one of the most successful. After operating out of a small rented building for 3 years, the community rallied together, burnt bricks and provided timbers for their own new permanent health centre. As the only health centre within 20 km, resident Nurse Elec Alfred is a lifeline to the community, saving lives from seizure, malaria and even performing emergency deliveries when necessary. The centre has now added a midwife as well, so the facility can deliver babies and mothers in which they will no longer need to travel long distances.

QECT funded health centre Anepkide was recently launched in a remote region of West Lango, the most remote OneDay Health facility in that hub of 8 health centres. The facility was so remote there was concern that it might not succeed because the population was too low. Six months later, Anepkide exceeded all expectations, proving hugely popular, treating on average 250 patients a month and generating more than enough income from the community to sustain itself.

“Nurse Jackie has been a superstar, treating patients with great skill and accuracy using our WHO based guidelines and through that gaining the support of the community. Facilities like Anepkide prove that our OneDay Health model can provide permanent, sustainable healthcare even in the most unlikely places”, Dr Nick Laing.

Over 50% of the patients treated are children under 13 years old. High quality treatment of children will help them thrive, and improve school performance. Malaria and deworming treatment are proven to increase days in school and other learning outcomes. This was expressed by one father who visited Ocim OneDay Health Centre who said:

“My children used to convulse when they had malaria, and I used to move a long distance seeking medical care but since you opened this health center it has helped us a lot”.

A Mother who visited Nyakagoro OneDay Health center said:

“For a long time over a period of 10 years we suffered here because there was no health center, so people died on the way to other health centers. But now at least our lives have changed, because the hospital is near us”

OneDay Health has drastically reduced the cost of health care access, therefore resulting in rural citizens having more money in their pockets. As the health of the population improves, productivity will increase and give people more opportunity to provide for their families.

Over a $150,000 has been saved by communities in transport costs to distant facilities. A mother who visited Wii Lacor OneDay Health center expressed her relief at having greater accessibility to centers.

“We used to move a long distance, and spend a lot of money on transport yet you may not even get all the medication you need. Since you opened this health center life has become easy, we can even move on foot and we always get all the treatment that we need”

Future growth

OneDay health is committed to the future progression towards that One Day which will provide access to quality health for everyone. The organisation plans to launch another 15 centres and have 45 operational. The endeavour is to explore opportunities for growth into other countries and work with larger organisations who could implement their model at an even larger scale. QECT remains dedicated to supporting the organisation’s development.

“QECT’s focus on the strength of our organisation has helped us to professionalise and strengthen our organisation especially in the areas of safeguarding, organisational reach and finances. As our biggest institutional funder, QECT has been a wind behind our back, a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on whenever we needed them”, Dr Nick Laing

Through QECT’s grant, the young leader had the freedom to grow OneDay Health to its full capacity. Show your support today by visiting QECT’s Get Involved page.

To learn more about the work OneDay Health carries out click here

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Trained as a pharmacist, Erick Venant became committed to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), after realizing that approximately 700,000 people die every year globally from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that do not respond to medicines.

To address this crisis in his home country, Tanzania, he organized and lead a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about AMR in secondary schools. As a university student at the time, he worked with a team of volunteers and was able to educate over 49,000 students in 114 secondary schools, across 23 administrative regions. 

To sustain the work completed, Erick founded the RBA Initiative.

Educating generations through public health education

Headquartered in Dodoma, Tanzania, the RBA Initiative covers rural and urban communities, working with schools, colleges and universities, health professionals, private individuals, and policymakers across multiple sectors from health to agriculture to encourage them to mobilize and help prevent the spread of AMR. 

In the early stages of the organization’s operation, Erick, and his team experienced funding challenges to propel the work. However, it was through a partnership with the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust (QECT), that the organization was able to pivot its operations and lead transforming public health work in Tanzania.

“QECT works with young people hand in hand to ensure that they have essential support to realize their goals to help their communities. It means a lot to have an effective and equal partner in driving positive change,” Erick Venant, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, RBA Initiative.

“Our organizational systems have been improved and strengthened thanks to the guidance provided by QECT. More specifically, we have been able to develop a safeguarding policy and financial management guideline alongside other policies.”

Also, “through the funding provided by QECT, we have trained and empowered 322 secondary school students through the RBA Initiative AMR School Clubs. Consequently, these trained club members have so far reached 1322 fellow secondary school students ,3303 primary school pupils and more than 800 community members with key AMR messages.

During club sessions in the schools, we use arts and crafts, songs, drama, traditional dance, drawing, poems, and competitions to help the students understand what AMRs are and how to curb resistance.

Additionally, through interventions and tailored educational workshops to different groups including healthcare providers, local leaders and the general population, the RBA Initiative has so far reached 3,328 people.”

These students and adults are now agents of change, who in turn are encouraging their communities to adopt positive behavioral changes.

RBA Initiative has also reached 5.2M people through the use of local radios.

Impact that is seen on the ground

More recently, the RBA Initiative realized a challenge of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructures to most of the schools across the nation.

The organization began educating school children on better handwashing practices and sensitization hand hygiene and handed over a washing station and a water tank to the winner of the 2020-2021 RBA Initiative’s AMR Arts and Crafts competition.
This is an example of how the mix of fun and rewarding campaigns is changing the public health behaviors of many in Tanzania.

Just ask 15-year-old Rhoda who shared her story on how the education she has received in the AMR Club has been transformed her own life and that of her community. 

Before attending AMR Club, I’d never heard of antimicrobial resistance. In my community, many people have a tendency to share medicine – even with our animals. For example, my family rear chickens at home, and whenever the animals got sick, we used to buy antibiotics that were meant for humans and feed them to the chickens. Attending an AMR club has made a huge difference in my life. I have learned about so many things, like the importance of handwashing and hygiene, how to identify fake medicine, and the importance of always completing the full course of antibiotics (even after feeling well). I’ve also learned that we should never share our medicine with anyone.” 

Rhonda’s account captures the voice and experience of thousands of young Tanzanians who are educated in the AMR Clubs. Read her full story here.

“In 2020 we increased the AMR knowledge to AMR School club members in different aspects from 37% to above 90%, this included the knowledge that antibiotics cannot be used to treat flu. I am glad to see the positive impact and outcome RBA Initiative is taking to curb antimicrobial resistance. For the coming year 2022, we are aiming to engage 25000 school children. I have been honored to receive encouraging feedback from different stakeholders on the work I have been leading. This has included awards including the Princess Diana Legacy award (2019). I have also had an opportunity to meet global leaders and discuss with them AMR including HRH Duke of Cambridge and the UK’s Special Envoy on AMR.I am also currently serving as a director for the board of the International Society to Improve the Use of medicine (ISIUM). Additionally, in Tanzania, I now serve as a member of the AMR Technical Working Group for Awareness which is under the Ministry of Health. 

I am passionate and committed to tackling AMR and I am looking forward to continuing to help protect the community both at the national and global levels,” Erick Venant.

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