VillageReach

VillageReach is changing the lives of rural villagers in Mozambique by making it possible for them to receive basic health care services. Before VillageReach, the lack of basic infrastructure such as good roads and reliable electricity made the provision of health care in remote locations difficult if not impossible. Vaccines would spoil between the airport and their ultimate destination because they could not be kept cold during the long and arduous trip from major population centers to rural villages. Night was a dangerous time to get sick or give birth because without energy clinics had no light for after-dark emergencies.

VillageReach addressed these needs by creating a dependable logistics network that delivers vaccines and other supplies on a monthly basis. But it has done much more than simply bridge the difficult last mile in the health care supply chain. Through innovative partnerships with local nonprofits and government agencies, VillageReach established VidaGas, a commercial distributor of propane and related products that has created local jobs, increased local business productivity, and is decreasing local dependence on biomass fuels.

VidaGas not only generates revenues that support improved health care delivery to more than 1.5 million people in Cabo Delgado Province; its success in providing a reliable source of power has also catalyzed a much broader and more profound seismic shift in Mozambique. Students can now study at night, bakers can fulfill small orders efficiently, and a host of new micro-industries have begun to take shape. By releasing the untapped potential of thousands of individuals, these developments have strengthened local economies and improved quality of life for countless families in one of the world’s poorest countries. Even more importantly, this equilibrium shift shows every sign of permanence.

Testimonials

“VillageReach was fortunate to work with Kikim Media for our documentary film. Both the process – filming in Mozambique and editing in the U.S. – and the end product were remarkably well done. The crew was very respectful of the local customs and limitations, worked admirably well within serious cultural and logistical constraints, and treated everyone with utmost care. During the editing process, our input was valued and heard, and the Kikim team was efficient, patient, and very educational to work with. The end result was an engaging seven-minute real-world view of a nonprofit global health and logistics organization. In all areas, Kikim truly understood the story we needed to tell and helped us tell it in a memorable, moving and impactful way.”

-Blaise Judja-Sato, Founder, Village Reach