
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
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RHCI collaborates with the local community to advance community health and combat one of the world's highest maternal and child death rates. The mission of the Rural Health Care initiative is to partner with rural communities in Sierra Leone to develop healthcare systems and to overcome one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world.
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1w ago
At RHCI, we are continually inspired by the creativity and generosity of our supporters, who find unique ways to make a difference in Sierra Leone. Recently, two incredible fundraisers showcased ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
2w ago
A review by Dr. Carol Nelson, Board Member As 2024 comes to a close, Rural Health Care Initiative (RHCI) reflects on a year of transformative growth and steadfast commitment to ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
2M ago
On Sunday, November 3, 2024, RHCI hosted its 7th Annual Taste of Africa event at the Brooklyn Park Activities Center, and what an unforgettable evening it was! This year’s fundraiser ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
8M ago
Tree blocking the muddy road to Outreach Clinic
Each time I visit the Tikonko Chiefdom, where RHCI does its life-saving work, I am overwhelmed and immensely impressed by the impact we have on thousands of lives, with interventions costing at most a mere $50 per patient. Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world, struggles with high rates of maternal and child deaths due to illnesses, lack of skilled healthcare, and food insecurity. The idea of living a healthy life often seems impossible. Yet, RHCI has simple solutions that work, and I am immensely grateful to witness the ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
9M ago
We’d like to share our impact numbers from the calendar year 2023 with you. These numbers demonstrate our growth and our expanding reach in the Tikonko Chiefdom. With the help of our many supporters, donors, and several small grants, RHCI is accomplishing its mission to partner with rural communities in Sierra Leone, to rebuild health care systems and to overcome one of the world’s highest mortality rates for women and children.
Since it’s founding over a decade ago, RHCI has focussed its programs in the Tikonko Chiefdom on mothers, babies and children. Over 1300 pregnant an ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1y ago
Umu Shour, nutritionist at RHCI in Tikonko Chiefdom since 2020, started her day at Bo Children’s Hospital, checking on patients that were transferred from their villages by RHCI for acute hospital care. On the day of this interview, a young child with a serious hand infection had been admitted. Umu’s next activity was training the pregnant women at the Mbao-mi Mothers’ Home in Tikonko on early and exclusive breastfeeding, infant warning signs, the importance of vaccines and good nutrition. She did a similar training at the Gondama Birth Waiting Home the previous day.
Next sh ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1y ago
Music and dance reverberated from the banquet room in Brooklyn Park where RHCI held its major fundraising event of the year, Taste of Africa, on October 22, 2023. Special guests from outside of Minnesota included Alice Karpeh (RHCI Founder, now living in Sierra Leone), RHCI Board members Lamin Foray (Ohio) , Maggie Pilacinski (Colorado), and Riley DeLude (Chicago, Illinois). Other out of state guests were Sheri and Steve Miliano (St. Louis), Kevin Dowling (Colorado) and Nick Gaines (Illinois).
Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered and participated in this successful eve ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1y ago
In a world that constantly seeks innovative ways to give back, the Rural Health Care Initiative (RHCI) stands out for its unwavering dedication to improving maternal and child health care in Sierra Leone. RHCI’s mission is not only supported by traditional methods but also by the passion and creativity of individuals who organize unique fundraisers. Here are a few heartwarming stories that showcase the power of community, compassion, and determination.
Nick and his dad after biking 500 miles
Nick Gaines’ 500-Mile Bike Race for RHCI- Nick after 500 miles of biking In the heart of Iowa, N ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1y ago
My name is Nick Gaines, and I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer that served in Sierra Leone from June 2019 to March 2020, at which point we were evacuated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I was an Education Volunteer and taught English and Math at FAWE, the all-girls Junior Secondary School in Tikonko. My partner, Riley DeLude, and I applied to the Peace Corps as a couple, and she was a Public Health Volunteer. Much of her work involved working closely with Rural Health Care Initiative (RHCI) on health initiatives at partnering clinics and outreach programs.
FAWE students
Having witness ..read more
Rural Health Care Initiative Blog
1y ago
Midwife kits, with supplies for 400 deliveries, arrived in Tikonko in early June via the Lungi airport. Ground transportation was arranged by RHCI’s in-country director Manley Jongopie to deliver the kits 160 miles in-land to RHCI’s headquarters at the Mbao-mi Mothers’ Home in Tikonko.
These kits will be distributed to the Tikonko and Gondama Community Health Centers for the licensed midwives to use for childbirth. Having access to supplies and equipment make it possible to deliver a much higher standard of care and, in the process, save lives of mothers and babies.
Direct Relief works ..read more