Our 100th Country!!

Mission Outreach celebrates donations to people and hospitals in 100 countries!

Yesterday (August 15) Mission Outreach hit a huge milestone in our history – we shipped a 40’ container of requested medical supplies and equipment to a partner in our 100th country, Burundi!

Our staff, HSHS colleagues, volunteers, and the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis have been celebrating all week. You can see LOTS of photos on our Facebook page (and if you would, follow us while you're there).

First, let me tell you a little bit about Habwawihe Medical Polyclinic, our international partner in Burundi that will be receiving this shipment:

Habwawihe Medical Polyclinic is supported by Rev. Ezechiel Habwawihe, a pastor at Morgantown United Methodist Church in Indiana (pictured with his family above). The hospital is growing and currently provides health services to the community including primary care, general medicine, pediatrics, dental, emergency care, laboratory, surgery, OB/GYN, orthopedics, and eye care.

Rev. Habwawihe said maternal and infant mortality is very high in the area, and the Habwawihe Medical Polyclinic needs equipment to enhance mother/baby care services, as well as surgery, dentistry, and ophthalmology.

We anticipate that we will continue to work with Rev. Habwawihe again as they further develop health services available at the Medical Polyclinic.

What we’re sending to Habwawihe Medical Polyclinic

This shipment will contain about 2,000 pieces (boxes, envelopes, and equipment). All our international partners order what they like – we don’t ship anything that isn’t requested. That means our warehouse team spends a lot of time pulling orders and then we ensure that what is in the shipment matches the packing list exactly. That’s very important when the container clears customs in country, as additional or missing items can result in fines and delays.

Because of their focus on mother/baby care (a service most of our international partners also are striving to develop), we’re including an infant incubator, infant warmers, and a birthing bed in the container. Patient monitors, oxygen concentrators, vision testers, and other equipment went too. We’re especially thankful to HSHS, Mercy Health, Memorial Health System, and Prevea Health for the donations of equipment.

And the best part…

Several months ago Mission Outreach was asked to do a presentation on August 15 for the Associates of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. It’s at the Motherhouse and many of the Hospital Sisters attend too. And it just so happens that this presentation fell on exactly the same day that Mission Outreach shipped to our 100th country.

So of course, we included the Sisters and Associates in our celebration, and we’re so honored to be a part of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis community.

About Burundi

Burundi is one of the smallest countries in Africa, landlocked and surrounded by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Capital: Gitega (political), Bujumbura (economic)
Area: 27,834 sq km
Population: 11.8 million
Languages: Kirundi, French, English
Life expectancy: 62 years (men and women)
Considered one of the poorest countries in the world, the average annual income in Burundi is $270 per capita. Eighty percent of the population lives in poverty.
About 3/5 of Burundians are Roman Catholic and another 1/8 are Protestant Christians
Farming is the most common profession and coffee (arabica) is the main export crop.