INTERNATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
Educate. Empower. Equip.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
No child should die from a preventable disease. Yet every day 2,000 children die from diarrhea. Every community should have the life-saving knowledge of basic first-aid, maternal health care, and proper nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. However, in countless developing countries and underprivileged communities there is a gap in connecting these tools and knowledge to the people that need them. This is where Community Health Workers can come in and help bridge this gap. By partnering with an organization that is already established in the community to select a group of local people that live and understand their community, we then train this group of people to become catalysts of change within their communities. This group of trained Community Health Workers then work to educate others in their communities on these basic health education information that is lacking and connect them to the resources and facilities that many desperately need.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community Health Workers in Carrefour, Haiti
International HELP trained 35 Community Health Worker’s on first aid, maternal health, basic nutrition, sanitation and water, as well as provided every community health worker with supplies to help their community prevent many diseases and illnesses such as high blood pressure and malnutrition.
We empowered the community health workers in the rural areas of Carrefour to engage in positive life changing healthcare practices and to share these practices with others.
Community Health Workers in Ongole, India
International HELP worked to train 13 women in the Dalit community of rural India, educating them on first aid, taking vital signs, nutrition, maternal health, proper sanitation, and other relevant diseases. These volunteers were so eager to take their new knowledge to serve their rural villages, teaching other women the life saving health practices.
Community Health Workers in San Miguel, El Salvador
These 16 men and women were trained to provide basic first aid, to prevent infections, and to share proper sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition to their communities. They have partnered with the local clinic doctor to assist him in providing health services and health fairs to the rural communities.
Community Health Worker Training in Nigeria
We trained 16 community health workers in Oba, Nigeria. The majority of this group were teachers who have many connections in the community and are in positions of influence. We taught them basic first aid, nutrition principles, how to take vital signs, good sanitation and hygiene, and water filtration amongst other topics. They are able to use this knowledge to teach the kids in their schools and share with others in the community as well.
Community Health Worker Training in Nueva Esperanza, Honduras
International HELP partnered with the Nueva Esperanza Clinic in August of 2023. Through this partnership, we trained 21 new Community Health Workers on topics related to first aid, nutrition, water sanitation, maternal health, and other necessary topics for their community. The graduated Community Health Workers each came from the surrounding villages in order to bring a greater impact to the community. Following training, our group has continued to meet monthly and has already been making an impact on the surrounding communities.
Advanced Maternal Health Training Metapan Red Cross
International HELP had a unique opportunity to partner with the Red Cross of Metapan in Texistepeque, El Salvador. All the members that participated were current Red Cross workers and were in need of further education. The Red Cross had seen the success of our past projects in El Salvador and asked us to come implement an Advanced Maternal Health training. In June of 2023, we were able to train 12 Red Cross Metapan workers on topics of prenatal, labor and delivery, emergency situations, and postnatal and neonatal care.
Community Health Worker Training in Zimbabwe
In November 2022, International HELP partnered with Educational Foundation Trust in Gwanda, Zimbabwe. We implemented 2 trainings while we were there, training Community Health Workers in in the rural (Garanyemba) and urban (Gwanda) areas. We discussed topics on malaria prevention, maternal health, first aid, skin infections, and other necessary health topics. By the end of our training, we graduated a total of 34 new Community Health Workers within both communities.
Community Health Worker Training in Rus Rus, Honduras
In November 2022, International HELP partnered with Missionary Air Group to implement a Community Health Worker training in Rus Rus, Honduras. Rus Rus is located in the Gracias a Dios department of Honduras which has the highest poverty rate and lack of access to proper sanitation and health care in Honduras. While there, we graduated 28 Community Health Workers. These health workers came from all regions surrounding Rus Rus, including Nicaragua which is a 5-mile walk to Rus Rus.
Community Health Worker Virtual Training in Syria
International HELP implemented its first virtual training in 2022 through a partnership with the Al-Khaboor Association in Syria. This was a goal that our organization had in order to increase education and health knowledge through technology despite circumstances not allowing us to travel. The training took place over a month with weekly lessons, live video calls, pre-recorded training videos, and resources set up through a Google Classroom platform. We were able to graduate 10 Community Health Workers in 2022 and implemented a second training in 2023, graduating 23 Community Health Workers.
Advanced Nutrition Training in El Salvador
Our current Community Health Workers have been doing an excellent job in promoting health and prevention in their communities since 2017 and have shown the need to increase their education in specific topics that their community deals with. One topic that is of great concern in their community is the growing rates of diabetes and poor nutrition. In 2023, International HELP trained our 11 Community Health Workers on Advanced Nutrition teaching how to take glucose levels, prevention and treatment of diabetes, and overall nutrition.
Where we work
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of practicing Community Health Workers as a result of the organization's efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number(s) are based on the number of Community Health Workers that were trained and graduated each year. *2020, not able to train or travel due to COVID.*
Number of health education trainings conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Numbers are based on the number of communities we implemented a Community Health Worker training.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We envision a world where no one dies from preventable diseases and where people are inspired to help their communities live healthier lives.
Our mission is to educate, empower and equip people in disadvantaged areas in need of healthcare solutions to be Community Health Workers — health leaders in their community.
We are passionate about community involvement and ownership. We never come into a community and tell them what they need. Instead, we work WITH them and learn what are the community’s greatest healthcare needs. This collaboration leads to sustainable results; but best of all, it gives the community a sense of pride knowing they are leading the change that will alter the course of the community.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We always begin a project working with a local community partner, such as a school, community group, or church, who is already a trusted member of the community.
We then conduct a thorough needs assessment to understand the root issues and cultural context contributing to the greatest health needs of that community.
Based on the results of the assessment, we create a program to train local volunteers who have been selected by their community to be Community Health Workers. They are taught how to prevent diseases and deaths, giving them the ability to help lead the other people in their community as well.
Lastly, we create a sustainable program through good monitoring and evaluation. The group of newly trained Community Health Workers continue to meet 1x a month to receive additional support, accountability, and training. This is also a time for the group to discuss the issues in their community and plan ways they can help.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
By respecting the local cultures, conducting a thorough assessment of the health needs, and designing a targeted training program, we are able to built community trust and ownership while effectively training Community Health Workers.
Community Health Workers are uniquely situated as members of their community to be a bridge in this gap. By educating local people in a community, equipping them with health knowledge and basic first aid skills, these Community Health Workers are empowered to help improve health behaviors and prevent diseases and deaths. This education is powerful and something that can be passed on freely to friends and family, creating change for generations to come.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In the past 5 years since founding our organization, we have trained 226 Community Health Workers in 14 different communities across 8 countries. We have donated over 2,500 medical supplies. Our community health workers have helped over 2,000 people in need.
Our goals for 2022 include training 200 new community health workers in El Salvador, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
Board of directorsas of 01/22/2024
Dr. Richard Lane
Dr. Richard Lane
Andrea Gorski
Stetson Starkey
Cassandra Stancil
Giordana Morales
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/17/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.