FMT in partnership with The Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) brings you Covid-19 “healers” from Rwanda.

Community health workers (CHWs) are the cornerstone of Rwanda’s decentralised healthcare system, and the first point of contact for millions of Rwandans looking for crucial medical care and essential information.

With a national population of over 60,000, each village is required to have four CHWs.

Now, the workers are on the frontline of public health campaigns as Covid-19 numbers rise in Africa’s most densely populated country.

Uwinogoye Lucie is one of the CHWs helping to treat patients with Covid symptoms.

“When someone comes to us for help, we have to keep our distance,” she says, adding that she needs to be careful so she can continue serving the community.

Her mother, Mukagasana Josephine, 66, is also a CHW, working in the nearby Kidaturwa village.

Today, 83% of Rwanda’s infectious diseases are treated at home. CHWs like Lucie and her mother continue to work on the frontlines of Rwandan healthcare during the pandemic.

Their dedication will make the difference between success and failure.

Maggie Andresen is a freelance photojournalist and reporter based in New York and Rwanda. She reports on the intersection of human rights, healthcare, migration, and the changing environment. Maggie has reported from across Central and East Africa, Palestine, South Africa, Italy and the United States. She is a fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation and an artist with the Kigali Centre for Photography. This year, Maggie will be moving to Lagos, Nigeria as a Fulbright grantee, documenting resilient communities directly confronted by climate change. View her profile here.

‘The Other Hundred Healers’ is an initiative by the non-profit organisation GIFT. The 240-page, full-colour, hardcover book can be purchased here at US$40 per copy for a minimum order of 20 copies.