Venuste’s story
Rwanda
In a rural Rwandan village, 56-year-old Venuste tends to his small farm, growing maize, bananas, cassava, and beans. Like many in his community, his livelihood is tied to both the unpredictable weather and the health of his family.
Over recent years, shifting weather patterns have made farming increasingly challenging, and with that, the ever-present threat of malaria has weighed heavily on him and his community. However, thanks to the dedicated work of community health workers, the battle against malaria has started to shift.
Venuste recalls the early 2000s as a turning point when weather became erratic. Harsh dry seasons withered his crops, while other years brought floods that drowned them. “When the weather is extreme, it’s hard to grow enough food for my family,” Venuste says, “I have to work harder so we don’t starve.”
In 2014, Rwanda experienced a resurgence of malaria. Community health workers had not yet been introduced in rural communities, making the disease even more dangerous. Without local health workers, people stayed home when they fell ill, afraid of the cost and distance to hospitals. “By the time someone reached the hospital, it was often too late,” Venuste explains.
Today, things have changed for the better. Venuste’s village now has four community health workers, giving families quick and easy access to malaria tests and treatment. Venuste emphasises how important this is: “You can test for malaria at home or at the local health centre. You can quickly get the information and take action to look after yourself.”
Malaria remains a threat, particularly for farmers like Venuste who work in swampy areas – perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The irrigation systems that keep crops like bananas alive also create stagnant water, where mosquitoes thrive.
Despite these challenges, Venuste feels better prepared to protect his family. “Community health workers are like parents—they are there whenever we need help,” he says. In addition to relying on communiyt health workers, Venuste takes preventive measures at home. He ensures his family sleeps under mosquito nets, clears the area around his house of bushes and stagnant water, and seeks treatment promptly when they fall ill.
Venuste’s message to leaders is clear: "Give community health workers everything they need because they are making a real difference in helping us fight malaria.”
Thanks to the efforts of community health workers and the distribution of mosquito nets and other malaria fighting tools, Venuste believes that many lives have been saved in his village.
