HEEDA is an established 501-3c Non-Profit Organization with many roots throughout Afghanistan’s most dire communities. HEEDA recognizes the importance of health, education and economic development in these very places. We are actively organizing and deploying various programs, with the main objectives being the creation of an economic eco-system that fosters sustainability. Through innovative social benefit practices, HEEDA programs are meant to incentivize Afghans in their own development via adoption and democratization of cutting edge low cost technology and social programs to address the particularly unique problems facing Afghanistan. We are an all volunteeer team that differs from other organizations by focusing efforts on those tools and resources which have the largest and most long-lasting impact in the following respective fields; academic, economic, medical, infrastructural, and social.
As a part of our mission to deliver tangible solutions with the communities in mind we saw an initial need to gain a better understanding of their needs. HEEDA began it’s foundation with conducting a wide ranging survey of Emergency and Primary Care-related services with the intent to objectively identify gaps in health services and care delivery (click here for overview of the Emergency Services project). Using the data collected first-hand and engaging with community members we were able to gain a unique perspective to aid in future initiatives.
HEEDA is also actively working to expand the use of neonatal hypothermia technology (with Embrace) to district level hospitals in Kabul and rural clinics (where there is virtually no electricity or health access otherwise) and to ambulances for babies needing complex medical management at tertiary care hospitals who are coming from rural posts. Considering the high infant mortality in Afghanistan and identifying hypothermia as one of it’s main driving force, HEEDA partnered with the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and Embrace Global to introduce the use of low cost neonatal hypothermia technology to one of the busiest maternity wards in the country (click here for a closer look at the Warmth project). This successful program quickly expanded to 4 large regional hospitals.
Though immensely more challenging, we are currently looking at an even more impactful role for this amazing technology where it can be expanded to district level hospitals and rural clinics outside major urban centers (where there is otherwise virtually no electricity or health access otherwise) as well as use on ambulances transporting neonates with complex medical problems from these rural posts to tertiary care hospitals in larger cities.
For over a decade HEEDA members have supported the community of Shamali, in the northern villages outside of Kabul. We have built from ground up, a 4000 square foot community center that serves as a school, a vocational training center and a local health and legal post. HEEDA’s goals are to maintain multiple skills based workshops for women and pair them with domestic products that would allow them the opportunity to utilize their artistry handed down through generations of Afghan culture. These workshops will supplement academic classes HEEDA currently supports to provide and expand winter classes for children, which includes both boys and girls, as part of the promise of creating opportunity and education for women. Currently, we are exploring the use of solar technology to address the limitations of electricity and grid-access to supporting the various programs simultaneously running in the community.
There’s much work to be done and the HEEDA team is uniquely positioned to help advance many development goals in the war torn country.
To learn more and join our volunteering efforts kindly send an email including your interests and skills to volunteering@heeda.org.