By Camille Thirot | Communications manager
“Having a scholarship is a great help for me and my family!"
The healthcare sector in DRC is drastically underfunded. Healthcare professionals who are trained to respond to national emergencies such as the Ebola crisis are scarce. More recently, ISSI has begun offering a Master’s programme in health care administration (MAPS), the first programme training Congolese nurses and midwives to take leadership roles in hospitals or in training the next generation of midwives and nurses.
WONDER is working with ISSI to offer scholarships for the MAPS programme. These scholarships allow nurses like Hyacinthe to support their families and continue their work whilst also sharing their knowledge with undergraduate students at ISSI.
“I’m Hyacinthe, I trained as a nurse at ISSI and currently work in the Dialysis Unit at Ngaliema Medical Centre in Kinshasa. I also work in the training of undergraduate students at ISSI, especially in all aspects of nephrology [kidney care].
I was encouraged by the doctors of the ‘Association des Néphrologues du Congo’ to train and support nurses who will take care of patients who need dialysis. In Kinshasa, more and more young people under 25 years of age are affected by diseases that require this care, which is a vital, expensive and difficult treatment for the majority of the population. I would like to advance my career and bring something extra. I have thought about how to achieve universal treatment of these diseases in the country, and I think that this Master’s degree will help me to make this dream a reality.
On a personal level, I can say that having this Master’s will also help my family because they see me more fulfilled when I do what I love. My husband encourages me and my children are motivated to study when they see me applied to my studies. I have two daughters whom I also encourage to study as women. I am aware that Master’s studies in a prestigious institution like ISSI have a cost and this is requiring economic sacrifices on the part of my family.
When I applied I wasn’t sure how I would achieve this but knew it was worth it. Having a scholarship is a great help for me and my family! I am truly determined to finish the Master’s degree with good results and contribute to the development of my country by offering quality care to the population, specifically by caring for patients with kidney failure.”
Funding for programmes such as MAPS is fundamental for the development of the healthcare sector in DRC. With almost no options to continue education onto a higher level, the health care sector is in urgent need of well-trained professionals that can respond to emergencies such as the Ebola crisis, however, without financial support nurses like Hyacinthe would not receive this training.
Thank you for supporting the education of women like Hyacinthe around the world.
With gratitude,
Camille Thirot and the WONDER team
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