Health · Education · Empowerment
Strategic Plan
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide direction to the Health · Education · Empowerment (HEE) organization and to share this information with other organizations and the public.
Executive Summary
Background
Health · Education · Empowerment is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that was founded in 2021. The organization does not employ a paid staff and is governed by a Board of Directors led by the following officers:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
The HEE organization is governed by a set of Bylaws. The Board of Directors meet monthly, and more often as needed, and holds an annual in-person/virtual meeting.
Mission, Vision, Values
The mission of HEE is to improve the well-being of people in low-middle-income-countries (LMIC) by providing health education and health care to people of all ages. While our belief is that health and disease transcend geopolitical boundaries, at the outset, HEE is focusing its attention on the Ugandan population. This focus will be reassessed as the organization grows.
The vision of HEE is to promote health education, health care, and illness prevention to empower people in LMIC to live healthier lives.
We practice in accordance with the following values:
Collaboration with hosts & local healthcare systems
Cultural humility
Sustainability
Ethical practice
Stewardship
Self-actualization of volunteers & those they serve
Needs and Needs Assessment
We have validated that the mission of HEE is in alignment with the needs of the communities we serve through ongoing needs assessments conducted before and after the formation of HEE as a 501(c)(3) organization. We collaborated with local hosts, healthcare workers, other NGOs, and universities to conduct the needs assessments and found that the need for our services is immense and growing rather than shrinking.
Our initial assessments revealed that these communities have limited or no access to healthcare and education about healthy living. We also found that the healthcare workers in these communities have limited access to ongoing education. To address these needs, HEE offers health clinics, health education classes for patients and community members, and classes for healthcare workers. We also provide patient referrals and financial support for local healthcare clinics and workers.
To measure the success of these efforts, we implemented a plan to measure outcomes by evaluating their level of understanding of the education they received and whether their health has improved. These efforts will be further expanded as more teams are deployed.
Achievements
In 2020, before becoming a 501(c)(3), a group of volunteers who became the founding HEE Board members, were deployed to Uganda for 2 weeks and held a health clinic and conducted an extensive educational program for patients and community members. In addition, a small group taught the Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course in collaboration with Rose Nanyonga Clarke at Clarke International University. We also provided financial support for several patients to have local follow up care including surgeries.
In 2021, HEE became established as a 501(c)3 organization. A website was established and the organization raised $6,000 in donations which were sent to 5 Ugandan organizations with whom we collaborate.
In 2024, we were fortunate to receive $7,530 in donations for the team. This money, in addition to money received from team members, was used for:
● Patient care ($1,760), including surgeries, at local healthcare facilities.
● Medications & supplies used in clinic ($3,225).
● Reusable feminine hygiene pads (Afripads) and locally sewn cloth bags for
girls’ hygiene kits ($1,637).
Challenges
Our organization foresees the following challenges:
Safety and security concerns in country
Recruiting team members
On-the-ground supply inventory and acquisition
Raising funds to pay for clinic activities and patient care referrals to local healthcare facilities
