Noella Mweragi is a young 3-year-old, living on Idjwi Island in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The fifth child of her parents Furaha and David, Noella (meaning “Christmas”) was the first baby to be born, on 26th Dec 2020, at the newly opened Hospital of Hope, the first of it’s kind on the island.
Furaha and David are coffee farmers and members of Rebuild Women’s Hope Coffee Cooperative whom we partnered with in 2020 to build the hospital and take the first step toward providing vital healthcare for the community on South Idjwi.
The clinic services the entire South Island population treating women, children, and men for a wide range of health needs, but emerged from the necessity to provide life-saving care to local mothers and infants.
Before The Hospital of Hope existed, less than 50% of pregnancies resulted in a safe birth. Expectant women would have to travel over 30km to receive the nearest health care and with no roads or cars on Idjwi, this journey was either on foot or on the back of a motorbike. Others would try to cross Lake Kivu to get to Rwanda for treatment, those that made it across would often be turned away and others sadly lost their lives in the water.
Since Noella’s birth in Dec 2020, over 4,000 other babies have been safely born at the Hospital of Hope. It is a huge accomplishment of the small but mighty medical team, some of whom stay away from their own families for weeks at a time to live on the Island and care for the rural community.
Noella’s birth marked the start of a remarkable mission however, the reminder that there is more to be done lies excruciatingly close to home. In 2023, Furaha gave birth to a little boy who she named Dieu Aime, meaning “God loves”. Dieu Aime did not make it to his first birthday. Tragically, he contracted malaria and died at 9 months old leaving Noella to remain the youngest in her family.
The hospital needs to be able to provide more life-saving treatment.
That is why we have pledged to raise $60k to build an intensive care unit and operating theatre, to expand the critical care of the medical team at the Hospital of Hope. And that is why we are introducing you to this soft little bear, a universal symbol of childhood innocence. Created in Noella’s honour, we are donating 100% profits of the sale of every cuddly bear to help fund this vital work and ensure families like Noella’s do not have to suffer tragedy again.
Coffee (and cuddly toys) really can fuel positive change.
