A campaign inspired by Sara Spangelo

In January 2025, a baby was born at Kigutu Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion with gastroschisis—a condition where the intestines develop outside the body. In many parts of the world, babies with this condition receive immediate surgery and the specialized post-operative care that dramatically improves their chances of survival. But in Burundi, where access to neonatal intensive care is almost nonexistent, survival is far less certain.

The Village Health Works surgical team did everything they could, carefully performing a delicate procedure to give this baby a fighting chance. But after surgery, the real challenge began. Without a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), there was no way to provide the infection control, nutritional support, or constant monitoring needed to ensure recovery.

Despite the team’s best efforts, the baby did not make it. Not because the condition was untreatable, but because the care simply didn’t exist in Burundi. No baby should lack a fighting chance or parent ever lose their child due to a lack of medical resources.

By building the first NICU in a district hospital in Burundi, we can ensure that no newborn dies from a treatable condition. Together, we can change the future for babies born in Burundi.

Why a NICU?

In Burundi, newborns face significant challenges. Premature births, low birth weight, and infections are the leading causes of these preventable deaths. A newborn in Burundi is nearly six times more likely to die in their first 28 days of life than a newborn in the United States. Yet Kigutu Hospital, despite its remarkable efforts, doesn’t have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to provide the specialized care critically ill newborns need.

Kigutu Hospital and Women’s Health Pavilion, operated by Village Health Works (VHW), is a pioneering rural hospital in Burundi, delivering high-quality care to communities with little access to medical services. In 2024 alone, VHW treated over 37,000 patients, including thousands of mothers and newborns. With a focus on dignity and excellence, the hospital is setting a new standard for healthcare in the region, with world-class doctors and surgeons from over 12 countries providing expert care and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Over the past four months:

This track record demonstrates what VHW can achieve, even with limited resources. But with your help, we can do so much more. A NICU will allow us to provide life-saving care for newborns, reducing mortality and giving every baby a chance to thrive.

With a birth rate of 36 per 1,000, a neonatal mortality rate of 21 per 1,000, and a hospital catchment area of 200,000 people, the NICU is expected to reduce neonatal mortality by 15%, which would equate to approximately 26 fewer neonatal deaths per year.

A Catalyst for Change

This campaign is inspired by Sara Spangelo, an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur who just delivered her first baby girl in January. After birth, her baby had a short stay in a state-of-the-art NICU in California. Although it was a scary experience, she was blown away by the care and expertise, which led to her perfectly healthy baby coming home three days after delivery. The safety and wellbeing of mothers and infants are top of mind for her. Sara’s personal connection to maternal and newborn health moved her to make a seed donation to launch this effort.

Sara believes that every mother and baby deserves access to safe, high-quality care. She is inspired by the impact Village Health Works has already made, excited about their potential to impact far more lives, and believes VHW is uniquely positioned to create a blueprint for rural women’s healthcare across the African continent. Her gift sets the stage, but we need your support to raise the remaining $400,000 to establish Kigutu’s first NICU. Together, we can save lives and create a model of care that inspires change far beyond Kigutu.

How Your Contribution Helps

Every donation counts and directly supports newborns and their families.

Building a Future for Kigutu’s Children

This campaign is about more than neonatal care. It strengthens Kigutu’s pediatric services, which are critical in a country where the under-five mortality rate is 74.3 per 1,000 live births (compared to 5.61 in the U.S.). By improving infrastructure, training staff, and expanding capacity, we can make lasting changes for children and families in need.

Our Goals

Your Role

This is a 30-day campaign to raise $500,000—and every day counts. Your support will help open the doors of Kigutu’s NICU and transform neonatal care in Burundi.

Click Donate Now to join us in saving lives. Share this campaign with your friends, family, and networks. Together, we can create a brighter future for Kigutu’s newborns.

About Village Health Works

Village Health Works (VHW) is a trusted healthcare provider in Burundi, delivering compassionate, high-quality care. Our mission is to address systemic inequities and bring hope to underserved communities.