VillageReach

VillageReach
Founded 2000
Founder Blaise Judja-Sato
Type medical logistics, developing world health
United States IRS exemption status: 501(c)(3)
Location
Area served
 Mozambique , Malawi (primary), also operations in Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia[1]
Key people
  • Allen Wilcox
  • Emily Bancroft
  • Jessica Crawford
  • Nancy Geiger
  • John Beale
  • Sarah Jackson
Website villagereach.org
VillageReach helps to bring vaccines to people in the Pemba, Mozambique area, February 2010.[2]
People wait outside a vaccine clinic, Pemba, Mozambique area, February 2010.[2]

VillageReach is a non-profit organization working in the area of medical logistics, specifically the last mile delivery of vaccines to remote rural areas in developing countries. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, in the United States, and its main operations are in Mozambique, Africa. Secondarily, VillageReach invests in and develops social business models that complement its infrastructure needs, such as the VidaGas company that provides fuel for VillageReach's needs but also caters to local businesses in Mozambique.

History

VillageReach was founded in 2000 by Blaise Judja-Sato in Seattle, Washington, who got the idea while coordinating relief for flood victims in Mozambique.[3] It began its activities in Mozambique in 2001.

Funding

Many of VillageReach's programs are carried out jointly with national and regional governments, and both VillageReach and the government share the costs of these programs. VillageReach seek funds from both individuals and foundations to meet its share of the costs.

Foundation funding

VillageReach received funding of 3.3 million USD from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2004.[4]

Other funders for VillageReach include the Skoll Foundation,[5] the Mulago Foundation,[6] the Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation (endowed by the couple Craig McCaw and Susan McCaw) and others.[7]

External reviews

GiveWell review

VillageReach was given a "Gold" rating by charity evaluator GiveWell, a US-based non-profit that rates charities. Until November 2011, it was the top recommended charity. GiveWell estimated[8] that it costs between $400–$800 of donor money to save an additional life. GiveWell estimated[9] that in 2010, it directed about 1.1 million USD in charitable donations to VillageReach.

In late November 2011, GiveWell updated its list of recommended charities.[10] Although GiveWell continued to consider VillageReach an outstanding charity, VillageReach was removed from the list of top rated charities because GiveWell believed that VillageReach does not have enough room for more funding in the short term.[11]

In March 2012, GiveWell published an update on VillageReach indicating that VillageReach's project had run into some unexpected troubles and would therefore cost more and proceed slower than previously anticipated, but applauding VillageReach for its continued commitment to transparency and sharing their data with GiveWell.[12][13] John Beale of VillageReach wrote a guest post for GiveWell with his thoughts on this latest update.[14]

In July 2012, GiveWell published a blog post revisiting their past review of VillageReach's pilot project. GiveWell staff came to the conclusion that in their original review of VillageReach, they had overlooked or underestimated various sources of uncertainty and that this may have led them to overstate their confidence in VillageReach's approach.[15]

Media and blog coverage

VillageReach was covered in an article in the US weekly Newsweek in 2005.[16]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to VillageReach Gallery.
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