HER Global Village was founded by Leila Edu, a Nigerian American student with a strong vision and commitment to ensuring that women and girls have access to healthcare regardless of social, geographic, and economic factors. The organization’s mission is to empower women through improved health by funding awareness, outreach efforts, and curative and preventative care in partnership with local organizations.
Leila’s journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she observed troubling patterns in disease prevalence and health outcomes, particularly among minority populations. This led her to think about the disparities in access to life-saving vaccines and medical care among minorities, especially those in rural and resource-poor areas. Inspired by her experiences working in rural communities in Nigeria, Leila developed a strong sense of purpose. She founded HER Global Village to address healthcare disparities and advocate for equal access to medical care for all women, regardless of race, location, age, or socioeconomic status.
Leila’s conviction is best captured in her words: “Every day, countless African girls, not much different than myself, are being denied the same rights that I readily have and take for granted. I ask why? No one has ever provided a satisfactory answer to the said question because one does not exist. It simply cannot be justified. We are both equally human, with the only difference being the geographical location and access. As humans, we must all acknowledge one clear reality – All Women, regardless of race, geographic location, age, or socioeconomic status, should have equal access to medical care. It is a Human Right.” Through HER Global Village, Leila strives to make a measurable impact on the lives of underserved communities and inspire others to achieve equitable healthcare for all.
Long before she commenced her medical studies studies at Boston University in the United States of America, young Leila envisioned her trajectory and legacy. Her brainchild, the H.E.R Global Village, was the little acorn seed she hopes will blossom into a mighty oak tree. So, when her Washington based not-for-profit organization on December 23, 2023, successfully conducted a free medical outreach at the Family Estate of Chief S.L. Edu in Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria, Leila was indeed lending credence to the eternal words of 18th century American writer Herman Melville that “We cannot live by ourselves. A thousand fibres connect with our fellow men (and women), and among those fibers as a sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.” The event marked the second instalment of a health initiative aimed at providing essential medical services to underserved communities. With a dedicated team of volunteer doctors, nurses, and lab technicians, the clinic managed to serve close to 200 individuals, a significant number of whom were women and the elderly. The volunteers provided blood pressure and diabetes tests, body mass index assessments, and comprehensive consultations. To alleviate the hardship experienced by community members due to the prevailing economic challenges, food aid was distributed to all participants. The Epe outreach was indeed an encore of the maiden medical outreach in Onigbogbo, Lagos, in July of 2023.
But for Leila, this did not come as an accident. It is a deliberate philosophy of the Edu family, which her parents, Yomi and Maureen Edu, had ingrained in her.
“I benefited so much from the opportunity. I now have a better understanding of my health situation and how to manage my health using the local health centre in our community,” Alhaja Olayemi Oduntan reminisced. That view was also reechoed by Mr. Chinedu Nwachukwu. “The HER Global Village did not only minister to our medical needs, it also catered to our stomachs,” he recalled.
With the laudable aim of making fundamental healthcare accessible to every woman, Leila’s HER Global Village hopes to raise awareness and funded by the Edu family to support those who cannot afford the necessary treatments.
The HER Global Village (HERGV) is a US-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization that aims to spotlight the challenges of health systems in providing accessible and adequate levels of care for the physiological and mental health challenges faced by women everywhere. It is the belief of HERGV that prioritizing women’s health is essential to building healthier economies, societies, and communities. Among other things, the organisation has increased awareness of the unique healthcare challenges faced by women as well as highlighting the ongoing activities to combat these issues. And to make fundamental healthcare accessible to every woman, the organisation hopes to raise awareness and fully family funded to support those who cannot afford the necessary treatments. There’s no gainsaying that when you are deliberate about creating a community of healthy mothers, you can birth and raise healthy children. “We believe healthcare is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status,” Leila Edu, founder of HER Global Village says. She adds, “Through our family funded efforts, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in need, particularly in maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and malnutrition. We also partner with local organizations and healthcare providers to ensure that our efforts are culturally sensitive and sustainable and that the communities we serve are empowered to take charge of their health.”
As the next HER Global Village free medical outreach to be held in Abuja beckons, there’s excitement that it will surpass last year’s in terms of scope and impact.
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