Bringing Hope and Healing to the Maratane Refugee Camp: July Medical Mission Update

This July, the WayFinders Africa medical team—Dr. Scott Addison, Angela Leyrer, MSN, FNP, Melissa Wynsma, MSN, FNP, and Jamie Becklin, RN, BSN—traveled to Nampula, Mozambique to deliver health, hygiene, and nutrition training for women and to assess the ongoing medical needs of the Maratane Refugee Camp and surrounding Makua communities.

Strengthening Local Healthcare

Thanks to the generous support of our home community, the team delivered essential supplies to the regional hospital.

One of the most encouraging moments was seeing the hospital sterilizer—purchased during last year’s trip—fully operational and already making a tremendous difference in patient care and infection prevention.

Clean Water: A Lifeline for Health

In 2025, two new hand-pump wells were drilled at the Maratane Refugee Camp, bringing the total number of new wells installed since 2020 to thirteen. These wells are transforming daily life by providing clean drinking water and dramatically reducing waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and hepatitis.

Yet the need is still great. Additional wells are urgently needed, and many older wells require repair. Cost of a new well: $10,000–$12,000, depending on type and depth.Your partnership can bring safe water—and improved health—to thousands of people.

Compassion in Action: Helping Two Young Children Walk Again

During a visit to a small village, the team encountered two young children, ages four and five, who were paralyzed and had to be carried everywhere by their families. With your support, the team was able to purchase and deliver child-sized wheelchairs—restoring mobility, dignity, and hope. These simple gifts opened new possibilities for learning, play, and independence.

Urgent Need: A Hospital Aspirator

As the team evaluated the hospital at the refugee camp, one critical need rose to the top: a medical aspirator.

This suction device provides essential care for postpartum mothers following childbirth and is vital for emergency and routine maternal care.

The hospital serves both the refugee camp and the surrounding Makua community—over 20,000 people.

Yet today, they do not have this basic but life-saving piece of equipment.

Cost of an aspirator: $3,500.

We are prayerfully asking whether your church, small group, or community would consider helping us meet this urgent need.

Join Us in Bringing Hope, Healing, and Dignity

Your involvement—whether through prayer, giving, or sharing this story—helps ensure that families in northern Mozambique have access to clean water, medical care, and compassionate support.

Because of you, lives are being changed. Together, we can continue bringing hope and healing to the most vulnerable.

Written by Angela Leyrer, Nurse Practitioner and board member for WayFindersAfrica.

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