Providing primary health care and nutritional assistance for all
from Mission Crossroads
Inge and Dr. Larry Sthreshley
Dr. Larry and Inge Sthreshley grew up in Congo. Larry’s parents were Presbyterian missionaries in the two Kasaï provinces in the south-central region. Inge’s parents were Methodist missionaries in the Katanga province in southern Congo.
Inge is an agriculturalist and has always been interested in the relationship between agriculture and nutrition. In more than 30 years of mission service in Congo, her work with the Presbyterian Church of Kinshasa and IMA World Health has focused on training volunteers to help communities address malnutrition through nutrition and home gardening education and the use of improved cook stoves. This included making follow-up visits with families of malnourished children. Inge also assists the Methodist Presbyterian Hostel, a mission guest house and conference center, facilitating mutual mission between groups from the U.S. and Congolese partners.
Through the Access to Primary Health Care Project (known as ASSP) from 2013 to 2019 and current project Support to DRC Health System (known as ASSR), Larry and Inge have worked alongside the Congolese government, donors and partners to revitalize and strengthen the country’s health care system for 9.7 million people in five provinces across more than 50 health zones. These efforts have included combatting malnutrition, fighting sexual and gender-based violence, and providing priority interventions in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria, pneumonia and, most recently, COVID-19.
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