Rwanda.

The story behind the work…

Epilepsy effects 65 million people worldwide. 80% of individuals with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.

ROW Foundation is a Chicago-based NGO, existing to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy in under-resourced areas around the world. ROW Foundation brings medication to patients who otherwise would remain untreated.

For our second collaboration with ROW Foundation, we traveled to Rwanda in April 2024 to document the impact of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the fight against the epilepsy treatment gap.

Just as we found in Sierra Leone on our previous project, epilepsy is a heavily stigmatized medical condition in Rwanda, with most believing it to be a demonic possession. In 2022, ROW Foundation partnered with BAND Foundation to provide grant funding to train CHW on epilepsy care. The effect of this grant is the subject of the documentary, which details how these CHWs are continuously saving lives and encouraging individuals with epilepsy to receive the care they need, proof of the effectiveness of the grant.

ROW Foundation now uses the film for educational, marketing, and fundraising purposes.