Empower Communities Through Healthcare & Education

This has been a very exciting quarter for Moyo - we have covered a lot of ground and made some great strides, both in our program delivery and our strategic plannning. In June, Amy Hardberger and I, the US-based development team, were able to travel to Mugie to work with Donna, Jedidah, and the team face-to-face for the first time since the COVID pandemic. It was a great chance to dig into Moyo's projects and programs as well as sit in a room all together, and talk strategy. Jedidah's busy program schedule allows for usually two or three medical outreaches per month, at least one women's group talk, weekly Healthy Kids classes, and Health Talks with Governor's Mugie House and Ekorian's Mugie Camp, as well as running the Mugie Medical Clinic and making outeach health visits to the small communities throughout Mugie.

Amy and I were able to join Jedidah and Ekwam on two outreaches. One was a healthcare pop-up clinic - were were offered a spot near someone's home, seemingly, in the middle of nowhere, under a quintessential acacia tree, there was a lamb bleating endlessly in the boma behind us and charcoal smoke wafting from the mud-sided hut. Over the course of six hours, our little team saw over 100 patients. Patients would first meet with our intake volunteers from Ekorian's Mugie Camp, Lawrence and Sammy, who would take down their basic ID information before sending them around the tree to join the growing queue for Jedidah who would diagnose and prescribe. With Jedidah's directions in hand, patients needing a prescription (anything from muscle rub to anti-fungal cream) would then continue their circut of the tree, to Amy and I where we would fill the prescription. Amos, a local community health worker, would rush back and forth between us to translate - Samburu to Swahili to Englsih and back again. The vast majority of patients were women and children, which came as a big contrast to outreaches in the early days when only men would come because we could not yet be trusted. There were a few standout cases, but what stood out the most to me was that no child displayed symptoms of malnourishment. 

The second outeach was to a primary school for a girl's mentorship class requested by the headmaster and teachers. They were struck by the number of girls dropping out of school - going home for term breaks and not returning because they got pregnant or were married off, or both. The school's leadership strongly believes that this trend needs to end and that, "when you teach a girl, you teach a community". The girls from classes 6, 7, and 8 gathered, squished into one classroom, to learn from Jedidah. She engaged them in a conversation about the factors that could lead to teenage pregnancy and how to spot risky situations and avoid them. We talked about goals and what was needed to achieve them. And we ended with the most beautiful affirmations - the girls chorusing "I am a queen. I have goals. I am confident. And I am VERY important." Jedidah is a true gift - to Moyo and to every life that she touches. It was evident in the faces of the girls, that a few strong women standing in front of the classroom reminding them how big and fruitful life can be, had an impact on the girls. Jedidah will visit them again soon to make sure these conversations keep happening. 

The Healthy Kids classes have cover an array of topics - the one that we participated in was at the begining of a unit focusing on self-confidence and self-awareness. We met in the Mugie School Dining Hall and started with skits that the kids are doing with the idea to further public speaking confidence through the medium of Drama. What followed was a discussion of what self-awareness means to each of them and how it helps us pursue goals, "hang with good friends", and find our passion. Amy shared her journey to being a lawyer and the importance of self-awareness in discovering that interest as well as staying the path to pursue it. 

When Jedidah visits Governor's Mugie House or Ekorian's Mugie Camp to meet with the staff there, the agenda item is usually a topical one - something that has come up within the community and warrants discussion. The Topic on the agenda when we were there: Self Awareness and Interpersonal Relationships. She talked about her own journey through self-awareness and bringing empathy to relationships - whether family, friends, or colleagues. She discussed the value in adopting a hypothesis of generosity when considering the many personal factors that could be causing a person to think/act/feel the way they are. What an important and profound discussion to have within a community of people from different walks of life, all living and working in close quarters, and toward the same goals.

The opportunity for us to meet in person and discuss the overlay of scheduling and management with budget and fundraising, as well as what’s working and going well, and what’s not, and why, wasn't to be missed! A good ol' fashioned strategy and planning meeting proved very fruitful as we reflected on the first half of the year and planned for the second. 

Our projects are all made possible entirely by donors. We fund nine full tuition scholarships for students, we pay for the vehicle fuel and maintenance, medical supplies for our outreach clinics, we subsidize Jedidah's salary, and pay the entirety of our own full-time employee (wonderful driver and everything-assistant, Ekwam). As we gear up for the new school term and a new slew of funding for the vehicle we want you to know how much we appreciate your support. Every dollar makes a difference and goes directly towards of programs and operations - so, THANK YOU! 

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