Outreach for vital health services in rural Kenya

Safe Motherhood is part of our health activities in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.  Merlin offer effective health care and nutrition support to make sure that women are kept safe through their pregnancies and first years as new mothers.

The health care includes educating not just the women, but the whole community on things such as; why women should attend ante-natal classes, why rest and nutrition is something every pregnant women should have and why the correct vaccinations will protect her and the community’s new born children against preventable diseases.

Sadly, in these three countries 1 in every 12 (Kenya), 1 in every 10 (Ethiopia) and 1 in every 5 (Somalia) children die, before they reach their fifth birthday.  Teaching moms about how to keep themselves and their babies healthy and protected from disease is, and will continue to make a positive change to those stats.

Safe Motherhood in Kenya

- The Safe Motherhood project part of the fuller health care package that Merlin is offering to communities. Currently, all objectives are on target, and the number of baby being delivered with a qualified nurse in attendance, has increased.

- ‘Malezi Bora’ (a national mother and child health awareness campaign) is running over the first two weeks of May.  Merlin teams have planned activities to coincide with the rise in awareness as a result of the campaign, including a push to immunise even more children and women of child bearing age.

Mother’s Day is nearly here

Is there a special person that you want to give a unique gift to this Mother’s Day?  What about giving a gift towards Merlin’s safe motherhood work in their honor?  Click on this link http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/outreach-for-vital-health-services-in-rural-kenya/?show=gift to give a gift.

Plus GlobalGiving will give Merlin an additional $500 for this project, if we are one of the top 10 projects with the most donors who give gifts. 

Global Giving will send an email with a personalised message to your special person.  They will know that because you care, another special person can care for her child too.

 Thank you

Safe Motherhood in Kenya

Safe Motherhood is part of the vital health activities that Merlin offer to Turkana communities that live in the remote areas of northwest of Kenya.  These activities are simple, but effective things that make sure women live safe and healthy lives through their pregnancies and first years as new mothers.

Actions such as educating not just the women, but the whole community on a wide range of topics; why women should attend ante-natal classes, why having regular meals is important, and how having vaccinations can protect her and her new born child against preventable diseases.

Sadly in Kenya, 1 in every 12 children die before they reach their fifth birthday – it’s an even higher average in rural Turkana.  Teaching moms about how to keep themselves and their babies healthy and protected from disease will make a positive change to those stats.

- Currently, all the objectives of the Safe Motherhood project are on target and the number of baby being delivered with a qualified nurse in attendance, has increased.

- ‘Malezi Bora’ (which means ‘Good Nurturing') is a Kenyan mother and child health awareness campaign, that will run through the first two weeks of May.  Merlin teams have planned a number of activities to coincide with the rise in awareness as a result of the campaign, including a push to immunize even more children and women of child bearing age.

We’ve already seen an impact

 The Safe Motherhood Project began in April 2010 and originally, planned as a three year project. It has already seen as a success in the local communities and by government officials, and now Merlin is in discussions with the main donor (European Commission) to continue and enlarge the project for an additional three years (until April 2016). 

The initial 20 months of the Project saw a number of health successes including:

• 5,214 children fully immunized.
• 5,151 pregnant women counseled and over 75% tested for HIV, with those testing positive being given anti-retrovirals.
• Over 30,000 people being given health education and being a part of hygiene promotion sessions.
• And from Sept – Nov 2011, 2, 563 women were given ante-natal care.

“We are very grateful to MERLIN who made the exercise a success by supporting allowances for 2 DHMT members. We hope to partner in future for good healthcare delivery in the entire district,.”Officer from Dept. of Health for Turkana South and East.

Merlin looks after mothers in Kenya, but is there a special person in you life, that you want to thank for looking after you?

 Someone who looked after you when you were sick, told you to study hard and cheered at your prize giving.  There are special people to everyone, all around the world.

If you want to give your special person a unique gift this Mother’s Day – what about giving a gift towards Merlin’s safe motherhood work in their honor?  Click on this link http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emerg-nutrition-and-health-care-e-africa-crisis/?show=gift and you will go straight to the ‘gift or in honor of’ tab, under the orange donate button on the project page.  Your chosen person will get an email, print-at-home or physical card – you can even choose to have our main project photo as you picture, so your special person will know that because you care, another mother can care for her child too.

Plus GlobalGiving will give Merlin an additional $500 for this project, if we are one of the top 10 projects with the most donors who give gifts between May 1^st & 13th.  So you could be helping us even more.