Protect 1800 people on Kokwa Island from Malaria

Happy New Year.  It is by the grace of God that we are celebrating another new year. The year has started well as we pray and trust that it will be more fruitful despite the many challenges facing people in the world.  The covid 19 pandemic has been a big challenge to all of us but worst to the vulnerable community and many people who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.  As earlier reported, Necofa together with Kokwa nurse and community health workers has been conducting sensitization forums to the Kokwa community members encouraging them to consider being vaccinated against covid 19.  The sensitization forums has not been in vein since after the forums a good number of community members have volunteered to be vaccinated.  Necofa facilitated the process by providing transport, meals and some allowances to the nurses from Marigat sub-hospital to Kokwa Island to vaccinate the community members.  The sensitization forums are on-going and once community members are ready for vaccinations, Necofa will still support the process. 

Kokwa Island has been extremely dry and hot with very little activities for the community members for income generation.  They have been going through many challenges and feeding their families has been identified as the major challenge.  Students have been at home for a short holiday and they are now resuming studies for 3^rd term.  Thanks to our partners for supporting the vulnerable households through education scholarships as well as supporting school feeding programs in Kerepari school where children benefit with porridge in the morning, fruits and lunch.  Supporting feeding program in Kirepari schoo is a great achievement since it acts as motivation to the learners hence attracting most of them in school.  Community health has been another challenge facing the community and especially during the pandemic.  In our own ways, we have tried to support the community in one way or the other and we have been inviting our friends, family members and colleagues in supporting the community.  We have received clothes donation from friends, colleagues and family members especially during festive seasons.  Donated clothes, shoes and school bags have already been distributed to the community.  The exercise is on-going and we will be collecting more donations from well-wishers.  I take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed, donated and supporting Kokwa community.  Thank you very much and I wish you all prosperous New Year 2022.

Greetings from Kenya we believe and trust that all have been safe and healthy during these uncertain moments in the whole world.  The covid 19 pandemic has been a bother to many with people now learning to live with it since they are new stories about the disease every day.  The introduction of vaccines have been taken positively by many people although there is a good number that are against the vaccines and a lot of propaganda on the same.  In Kenya people were a bit hesitant and only few people volunteered to be vaccinated and many waited to see the reactions for the vaccinated group and at the same time understand the side effects related to the vaccines.  The government gave priority to the seniors above 58 years, teachers, nurses and doctors and the vulnerable groups.  Currently people are voluntary going for the vaccines and the government has continued to encourage people to be vaccinated.  In Kokwa Island, many people have not been vaccinated due to various challenges and reasons like inadequate access to the service, fear and lack of sensitization.  To encourage people and especially seniors to be vaccinated, we have requested the local community nurse together with community health workers to sensitize the community informing them the importance of the vaccine and we are optimistic the number will grow for people willing to be vaccinated.  We have a group of community members who are willing to be vaccinated but they don’t have access to the vaccines.  Our plan is to have a good number of people willing to be vaccinated then make arrangement with doctors and nurses from Marigat hospital go and vaccinate the willing group from Kokwa dispensary. Necofa will finance this process and ensure people benefit from the exercise. We hope sensitization forums will be fruitful and people will be ready for the vaccine. 

Learning has been on going in Kokwa School and we have not had positive cases in the school unlike other schools where some of them have been closed for 2 weeks due to the increased cases.  Generally in schools the situation has not been very bad.  In the country delta has been very serious and the number of infections has been growing and deaths as well.  People are now worried and accepting that covid is real unlike before.  We have continued to work closely with Kokwa community but with reduced interactions and visits to the community.  The area has been quite dry and putting food on the table has been very challenging.  The pandemic has also contributed as people lost their jobs, hotel closed etc making it difficult for the community to earn income for basic needs.  We have not been in a position to support vulnerable families with food like we were doing due to limited resources.  The support we have received from GlobalGiving have been channeled to provision of food stuff to very vulnerable families though not continuous but once in a while.  The number of vulnerable families is increasing and with limited resource it has not been possible to support all of them and it can only be only once in a while.  We would like to see a good number of families benefit from the food stuff, soaps and masks but this has not been the case.  We appreciate the support we have received and sincerely thank all those who have generously contribute.  We welcome any support from our well-wishers to enable us keep visiting vulnerable families and making them smile for a number of days as they enjoy their meals.  You have been with us in this journey and we still count on you to continue with the journey of supporting Kokwa Island community.  Thank you and stay safe.