Protect 1800 people on Kokwa Island from Malaria

In Kenya nurses have been on strike since July and Kokwa community has been extremely affected as there is nobody else to attend to them on their health issues since they don’t have any doctor or a clinical officer in the Island.  This has been a big blow to this community as they have to hire boats to the mainland for the services and majority cannot afford the cost of transport thus giving them no other options apart from using herbs for their medication.  Expectant mothers have been delivering in their small huts with very poor hygiene.  Elderly women have been assisting them during the process although not always especially if it is during the night when they cannot walk in the hilly and rough terrains in the Island and the mothers have no options but deliver without any support.  Those with serious cases have been going to Kampi Samaki or Marigat when the cases are very serious.  With the support that we have been receiving through global giving, we have been supporting the very serious cases to go for medication in Marigat and Nakuru.   We have supported 4 students who had very serious cases and required urgent medication.  We have also supported the community members also with serious health issues and required further medication.  For the new dispensary it’s very disappointing as it has not been finished yet even after the county government promised the community to have the dispensary operating by now.  They are yet to do the finishes, wiring, stocking and employing a permanent nurse in the Island.  The County has a new governor and other officials after August general election and the community hopes that the new management in the county will speed up and fulfill their promises they gave the community during campaigns before the elections.  We thank all our well-wishers for their generosity and request them to consider supporting this community especially on health issues as we wait for the county government to take the relevant actions.  In our small ways we will continue supporting the community especially now that they cannot access health services in the Island. 

New Kokwa dispensary is yet to be in use as the County government has not stocked the dispensary and employing a permanent nurse to serve the community.  The old dispensary is still operational although not on daily basis as it should due to unavailability of the nurse.  Since the volunteer nurse left the Island, the community is served when the other nurse is available.  This has been a challenge since those who requires daily services cannot access them as they should and due to inadequate resources they cannot afford to travel to Marigat.  Although currently nurses are on strike, this community is suffering a lot.  The community had high hopes that by now the dispensary will be operational but that has not been the case.  The County Government keep promising them but without quick actions.  We are grateful to our well-wishers and donors through global giving as we have been able to support the very serious cases with the funds that we have received.  We thank them for their kind contribution and we request them to continue supporting this community.  We have also conducted internal workshops with the school girls on hygiene, sex and reproduction topics.  We realize that these are among the topics that are not discussed in the community and they are negatively affecting the school going boys and girls and we wish to conduct many more to the larger Kokwa community.  We have had cases of school dropout for the girls due to unwanted pregnancy and early marriages.  We thank everybody who has given a hand towards success of this needy community.  We appreciate your efforts and we urge you to continue supporting the needy in the society.