Protect 1800 people on Kokwa Island from Malaria

It is another opportunity to update our good friends and well-wishers on Kokwa community progress.  Although not much has been done, we are happy for the impacts we have realized even with small interventions and we will never get tired of thanking our friends and well-wishers for their continued support.  As earlier reported, we had plans to have community meetings to discuss various issues concerning the community.  One of the priority agenda was the issue of community dispensary on the Island and in August we held a meeting with all community members where they had their opportunity to raise their issues and give their views.  Their great concern was about their health and inadequate medical equipment and services that they require.   They are disappointed by the county government for their negligence and lack of commitment towards completion of the community dispensary.  After a long discussions with them, we agreed to do an official letter to the governor and copies to all related department and follow up visits by the dispensary committee members.   We assisted the community to do the official letter and later facilitated the committee members to Kabarnet to follow up on the issue.  They visited the various offices but unfortunately they are yet to meet the governor.  They were promised that their issue would be addressed and since then nothing has been done.  They are planning to do another visit to follow up on the same.

In August we also had a great event with the community members where we were able to support the community in various ways with the funds from our good friends from USA.  During the event we were able to distribute nutritious porridge flour for the elderly people, children under 5 years, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.  I had the opportunity to discuss with the community the importance of nutritious diet and healthy eating as well as teach them how to prepare porridge with the flour distributed.  The other activity we had was distributing re-usable sanitary towels to young mothers and out of school girls for improved hygiene.  Hygiene soap and water guards were also distributed to the community members.   Community health worker and the nurse took the blood pressure of the willing community members as well as deworming.  The children were not left behind as we paid a barber to shave them and the health worker and the nurse applied fungal cream on the shaved heads as most of them had fungal infections.  Some were very serious and required them to take a full dose for treatment.  The children were also dewormed and given multi-vitamins.  This event was very successful and the community was very excited and very happy with the support given to them.  We will be doing follow up on the issue of fungal infection as this was identified as a major health concern.  Thank you for the great support given to the Kokwa Island community and we request even more as we approach festive seasons we would like them also to enjoy the seasons.