Saving Kenya's Environment Through Family Planning

“When he first visited my boma early in the morning, I suspected that something had gone wrong,”narrates Lenarte*. “According to our culture, when an unusual guest checks in that early in the morning, it rings a bellthat all is notwell,” Heexplainsfurther.

His wife was the first to see him as she was milking her cows when he entered their homestead in ayellow t-shirt and bag at his back. Just after they had their usual Serian (Maa greetings), theunexpected visitor explained to the wife that he would so much appreciate having a brief conversationwiththecouple.

"Our daktari, is anything the matter? Just tell me" begged the wife looking so scared that probablytheir daktari did not have good news for them. His confident response was meant to assure her thatnothinghadgonewrong,thoughthewife'sfaceexpresseddissatisfaction.Afterofferinghimaseat,she went to finish up milking and came back to wake up the husband to meet the somewhat unusualguest.

Since his engagement with CHAT as a CORP, Eturen had made up his mind to always conducthousehold visits within the communities especially early in the morning, since his focus was to reachboth men and women for sensitization. "I realized my community is paternalistic,hence a prudent idea is to ensure that men are also involved in the family planning decisions as they are the family heads and enlightening them on the importance of family planning enablesthem to approve and make FP decisions together with their wives, which could not be the case if theywerenotengaged," heexplains further.

Lenarte and his wife joined the guest who was waiting for them outside the manyatta. (Eturen waskeen to remind them to have their masks in adherence to the MoH protocols). Up to this time, Lenartehadn't yet conceptualized what news Eturen had for them that earlymorning.Assoonastheyweresettledanddonewiththeir‘Serian’,Eturenwentaheadandintroduced the subject matter. As he was explaining the FP intervention (using CHATs PHE approach)he could notice both Lenarte and the wife nodding in agreement. “Whenever our human population ismanaged, we are capable to have access to quality health and the environmental resources aresufficient enoughtosustainour livelihoodsandfuturegenerationsas well”Eturen recalls.

As he concluded his sensitization, Lenarte would not help but suggest to his wife about embracing the5years implants amongst the other contraception methods they had been sensitized about. “I amgrateful, that daktari visited us and my husband warmly supports this. Women go through a lot during child delivery and some of us even die in the course. I am lucky for having an understanding husband. I hope he becomes a model for many others in the community,” wife confirmed.

“What a joy! Every time I wake up, I think about steering change in our community andconserving our natural resources,” Eturen commented as he filled the referral forms for hisnew friend’s wife, as he hadpromised to accompany his wifetothefacility for services.

Thanks to GG support in the past three months, CHAT was able to reach a total of12,217 individuals with behavior change communication (bcc) information with4,467 family planning clients receiving different contraception methods, of which 3,562 chose the long-term methods- 3/5-years protection against unwanted pregnancies.

Overpopulation is a root problem of all the environmental issues. If you can control the population, you can control almost anything.” Rinkesh Kukreja, Founder – Conserve Energy Future.

As they bid the community goodbye after 7 days of sensitizing them with family planning information, Rose, CHAT’s FPCORP, could not hide her joy due to the significant effect they were making especially in the lives of the young school-going girls. Just as she was about to enter the car and start their journey back, she noted a middle-aged woman who was shouting her name from a distance. 

Despite that the team, with the locum nurse, was somehow in a hurry to return, Rose couldn’t afford to ignore the woman who had made such effort to attract her attention and now running towards her. Catching up and calling Rose aside, she said “I can’t believe that you are going back, we need you to stay for a longer time and sensitize our daughters.” Out of her wisdom, Rose was keen to respond to this woman, so she said “It could not be better than this, my sister; we have done the most important thing - to educate you. I believe so far and with that information, our daughters are in a position to make an informed decision.”

The woman nodded back in agreement to the response Rose had given and stated that the information was given at just the right time and in the right manner. She went further to admit that since the reporting of the first case of COVID-19 when the schools were consequently closed, the parents had experienced so many struggles in keeping up with their teenage daughters who had just started “knowing themselves”. She mentioned to Rose that her greatest fear was the risk of her two daughters getting unwanted pregnancies, as she herself still struggles to single-handedly educate them.

As usual, Rose remained keen on the kind of responses she was giving the lady, realizing the community so much relied on the information that they receive from her. She then shared with her that it was the parent’s responsibility to share with their children on sexuality as they grow, as this was one of the factors that had contributed to a majority of teenage pregnancies. She then wrapped up the conversation by saying, “Despite about access to family planning, we have also shared with your daughters on the need for safe sex and abstinence, as this will also save them from a myriad of repercussions including contacting STIs’ & HIV/AIDs.

It was the team’s joy that they had also capacity build the facility nurse on how to offer the family planning services to the clients. According to Rose, it was such an impact made within a short time- and this continues to make her passionate about what she does. 

Thanks to GG support - in the past three months CHAT was able to reach a total of 4,982 individuals with behavior change communication (bcc) information with 1,523 family planning clients receiving different contraception methods, of which 1,222 chose the long-term methods giving 3 and 5-years protection against unwanted pregnancies & 22,315 condoms were distributed.

“Childbearing, I mean, if there's no place to go to deliver your baby, then you're the one that's delivering in those unhealthy circumstances. Or if you can't get access to family planning, your chances of surviving and being able to bring your kids up if they come one right after the other, that is what locks you into a cycle of poverty”

 Melinda Gates