Saving Kenya's Environment Through Family Planning

*not real name

“We used to experience good rains in this part of the country back in ‘90s and before. What has happened!?” laments Legusuranga* as he chatted with other men under a dry tree with little shade. “Food was in plenty and pasture for our animals was enough to run us up to the next season.”

Legusuranga hails from Lekuru village in Samburu county, an area that has been experiencing long dry periods over the last five plus years consecutively. Animals have been dying and people seem to be experiencing increasing hardship.

 Zipporah, CORP partner working alongside CHAT, has been sensitizing communities using the Population Health & Environment (PHE) approach with a focus on providing access to family planning services. During her visit in Lekuru village, she found the men in discussion. To bring out the aspect of men involvement in family planning, Zipporah was categorical in the way she approached the men collectively, with her understanding of the patriarchal culture she was brought up in, where men control all decisions made concerning the family.

The session with CORP Zipporah brewed into a hot discussion where the men eventually came to under that it’s through cutting down of trees and overstocking of livestock due to several reasons, one being to create space for the growing population that their land that once provided “milk and honey” was now a desert. They also got to understand that the man, as the head of family, was vital in leading the discussion about family planning they all nodded in agreement with this and commented that it is a noble idea to adopt.

“Thanks, so much our daughter, we will have to rethink our ways now. We need to conserve existing indigenous trees and plant more trees especially in areas where they can grow easily” replied one of the men. “Its quite unfortunate we have not come to understand this years ago”

“Its never too late to start” Zipporah quoted and helped them to plan how to start a conservation group for easy coordination of activities at the village level including the continued dissemination of information about family planning which combines a strong element of environmental conservation.  It was a starting point for this village.

“Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and, in the process, heal our own - indeed to embrace the whole of creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. Recognizing that sustainable development, democracy and peace are indivisible is an idea whose time has come” Wangari Maathai

In the past three months, through your support CHAT was able to reach a total of 3,781 individuals with behavior change communication (bcc) information with 1,507 clients receiving different FP methods of which 1020 chose the long-term methods of 3- and 5-years protection.  18,777 condoms were distributed.

*Not their real names

As the team was providing services at Ngilati village, a woman, jovial but in some sort of a hurry,  said to the mobile clinic driver

‘I am so delighted to see this car, please come to Sananguri - there is a wedding tomorrow. We are in great need.’ Even before the driver could ask more, the woman had already started striding away. The driver shared with CHAT’s CORP partner, Pauline, who explained that in the next community, that’s where the wedding would be. The team continued providing their services then made preparations  to serve more clients at the wedding the following day.  

Early morning, they set camp right outside Sanaguri. Having gone ahead, CORP Pauline had already started sensitizing the community. She specifically started with the lady who had, the previous day, passed by the vehicle. Leyantai* had heard about the services offered by the yellow landrover she wanted to learn more and see if it was an option for her.

Leyantai is a third wife, having been married to a man who only had daughters. She knew she was doomed for since she too had the same predicament as her preceding co-wives, having to give birth until it’s a boy. She now had seven girls and no boy yet. She was tired and wanted a rest. She felt like she did not need any more children. Leyantai knew this was a safe place to access the much-needed help. Her husband was happy and making merry with his mates so telling him she needed a little break at this time was not going to be hard.

And indeed, when she shared with her husband after talking to CORP Pauline, so as to understand better, he agreed that she could rest from having a child for sometime but with the condition that she still had the obligation of giving him a son. Leyantei was the happiest woman at the wedding, even happier than the bride! She chose and received the a five-year protection implant. She knew that this would help her a lot for the next few years.

‘You have helped me a lot today. Ashe Oleng!’’ Leyantai said, and then she called all her friends and told them about family planning (fp) immediately she left the service tent.

‘This is a very smart woman. I wish we can have hundreds more like her in every community.’ Pauline commented as she went back to get some more women from the wedding to inform and be able to access services.

In the past three months, with support from our GG donors  cost shared with others -we have been able to reach 34,192 individuals (both men and women) with behavior change information ( BCC) about family planning – using  a Population Health & Environment (PHE)  approach and 8,511 chose and were provided with different methods of contraception.

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” Franklin D. Roosevelt