Kenya: Lwala Healthcare Project
Creating Partnerships to Change Education: Q1 2016
April 29, 2016
Liz Chamberlain
Summary of Activities
Lwala Community Alliance (LCA) is a community-led, nonprofit health and development agency working in Migori County in rural western Kenya. Through the Lwala Community Hospital, the organization provides 30,000 patient visits each year. The LCA’s mission is to meet the health needs and build the capacity of all people living in North Kamagambo, including the poorest residents. The Lwala Community Hospital is part of a larger effort to achieve holistic development in Lwala and the surrounding community, including educational and economic development.
RMF funded maternal and child health costs including:
- Personnel costs for nurses Rose Gayo and Vincent Onsongo
- 58% of medicine costs
Medical Services Provided
Basic Primary Care Services
Treatment of TB
Maternal and Child Health Services
- Antenatal and Postnatal Care
- Vaccination
- Growth Monitoring
- PMTCT of HIV
- Family Planning
Comprehensive care for HIV
- Preventative Services (including PMTCT and male circumcision)
- Counseling and Testing (voluntary, diagnostic, and provider-initiated)
- Care and Treatment (for people living with HIV, including ARVs and nutritional support)

Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Public Health
Sustained Care
- Implementation of HAWI (HIV & WASH Integrated project) continued during this quarter. 739 HIV-affected individuals were enrolled throughout the catchment area, and CHWs (Community Health Workers) were trained on provision of care at the household level and how to refer and link patients to the hospital.
- “Thrive thru 5” continues to make impressive gains, with over 3,500 households and 3,900 children in North Kamagambo registered in the program cumulatively.
- Cholera preparedness exercises were carried out in the community to ensure safe drinking water and hygienic conditions in households, through both distribution of treatment packs and community education activities.

Managing Data
Monitoring and Evaluation
- A baseline assessment on literacy levels was carried out with all participants in the eReader program, along with students from three control schools. This will allow LCA to compare the baseline results and endline results from both the treatment and control schools to measure any significant differences.
- A culture of data usage is continuing to take root in program decisions through the introduction of an ongoing Data Dive initiative across different teams.
- Two new Princeton in Africa Fellows were selected from a very competitive candidate pool and will begin working on the M&E team in Lwala during July and August.

Education
Academic Success
- The in-school and out-of-school girls’ mentoring program was launched for another year, now implemented in 13 primary schools and reaching nearly 480 young women. New mentors were recruited and trained at the beginning of the year to successfully support the program’s growth.
- Nearly all (8 of 9) sponsored students received scores on their high school exams that will allow them to attend a high-ranking university in Kenya.
- Ten new scholarship beneficiaries were added in early 2016: 1 supported by Equity Bank-Mastercard Foundation, 2 by Education for all Children (EFAC), and 7 by Kenya Education Fund (KEF).
Hospital Program
Comprehensive Health Care
- The hospital renovation was fully completed and occupied during the quarter, including use of a new pediatric and women’s inpatient ward in addition to the new laboratory, pharmacy, and maternal and child health service rooms.
- Virtually all patients who came into Lwala Community Hospital were tested for HIV, both inpatients and outpatients. This 100% linkage is critical to reducing new infections and providing better health outcomes for the infected.
- There was increased participation in HIV support groups associated with the roll out of HAWI (HIV & WASH Integrated project).
Economic Development
Increased Opportunities
- Lwala Community Alliance (LCA) carried out a competition at the Sankalp Forum in Nairobi, called the Economic Design Challenge. Over 10 submissions were received, and a team of judges selected an innovative idea from Village Enterprise, which LCA began working with soon after.
- A second Economic Design Challenge was carried out among the Lwala Kenya staff, and a winner was selected. The winning team’s idea will be piloted during Q3 and Q4 in the Lwala community.
Operations and Finance
Caring for Staff
- The staff housing project was completed, and occupants moved into the new spaces during this quarter. The new staff housing is fully equipped with water, electricity, and other amenities.
- The audit process in Kenya was successfully completed, and a definitive opinion was given.
- The new chart of accounts system was fully underway during the quarter, allowing executive leadership and program managers to more accurately track and forecast their spending and fundraising requirements.

Background
& Objectives
Background
Lwala is a village of approximately 1,500 people near Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Within an hour’s walk, approximately 3,000 additional people live in nearby villages accessible by dirt roads. Poor physical infrastructure, including impassable roads during the rainy season, lack of electricity and lack of reliable drinking water, have helped to create a critical healthcare challenge in Lwala. The mission of the Lwala Community Hospital is to meet the holistic health needs of all members of the Lwala community.
Objectives
- Improve patient care and clinical operations
- Improve access and facility infrastructure
- Expand and improve quality of education programs
- Professionalize the organization through better policies and practices
- Properly procure and account for physical, financial, and human resources
- Increase impact of health outreach programs
- Build capacity of community members in income generating activities
- Improve programs through better communication and monitoring and evaluation

More
Photos
Click to enlarge





Numbers
Served
Direct Beneficiaries
During the reporting period, 10,140 patients were served at Lwala Community Hospital.
Indirect Beneficiaries
Approximately 30,000. The total population of North Kamagambo is 16,500, and programs are a magnet to people beyond North Kamagambo.


More Reports on: Lwala Healthcare Project Archive
Country Page: Kenya
Initiative Page: Lwala Healthcare Project