Kenya: Lwala Healthcare Project

Lwala Community Hospital Program Update, Q3 2013

January 08, 2014

Katherine Falk

Summary of Activities

Funded maternal and child health costs including:

  • Personnel costs for nurses Rose Gayo and Geoffrey Orangi and nurse aid Rosemary Akello
  • 58% of medicine costs
  • Funded ambulance repairs and maintenance
  • Funded fuel for ambulance to provide emergency transportation
  • Funded obstetric emergency referrals
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Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

youth gather to listen to a health education talk

Targeting Youth

Youth Friendly Bi-monthly Clinics

Youth friendly clinics are ongoing twice a month (one at the hospital and one in the community). 182 youth were reached with FP services in Q3.

the men's soccer teams battle it out

WASH Trainings Numbers are Up

Tournament Increases Participation

3rd Annual WASH Tournament held in August. Several LCA program activities were displayed and services provided at the tournament venue. These were health education, FP short term and long term, HIV testing and First Aid. More than 600 people watched the games daily. See Story 1 for details.

Building Income

DIG Team Weekly Vegetable Market

The DIG team is selling vegetables at the facility to staff and community members on Fridays.

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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
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More

Photos

Click to enlarge

Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
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Numbers

Served

January 2014

1,519 enrolled in maternal/child health program

84 people attended WASH Trainings in Q3, 2013
123 women reached by long-term family planning
23 Youth Peer Providers promoting family planning and safe sex

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Success

Stories

3rd Annual WASH Tournament

The 3rd Annual WASH Tournament was held in August at Lwala Primary School. Over 900 people attended the 6-day sports tournament. In order to play in the tournament, team members were required to complete a 4-day WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) training and show proof during follow-up of a latrine and hand-washing station at their homes. This year, approximately a dozen men’s soccer teams, 4 women’s soccer teams, and several women’s volleyball and net ball teams participated. Aside from the sports competition, there were a variety of health education and mobilization activities that were organized and staffed throughout the week at the tournament. Community members sold locally made soap while WASH items like biosand filters, t-shirts, and soap were being raffled off. Lwala Community Alliance staff set up tents for HIV testing and counseling, education on family planning, and treatment of minor injuries.Youth focused outreaches were conducted at the tournament, reaching a total of 400 youths with sexual and reproductive health information and contraceptives. In addition, mobilization meetings were conducted for the Closing the Gap program to create demand for LTM; 608 people were reached and 47 clients were given long-term family planning methods. All in all, the tournament was a big success!

Evelyne Adhiambo

Evelyne Adhiambo was a single mother of one at the age of 17, and even though she had no plans of having a second child in the near future, she had no idea how she was going to manage that. “I only knew about condoms and pills,” says Evelyne. “This was risky because sometimes you can forget to take the pills or use condoms which increase the chances of getting unwanted pregnancy. I was always scared.”

Like countless other Kenyan women, Evelyne had no impression that other long-term methods of family planning were available in health centers. She didn’t know that she could access family planning education through counseling and also receive a contraceptive of choice for free at her nearest health center. “I was so surprised when I was approached by one lady from Lwala Community Alliance who told me after a very long talk that I can visit their health center for family planning services,” she recounts. “I was even more surprised when she told me that regardless of the method you choose, it was all for free and you did not have to spend any money. I didn’t believe it. I just kept on wondering why the Lwala Hospital was offering this for free.”

Evelyne did not visit the hospital immediately as she didn’t think the lady was passing the right information to her despite the fact that they had a lengthy conversation on this. It wasn’t until Evelyne visited Lwala Community Hospital to have her child immunized that she saw posters and drawings on the walls informing of the family planning services available at the clinic. “I still wasn’t convinced until I sat in front of the nurse who was very knowledgeable about the family planning methods,” she recalls. “They were all very kind to me and explained all the methods. I chose Jardelle, which is a 5-year method of family planning. I am very happy with this method. Thanks to that lady who first informed me on this amenity, and thanks to these wall paintings and posters.”

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Initiative Page: Lwala Healthcare Project