By Ellen Libby
Apr, 2019
On the road into Nyangweta
The Ministry of Health van picked me up this morning. Davis was waiting in the van for me and true to his nature, he grabbed my backpack off my shoulder and helped me up onto the high seat. Davis is a rare gem of a human. He has that peaceful, quiet grace about him that makes him a pleasant work companion and a great community engagement field officer. I typically think of lively, energetic personality types for community engagement, but Davis is perfect for much of the field work done. His soft demeanor isn’t imposing and his genuine kindness exudes trustworthiness during his interactions with mothers and children.
We turned off the busy asphalt road and onto a dirt road where we jostled up and down and left and right following the depths and curves of potholes until we finally reached our destination of Nyangweta. The driver dropped us off, confirmed the return pick-up time with us, and drove away. Davis and I walked up the road to meet our other team member, Caroline, along with the village guide to continue the process of conducting the census of the Iranda district project area that the team has been working on over the past two weeks.
Caroline, Davis, and the village guide leading us to our first home
The team wanted me to participate in the census today so that I could see the real-time implementation of the digital form I helped them develop and see if modifications were needed for improving efficiency and accuracy. I mentioned previously that all projects led by Curamericas Global start with a census. This process ensures their projects are based on evidence collected and programs are designed to address the health issues.
A humble home nestled within the lush landscape of Iranda
Our data collection will be the baseline information for the maternal and child health program to support the county’s goal to improve health outcomes in the rural reaches of Kisii. As part of the census, we are seeking to obtain information about their pregnancies, deliveries, child nutrition, malaria prevention, water sources, and hygiene practices. The baseline is critical in understanding the indicators for us to track our work as we implement programs and monitor progress.
Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurement for monitoring child nutrition
Measuring the height of under two-year-olds for child health nutrition monitoring
We weren’t able to accomplish reaching many homes today due to a funeral scheduled midday. This meant most of the village residents would not be home and our village guide would not be available to us as he was an instrumental person at the service. These unexpected events happen everywhere, but more dramatically in places like Kenya. A funeral service in a village like Nyangweta will bring everyone in the community together. One doesn’t have to be a prominent figure to be celebrated for their life and one doesn’t have to love their neighbor to come together. It’s a simple, beautiful reminder to us that we are all human beings deserving an opportunity to live life fully and that when our time comes to an end — let's gather to appreciate life together.
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