Laura with Kenya Associate Director of Health and Water Programming, in Kenya

Over the past couple of months there have been some exciting developments at the Baraka Health Clinic. In January, Free The Children hosted a group of North American specialists as part of a medical volunteer trip. Below is a full account of the trip written by Laura Richard, our Associate Director of Development, who accompanied the group.

Medicis and its Passion to Heal

Written by: Laura Richard, Associate Director of Development at Free The Children

Among the many health challenges that we see in Free The Children-supported communities, skin conditions do not often receive the same level of attention as other diseases and illnesses.  However, skin conditions are quite prevalent in regions where we operate and can be extremely debilitating to those who suffer from them.

Thanks to a grant from the Arizona-based organization Medicis, Free The Children has been able to significantly increase access to specialized medical care in Kenya through the healthcare pillar of our Adopt a Village model.  The grant provided to Free The Children through Medicis’ Passion to Heal program enables us to establish a comprehensive program that targets treatment of skin conditions we see in our clinics.

As part of this program, Free The Children has been able to send North American specialists to Kenya to practice at the Baraka Health Clinic and in our community schools.  I was fortunate enough to take part in the inaugural Passion to Heal medical volunteer trip to Kenya in late January.  This experience opened my eyes to the need as well as the opportunities to provide a high level of specialized care to Free The Children-supported communities.

On this medical volunteer trip, 15 dermatologists, dermatology residents, physician assistants and nurses from across North America rolled up their sleeves to work alongside the Baraka Health Clinic team.  They spent their mornings working at the Baraka Health Clinic, diagnosing and treating 280 patients who travelled miles in search of specialized care for their skin conditions.  In the afternoons, this dedicated team of specialists visited Free The Children schools in Motony, Emori Joi and Salabwek to screen school children for skin conditions.  Over the week, they were able to screen an incredible 2005 students, many of whom were referred for future treatment to the Baraka Health Clinic.

During my visit to Kenya, I witnessed the incredible passion and commitment of the 15 medical professionals who participated in this medical volunteer trip.  I also saw the humble and true gratitude that community members expressed towards the medical team. Though I lost track of the number of cases that were successfully diagnosed and treated throughout the week, I will forever remember the look in the eyes of patients whose lives have been changed.  In a region where those with skin conditions are often stigmatized and rarely leave their homes, the treatment provided will now enable children to go to school and women to work in the community and provide for their families. All thanks to the attentive care of these specialists from North America.

There is one event that stands out particularly in my mind. On our third day working at the Baraka Health Clinic, five young boys arrived through the gates from the nearby community of Motony.  They had been screened by doctors the day before, and had been told that the team at Baraka would book appointments with their parents so that they could be seen by the next group of Passion to Heal specialists in March.  With a desire to get better, these eight-year-old boys travelled on foot for over two hours to reach the Baraka Health Clinic.

Thanks to Free The Children projects, including the Passion to Heal program, these boys and many others will have the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential, and live a healthy life.

The stocked pharamacy at Baraka provides much needed medicine for patients

In our last update, we commemorated Baraka’s one year anniversary. By December 31, 2011, Baraka clinic was one year, two months and 17 days old. During this time, a total of 7,717 community members had sought curative as well as preventive services at the clinic, averaging at 22 clients per day. In the four month period from September to December 2011, 1,565 people had used the clinic. These numbers reflect the need for the Baraka clinic in the community and the success that it has seen just within a year of being in operation.

As Baraka establishes itself in the community as not only a health clinic, but as a centre for health education, the hope is that more visiting patients will be seeking preventive care. The Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) and the Ante-Natal Care (ANC) clinic are part of Baraka’s preventive block. Happily, new patient enrollment at the CWC continues to steadily increase, which means that the community recognizes the importance of the clinic, and is willing to learn more about healthy living. Children from the community have also been coming to the clinic to get updated on their immunizations. In November 2011, most children had completed their immunization!

At the ANC clinic, 76 per cent of pregnant women are between 12-29 years of age. Since the clinic provides treatment as well as health education for pregnant women, these young mothers-to-be benefit from visiting the clinic. Baraka’s ANC clinic is a great resource for them to ensure a healthy and safe delivery.

In terms of curative and treatment services, the clinic was most sought out in the month of September. As the Maasai Mara slips into its spring season in September, community members are more vulnerable to viral pathogens and infections. As a result, the highest number of tests for Brucella—an occupational disease most commonly affecting people working with cattle—and typhoid fever were conducted at this time. Epidemiological tests were also conducted for the community members as well. These tests were able to help identify specific diseases that commonly affect certain age groups. The tests revealed that children aged 0-5 years are usually afflicted by respiratory conditions, while those aged 60 and above are more prone to hypertension and rheumatic diseases. The most vulnerable demographic is the 25-59 age group which is exposed to a variety of diseases.

The Baraka clinic hopes to use this information to enhance preventive as well as curative care. By identifying the diseases that each demographic is most vulnerable to, Baraka staff hope that the diagnosis and treatment process will also be easier and more efficient, in future.

Women and children at Baraka's Ante-Natal Clinic

The last few months have been very busy ones for the Baraka Health Centre. This past October marked the one year anniversary of its opening and Baraka has already seen an amazing growth in the number of people it reaches. Thousands of people have been treated at Baraka, many of them traveling as far as 50 km to visit the Health Centre.

Free The Children has been working with Kenya’s Maternal Child Health department to encourage pregnant women to attend the Antenatal Care (ANC) clinic offered at Baraka. In addition to any needed treatment, visitors to the ANC clinic are educated on health topics including HIV/AIDS, personal hygiene and nutrition and the importance of delivering a baby in the hospital.

At Baraka’s Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) there was an encouraging 21 percent increase in attendance over the summer. The CWC is building long-term relationships with its patients, as more than three quarters of its patients have already visited the clinic multiple times. At the CWC, children receive life-sustaining immunizations while mothers are taught about children’s health, including subjects such as weaning, malnutrition and basic first aid.

In addition to the work done at these clinics, Baraka treats people for various ailments. So far, the most common conditions addressed at Baraka have been typhoid fever and respiratory tract infections. These two ailments combined make up 35 percent of the illnesses seen at the centre but, for certain demographics, there are diseases that occur with more frequency. For example, while older children are primarily affected by respiratory problems, children under five years old have more incidences of pneumonia.

This summer, members of Baraka’s health team reached out to Free The Children’s nearby girls secondary school, Kisaruni, conducting a First Aid Training session for the school’s staff to prepare them for emergency cases. Kisaruni’s personnel were instructed on how to treat choking, burns, bleeding wounds, shock and fainting, as well as how to do a do a head-to-toe survey for injuries and many other important first aid methods.

Free The Children is excited about these developments and is looking forward to continuing our health-sustaining and life-saving work at the Baraka Health Clinic. It is our hope that, with our help, the people of the surrounding communities will soon have the knowledge, tools and resources to prevent as much disease and malnutrition as they can and come to Baraka for the rest.

Alice Cheborgei says that, thanks to Free The Children's Baraka Health Clinic, healthcare in her community has undergone a vast improvement. For the first time, families like Alice's now have access to immediate and inexpensive medical services. It's a much-appreciated change from the way healthcare used to be. As the 35-year-old housewife and mother of six explains, locals used to have to travel to Longisa hospital to see a doctor and receive medical treatment. It was a journey she made twice, once when she had malaria and again when her eldest child did. But for most of her neighbours, the trip was prohibitively long. As Alice explains, the sick would usually just "stay home" because of the distance.

This situation took quite a toll on the community. And not just on its health: "Without good health I am not able to do anything in my farm and even my business," says Alice, adding that, without available medical services in the community, "the economy will go down because when people are sick they cannot produce."

With its fast and easily available treatment and an ambulance to cut down on travel time, Baraka is keeping people healthy and allowing them to focus on their work. It's even helped to decrease the number of cases of illness in the area through preventative health training for local mamas. Through the clinic, Alice and the other women in her community group have learned to stave off disease with simple household measures such as boiling water before drinking it.

For Alice, the Baraka Health Clinic's presence in the community has been an empowering one, not only ensuring the well-being of community members, but giving women the knowledge and confidence to keep their families healthy, as well. As Alice says, describing her gratitude for the clinic and its founders, "Free The Children to me means development and positive change."

Michelle Hambly, who heads up the Baraka Medical Clinic, takes you on a tour to meet the staff and see the facilities of the brand new Baraka Clinic in Kenya. To see the full extent of how you are helping bring quality medical care to over 40,000 people in the Masaai Mara, please watch the video above!

The Baraka Clinic's medical staff pose infront of their new workplace

The Kenya Health Resource Centre, also known as the Baraka Clinic, is now fully operational and is offering medical services to 25,000 people in the South Narok District of the Maasai Mara. Last month, Prince Edward of Sussex , England flew into the Mara just in time for the Baraka Clinic's inauguration ceremony. With over 1000 community members cheering in the crowd, the Prince cut the ceremonial ribbon, signifying its official opening.

It was a truly momentous day, with everyone smiling, singing and dancing together in celebration of the changes that a permanent clinic will bring. In a region where it is not uncommon for a pregnant woman to walk 20 kilometres during labour to the nearest hospital, or for a child to die within his/her first five years, the inclusion of a mother-child health wing in the clinic brings a great sense of relief to community members.

Now that the clinic is up and running, we need your continued support to ensure that it is able to deliver quality services as efficiently and to as many people in the region as possible. By donating to our health pillar and indicating in the notes section that you would like your donation to go towards the Baraka Clinic, you can help ensure the effective provision of health care in the South Narok District!

Hospital beds and other supplies have been brought in

The Kenya Health Resource Centre is nearly fully furnished! Hospital beds, IV machines, and most other supplies have been set up. We are still awaiting the ultra-sound machine. Check back soon -the Health Centre is very close to opening its doors to the Kenyan communities that Free The Children works with as well as other communities in the vicinity!

Alice is proud to show off her newly constructed chimney cooker

For most of us, the worst part about cooking a meal is washing the dishes afterwards. However, for many community members we work with in rural Kenya, cooking a meal involves adverse health effects as well as time and labour-intensive chores that take time away from generating income for the family. Free The Children is excited to launch a new Chimney Project that will reduce respiratory problems caused by indoor smoke inhalation and reduce the amount of time it takes to collect firewood!

This initiative will provide the greatest benefit to mamas in the community as it is they who spend the most time cooking in the kitchen and inhaling smoky air. Chimney cookers are a simple and low-cost solution to the widespread problem of respiratory illness among women. Chimney cookers are also more efficient in burning wood, and will reduce firewood use by 50%, saving roughly 5 kilograms per day per household. In a year's time, the average amount of firewood each family will save is over 1.8 tons. In a community where there are an average number of 40 families, that's an impressive 73 tons of wood saved every year.

The Chimney Project has been incorporated into Free The Children's 'Habits of a Healthy Home' initiative. This initiative encourages mamas to complete seven small projects aimed to better the health of their families, such as digging a pit latrine or constructing a dish rack. Building a chimney is now the official eighth healthy habit to round out the list of projects that will improve community members' quality of life. A donation of $75 to our health pillar in Kenya will allow for a family to construct a chimney cooker for their home, instantly providing them with a healthier environment in which to live and breathe.

Only finishing touches are required to complete the health resource centre!

Near completion!

Free The Children has seen access to quality health care as one of the major challenges facing rural Kenyans. Poor health has been a significant factor contributing to weak performance in schools. To combat health related challenges, Free The Children has been excitedly working on the construction of a new Health Resource Centre. Located in the Narok South Constituency of Kenya, the centre will provide improved health care to both the Kipsigis and Maasai communities of the Maasai Mara region. This permanent facility will serve over 25,000 community members, focusing on the promotion of preventative health care and ensuring the delivery of health care services to some of the most vulnerable communities in Kenya.

To date, construction of the Health Resource Centre has been going extremely well and is on schedule to open this fall! Free The Children's Kenyan staff members have put ceiling boards on and painted all three blocks of the centre. They have also installed the window panes for the first two rooms of the main clinic block. Moreover, conduits for electricity wires have been inserted into the wall on the main clinic block.

In addition, we have tilled half an acre of land for a medicinal garden. The digging of holes has commenced for the planting of the Moringa medicinal plant and guavas. Seedlings for eggplant are being raised as well. By implementing a multitude of health initiatives, Free The Children is expecting to improve the overall health of the population in the Narok South Constituency.

A deep-water well was dug at the clinic site in August of 2009 at a depth of 120 metres. Since then, a generator house has been built and a generator installed. This will be used to pump water to a tank which will then flow directly to the Health Resource Centre.

Currently, it is only final touches that are needed to complete the Kenya Health Resource Centre! This includes mounting tiles, installing wash sinks and water pipes, putting in electricity sockets, and adding furnishings.

A nurse providing health training to a women's group

Staffing

Three new additional staff members have joined the medical team since the beginning of the year: a professional nurse, a clinical officer and a Deputy Director of health, water and sanitation. The medical team also now has a Program Manager. The new staff members are currently working with the rest of the medical team in conducting mobile clinic visits, working with women's groups and carrying out school health initiatives.

Capacity Building

The medical team has been fortunate to receive three training sessions to develop the skills that they already have. The first training was on strategic planning for the medical clinic. The second training was conducted by a visiting psychologist which discussed handling trauma in the community and methods for HIV/AIDS counseling. Finally, the third training was on improving first-aid practices.

Strengthening Relationships

Our team has actively been actively involved in identifying and harnessing linkages with the Ministry of Health as well as other health institutions in preparation for future collaboration and for referral services. This has involved visiting health institutions and strengthening relationships with those who Free The Children already works with. Most of the institutions visited have been very positive and have promised to give their utmost support because, at the end of the day, we are all working towards healthy communities and hence a healthy nation!

Data Collection and Analysis

While the construction work is well underway, our staff is also busy with collecting data from the nearby communities for the purposes of creating a database of common diseases in the area and their prevalence in the population. These accurate statistics will help guide what types of clinical services the Health Resource Centre will focus on in order to meet community members' needs.

Community Participation

The chief, the education officer, teachers, parents, headmasters and all community members have been part of the planning and construction of the Health Resource Centre. Also, through informal training with Free The Children health professionals, we currently have at least one health activist per community who is constantly engaging their community about health issues and empowering them to make positive, healthy changes in their lives and homes. We call them 'The gate mamas' They will also be actively involved in helping FTC meet community needs by being the link between the community and the Clinic. As well, each Free The Children school in Kenya has a health club consisting of roughly 30 members each, all who spread awareness of health issues to their peers, families, and other community members!

A group of babas sit around and chat about Free The Children's health initiatives

Despite the hot weather, Free The Children's medical team in Kenya was determined to mobilize a group of mamas to attend a trauma and counseling workshop. On their way to meet the mamas, the medical team spotted a group of community babas sitting under a tree. The team decided to pass by and give them handshakes. The men were very excited as the team approached and one of the babas said, 'We men do not show how we feel inside but today, we will let you know how much we appreciate that building' pointing at the medical clinic with his walking stick.

'We have been waiting and now it is here, we can see it' another man added. 'Our lives will be saved -the children, the women. Now that it's next door, I don't have to look for transport or hire a taxi to Tenwek, Narok or Longisa. We have started the countdown, but now that you are here, please tell us when it will open. The sooner the better!'

Time was catching up and the team had to bid goodbye as the men resumed the discussions of what the clinic would mean to them and their families.