Community Efforts by Community Members
Even for someone from the west coast of Canada the recent rhythm of the rain has seemed an almost foreign sound after months of straight sunshine. It signals the beginning of the rainy season, and with it, an increase in mosquitoes harboring the malaria parasite. In preparation, the Kenya Red Cross has mobilized its volunteers for an intensive ‘Hang Up’ campaign to encourage the use of mosquito nets.
When properly hung over sleeping spaces, insecticide treated nets prevent malaria by providing an effective barrier to mosquitoes. In July and September 2006, the Kenya Red Cross - in partnership with the Kenya Ministry of Health, distributed approximately 3.5 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets free of charge, but now they must promote proper usage by those most at risk – children and pregnant women. Over the longer term, a ‘Keep Up’ program will be conducted through periodic house to house visits by volunteers to continue to promote net use as well as communicate other health messages such as prompt treatment of fever and completion of immunizations.
The Kenya Red Cross, like other national societies, is a volunteer based organization rooted at the community level. This enables Red Cross to be effective in social mobilization - a process to reach, influence, and involve all relevant segments of society to affect positive behavior and social change. However, organizational capacity does not guarantee program success and it is therefore critical to gauge and evaluate programs in order to adapt approaches and strategies and become more effective. The Kenya Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, with technical support from the American Red Cross, will be conducting an evaluation of the “Keep Up” program to assess its effectiveness, and I have been working to support Dr. Patricia David - Senior Health Advisor with the American Red Cross prepare the initial survey.
In order to prevent inaccurate results, a great deal of thought and attention must be put into the careful wording of every question asked in a survey of this nature. It is critical to rely not only on the advice of professionals who specialize in the field of data collection and analysis, but also on people with local knowledge who understand the cultural context. Questions must be easily understood, even by those with little or no education, but must not be overly leading, or they risk encouraging false responses.
This baseline survey will provide information about current net ownership and use as well as gauge the level of general malaria knowledge. When compared against the final survey, the results will reveal the impact and effectiveness of the program and will provide information that can be used to develop guidelines and training materials for future Red Cross programs and for other civil society organizations wishing to implement similar initiatives.
Outside of work, and through a strange twist of fate, I have had the opportunity to link up with a grassroots women’s group from Kibera – one of Nairobi’s slums, and one of the largest in the world. There are nearly a million people living in Kibera, approximately one quarter of the population of Nairobi. Though they pay rent, they have no legal entitlement to the land on which they live. They are forced to seek protection from forced displacement through political or tribal patronage, or they risk having their homes dismantled or burnt down. With each wave of migration towards the urban center and away from the problems of rural underdevelopment faced throughout the country and the region, Kibera has become home to residents from all the major tribal and ethnic groups. This multi-ethnic make up combined with the system of political and tribal patronage has been the source of many violent and volatile conflicts over the years.
The group I met was formed spontaneously by women representing all of Kibera’s tribes and major religions who came together despite that their differences were often the source of conflict, with a common desire to provide protection and support to women being targeted for rape and abuse during the tribal warring of 2000. Since then, they have grown to nearly 200 members and evolved into a branch of a broader movement called the Vision Sisters. Today, the Kibera Branch meet regularly and are involved in everything from support and care to people living with HIV/Aids to pooling funds to acquire legal entitlement to land.
As the lack of land ownership is one of the main reasons for the marginalization of those living in Kibera, the primary goal of the Vision Sisters is to raise funds to purchase legal land and shelter outside of the slum for all of its members. However, in recognition that this will take time, they have also turned their attention to meeting the immediate needs of the most vulnerable among them, and within the broader community. To support their initiatives, they run a catering service for local weddings and celebrations that provides a source of revenue they use to rent a meeting room and fund their activities and land purchases.
Until now, the group has been entirely self-funded and independent, but through meetings with local contacts and introductions to other contacts, the group is beginning to tap into some of the resources and support structures that they can access through partnerships and collaborations. As a result of their networking, several members were invited to participate in last summer’s World Urban Forum held in Vancouver. When Mama Hamza, the group’s Chairlady, shared with me her thoughts on the conference, I could see the pride and confidence the experience had instilled in her. At the World Urban Forum, they were able to meet with other grassroot groups as well as major organizations from all over the world to share ideas and learn from each other. These women, most of whom are of a generation that didn’t have the opportunity to attend school beyond primary level, now speak the language of development; talking about organizational capacity, income generation activities, and good governance. With the support of a local contact with the United Nations Development Programme, occasional access to a public computer for email and typing, and a small budget for printing, they are now preparing to write a proposal for funding to build a women’s shelter and have interest from a major international donor.
Knowing the language and systems of organizations may seem insignificant, but that knowledge is the key to accessing outside support. With this support, a local group like the Vision Sisters can develop programs that are based on their understanding of the needs and capacities of their community that those on the outside would likely never be able to. While I was not there in an official Red Cross capacity, I helped to brainstorm ways that they could tap into the services and training provided by the Red Cross, such as First Aid training and the HIV/Aids home based care program. In its essence, this is how the Red Cross can best serve the most vulnerable - by tapping into the potential within vulnerable communities and empowering community members to actively improve their circumstances.
Walking through Kibera, the vibrancy of life is evident throughout; its narrow dirt pathways - arteries of activity - wind between the jumble of tin shelters. A butcher hacks at hind quarters along side a barber who cuts hair, and nearby a rough piece of blackboard advertised in chalk a ‘movie theatre’ - a cramped dark room playing pirated dvd’s on a small television. Evident also is the tragic realities of utter poverty; garbage and feces line the paths - evidence of the ‘flying toilet’ - a practice of
disposing of human waste by simply tossing away the bag used as there is nowhere to properly dispose of it - and flows into streams used for drinking, contributing to the spread of disease. Substance abuse is rampant, as is physical abuse. Children are especially vulnerable as many have been orphaned by mother’s succumbing to HIV/Aids, a growing problem with one fifth those infected with HIV in Kenya, living in its slums.
It was humbling to see the strength and resilience of those who live there; to see that people find ways to support their families, ways to have their children go to school, ways to feel joy and happiness even when surrounded by hardship. However, it is also discouraging knowing the immense challenges they face, and I can’t help but feel that the slum phenomenon will be one of the biggest challenges the world will face in the next hundred years if globalization continues to further marginalize people through gross disparities of wealth.
…As I looked out over the ever expanding horizon of tin roof tops, feeling overwhelmed and
somewhat dejected, Mama Hamza tapped me on the arm knowingly as a close relative would and spoke in almost reassuring tones about the future of Kiberia. She remains optimistic that things can improve, and she has taught me that if women like her, who have seen and experienced so much hardship, can find reason for optimism then all of us should.
When properly hung over sleeping spaces, insecticide treated nets prevent malaria by providing an effective barrier to mosquitoes. In July and September 2006, the Kenya Red Cross - in partnership with the Kenya Ministry of Health, distributed approximately 3.5 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets free of charge, but now they must promote proper usage by those most at risk – children and pregnant women. Over the longer term, a ‘Keep Up’ program will be conducted through periodic house to house visits by volunteers to continue to promote net use as well as communicate other health messages such as prompt treatment of fever and completion of immunizations.The Kenya Red Cross, like other national societies, is a volunteer based organization rooted at the community level. This enables Red Cross to be effective in social mobilization - a process to reach, influence, and involve all relevant segments of society to affect positive behavior and social change. However, organizational capacity does not guarantee program success and it is therefore critical to gauge and evaluate programs in order to adapt approaches and strategies and become more effective. The Kenya Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, with technical support from the American Red Cross, will be conducting an evaluation of the “Keep Up” program to assess its effectiveness, and I have been working to support Dr. Patricia David - Senior Health Advisor with the American Red Cross prepare the initial survey.
In order to prevent inaccurate results, a great deal of thought and attention must be put into the careful wording of every question asked in a survey of this nature. It is critical to rely not only on the advice of professionals who specialize in the field of data collection and analysis, but also on people with local knowledge who understand the cultural context. Questions must be easily understood, even by those with little or no education, but must not be overly leading, or they risk encouraging false responses.
This baseline survey will provide information about current net ownership and use as well as gauge the level of general malaria knowledge. When compared against the final survey, the results will reveal the impact and effectiveness of the program and will provide information that can be used to develop guidelines and training materials for future Red Cross programs and for other civil society organizations wishing to implement similar initiatives.
Outside of work, and through a strange twist of fate, I have had the opportunity to link up with a grassroots women’s group from Kibera – one of Nairobi’s slums, and one of the largest in the world. There are nearly a million people living in Kibera, approximately one quarter of the population of Nairobi. Though they pay rent, they have no legal entitlement to the land on which they live. They are forced to seek protection from forced displacement through political or tribal patronage, or they risk having their homes dismantled or burnt down. With each wave of migration towards the urban center and away from the problems of rural underdevelopment faced throughout the country and the region, Kibera has become home to residents from all the major tribal and ethnic groups. This multi-ethnic make up combined with the system of political and tribal patronage has been the source of many violent and volatile conflicts over the years.
The group I met was formed spontaneously by women representing all of Kibera’s tribes and major religions who came together despite that their differences were often the source of conflict, with a common desire to provide protection and support to women being targeted for rape and abuse during the tribal warring of 2000. Since then, they have grown to nearly 200 members and evolved into a branch of a broader movement called the Vision Sisters. Today, the Kibera Branch meet regularly and are involved in everything from support and care to people living with HIV/Aids to pooling funds to acquire legal entitlement to land.As the lack of land ownership is one of the main reasons for the marginalization of those living in Kibera, the primary goal of the Vision Sisters is to raise funds to purchase legal land and shelter outside of the slum for all of its members. However, in recognition that this will take time, they have also turned their attention to meeting the immediate needs of the most vulnerable among them, and within the broader community. To support their initiatives, they run a catering service for local weddings and celebrations that provides a source of revenue they use to rent a meeting room and fund their activities and land purchases.
Until now, the group has been entirely self-funded and independent, but through meetings with local contacts and introductions to other contacts, the group is beginning to tap into some of the resources and support structures that they can access through partnerships and collaborations. As a result of their networking, several members were invited to participate in last summer’s World Urban Forum held in Vancouver. When Mama Hamza, the group’s Chairlady, shared with me her thoughts on the conference, I could see the pride and confidence the experience had instilled in her. At the World Urban Forum, they were able to meet with other grassroot groups as well as major organizations from all over the world to share ideas and learn from each other. These women, most of whom are of a generation that didn’t have the opportunity to attend school beyond primary level, now speak the language of development; talking about organizational capacity, income generation activities, and good governance. With the support of a local contact with the United Nations Development Programme, occasional access to a public computer for email and typing, and a small budget for printing, they are now preparing to write a proposal for funding to build a women’s shelter and have interest from a major international donor.
Knowing the language and systems of organizations may seem insignificant, but that knowledge is the key to accessing outside support. With this support, a local group like the Vision Sisters can develop programs that are based on their understanding of the needs and capacities of their community that those on the outside would likely never be able to. While I was not there in an official Red Cross capacity, I helped to brainstorm ways that they could tap into the services and training provided by the Red Cross, such as First Aid training and the HIV/Aids home based care program. In its essence, this is how the Red Cross can best serve the most vulnerable - by tapping into the potential within vulnerable communities and empowering community members to actively improve their circumstances.
Walking through Kibera, the vibrancy of life is evident throughout; its narrow dirt pathways - arteries of activity - wind between the jumble of tin shelters. A butcher hacks at hind quarters along side a barber who cuts hair, and nearby a rough piece of blackboard advertised in chalk a ‘movie theatre’ - a cramped dark room playing pirated dvd’s on a small television. Evident also is the tragic realities of utter poverty; garbage and feces line the paths - evidence of the ‘flying toilet’ - a practice of
disposing of human waste by simply tossing away the bag used as there is nowhere to properly dispose of it - and flows into streams used for drinking, contributing to the spread of disease. Substance abuse is rampant, as is physical abuse. Children are especially vulnerable as many have been orphaned by mother’s succumbing to HIV/Aids, a growing problem with one fifth those infected with HIV in Kenya, living in its slums.
It was humbling to see the strength and resilience of those who live there; to see that people find ways to support their families, ways to have their children go to school, ways to feel joy and happiness even when surrounded by hardship. However, it is also discouraging knowing the immense challenges they face, and I can’t help but feel that the slum phenomenon will be one of the biggest challenges the world will face in the next hundred years if globalization continues to further marginalize people through gross disparities of wealth.…As I looked out over the ever expanding horizon of tin roof tops, feeling overwhelmed and
somewhat dejected, Mama Hamza tapped me on the arm knowingly as a close relative would and spoke in almost reassuring tones about the future of Kiberia. She remains optimistic that things can improve, and she has taught me that if women like her, who have seen and experienced so much hardship, can find reason for optimism then all of us should.
