The
Global Fund Round 7 (via CARE Kenya) have signed a contract with
CHAT until 31 March 2011. Donor Funding for NCT through CDC/CRS
comes to an end in September 2010. The Trusts will continue to
source new avenues for private donation and institutional grants.
Mpala Foundation (Canada) Ltd is a
registered charitable organisation that has kindly offered to
provide a donor route for CHAT/NCT contributions in Canada. This
organisation is authorised by the Canada Revenue Agency to issue
tax receipts for donations in Canada. A fundraising structure in
the UK is currently being implemented that aims to establish a
UK registered Charity called ‘CHAT’ that will be structured to
reflect the aims and objectives of the CHAT field project in
Africa. In this regard we are indebted to Mr Toby Aykroyd, other
trustees and Ms Dossie Payne, Ms Cary Evans and Ms Kate Rae.
3) CHAT’s Re-usable Sanitary Towel project and Income Generating
Initiative.
This project is proving to be a
great success. Two health support groups in Laikipia were taught
how to manufacture quality re-usable sanitary towels. Packs of
four sanitary towels are now being manufactured and sold at
prices that are affordable to poor communities. Funding for this
income generating project was generously provided by a donor
from Canada. However, the success of this project is largely due
to the efforts of Mr Conrad Chilvers, a volunteer from
Northumberland/England.
4) Conrad
Chilvers
Whilst volunteering for CHAT/NCT Conrad Chilvers travelled
across the Laikipia and Samburu regions in public transport and
visited approximately six health support groups. He taught these
groups basic book-keeping skills to assist them towards
sustainability. We are enormously grateful to Conrad for
imparting these skills that continue to have a lasting impact on
the functioning of these groups. Conrad also supports a
community health worker in the Maralal slums, Mr Chondo. Mr
Chondo is a remarkable person who, until recently, provided
voluntary help to people living with HIV/AIDS. Mr Chondo is HIV
positive and has lost most of his family to this disease. We are
enormously grateful to Conrad for his work in Laikipia and
Samburu and for his continued support of Mr Chondo.
5)
Accountability
The Trusts continue to strive towards improving their accounting methods
and procedures. Obwach & Associates have recently agreed to act as the
Accountants for the Trusts in Kenya. Mrs Diana Hague, a recently retired
accountant from the UK, has very generously offered her expertise to the
Trusts on a voluntary basis. She will assist with all ‘Overseas
Donation’ accounts.
2. PROJECTS/EVENTS AHEAD
The Trusts are
drafting a 5 year strategic plan. This plan continues to provide
integrated mobile services to the underserved, often remote
communities of Laikipia and Samburu. The main interventions to
be implemented are as follows:
which
includes: Family Planning, antenatal clinics, prevention of
HIV/AIDS from mother to child transmission (PMTCT), prevention
with people living positive (PwP), counseling and testing of
HIV/AIDS and immunization.
which
includes: The diagnosis and treatment of malaria, STIs and other
diseases. Treatment of opportunistic infections (OIs) and
attending to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Providing non
anti-retroviral health services such as administering the
antibiotic cortomoxil/septrin to those with HIV/AIDs.
which includes:
Continuing to support and work alongside the 21 registered
health support groups that were initiated as a result of
communities having no health infrastructure. This includes
support groups for individuals who are HIV positive
Due to insufficient funding the NCT
mobile clinic has been unable to reach their targeted
communities for several months. CHAT, however continues to
operate and has been able to service some areas previously
covered by NCT. In an effort to streamline resource management
for both Trusts it has been tabled that the Nomadic Communities
Trust (NCT) should eventually amalgamate with the Community
Health Africa Trust (CHAT). The time that this will happen will
be dictated largely by donor funding schedules and discussions
with trustees and fundraisers in USA, Canada and the UK.
"I can't believe it and
from now on I promise I will be talking and encouraging
my colleagues to come for HIV tests. I must confess I
have all along discouraged them and talked ill of tests
done by the Mpala mobile clinic as not accurate and only
beneficial to them and not us. Actually a number of
youths in my village will dare not come near the mobile
clinic for the test. I am really sorry and it’s got to
do with my own ignorance compounded with misinformation.
I thought I had enough information about HIV/AIDS. I can
see how peer influence could be damaging if one is not
careful. Surely I feel guilty. “You know what sister
(referring to the nurse) now I see the reality and it’s
an individual who stands to gain more by knowing ones
HIV status. There is that relief and inner joy feeling,
now that I have taken the test”.
When I felt
sick I thought it’s just the usual malaria or typhoid and
would not have imagined HIV /AIDS until I came here and you
started counselling me and mentioned HIV testing as an
important routine requirement for all patients. At that
minute I quickly remembered how I have been against the
tests and how I have been discouraging a number of youth to
have the test. Deep at the back of my mind I knew we have
been engaging in casual and unprotected sex. My religion
does not allow the use of condoms and we all look healthy,
so there has been really no cause for alarm. And now today I
am the one to face the test, my whole body went numb. I
couldn’t speak and only kept nodding my head and after the
counselling I was ready for the test. Now I believe it, any
of us is vulnerable. “Daktari (Doctor) I am very sorry and I
will be coming back after 3 months for the re-test, as you
have said”.
This is a confession of Ali
(not his real name) a young Muslim youth in his early
twenties living in the nearby Lekiji village, close to where
CHAT runs a static clinic. The mobile clinic had visited the
village and Ali was one of the people who wanted to be
treated. He had not been feeling well for the last five
days. When it was his turn to be attended the nurse checked
him over and also explained to him the current government
requirement and the importance of going through with the HIV
test. The nurse placed the facts before him and he saw the
sense. He tested HIV negative (a rapid test) and was told
about the window period. It’s after this service that he
decided to tell his story and of how he has been against the
HIV test and has actually been discouraging his peers. He is
now reformed and ready to confront his peers and encourage
them to come for the HIV tests.
