Days 2 and 3 in Kenya

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Our first work day here in Kenya was dedicated to a key message development workshop. The consultant Sarah used a process similar to one I’ve done in the past, whereby participants work to define who the organization is, its key differentiators, and the impact they’ve had on their clients. All this is designed to help Matibabu position itself to partner with other groups and do fundraising once the U.S. PEPFAR funding ends next year.

It was a long day with the staff very engaged in the process—though we never did get to the actual key messages because there was so much other discussion around other issues. (And frankly, I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one who finds it difficult to reach this point!)

We again met with Amanda and Andrea over dinner. Mel had been with them all day taking photos in the clinic—mostly kids with malaria, she reports. (I made sure I started taking my anti-malaria Malarone once we got there!)

The second day gave us a chance to get out to visit clients, a youth group, and talk with community health workers.

[Bikes lined up outside St. Stephen's Siginga School]

First stop, an “Anti-AIDS Club” at the St. Stephen’s Siginga Secondary School. The Club was formed in 2009 after Matibabu worked with the school guidance counselor to conduct information and behavior change sessions with students. About 70 students, aged 14-20, participated in the information session and 69 of them ultimately got an HIV test (all negative!). From there they formed the club, which gives them a venue to talk openly with each other about issues that might be concerning them. The guidance counselor, Charles, leads the sessions.

Charles said that they all recognized that as western Kenya has the highest rate of HIV in the country (estimated to be 40%), that behavior change needed to start with youth. The club also works to build kids’ self-esteem and enable them to delay sex and “just say ‘no’!” And, in fact, in 2 years the pregnancy rate among girls has gone down, from 10 girls (of 200 students) to 4 this year.
[at right: Charles introduces us to the kids]

After meeting with Charles, we had a chance to meet and talk with the students (who were pulled out of class to meet the special visitors out on the lawn!). We asked a few questions of the kids, like what did they discuss at their last meeting, what do they tell a friend who might be getting into trouble. Philip, our project director, asked if they were able to pass along information they learn in the club—thus informing others of the factual information they've learned and hopefully help change others' behaviors, too.

[Philip fielding the difficult questions!]

The kids were then given a chance to ask us questions. One boy asked whether we had any advice on how one can approach one’s parents or aunts and uncles because it’s difficult. I piped up that as a parent of a 16-year old and an 18-year old, there have been times that they’ve come home and said “this is what I learned at school today…” so the issue is approached from the side, as opposed to directly telling an adult what to do. Not sure the advice resonated with him, but I tried! Other questions posed were more difficult to field—like “why don’t we lock up everyone who has AIDS” or “what do you say when a pastor says it’s a curse from God?” I did not have to respond, luckily, but these are some of the moral issues the kids are clearly thinking about—and at 40% prevalence (even though many people still don’t know/admit to being HIV positive because of fear of stigma) almost every kid there likely has had a family member infected… they are all affected even if not infected.

more on the other community visits soon...