Life
in the Villages
2006
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on Images to View Enlargement
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The
present situation is portrayed as bleak and
desperate. The Kenyan government recently
completed a study and identified the SUBA
District as the number two priority in Kenya
for the need of sustainable water. Kaswanga
and Wanyama are small fishing villages on
the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, with
a population of approximately 10,000. The
economic engine is a small fishing industry
and small, barely productive plots of agriculture.
The entire area has been in drought conditions
for the past five years.
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The
village is approximately ½ mile from
the shores of a bountiful yet bacteria and
parasite-polluted water source, Lake Victoria.
Currently, all water is either hand carried
or transported by burro to the surrounding
homes and businesses. The community has been
without water (unless hand carried from the
lake) for over 4 years due to a non-functional
water infrastructure consisting of a windmill
for pumping water from the lake to an above
ground water storage facility located on the
grounds of the SUBA District Medical Center,
located approximately 1 mile away.
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There
is no running water in either the village
or individual homes (with the exception of
minimal water to the Tom Mboya secondary
school) and the water supply tank and filtration
system at the medical clinic are non-functional.
There
are four schools with approximately 2,500
orphan/students within approximately a two
mile radius and three of the schools do not
have any type of functioning water supply
availability.
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There
are virtually no educational materials
available to the schools and the school
rooms are mostly dirt or bare concrete
floors with a black board and a few have
some rough cut wood desks. There are
no visual learning aids in any of the
schools we toured. One school in particular
has no finished classrooms with either
windows, or doors.
Most
of the 1000+ orphans live in child run homes
that consist of no essential living comforts
including fresh water or adequate food supplies.
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The
medical clinic is in need of supplies and equipment.
The surgical room and labor and delivery rooms
lack sterile equipment. This is the only surgical
site within a 6 hour drive, if even an automobile
transport could be arranged. The medical clinic
is staffed by four employees who are doing
their very best with virtually no financial
support. On an average day they will treat
35-50 people with every imaginable diagnosis
including malaria, typhoid, HIV/Aids, hypertension,
fractured limbs and amputations. There is no
available continuum of care for any disease.
The Kenya Lake region has a 42 percent HIV/Aid’s
rate, one of the highest not only in Africa
but in the world. Malaria, typhoid and TB are
prevalent and treatment and education for all
diseases is difficult to obtain. There is minimal
governmental support for much needed resources
to combat this dire situation.
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MEETING
NEEDS:
Phase
1- Project development includes a geographical
and demographical analysis. Needs were identified
and then prioritized. The top five priorities
are:
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Clean
sustainable water available to the medical clinic,
village and schools. |
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Medical
clinic upgraded to acceptable service levels with
renovation completion, equipment purchases and
a reliable supply chain for medications and supplies. |
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Agricultural
enhancements for family garden plots with drip
irrigations systems available for all villagers.. |
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Educational
facilities completed and learning materials provided. |
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Orphan
provisions for basic water, food and educational
opportunities. |
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