Life
in the Villages
2006
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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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