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Project Purpose: Mfangano Health Network - Microclinic Program will build infrastructure to coordinate and sustain maternal and reproductive health to this at-risk community of 26,000 people in rural Western Kenya.
The Need:
Mfangano Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya, home to 26,000 Suba and Luo people, represent one of the poorest and most HIV prevalent populations in East Africa, and demonstrate some of the highest fertility rates in the region. With local HIV prevalence on Mfangano estimated at approximately 30% for over a decade, few places in the world have been hit harder by HIV/AIDS. , Separated from definitive healthcare on the mainland by a 2-hour boat ride, quality health care services are difficult to find on the island. Research on Mfangano has shown that individuals instead rely heavily on social networks (eg. extended families, friends, church groups, farming cooperatives, women's groups, school clubs, etc.) for health maintenance. Yet, without efforts to formally involve these same social networks in the life-long HIV treatment process, HIV-infected individuals in many communities remain stigmatized and isolated and are forced to navigate challenging healthcare decisions on their own.
How we will meet these needs:
In partnership with local non-profit organizations and the Kenya Ministry of Health, we will harness the power of existing social networks to activate community-level involvement in health coordination, monitoring, and mobilization using a "Microclinic" model . A "Microclinic" is not a small building, but rather a therapy management collective comprised of 5-15 friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors supervised by specially-trained community health workers, to keep all members strong and engaged together in lifelong health
Project activities:
1. Recruit, register, and train 70 new Microclinic groups in Mfangano North, West and South sub-locations.
2. Recruit and train 40 community health workers to organize and facilitate Microclinic classes and outreach services.
3. Develop culturally relevant HIV, maternal health, and reproductive health curriculum for rural communities along the shores of Lake Victoria, for use during this project and for dissemination among local, regional and international partners.
4. Coordinate 16 maternal and reproductive health outreach campaigns to provide education on pregnancy, antenatal care, male support in pregnancy, birth planning, mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT), obstetric emergencies and transportation, and postpartum follow-up. Outreaches will provide "youth-friendly" testing, counseling and referrals for HIV, STIs, pregnancy, and rape, as well as first aid services.
5. Coordinate care and conduct follow-up for pregnant women, before and after birth, as well as with any participant in need of referral services.
Timeline:
This project will be implemented over the October 2016 to September 2017 timeframe.
Use of Funds:
The $30,000 USD from this grant will be used to organize, recruit. train, and follow up with 70 new Microclinic groups and 40 community health workers on Mfangano island.
Club involvement:
The Mbita Mfangano Rotary Club (MM Club) will be the implementing club, and will manage this project through local supervision, participation, and report completion.
The sponsoring club, Rotary Club of Fort Collins, Breakfast will support the project in a number of ways as outlined in the proposal attachment.
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