COVID-19 Kenya Project #48153

Funding Frontline COVID-19 Response in Kibera

by CFK Africa

Project Report | Mar 17, 2022
Persevering in the Fight Against COVID-19

By Hannah Bain | CFK Communications Manager

Hillary Omala supporting work in Nakuru County

Though many countries and communities around the world are beginning to ease COVID-19 restrictions, residents of informal settlements continue to suffer disproportionately from the indirect effects of the pandemic.

Since beginning COVID-19 vaccine distribution in October 2021, our Tabitha Medical Clinic has administered over 4,000 jabs, reaching community members who may have otherwise been unable to access these critical vaccines. We also continued mitigating COVID-19 at the community level, training 400 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) last year across two counties to promote positive health behaviors throughout informal settlements.

Quinter Obat, a CHV since 2018, has been selling handmade soap and training other CHVs and women in Kibera to make their own soap. Since early 2020, Quinter has trained 60 women in soap making, helping them stay safe and providing them a way to earn money throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My biggest dream is to see a community with healthy people, cleanliness, and women who are willing and able to earn money for themselves and their families,” Quinter said. “When I first came to CFK, I didn’t have any skills, but now I am somewhere, and that is because of CFK. I have benefitted by gaining skills, being able to train other CHVs and women in my community, and earning a stipend. I am really grateful for what CFK has done here in Kibera because it is amazing.”

In addition to serving our community, we have continued to expand our impact by sharing best practices with additional counties and national and international media. Over the last year, our COVID-19 response has been highlighted by Voice of America, STAT, Science News, NTV, CTV, KirkTV, ZDF, and KBC Channel 1. Additionally, our Executive Director, Hillary Omala, was recently selected to join the writing committee of Nakuru County’s 2022-2026 Community Health Services strategy alongside the County’s Community Health Department, USAID, and the Financing Alliance for Health.

Furthermore, we are working to identify and mitigate the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 in our community. We recently partnered with faculty at Kenyatta University to publish a journal article titled “The Impact of Covid-19 on the Wellbeing of School-Going Children in Kibra Slum, Nairobi, Kenya.” Findings demonstrated that approximately 70% of parents in Kibera completely or partially lost their income since the start of the pandemic and had to reduce the number of meals they fed to their children. Additionally, 90% of parents reported not being able to afford the learning materials their children needed for school.

In response to these findings, we have begun expanding our support for individual and household economic strengthening. Last year alone, we helped prepare 388 youth for an increasingly competitive workplace through vocational skills and financial literacy training, and we hope to reach more this year.

At the start of this year, we changed our name from Carolina for Kibera (CFK) to CFK Africa as a signal of our growth to additional informal settlements in Nairobi County and across seven new counties in Kenya. Through integrated primary health care services, education and youth leadership initiatives, and economic development programming, we expect to directly impact an additional 1.5 million people living in some of Kenya’s most challenging environments over the next five years. With a focus on health systems strengthening and building economic resilience, we will ensure that informal settlements are well-equipped to identify, mitigate, and respond to future public health crises such as COVID-19.

Thank you for being part of this important work. Forward together.

CFK expanding its work across eight counties

Quinter, a CHV, working in Kibera

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Nov 16, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

By Hannah Bain | CFK U.S. Communications Manager

CFK Executive Director Hillary Omala donating PPE

Despite the growing availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, significant disparities in access remain. Out of the over 6 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered worldwide, just 2% of them have been in Africa. As of October 13, over 55% of the population in the United States has been fully immunized against the virus. In Kenya, the ratio is less than 4%.

COVID-19 vaccines have been available in Kenya since March 2021, but access for many remains largely limited. In crowded urban areas, long lines and insufficient distribution sites have forced some to delay getting the vaccine. In rural areas, lack of infrastructure and formidable terrain have posed challenges for vaccine transportation and mobile clinics.

In October, CFK's Tabitha Medical Clinic became one of the first facilities in Kibera approved to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer. To date, the team has administered over 180 doses. CFK has also supported vaccine distribution in Kiambu County, one of the organization's new priority areas.

While beginning expansion work to seven new counties in Kenya and other informal settlements in Nairobi County, CFK recognized many similar challenges concerning vaccine distribution and uptake and formed relationships with health officials across the country. After learning more about the organization and its capabilities, the Ministry of Health contacted CFK and asked for assistance in distributing COVID-19 vaccines in Kiambu County.

"The government is providing the vaccines, but they need help distributing them to the community," said Yunus Mohammed, CFK's Community Health Outreach Program Officer. "At CFK, we found that many people work six or seven days a week from sun up to sun down and don't have time to take off and travel to a distribution site."

In response, CFK developed a new strategy, identifying where large groups of unvaccinated people work and establishing nearby, central locations where community members can access the vaccine in just a few minutes. As part of the effort, CFK is also training Community Health Volunteers on COVID-19 mitigation measures and water, sanitation, and hygiene to promote positive health-seeking behaviors throughout the community.

CFK staff member preparing a COVID-19 vaccine

CFK staff distributing resources

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Jul 15, 2021
WASH and Nutrition Champions

By Hannah Bain | Communications Manager

CFK training WASH Champions.

Even as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, CFK remains committed to reducing the spread of the virus and addressing the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic in Kibera. Earlier this year, we worked with schools and teachers, providing resources like masks, handwashing stations, and thermometers to help students return to class safely.

Most recently, our Community Health Outreach team collaborated with the Kibera Sub-County Health Coordinator to select and train 22 students as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Champions. The WASH Champions participated in a one-day training where they learned about proper handwashing techniques and other COVID-19 mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing. These young WASH Champions will promote positive health behaviors in their classrooms and homes, helping their communities stay safe.

CFK also partnered with the Machakos County Government to donate 250 dignity kits to vulnerable girls at the Kyaviti primary and secondary schools. Additionally, as food insecurity remains high due to the pandemic, CFK continues to support families with food packages and critical nutrition services.

Last week, we distributed food packages to 240 households from five different villages in Kibera. Our nutrition team also recently introduced a kitchen sack garden at our Lishe Bora Mtaani Nutrition Centre. The sack garden helps us provide malnourished children with a healthy diet full of macro and micronutrients. It also serves as a learning center where caregivers can learn how to create their own kitchen gardens and cook nutritious meals without increasing their daily budgets.

To date, less than 2% of the Kenyan population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We appreciate your continued support as we work to contain the virus and alleviate the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic in our community and beyond. Asante sana (thank you).

CFK distributing dignity kits to girls.

CFK staff planting our kitchen sack garden.

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