PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO CURB DISEASES IN RUARAKA SLUMS.

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Part A:

FI PROGRESSIVE vOLUNTEERS Information

1. Contact Information of PV. Name of organization: Name of project manager: Current position: Phone: E-mail: Postal Address: Physical Address/Location: Region: Website : P.O BOX 21579-00500 Ruaraka Ruaraka Division, Kasarani District, Nairobi. www.progressivevolunteers.or.ke Progressive Volunteers Jeremiah Mzee Executive Director +254 721774820 jeremiah@progressivevolunteers.or.ke

2. Mission/structure of Progressive Volunteers Progressive Volunteers is a community based organization founded in 2007 to meet the critical needs of young people living in Ruaraka and the sorrounding communities of Kasarani District, Nairobi. Objectives of the organization; 1. 2. Provide a platform for developing the skills of youth in order to help them become productive and responsible members of their communities. Engage in activities that will mitigate societal suffering: Capacity building. Economic empowerment. All-round awareness campaigns. Promote local development by effective management of volunteers and volunteer programmes. Support local-level peace and reconciliation initiatives. Identify and mobilize grassroots resource development.

3. 4. 5.

PV is a social community-based organization and already active in the community implementing programs and initiatives to assist and support the healthy and positive development of Kenyas youth culture. To date, PV has successfully conducted community outreach programs distributing health related Information, Education and Communication(IEC) materials and prevention commodities, conducted leadership and life skills development training forums targeting out of school youth, conducted community clean up exercises and offered micro enterprise development trainings on business idea generations and simulation. PV is committed to building on these accomplishments to improve the quality of life in the greater Ruaraka area. The organization boost of credible organizational structure with a capable governance and competent management team to implement this project. Its volunteers are graduates from different disciplines, creating a pool of diverse and hence resourceful body.

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Part B:

Project Overview

3. Project Title Preventive measures to curb diseases in Ruaraka slums. 4. Summary Progressive Volunteers have designed an educational program that aim to train 250 volunteers (ToTs) with the objective of making them conscious of the importance of preventive health and environmental hygiene and its important in diminishing the recurrent illnesses that affects the population and enable them to teach as well. We intend to address the prevention measures to curb diseases and first aid responses with lectures and workshops directed by volunteers in groups of 25 community members that will also be selected according to their personal skills. 5. Project Duration One cycle is expected to last for approximately six months, therefore in twelve months, double the number of people will have benefitted from the trainings. 6. Project Area The project to be implemented in Ruaraka, Kasarani District, Nairobi. In areas covering Mathare North, Mathare 4A, Baba Dogo, Kariadudu and neighboring Kariobangi and Korogocho slums. 7. Required resources

$ 9,645
8. Target groups Young men and women Children Elderly people Urban youth Youth who are out-of-school Youth with little or no formal education Young parents Young single people with children Disabled Social centres Learning institutions Community in general

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Part C:

BACKGOUND AND JUSTIFICATION

9. Problem Analysis Ruaraka division is one of the administrative units in Nairobi. Found in Kasarani District of Nairobi County, the division is located approximately ten kilometers north of the capital, along Nairobi-Thika super-highway. The division is known to be the home of the majority of slums in the city. They include: Mathare, Korogocho, Huruma, Baba dogo, Kariobangi and Ngomongo slums. It has an approximate population density of 252,174 people (Kenya National Housing and Population Census, 2009) . The number of males and females are 130,872 and 121,302 respectively. A greater percentage of these persons live in the above mushrooming slums. These are basically characterized by impoverished living conditions: poor waste disposal mechanisms, compromised drainage systems marked by occasional blockages and bursts leading to spillages, escalating crime due to joblessness, general pollution and inadequate social amenities such as health centers, schools, roads and electricity to sustain the rapidly growing population. Mainly, the source of fuel for cooking is charcoal, a commodity that is becoming scanty due to sensitization on trees conservation. Others use cooking gas while a few use electricity. Electricity in many of the slums is a result of illegal connections, which sometimes lead to accidental fires which could wipe off an entire section of a slum. Generally, the main economic activity in the area encompasses small scale businesses, garages, slum farming and peddling. On the health matters of Ruaraka, Progressive Volunteers, a community based organisation located in Ruaraka, did a comprehensive study of the situation with a case study of Korogocho and Mathare slums. It found out that a lot of people suffering from various sicknesses such as Hypertension (High blood pressure), Diabetes, Typhoid, HIV/AIDS, Dysentery, Malaria Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, Cholera, Asthma and Tetanus. After a thorough analysis, we found out that among other things, pollution of the air, water and sound were the principle triggers of these conditions. Others includes poverty, which subjects women and young girls to social malpractices such as prostitution, rendering them vulnerable to contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Lack of jobs to feed a large family as well as young men indulging in robbery has also led increase levels of stress especially among the elderly. Consequently, the rates of high blood pressure and diabetes have also increased.

Issues/challenges/nee ds

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Due to dilapidated living conditions, many people cannot afford basic healthcare services from the inaccessible, understaffed, very few and costly health centers. So many people when faced with emergencies in the house, school or in the community end up worsening the situation severely. Progressive Volunteers identified lack of the following needs affecting these informal settlements Lack of trained and skilled first aiders to respond to emergencies. Inadequate health professionals i.e. community health workers to educate on preventive health and environmental hygiene. Inaccessible, understaffed, very few and costly health centers Lack of First Aid clubs in learning institutions. Lack of community preparedness for disasters

How these issues and needs were identified

Members of the Progressive Volunteers (PV), who happen to come from within these communities, held several discussion sessions with the targetted youth groups, men and women on the streets and various learning institutions. Various intervention measures were collected in writing and community based first aid training and education on preventive health and environmental hygiene was found to be a conclusive, most urgent and concrete measure which would adress the problems.

Part D:
10.

PROJECT STRATEGY AND PLAN

Project Strategy : Based on our field investigation of the area, we have designed an educational program that aim to helping the local population to prevent illnesses and manage, mitigate impacts of natural and man made disasters in the Ruaraka slums. Our program shall respond to the health needs of the targeted population and it is designed to last 12 months.

Key idea/solution

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We intend to address the prevention measures to curb diseases and first aid responses with lectures and workshops directed by volunteers in groups of 25 community members that will also be selected according to their personal skills. During the first 6 months we intend to train 250 volunteers that shall be chosen according to the distinctive characteristics of the area residents and personal skills with the objective of making them conscious of the importance of preventive health and environmental hygiene and its important in diminishing the recurrent illnesses that affects the population and enable them to teach as well. They shall also be equipped with basic first aid skills and tool kits. This will enable the community to be self sufficient in case of emergencies and natural disasters in the inaccessible slums where health professionals are absent or over worked. For the implementation of the first stage of this program we shall have twenty five (25) volunteers drawn from local partners i.e. St John Ambulance, Kenya Red Cross and Medical School of University of Nairobi willing to teach our selected trainees. We will also seek alliances with universities and medical organizations, local institutions and also communities that can provide venues and elements for our workshops The programs second stage of 6 months shall involve monitoring the first trainees as they transfer the acquired knowledge to other members of the community.

STUDY PROGRAM The Study Program includes topics, selected according to the preliminary data of our field research, and it is open to add further topics that will appear as a result of the teaching-learning process. Also it will include some contents of alternative medicine such the usage of medicinal plants. Social factors Tobacco, Epidemiology Smoking prevention, Alcoholism. Social and Sanitary consequences.

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Prevention on drug addiction. Nutrition needs.

Environmental factors Hygiene and food control Sanitary risks associated to food. Food conservation and preparation Environmental protection Contamination sources and its consequences on health Air sanitation. Indicators of fecal contamination on water Treatment, storage, distribution of water. Water and Solid waste treatment.

Prevention of contagious diseases General strategies of prevention, Sterilization and disinfection methods. Pest control. Fevers, cholera. Food poisoning/Prevention Respiratory illnesses Tuberculosis, AIDS, STDs. Tetanus, Rabis.

Vulnerable population groups Woman health. Reproductive health. Childhood and adolescence health issues Adult and elderly health issues. Community based first aid Steps for first aid action Psychological first aid Basic life support We intend to promote solidarity. We believe that the development of marginal social groups greatly depends of the participation of citizens with the knowledge and skills to train the underprivileged communities.

11.

Implementation Plan : Implementation time: February 2012

Key Activities :Recruitment of trainees

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and Preparation of training materials Training of trainers of 250 people on community based first aid skills, preventive health care and environmental hygiene. Review /Evaluation of the first stage of training program. Second stage of trainings as trainees transfer the acquired knowledge to other members of the community. Monthly follow up meetings Review /Evaluation of the second stage of training program. 12. Budget March, April, May and June 2012.

July 2012 August, September ,October and November 2012

March-December 2012 December 2012

TOTAL GRANT REQUEST: item Recruitment of trainees and Preparation of training materials Training of trainers of 250 people on community based first aid skills, preventive health care and environmental hygiene. Second stage of trainings as trainees transfer the acquired knowledge to other members of the Description Mobilization Printing of training manuals Flip charts Marker pens Venue for trainings(Provided by community) Refreshments and lunch Honorarium for trainers Venue for trainings. (Provided by community) Refreshments and FREE FREE Calculation 270@ $1 275@$10 200@$3 100@$0.5 FREE Amoun t 270 2750 600 50 FREE

$ 9,645
Total ($) 3,670

3,250 2500 250@ $10 25@$30 750

Optional

Optional

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community Purchase of 20 first aid tool kits Monthly follow up meetings (Monitoring) Evaluation and Documentation Administration

lunch First aid tool kits Refreshments 20@$75 12 meetings@ 10$ 1500 120 1,500 120

500 Office supplies communication lump sum 500 105 605

Total

$9,645

13.

Key Project Outcomes

1. Seek alliances with universities and medical organizations, local institutions and also communities to support the project for sustainability. 2. A pool of experienced health proffesionals. 3. 250 people(ToTs) trained on community based first aid skills, preventive health care and environmental hygiene. The ToTs to carry on with subsequent trainings. 4. Over 1000 community members trained and educated on basic first aid skills 5. Empowered individuals and communities trained and educated in order to reduce, manage and mitigate impacts of natural and man-made disasters, emergencies within informal settlements.

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