Health Education Camp 2005
A 2005 health survey in the Mbita region of Kenya concluded that individuals under the age of 19 years were at risk from dying of Malaria, while children between six months and five years old were at the greatest risk for contracting the disease. The survey concluded that providing mosquito nets would have a significant impact on reducing the spread of Malaria in Mbita and on the overall health of the children in the community.
Akado Medical Clinic, with the support of Power of Love and Be The Cause (www.bethecause.org), organized a Health Education Camp on September 9, 2005. The Health Education Camp was attended by 127 orphaned children, 73 care providers for the children, clients from other medical clinics in the area, Akado staff, and local government officials who were impressed by Akado?fs efforts to reduce the impact of Malaria. A total of 212 mosquito nets were distributed to AIDS orphans under the age of 5 years, and pregnant mothers with children under the age of five years. Additionally, the District Malaria Control Officer educated the participants about the need for prevention of Malaria and ways to prevent it.
As a result of the distribution and use of Malaria nets in September 2005, a check of medical records in December 2005 indicated that there was a significant decrease in the prevalence of Malaria among orphans under the age of five years who received the mosquito nets.
Last year, Be the Cause, a California-based organization, provided funding for the purchase of mosquito nets. The nets were purchased at eight dollars (USD) a piece from a Nairobi-based project called Women Equality Empowerment Project (WEEP) run by Health Education for Africa Resource Team (HEART). The WEEP project currently consists of HIV positive women, who have lost their husbands to AIDS and are trying desperately to support their households, sometimes with four to five children at home. They are now employed by WEEP and several times a week work to make Malaria bed nets for HEART.
The Akado Medical Clinic distributed the nets during the Camp. As a result of the success of the Health Education Camp last year, the Akado Medical Clinic and Power of Love are planning to make the Camp an annual event. Help us purchase mosquito nets for this year?fs distribution. Every dollar you contribute to this campaign will be used to purchase and transport mosquito nets for the children of Mbita, Kenya.
At present the Power of Love Foundation is raising funds for distribution of long lasting insecticide treated nets (LLIN's) for distribution at the Health Education Day 2008. Your generous donation will go a long way in preventing malaria and saving the life of a child vulnerable to Malaria in Kenya.