Unser Athi-River-Projekt
Überblick
Medical care for 70,000 families
In May 2020, despite the pandemic, we were able to set up another slum clinic, the Fanaka Medical Centre, together with Swiss doctors in the town of Athi River. The mostly young families in this industrial suburb of Nairobi live in extremely poor conditions. Hardly anyone has one of the coveted jobs in the mining or steel industries; most work as day labourers in the informal sector. There is a lack of clean water, electricity and sanitation. People here pay dearly for every litre of drinking water. Residents often suffer from diarrhoea and dangerous gastrointestinal diseases. Until now, they have hardly had any opportunity to receive medical treatment.
Education, HIV testing and medical advice
Our focus is on providing primary health care. In addition, our local staff work with people living with HIV and AIDS, who are disproportionately represented in Athi River. As in Mathare, we are also training community health workers in Athi River who will be out in the slums, in close contact with the people, providing information and advice.
Medical care for 70,000 families
In May 2020, despite the pandemic, we were able to set up another slum clinic, the Fanaka Medical Centre, together with Swiss doctors in the town of Athi River. The mostly young families in this industrial suburb of Nairobi live in extremely poor conditions. Hardly anyone has one of the coveted jobs in the mining or steel industries; most work as day labourers in the informal sector. There is a lack of clean water, electricity and sanitation. People here pay dearly for every litre of drinking water. Residents often suffer from diarrhoea and dangerous gastrointestinal diseases. Until now, they have hardly had any opportunity to receive medical treatment.
Education, HIV testing and medical advice
Our focus is on providing primary health care. In addition, our local staff work with people living with HIV and AIDS, who are disproportionately represented in Athi River. As in Mathare, we are also training community health workers in Athi River who will be out in the slums, in close contact with the people, providing information and advice.
Dates & Facts
Project begin: 2020
Number of doctors: Two Swiss or German doctors present at all times.
Missions: 43 volunteer outreaches since project inception.
Patient contacts: Around 30,000 treatments are performed annually in Athi River.
Partner: We work closely with the outpatient clinic, Baraka, in Nairobi and cooperate with the neighboring hospitals.
Structure: The local staff and Swiss doctors work in a permanent outpatient clinic in Athi River, the Fanaka Medical Center. Community health workers (CHWs) also perform social work in the slums.
Mission site: These include three slums surrounding the Fanaka Medical Center. We estimate that we can reach about 70,000 people with our services.
Most common health problems: We assume that, aside from the high incidence of HIV, many diseases, like diarrhoea and gastrointestinal illnesses, are caused by the problematic water situation.
Priorities: Besides general medical treatment, we emphasize HIV testing, advice about family planning, and disease prevention.
Project begin: 2020
Number of doctors: Two Swiss or German doctors present at all times.
Missions: 43 volunteer outreaches since project inception.
Patient contacts: Around 30,000 treatments are performed annually in Athi River.
Partner: We work closely with the outpatient clinic, Baraka, in Nairobi and cooperate with the neighboring hospitals.
Structure: The local staff and Swiss doctors work in a permanent outpatient clinic in Athi River, the Fanaka Medical Center. Community health workers (CHWs) also perform social work in the slums.
Mission site: These include three slums surrounding the Fanaka Medical Center. We estimate that we can reach about 70,000 people with our services.
Most common health problems: We assume that, aside from the high incidence of HIV, many diseases, like diarrhoea and gastrointestinal illnesses, are caused by the problematic water situation.
Priorities: Besides general medical treatment, we emphasize HIV testing, advice about family planning, and disease prevention.
Ambulance
Fanaka Medical Center
Fewer than 30 per cent of Athi River's residents have health insurance, private health facilities are unaffordable, and the nearest government facility faces recurrent shortages of medicines. These are the findings of an assessment we carried out before the project began. Our focus is therefore on primary health care, but we work closely with government hospitals to which we refer patients when necessary.
Health care for families
An increasing number of young families live in the Athi River slums. Mothers play a central role in the health of their families, so our services target young mothers as well as adolescents and children. For example, we can contribute to safer pregnancies and reduce child mortality through education and antenatal care. As with all our projects, we focus on education and counselling to improve the lives of local people in the long term. Our team also uses the waiting time at the clinic to educate patients about important health issues.
Topics range from safe drinking water and handwashing to HIV prevention and advice on sexual abuse and domestic violence. Similar to Baraka in Nairobi's Mathare Valley slum, we also train Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Athi River. They regularly visit the slum, make home visits and are in close contact with those in need.
Fanaka Medical Center
Fewer than 30 per cent of Athi River's residents have health insurance, private health facilities are unaffordable, and the nearest government facility faces recurrent shortages of medicines. These are the findings of an assessment we carried out before the project began. Our focus is therefore on primary health care, but we work closely with government hospitals to which we refer patients when necessary.
Health care for families
An increasing number of young families live in the Athi River slums. Mothers play a central role in the health of their families, so our services target young mothers as well as adolescents and children. For example, we can contribute to safer pregnancies and reduce child mortality through education and antenatal care. As with all our projects, we focus on education and counselling to improve the lives of local people in the long term. Our team also uses the waiting time at the clinic to educate patients about important health issues.
Topics range from safe drinking water and handwashing to HIV prevention and advice on sexual abuse and domestic violence. Similar to Baraka in Nairobi's Mathare Valley slum, we also train Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Athi River. They regularly visit the slum, make home visits and are in close contact with those in need.
Living conditions
Daily life without any perspectives
The city of Athi River is located south of Nairobi in Machakos county in Kenia. The city is named after the Athi River, which runs through it. The city is growing very rapidly due to its proximity to Nairobi and industrialization, e.g. mining and oil and steel production. However, very few people have well-paid jobs; many of the approximately 70,000 people who live in the slums surrounding our project work as poorly-paid day laborers in the factories, on construction sites, or as maids. Many have given up all hope of escaping the poverty prevailing in the slums, as their scant income scarcely provides the means to feed their families.
Where clean water is a luxury
The residents build their houses provisionally out of corrugated-iron sheets and adobe. Whoever has a refrigerator and electricity can consider him-/herself fortunate. There is no sewage system, and the sanitary situation is inadequate. Above all, the provision of water is problematic; potable water in not available for free in the slum. Vans provide the slums with 20-liter canisters, which must be bought. As a result, the residents do not always use clean water, which repeatedly causes health problems.
Daily life without any perspectives
The city of Athi River is located south of Nairobi in Machakos county in Kenia. The city is named after the Athi River, which runs through it. The city is growing very rapidly due to its proximity to Nairobi and industrialization, e.g. mining and oil and steel production. However, very few people have well-paid jobs; many of the approximately 70,000 people who live in the slums surrounding our project work as poorly-paid day laborers in the factories, on construction sites, or as maids. Many have given up all hope of escaping the poverty prevailing in the slums, as their scant income scarcely provides the means to feed their families.
Where clean water is a luxury
The residents build their houses provisionally out of corrugated-iron sheets and adobe. Whoever has a refrigerator and electricity can consider him-/herself fortunate. There is no sewage system, and the sanitary situation is inadequate. Above all, the provision of water is problematic; potable water in not available for free in the slum. Vans provide the slums with 20-liter canisters, which must be bought. As a result, the residents do not always use clean water, which repeatedly causes health problems.