Claiming more than 1 million lives every year, in Africa alone, malaria remains the number one killer of children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya 75% of people are at risk of contracting malaria, and there were over 9 million documented cases of malaria in 2012.
(Click to enlarge— Infographics found at: Internews Kenya)
People to People works to save lives by helping to prevent the transmission of this disease. Through the support of the People to People Malaria Net Project, we were able to recently distribute mosquito nets in Southwest Kenya. We chose the Nyanza Province of Kenya, because it is the region of Kenya that has the highest risk for malaria infection. This high risk is due to it’s proximity to Lake Victoria and it’s relatively low altitude.
We were able to distribute 150 nets at 3 different locations. At each location we had a short meeting with those who joined us, where I spoke and tried to encourage the people. We were also able to provide a meal for all of the community and church members that joined us at each site.
We began our day in Mabera, Kenya, a small town on the Kenya-Tanzania border in the morning. At this location, we were joined by around 50 people.
(Click on the photos to enlarge and for captions)
After the distribution in Mabera, we drove 2 hours north to the village of Rangwe, Kenya. The area surrounding Rangwe is pristine. Before starting the distribution we walked to the top of a nearby hill where we found a quaint a beautiful little chapel. The Pastor of this church told me that he calls it “The Church on the Hill.” We met with local pastors, encouraging them and discussed we can better support their ministries. We then walked back down to join the crowd of over 200 people that had gathered for the distribution site. We had an amazing time with this people and we were overwhelmed by the reception and generosity of the people in Rangwe.
(Click on the photos to enlarge and for captions)
The last distribution site of the day was in a small village in Awach, which is outside of Kisumu. Due to the hectic schedule of the day, we arrived in Awach much later than we had intended. Even with our tardiness, we were greeted by nearly 200 people singing and celebrating as we arrived. Because we had to make the 6 hour drive back to Nairobi, and it was already late in the evening, we were only able to spend a short time with the people. Even though we only remained for an hour, it was still extremely special and encouraging visit.
(Click on the photos to enlarge and for captions)
THE DUNNINGS IN KENYA 