Mothers' Support Group - Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital (PGH)

According to the Kenya 2008-9 demographic and health survey for the five years immediately preceding the survey (approximate calendar years 2004-2008), one in every 19 children born in Kenya dies before its first birthday, while one in every 14 does not survive to age five. Neonatal mortality is 31 deaths per 1,000 live births, while postneonatal mortality is 21 per 1,000 live births during the same period. Thus, 60 percent of infant deaths in Kenya occur during the first month of life. Infant mortality rates in the rift valley are 59% where 47% of the population lives in poverty (Kenya DHS). 20% of the Kenyan population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day, 1992–2007 (UNICEF, 2010).


The Mothers’ Club started in 2005 and the aim was to provide peer support for HIV -infected mothers. Pregnant and lactating women participating in the Mothers’ Club receive psychosocial support and are provided with information on infant feeding options. The club provides counselling on living positively and infant care, monitors infant growth, and encourages early HIV testing for infants. Sister Amani, a pMTCT nurse at PGH, provide testing to pregnant women seeking antenatal services at PGH; she counsels those women who test positive for HIV. Sister Amani is also the primary facilitator of the Mothers' Support Group. I had the absolute pleasure of working with sister Amani for my Master's research project in 2009; she is a wonderful person and a great nurse.


At the meeting on August 17, 2010, John Gichure and Phoebe Nyango, Ministry of Agriculture, Municipality Division, spoke to the group on how to build a multistory garden using a sack. Most women in the group are of low socioeconomic status with no or limited access to land. The multistory garden can provide fresh vegetables while using limited space.

Sister Amani spoke to the women about living positively, Monique, a nutritionist, discussed Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices, Naomi, the group's chair, and others shared their experience of being tested positive.







At the group's meeting on September 21, 2010, Khadija Mohamnd, Phylis Mwangi, John Gichure, and Phoebe Nyayo, Ministry of Agriculture, demonstrated how to cook in a fireless cooker.






Khadija described how to use the fireless cooker. Rice cooked on the jiko for 5 minutes then placed in the fireless cooker for 30 minutes. This saves on firewood used to cook and smoke inhalation is reduced.

TEARS Group

TEARS Group Kenya (Theatre for Enhancement and Acceleration of Researched Solutions) is a youth led Non governmental Organization based in Nakuru Town of Rift Valley Province in Kenya. Currently the organization has its main office at Catholic Diocese of Nakuru Plaza along Moi Road. The organization was established and registered with the Government of Kenya as a Cultural Group in 2003 with focus on developing the creative talents as a tool for social change and economic empowerment among the youth and general population. The organization has interventions in the central Rift Valley region and parts of Southern Rift Valley Province. Artistic talent is the core business that guides the organization’s vision, mission and goal.



Samwell Mbugua, Amanda Wendt and I met with the TEARS group to discuss funding opportunities available to the group and to assist with preparing the applications.







This TEARS art student was busy in their Art Studio. Fine art and graphics developed, motivated and gave professionalism to the student's interest. The main objective of the art program was to ensure that the individual's talent becomes useful as an income generating or soure of livelihood.

Samaritan Friends - Self Help Group

Samaritan Friends is a Faith Based Organization operating under the auspices of the Seventh Day Adventist Church - Nakuru. It is involved in Education and Awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS.

Samaritan Friends is a group of people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children who came together because of challenges facing them socially, spiritually, and economically. The group is registered with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development.



This self help group sell various products, jewelery, dried vegetables, jams without preservatives to generate income. Professor Elizabeth Kamau-Mbuthia, Chairperson, Department of Human Nutrition, Egerton University, conducted a workshop to train this self help group on how to dry vegetables and make jams. Prof. Mbuthia is shopping at one of the group's sale.

Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya

The partnership with Egerton University (http://www.egerton.ac.ke/) provided resources and access to opportunities that made this a successful internship. I was able to monitor courses, engage with the Gender Institute Student League, faculty, students, and staff. I was also able to gain access to staff and pregnant and lactating women at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital (PGH) in Nakuru. These opportunities allowed me to gain insight into the sociocultural and economic context of maternal and child health in this urban community. The networking element provided by this internship is invaluable as it would make it easier to conduct my PhD research project as I have established relationships with Egerton faculty and PGH staff.

July 2010 - Nov 2010 - SFD Internship

I was awarded the SFD Internship (http://www.aucc.ca/programs/intprograms/sfd/sfd_e.php) to complete research focused on one of CIDA's priority themes. The research priority I focused on was on "securing the future of children and youth." Specifically the research project that I was involved in investigated the effectiveness of different strategies in supporting exclusive breastfeeding in Nakuru, an urban Kenyan community.