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.