Written by Gloria Kosgey
There has been great progress in just one year! Over 2,300 individuals have been reached with CHAT’s backpack strategy using the population, health, and education approach in Amboseli alone.
Previous to this was an 8 yearlong working partnership relationship between Kenya Wildlife Trust (KWT) and CHAT; where KWT supported CHAT’s efforts on family planning and ecological awareness in Laikipia and Samburu. However, in July 2020, Kenya Wildlife Trust offered a grant to CHAT for an extension of their backpack strategy services to Amboseli in the Loitoktok sub-county that has a population of 191,846 individuals.
CHAT has since identified, mentored, and trained 2 Community Own Resource Persons – CORP’s (one male and one female) who are actively filling the gap for unmet family planning uptake. They provide a vital link between the communities, facilities, and service providers to focus on mobilization and sensitization on good health and well-being. Here are some of the real-time success stories:
*Not their real names
Supuk is one of CHAT’S CORP. He comes from a patriarchal society. According to him, including men in his daily sensitization of family planning uptake guarantees a high rate of success in these paternal-led households where child-bearing being is more of a woman’s concern. In one of his morning visits, he met Olelunga* and his wife whom he successfully registered for a referral to the nearby health facility for a 5-year Jadelle contraception method that they both chose from engaging in a talk with Supuk.
Over 707 men in just one year have been accompanying their women to health facilities for the family planning uptake.
“What a joy it is! Every time I wake up I think about steering change in our community. Enlightening men on family planning is important if we want to manage our human population in this side of Kenya. Only then will we be capable to have access to quality health for our women and ensure environmental resources are sufficient enough to sustain our livelihoods and the future generations as well,” says Supuk.
CHAT CORP partner, Jennifer, was conducting one of her door-to-door sensitization visits where she met King’au* and his wife Naiyantei*, a family of 10 – 2 adults and 8 children. They were facing a crisis of increased need for resources with low income. “We are in need of a miracle at this point,” recounts King’au*. Neither of the two parents wishes to continue having children sighting financial struggle and poor health as their top reasons. They have since opted for a long-term implant contraception method which has reduced their worry and fear of unplanned pregnancies. Two months after this, they are now viewed as role models in their village and are encouraging others to take charge of their health and resources.
“We are grateful that we learned about family planning because from now on, we do not have to worry about our family expanding and our expenses going up. We want to make sure that we can manage our family in the best way possible at the moment,” says King’au*
It is safe to say that Jennifer was their answered miracle!
In just one year, over 831 women have chosen different contraception methods.
KWT believes that healthy ecosystems are integral to successful conservation efforts. We believe that people are an important aspect of having healthy ecosystems and we are proud of the efforts achieved in partnership with CHAT. These great men and women CORP’s are doing a fantastic job covering great distances with the message on family planning for natural resource management. They need motorbikes among other necessities to continue with their philanthropic work. You can help us support these and other efforts on wildlife conservation.
Driven by science, focused on people.
