HIV/AIDS Orphans Work In Hospitals & Slums Detail
HIV/AIDS Orphans Work In Hospitals & Slums
Kenya's health care and provision suffers as much as any other public service sector in the country. Whilst structures are in place for an effective heath service, there is an enormous deficit in terms of staff and resources. Which is why the volunteers' help is very much appreciated by the nurses and doctors we do volunteer work with.
As a volunteer, you will spend two days of the week in the Nairobi slums involved in our community support programme. The rest of your time as a medical volunteer will be split up between Kikuyu Hospital and orphanages in Limuru, the beautiful hilly area just outside Nairobi where we are based.
Government Hospitals
African Impact medical volunteers spend full days at these hospitals and are able to get involved in various departments and gain much experience under the supervision of a local qualified health professional. Opportunities for involvement include laboratory, physiotherapy, maternity, paediatric and child-care unit, comprehensive care clinic (HIV & TB patients), counselling, orthopaedics, administration, outpatient care, pharmacy and x-ray.
There are a host of opportunities to gain medical experience, learn from health professionals, and the exposure to medical care in an African country is certainly an eye-opener.
Medical Outreach: Home based care in Kawaida Village
This initiative is run by a local community health worker and six untrained community field workers. This initiative aims to act as the middle man between the public health centers and destitute and vulnerable who often do not have access to proper medical care. The community based initiatives offers services in:
• Home based care
• Dressing of wounds
• HIV care and counseling (VCT)
• Treating of sand infestation
• Community awareness
• Training of staff
One of this programs most obvious attributes is its ability to expose participants to a diverse array of health care issue while remaining within the boundaries of a small African village. Volunteers get the opportunity to treat patients who are afflicted with Chiggers, TB, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Cancer, and Elephantitis, while also witnessing the community’s culture, economy, and ultimately the major limitations of its health care system. The challenges presented by the lack of resources encourage experienced health care professionals to be creative in how they treat their patients. It is clear that the medical knowledge volunteers bring to Kawaida is desperately needed and appreciated within the local community.
Kikuyu Hospital
This hospital is particularly well-known for its specialized eye unit. It has a variety of departments and wards that volunteers can get involved in, such as the maternity ward, orthopedics, the HIV and diabetic clinic, theatre/surgery, nursing and emergency care. Kikuyu Hospital also has an outreach program, in which health professionals and volunteers go into rural areas to give the needed medical care to communities that do not have accessible health care facilities.
Your medical background will determine your placement at the various hospitals or community outreach. If you have no medical background at all, you will be placed at one of the orphanages or pre-schools on the mornings dedicated to Hospital work; other than this, the volunteer duties and work will be the same.
Orphanages/Pre-schools in Limuru
There are over a million orphans in Kenya mainly due to AIDS, of which only 5 % get any kind of support. There is a huge need for assisting orphanages and children's homes.
There are several orphanages in Limuru that we are involved with. These children come from backgrounds that have been affected by HIV/AIDS, abuse, poverty or illness. These children are in need of love and attention. Many of them are developmentally delayed and need extra attention in order to promote their development. The children's ages range mainly between 4 and 15 years.
The orphanages offer opportunities to become involved in:
Helping with the teaching of the children, and general care such as cooking for the children's meals or organising sports and play activities to promote the well being of the children.
Building/improving the facilities to make it feel more like home for the children: by painting pictures on the walls etc. Some of the orphanages we partner with are building to expand and improve their facilities. Your pair of hands will be greatly appreciated in this practical work.
The kids are very energetic and will gladly challenge you to a game of basketball or soccer. You will have a chance to make a huge impact on these children's lives by spending time with them, and contributing to their learning and development.
Mukuru and Kyangombe Slums - Educational and Community Support, Nairobi
Every year many lives are lost in Kenya due to HIV/AIDS related illnesses and even more to water-borne diseases. 85% of these deaths occur in the slum areas. This is due to unemployment and poor housing and drainage systems.
Slums in Kenya are shanty houses built using torn cartons, recycled wood or even worn out iron sheets. The houses are single rooms of about 2 square metres. Each room houses a family, consisting of anything from a young mother with 2 children, to a family of 9 children. The slums are heavily populated with a single pit latrine serving over 20 families. Those who stay in these slums are generally unemployed.
Challenged by the problem of the increase in child mortality and the decline in maternal health and coupled with the alarming rate of HIV/AIDS-related complications, a local clinic has been created with the goal of playing a part in helping to provide health solutions to a slum population of around 62 000 people.
Volunteers would have the opportunity of helping this local clinic situated on the outskirts of these slums. The clinic provides services such as maternal & child health care, family health care, curative health care, primary health care, voluntary counselling and testing, training in health and HIV/AIDS awareness.
