Conservation Program Update: Luci Lights Initiate Change

In late 2014, New Course donate a number of Luci Lights, courtesy of MPOWERD, to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT) to empower women of the local Maasai community. 

The women's group in Ilchalai with their new Luci Lights

The efforts of the Luci Lights program by MWCT have been continuing in a diligent way!  MWCT has coordinated a number of community outreaches to the communities of Iltilal, Kuku, Langata, Olorika, and Ilchalai to distribute the Luci Lights to existing women's groups. 

The women's group in Olorika meet to discuss ideas for income generating enterprises

The purpose of the distribution of the Luci Lights, and partnership with New Course, is to not only reverse the negative health affects from the traditionally used kerosene lanterns, but also to provide a platform for the women to be empowered, and to establish an alternative income generating enterprise for themselves. Having the ability to utilize saved money from no longer purchasing kerosene, the women can each contribute regularly to a project or enterprise or idea that will benefit them in a sustainable way. 

Women of Iltilal come together to learn more about the Luci Lights

Community outreaches have been continuing throughout the month of March and into April. Thus far, a total of 273 Luci Light solar lanterns have been distributed across 5 different villages, and a total of 11 women's groups. 

The women of Iltilal learn how to properly use their new solar lantern

The Nkaramata Women's Group of Iltilal thrilled with their new lanterns!

Particularly inspiring stories have emerged as a result of this project. The women of these communities are utilizing the revolutionary technology in innovative ways, while coming up with creative ideas that are benefiting the groups and themselves. 

The women of the Kuku Grass Seed Bank are also given the opportunity to receive Luci Lights

Learning about the solar charging abilities!

The growing women's group in Langata!

Predominantly inspiring has been the women's group from Langata village. Having grown from a small number of 7 members, to a sustained number of 37 members since the Luci Lights idea was introduced to them, the Langata women demonstrated a true expression of commitment to the mission of the Luci Lights as well as excitement to be a part of a new and innovative project on Kuku Group Ranch. 

The women of Langata learn about their Luci Lights

The chair lady of the Langata women's group had previously expressed a concern to MWCT about the low number of members in the group, and the disconnect of membership that she was witnessing. The group has now shown tremendous achievement in their now very large following, their desire to attain environmentally friendly lanterns, to rid of their kerosene, and to do something substantial as a group that will benefit them. MWCT looks forward to witnessing the women of Langata as they grow as a group, and efficiently and systematically save their kerosene funds to benefit the group as a whole, contribute to the betterment of the environment, and to their families health. 

We are thrilled to hear of success stories within the community, resulting in the empowerment of women, reduction of harmful emissions, and contributions to the creation of a unified groups becoming a powerful entity within this community. 

Even in the daylight, the power of a Luci Light is something extraordinary! 

Health Program Update: New Equipment and Education Enhancement

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Health Team has had a busy and successful 2015 thus far!

Health outreaches to remote areas of Kuku Group Ranch are of key importance to ensure continued adequate and accessible health services to community members. Since January, a total of three outreaches have been conducted, two in-facility outreaches to Langata Dispensary, and one to the commnity of Moilo. A total of 80 patients were tended to in these outreaches, and a total of 35 mobile laboratory tests were completed.

MWCT is proud to announce, that with support from the Ian-Hicks Foundation, the installation of a semi-automatic biochemistry analyzer in Iltilal Health Centre has been completed. This new machine will enable the clinicians at the facility to conduct a wide range of kidney and liver function tests. This is a massive milestone in MWCT's goal of providing access to quality health care to the local community. This machine will be crucial in the follow-up of patients on chronic medication as those on treatment for Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS.

MWCT Lab Technician, Felix, with the new biochemistry analyzer

Felix and Eric (MoH Nurse) very happy with the new technology!

MWCT Health Team organized the first women health seminar at Kuku Village. Dr. Gabriel and the resident nursing officer educated 18 community women on breast and cervical cancer. Topics discussed during the seminar included: what is cancer, signs and symptoms, and preventative strategies!

Women in Kuku gather to learn about breast and cervical cancer

Solar Lights for Women's Empowerment

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is pleased to report on some exciting news that has evolved over the past few months as a result of an exciting collaboration. The organization New Course has donated 300 portable solar lanterns (produced by MPOWERED) to MWCT. New Course is an organization seeking to empower women around the world through innovative programs in "conservation, sustainability, and poverty alleviation".

Conservation Manager, Lana Muller, and well as MWCT Outreach Officer, Joseph Lariumbe,
together with the one of the women's groups from Iltilal

The lights, named "Luci Lights" are elegant, light-weight, maintenance free, and waterproof solar lights that are easy-to-use, and of high quality!

Demonstration of how the lights work and how to best care for them

The distribution of the donation will be to women's groups across Kuku Group Ranch. Currently, most Maasai women are buying kerosene for lighting in their homes. Not only is this an expensive investment, it is also very damaging and harmful to their health of the family living inside the home.

The women receiving their lights and testing them out!

The women are given the offer to receive a Luci Light, if they agree to contribute 50% of the money that they will save on fuel on a monthly basis, to the women groups. This money will be used by the group to start their own enterprise (ie. selling beads, purchasing energy efficient cooking stoves, etc.)

MWCT has organized meetings with 7 women's groups of 5 different villages on Kuku Group Ranch to introduce the lights to the community. The villages visited thus far have been: Iltilal, Kuku, Langata, Olorike, and Ilchalai.

Very grateful for their lights!

There is tremendous enthusiasm amongst the women in the communities across Kuku Group Ranch that have taken part in this project thus far. The lights are benefiting them in sustainable and tangible ways; mothers can breast feed at night, children are able to study at home in the evening, and health benefits are improving as they are not producing smoke such as their kerosene lamps.

Women testing out their lights

These lamps have helped thousands of people around the world, and are now having a wonderfully positive impact on the Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch. 

Further, the lights have also been distributed to 8 MWCT Community Ranger sectors. Each sector has received two lights to improve their living conditions and promote the light project in the community. The rangers are all very positive about the change with the lights, and many have request to get a Luci Light for their wife at home. Any woman part of a women's group on Kuku Group Ranch will have the opportunity to purchase a light.

The Treasurer of one of the Iltilal Women's Group counting their savings

Please visit MPOWERED's website at https://www.mpowered.com to learn more about these solar lights. We look forward to continue to update you on the progress of the distribution of these lights!

Luci Solar Lights distribution across Kuku Group Ranch. Orange Luci Lights pictograms show locations of women group Luci Lights project; Green Luci Light pictograms show position of ranger teams with Luci Lights.

Education Program Update - Kuku Group Ranch Education Day

Annually, Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trusts hosts a Kuku Group Ranch Education Day. This day celebration is hosted in order to congratulate the school that emerges the best in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. Elangata Enkima School was the best school in the 2013 KCPE examinations within Kuku Group Ranch!

Students of Elangta Enkima

The ceremony took place last weekend, and was attended by all education stakeholders including, but not limited to: District Education Officers, Member of County Assembly, Government Chiefs, Group Ranch Official, MWCT Officers, Head Teachers from 20 schools in Kuku Group Ranch, Parents, Pupils. 

Elangata Enkima has an enrolment of 934 pupils (470 boys and 464 girls) and has 15 teachers employed. MWCT introduced an academic trophy 4 years ago to promote academic competition within Kuku Group Ranch so as to improve academic performance.

Guests of Honor seated at the celebration

The trophy was first won by Iltilal Primary School, followed by Olorika Primary School in 2011 and 2012. The performance of the top school has improved every year since the introduction of the trophy!

MWCT Eduction Director Titus Muia

Elangata Enkima was also the best school in Loitokitok Central Division and the second best public school in the entire Loitokitok District! Definitely a reason to celebrate!

Awarding of the plaque and trophy by MWCT President Samson Parashina

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust sends a very heartfelt congratulations to Elangata Enkima School! We are always recognizing that, along with a healthy, sustaining environment necessary for traditional Maasai pastoralist culture and livelihood, one of the top priorities will always be Education. 

Many reasons to celebrate!

Health Program Update - March Efforts

As usual the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Health Program team has been working hard. The month of March had them extending their efforts all across Kuku Group Ranch.

The routine health outreaches continued into the month of March, including an outreach to Kuku in which 85 patients were attended to. Further, a new outreach was initiated in the month of March - a mobile laboratory. The MWCT lab technician, whom is permanently stationed at Iltilal Health Center, travelled 25 kilometres away to the Langata Dispensary. Here he managed to do complete prenatal testing for 7 women, as well as a total of 5 tests from the outpatient clinic. The objective of this mobile outreach is to increase the diagnostic capacity of all the health facilities within Kuku, and also increase revenues in order to allow the laboratory to become self-sustained.

As a part of ensuring access and continuity of health services by residents of Kuku Group Ranch, Dr. Gabriel travelled to Langata dispensary and stayed there for 4 days.

The second round of the Tetanus Campaign continued in March. As you may remember, MWCT has partnered with the Ministry of Health to immunize all women of reproductive age. The Iltilal Health Centre Team managed to exceed the set target of 900 women, and immunized a total of 997 women at the end of the campaign!

Lining up for the Tetanus vaccination

Some exciting news about our Community Health Volunteers! The new group of 15 community health volunteers attached to the Iltilal Health Centre completed their 10-day training at the Marla on March 7! Certificates were awarded by the District Medical Office of Health.

New Community Health Workers

Health Program Update - Community Health Workers & Distribution of Sanitary Pads

As part of our Kuku Group Ranch-wide Community Health Worker project, we re-established the community health workers at Iltilal Health Centre. the first meeting with the community hospital committee was held on February 3, and the proposal to enrol the community health workers was passed.

The second meeting was held the following week and the names of the proposed candidates were presented for adoption. A total of 16 community health workers were selected; three of these from the Moilo/Olpusare area. All candidates presented themselves for interviews and briefing on the roles of community health workers. These newly selected CHW's are currently undergoing induction training conducted by the Ministry of Health and sponsored by MWCT.

Meeting with potential community health workers in Iltilal

In the month of February, we also started a rotational CHW forum at the four health facilities within Kuku Group Ranch. This forum brings the community health workers from a particular health centre together for a brief training and joint meal. The purpose of these forums is to foster unity among the CHW's and motivate them towards community health development! They also provide MWCT with a forum to articulate its' health goals for the local community.

The Health Program has a big task this month; thanks for Dr. Michael Brownstein's generous donation, we have been able to distribute reusable cloth sanitary pads to all schoolgirls on Kuku Group Ranch. The objective of the project is to ensure girls are not missing school during menstruation because they do not have the means to purchase sanitary pads. Each girl is given 4 cloth pads (lasting over 1 year), a bar of soap, and a plastic bag to store their pads!

Shokut School Girls

The primary schools in Iltilal, Moilo, Shokut, Marla, Inkisanjani, and Langata were visited this month. We teach them about menstruation, and show them how to use and clean their pads. They were also given to the teachers so that they can assist the children.  

Marlal school girl with cloth sanitary pads

Health Program Update - Polio Campaign & Assisting the Disabled

We've got another Health Update from MWCT Health Director, Lena Koh! Following a successful trachoma campaign in October, the Ministry of Health issued a letter of thanks to MWCT for providing support in the form of health staff and transport.

Shortly after, the MOH launched a polio campaign from November 16-20th. The campaign involved going from house to house providing polio vaccine to children under 5 years of age. MWCT was integral in making the campaign a success.

Health Program Director Lena, giving a vaccination

In fact, in providing transport for the health staff to ensure the essential vaccine reaches children in the most remote areas of Kuku Group Ranch, Iltilal Health Center and Langata Dispensary are the only health facilities in the Loitokitok Region to surpass their target; Iltilal Health Center vaccinated 1401 children. Amazing!

Many children greatly benefitted from the outreaches of this campaign!

Further, a few months ago, during an outreach in Nchalai village with the health staff from Olorika, Dr. Waari treated Mosoni Nkalu, a physically and mentally disable child who was sick. It was noted that the child did not have any medical assistive device, such as a wheelchair.

Mosoni Nkalu at boma in Nchalai

An assessment by the physiotherapist in Loitokitok was required in order to obtain a wheelchair, however, the family could not afford to hire a car to take her there. MWCT brought the physiotherapist to Mosoni's boma so that an assessment could be completed and measurements taken.

Physiotherapist from Loitokitok hospital performing an assessment

We anticipate getting a wheelchair for Mosoni early next year!

Health Program Update - New Solar Lights and a New Bicycle

Solar lights have been installed at Olorika and Oltiasika dispensaries as a result of Lena's (MWCT Health Program Development Director) fundraising efforts and the Ian Hicks Foundation. We have made a short video capturing the thoughts of the health works on the installation of the lights. The community then slaughtered a goat to celebrate the exciting occasion.

You can find the video by clicking here.

Health workers at Olorika Dispensary with the new solar ights

Daniel at Olorika showing off the new lights!

Letter of appreciation from health workers at Olorika dispensary

We are also happy to announce that a new bicycle has been given to a community health worker from Langata. Shadrack walks for 8 kilometres to Langata dispensary every day to assist the other health workers. 

Shadrack very happy with his new bicycle!

Now, with his new bicycle, he is able to get to the hospital much faster. He repeatedly told the MWCT health staff that he will never be late again! We hope that it will further motivate Shadrack to continue to effectively assist the community through his efforts within our health program. 

Shadrack receiving his bicycle from Wanyama, MWCT's clinical officer in Lanagata

Health Update - Donated Supplies, Langata, and More

MWCT's Health Program has been continuing its good work of late, with several exciting new developments.  Some of the best news we received recently was the donation of a large number of medical supplies!  Health Coordinator Lena Koh visited Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital while on holiday and spoke with officials in the biomedical engineering department about MWCT's mission, and they were happy to help in any way they could.

Assorted of donated medical supplies from Sunnybrook Hospital's Biomedical Engineering Department in New York.

Sunnybrook was extremely generous, offering MWCT anything we desired from their surplus and misordered equipment.  Lena brought back a full suitcase of much-needed supplies, including surgical instruments and trays, stethoscopes, resuscitators, scalpels, speculums, nebulizers, wound dressings, hand sanitizer, gloves, and more.  Finally, the hospital offered to continue their aid in the future, and we will be receiving more shipments of these extremely needed items.

Lena discussing a collaboration with MWCT's Health Program with employees at Sunnybrook Hospital.

In other news, our new staff member at the Langata Dispensary has continued to expand the clinic's services since he began working earlier this year.  As a Clinical Officer, Wanyama sees patients with varying complaints, offers vaccines to children from the area, assists with outreaches by MWCT's Health team, and much more.  In only a couple months of work he has already helped the government nurse provide much more care than in past quarters, and we're excited to have him aboard as part of the MWCT team.

Health Update - Cancer Screenings

MWCT's Health Program recently hired a new Clinical Officer for Langata village named Emmanuel Wanyama, allowing us to greatly expand our services and keep the clinic open on weekends.  Since his arrival clinic visits have increased more than 30%, allowing us to help many more patients.  Thanks to this new flexibility, we recently offered cancer screenings in Langata for the first time to good success.

The district reproductive health officer discusses cancer screenings.

The District Reproductive Health Officer began the day by facilitating a community conservation about women's cancers, after which Sam (MWCT nurse) and Wanyama worked with the Ministry nurse to administer breast and cervical cancer screenings.  During this initial visit ten women were screened with no referrals, and the community was very thankful for this new service.

Women wait for cancer screenings in Kuku village.

Following this we held a second screening two weeks later in Kuku village, this time using our experience to plan more comprehensively for the event.  We brought our ambulance fully outfitted for the day, with supplies including a hospital bed and disinfecting bucket, and set up operations in the local Child Care Fund center.

Sam and the female government explain basic facts about types of cancer.

Because some women are uncomfortable with a male nurse performing the screenings, we arranged for a female government nurse from Loitokitok to accompany us and help for the day.  We again had a community discussion regarding cancers, then screened ten women for breast and cervical cancer, one of whom was referred for further testing.

MWCT ambulance loaded with supplies for our Kuku village screening.