Peter has passion for his people

Many of you know the area we work in when not traveling throughout Kenya is Marurui slum. It is one of 22 slums in Nairobi - a small slum by comparison to other slums in Nairobi like Kibera or Mathare. There are 25,000 people living in 1500 shanty like homes in this slum. Unemployment and illiteracy are very high. Diseases are also very prevalent. Most of these diseases are preventable - malaria, water-borne illnesses and HIV/AIDS. Also, many people have chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes that are poorly managed. Our physician Dr. Vincent screened 200 patients for hypertension and found 50 had high blood pressure.

Our goal as Partners for Care is to promote wellness and eliminate disease in Marurui slum by:
1. Teaching the people of Marurui slum how to prevent community health diseases.
2. Treating those who get sick
3. Help the chronically ill to manage their disease.

We are approaching this through our medical clinic, by implementing mHealth and through community health teaching. And, PFC is working to ensure every child in Marurui slum sleeps under a bed net. To date the staff have distributed 833 bed nets in this slum. The team is teaching how water can be cleaned by using the sun. As you walk through the slum you can see the people have placed jugs of water on their roofs for the sun to turn the dirty water clean. At night there is clean water for their children.

Peter teaching women from Marurui Slum on community health

Jugs of water on a roof in the slum for the sun to clean the water

The team is using the malaria and the HIV teaching cubes. Working with groups of 10, the staff have the client complete a pre-test to determine their knowledge about malaria and HIV. After teaching with the cubes the staff gives a post-test to measure the increase of knowledge. It is very exciting to the staff to see how much the people are learning about malaria and HIV/AIDS using these innovative teaching tools. Learn more about these cubes at www.e3resources.org.

When the people are sick they call Peter who works in our clinic. He goes to them at night, weekends - whenever they call him. Peter uses his mHealth mobile devise to collect medical information and then transmits the information to Dr. Vincent through the internet. An electronic medical record is opened for the patient. Dr. Vincent reviews the information on his computer and then directs Peter how to help the patient.

Peter

Peter, a young man with a wife and two small children has passion for helping the people of Marurui slum. Marurui slum is his community. He grew up there. And, like Moses who helped the Israelites, Peter helps his people. He doesn't want his people perishing from a lack of knowledge. To the people of Marurui slum, the Red Sea is HIV/AIDS and other diseases that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Peter is helping them cross to the promise land.

It is a great joy for me to hear Peter talk about his work. Peter arrives early for meetings and is always available to do whatever is necessary to serve his fellow staff of PFC or to serve the people of Marurui slum. Equipping Peter to do his work is why Partners for Care exists. As Ryan says..we equip them and then stay out of their way because they can do the work....they can reach and help their own people.

Blessed to know and learn from a young man like Peter,

Connie
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