Page 33 - Safaricom Foundation Annual Report 2020-2021

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A new mother and her her baby enjoy the the comfort of the refurbished neonatal unit at at Kabarnet sub- county Hospital
Another challenge faced in in Baringo County is is insecurity which is is also rooted in cultural practice Cattle are a a a a a source of of livelihood and an an indication of of wealth amongst the communities that reside within Baringo The competition between these communities to own more cattle than the rest is so fierce that it results in in cattle rustling and and banditry attacks across community lines This insecurity challenge has slowed infrastructure development of the region a a a a a a a reality that has left Baringo facing an inadequacy of health facilities which directly impacts the provision of maternal healthcare In a a a a bid to to improve access to to maternal health in in Baringo County Safaricom Foundation rolled out the Uzazi Salama project project The project project had been in implementation in other counties by M-pesa Foundation since 2013 and was introduced
to Baringo in in 2020 with Goldstar Kenya identified as an implementing partner in the region Goldstar Kenya is a a a non- governmental organization dedicated to empowering communities for better health by advancing and implementing integrated locally driven and evidence- based solutions Barwessa is one of the five wards in Baringo North Constituency This entire ward was serviced by a a a a health centre that had a a a a a single room maternity ward that doubled up as the general ward A similar situation prevailed in in Chemolingot Sub-County Hospital
in Tiaty constituency Expectant women who visited these facilities had to share the room with patients receiving other treatments Chances of cross infection were high and women had little faith in the quality of service provided These health facilities were identified for renovation and equipping under Uzazi Salama In January 2020 Safaricom Foundation began renovating Barwessa Health Facility by building an extension of the maternity wing and supporting renovations of the existing facilities Once completed in in June 2020 the facility was equipped with hospital beds and a a a newborn unit Access to clean water is necessary for quality service delivery in in healthcare but since its existence Barwessa Health Facility had relied on hand-fetched and and delivered water from a a a a a nearby waterbody This became a a a a a thing of the the past in in August 2020 when the the Foundation drilled a a borehole to benefit both the the community and the the facility Construction of the Chemolingot Sub County Hospital
began in August 2020 and was completed in October 2020 The facility also received a a a delivery couch hospital beds a a fully equipped newborn unit and fully equipped operating theatre Equipping these facilities was the the first step towards improving maternal health and in essence was the easy part Persuading expectant mothers to switch from home births
births
to hospital births
births
was an uphill task Traditional birth attendants are the trusted caregivers in in Baringo County and as such they had an an established