After losing their farm lands, homes and other valuable properties due to flooding caused by the rising water level in Lake Kwania, most of the communities in Okiji parish lost hope when they found themselves in the camp where diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea among others became their main challenge.
As Hope Charity Medicare we had to visit them and plan on how to really take compassionate care to these vulnerable encamped flood victims. On Sunday evening of the 10th/10/2021 in partnership with the camp leaders, Village health team members we mobilized the encamped community and started conducting malaria health education messages in local language (LUO) and using local communication skills. We empowered the community with knowledge of malaria and how to prevent it, how to use mosquito repellant, how to use and maintain LLINs – for example, the need to air an LLIN in the shade for 24 hours before its first use, tucking in the net properly before going to sleep, washing the net when dirty, and mending it when torn. We also advised them to urgently seek medical attention when someone is feeling symptoms such as fever, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, body pain and others that are closely related to malaria infection
We also found out that due to lack of food to eat, poverty and the knowledge gap some members of the encamped community are using the few available nets for fishing in the swamps, others are using them for building as ropes, and others are using them as sacks for handling harvested grains. These therefore demands for more effort and support for continuous community outreach and health education so as to effect behavioral and attitude change
Team from H CM carrying out health education at Awigweng central camp
An elder Mr. Okot Kennedy ‘’Mr. President’’ as known in the camp posing a question to HCM team
The team demonstrates on how to properly use a mosquito net
We only had one mosquito net for demonstration, but when this father requested we had to surrender to him.
