Health programme

Healthcare is one of the basic needs for a child. We believe all children in our coverage region should have access to basic healthcare and should have the necessary healthcare information to make informed decisions. Macheo works on a number of programmes which aim at improving the health of needy children.

The health program is carried out in close cooperation with stichting KOP (Kiandutu Outreach Project) from the Netherlands. In this programme we focus on:

Deworming

Many children in Kenya are suffering from illnesses caused by intestinal worms. These parasitic worms can cause anaemia, stunted growth, lethargy, impaired cognitive development, poor short-term memory and low school attendance. Macheo only provides deworming in the schools who cannot benefit from a government deworming programme. Macheo aims to deworm 45,000 children per year in this programme.

Child nutrition

Malnutrition is a big problem in Kenya, and has permanent and devastating effects for young children. A severely malnourished child can never catch up with their peers. Especially the period before the second birthday is of critical importance. This program entails extra feeding, specifically designed for the needs of these children and also knowledge-transfer towards the guardians on how to prevent malnutrition. Read the story of Julia, Molly and Caroline to learn about the children we help in the programme.

Sanitary Pads

Many young girls, especially in the rural areas where Macheo works, have to do without sanitary pads during their menstruation. This can cause various health related problems and prevents the girls from going to school. Thanks to our donors, Macheo is able to provide girls with these pads (the girls pay a small amount to assure the need for the programme). At the same time we use this contact moment to give information to the girls on hygiene, fysical and emotional changes they are going through. Experience here the stories of the girls benefitting from our programme.

Mother-child care

Macheo assists mothers with information on pre-natal care, post-natal care, family planning and immunizations. The rapid population growth in Kenya (http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?v=21&c=ke&l=en) is causing many challenges, and we would like to encourage people to be more in charge of their family size. Secondly, we would like parents to be more aware of the needs of their babies, before and after birth to prevent problems like complications at birth, malnutrition and other health related problems. Our field workers identify mothers (to be) and stimulate them to do check ups when pregnant, get vaccination for their children and plan their family size. Even basic information can make a big difference, since some mothers are still teenagers themselves and lack the knowledge on child care.

Disabled children

Naturally, disabled children are usually in a very weak position in society. This is also the case in Kenya. We praise the Government of Kenya for its efforts to support these children through special units at public primary schools. Macheo aims to assist the government in improving these special units by training parents and teachers, improving infrastructure and providing materials.

Individual treatment

Unfortunately we still come across children who need medical help, but the caretakers cannot afford to provide. Incidentally, Macheo and her donors can make it possible for such a child to be assisted.

Home-based care

The care for people who are bedridden in Kenya is insufficient. Macheo’s nurse (made possible by stichting KOP) visits people at home (in the Kiandutu slum), and assists them as much as she can.

Psychological health

There is a gigantic need in Kenya for better psychological healthcare. Our counsellors are assisting children with their psychological health. Their main focus is on the schoolchildren who are in our education programme. The most common problem is dealing with traumas as a result of rape. These children can really benefit from the support and advice they get in the counselling sessions in order to deal with their problems.