Children's Health Programme

The project takes place in one of the poorest areas of Kenya, where malaria, respiratory diseases and cholera abound. It is intended for the provision of basic healthcare assistance and prevention for the beneficiaries for a period of ten years.

Over the last few years, Kenya has been one of the African countries with a higher economic growth, despite its political difficulties that abounds and the generalized violence, that has very negatively influenced their primary source of income: tourism. Facts:

• 43 million residents.
• 80% live in rural areas.
• 50% suffer from multidimensional poverty.
• Lifespan is 63 years.
• 16.5% of children are malnourished.

One of Kenya’s main weakness is its social inequality. The natural richness of Kenya has allowed for a luxury tourism to develop with great infrastructure in the rich zones, but it contrasts strikingly with the complete poverty of disadvantaged areas; where it is a difficult task for the greater part of the population to cover their basic needs, when that isn’t possible on their own, they need outside help.

The main economic activity in rural areas is agriculture. Land is organized and dedicated into cooperatives for the production of horticulture in the form of large flower, tea and coffee plantations. Each plantation supports around a hundred families. The gatherer’s salary, principally women, is lower than one euro a day. 40% of the population does not have access to water, they live in inadequate health conditions and do not have a basic knowledge of hygiene.

Healthcare in Kenya is limited and is not free. A lot of families, especially in rural ares, lack economic resources to pay for a doctor. One out of every ten children dies before the age of 10 of curable infectious diseases such as child diarrhea due to lack of hygiene.

The child healthcare project CHEP started by Kianda Foundation in Limuru, north of Nairobi, aims to find solutions for the healthcare needs of the most disadvantaged areas through ten year programs.