EWOI PROGRAMME

DIOCESE OF LODWAR

Annual report 2010

Introduction

The report highlights all the programme activities implemented in the period of January to December 2010. In the reporting period, the programme attended to the old through the outlined activities below and handicapped children; 

Clients.

The programme has an intake of about 173 clients within Lodwar town.

It is still dealing with self-help groups in Lokitaung, Kataboi, Kaikor, Kangatotha, Kalokol, Nasiger, Katilu, Turkwel, Kakuma, Lokichoggio, Lokori, Lorugum, Eliye Spring, Lokichar, Kainuk, Kerio, Nakwamoru, Kodopa and Loarengak with about 2000 old ones getting direct or indirect assistance from the programme.

In Lodwar 7 clients died, and there was an intake of 9 new clients.

Staff

As from 1^st July 2010, Mrs Annie Janssen resigned as the co-ordinator of the programme and from then there was a new co-ordinator.

During this time, the programme was staffed with:

-  1 Co-ordinator

-  1 Assistant co-ordinator who is also the acting social worker

-  1 Community worker/Medical assistant

-  1 Office assistant/Store keeper

-  5 Part-time Home Visitors

-  2 Full time watchmen

-  1 Part-time watchman

-  1 staff member attended one week training on Administration organised by Meds in Sagana.

-  3 staff members went to Machakos for a Home based care course also organised by Meds.

-  2 staff members attended a meds course on Support staff at Meru.

-  The programme re-appointed 1 home visitor whose contract was not extended last year; this 

    was because she had more experience in the field.

-   One staff member was involved in doing the office work, i.e. took care of the store, and   

    recorded all the incoming and outgoing items as food, clothes, mats, soap and other materials.

-  One staff member is involved in doing home visits to the handicapped cases.

-   The contracts for all the 11 staff members were extended; this is because of their good work.

-   The programme also lost one board member Mr. Emojongit Osuru, may the good lord rest his                                

     Soul in eternal peace.

Office

During this period a total of 7551 people visited the office for different reasons as:
-  465 people came for special reasons and general assistance
-  316 came for social problems
-  3335 clients came for food assistance. They were given maize/beans, flour, biscuits and      
-  3435 others as oil, vegetables, milk, soap, biscuits, salt and sometimes sugar and tea.

Once a month the office organised a soap day. All clients were invited. They got some food or a drink on the spot and some dry food to take home. They got a piece of soap to keep hygiene.

Home Visits

The home visitation is still a very important component in the programme. This is done by the home visitors who visit the old people and incase of a problem, they report to the office for an action to be taken. The clients appreciate the home visits very much since some of them get only the attention from the home visitor.

The social worker guides the home visitors on how to do the home visits and incase of a complicated problem they go together to solve it with either the relatives or the community.

Total Home visits done during this period were:

 Home visitors    4702

Social worker      555

Medical Department

One of the staff members (medical assistant) was responsible for the medical care. She took the sick clients to the hospital or to the nearby dispensary. The home visitors did the follow-up visits to know the progress of the clients. When there was a sick client who could not go to the hospital or the dispensary, a nurse was called to do a home-visit treatment to the sick granny at home. Working on this way was easy and cheaper for the programme.

However, the hospital made it hard for the programme since they refused to extend the permit that was given to the programme a few years ago, though we try to work with the personnel from the pharmacy and the out-patient department. It was only hard when the staffs in the hospital were either not in time or not around, but with the admissions it is still a problem.

Activities of the medical department in this period:

113       clients got treatment in the office

184       referred to hospital

  21        clients admitted in the hospital

  32        home visits by a nurse to clients who can not walk to health facility

245        home visits-follow-up visits by the nurse or medical assistant.

156       visits to the hospital by the medical assistant.

Mobile Clinic

The mobile clinic in Kalokol was stopped. This was because the people were not always ready to cost-share as agreed and it was especially for those who were getting money from Equity. The office gave them the message early enough but when we go there they never turn up. They prefer going for either food registration or money.   

The same was for the mobile clinic in Kakwanyang. There were not so many old clients but whenever we went there, the people were involved in other income generating activities or they forced us to change the time. They are not always ready to give the message to the few old clients. Though they begged for the mobile to be started we did only for 3 months and they got a dispensary managed by the government.

However, after a workshop at Nabuin the mobile clinic was started, this was because there were so many old ones suffering in that area. They have been co-operating and for those who have to cost share they have been doing so without problems. We re-started also the mobile clinic at Nakiriamriamet after having a meeting with them. The parish priest at Kanamkemer requested for a mobile clinic at Koono, we had a meeting with the people there and the mobile clinic is doing well at the moment.

Eye Camp

This year the eye camp was held in March in Lodwar District hospital by the Spanish Eye Doctors.

A total of 22 clients were screened.

  8 clients were booked for eye operations.

14 got treatment

  2 were afraid of the operations hence refused to be operated.

After some time 2 lost their sights and 6 were successful.

Workshops

The programme continued with workshops on how to care for the old people in and outside the parishes. This was after a positive impact in the parishes.

We are still using the funds granted by Centraal Missie Commissariaat (C.M.C), from the Netherlands.

    26      workshops were done throughout the diocese and 1 was postponed.

1011       members of the SCC attended the work shops.

      5      staff members are involved in the workshops.

      2      staff members organised a workshop and taught the other staff members how to facilitate workshops and it was successful.

Income generating project

One staff member (community worker) helped the clients in doing some income generating activities; this was by getting a loan and guiding them on how to do the business. The old ones used the profit for their daily lives.

The community worker has to encourage the clients to make mats, brooms, sticks, collecting firewood etc. Although it is never enough to cater for the old ones needs, but it keeps them busy. This is about 2/3 of the total clients.

Those involved in the income generating project are 14.The office has to put more effort in this activity.

Most of the clients are not able to do the income generating activities since they are too old.

Handicapped

The programme is still doing handicapped cases. It tries to refer them to John Paul II home in Lokichar, but for some cases not fitting in Lokichar i.e. mental and physical handicapped, we try to assist. The orthopaedic technician from Kitale comes regularly to give advice or special aids to these children. Upto-date the programme gives attention to 21 handicapped cases. The Liliana Fonds from the Netherlands is sponsoring this activity though the funding is going down and it is not so clear about the future.

One part-time home visitor and the social worker are involved in visiting the handicapped cases, to guide and teach the parents on the home based care activities. 

The programme organised 3 parents meetings, this was to make the parents share their experiences, problems and hence encourage themselves to give more attention to these children.

It also organised 4 handicapped days, this is where the children came to the office for attention and playing. They got attention on health, special food, cleaning and entertainments. All the staffs are normally involved on this day.

During this period the programme lost 2 handicapped children.

Food

The programme did not give so much food to the clients since there was food relief in the area and most of the clients got it. But they got it when the relief was not there and also during soap day for every month. During relief distributions, the home visitors are very keen and they ensure that most of the old people get food though is hard.

The programme gave food to the clients with special needs like; those who are taking strong drugs e.g. TB drugs and ARV’s and to clients who have to take care of grandchildren (AIDS orphans).

Building houses

The programme was still not involved in the building of the houses, but incase of a special case it can take an action.

Finance

The sustenance of the programme still depends on well-wishers, small organisations and friends of the Ewoi programme.

The programme is still looking for a long term sponsor, but until now we were able to run the programme financially.

The next figure gives a summary of the expenses of the year 2010 .

Regularly the programme kept in contact with: The Chancellor of the Diocese,      

Parish priests and Catechists, Chiefs, Social service, Hospital, Liliana Fonds, Help Age, Dispensaries, WFP, Police, Justice and Peace, Children’s officer and other public organisations.

Planning

- Continue the current activities

- Keeping in contact with members of the SCC all over the diocese

- Reopening  and starting new mobile clinics

- Celebrating, Easter,  international Elderly day and Christmas  for the clients

- More attention to income generating projects

- Give change to staff members to attend courses.

- Organise more workshops in and out of the Diocese.

January 2011

Agnes Mana

Coordinator Ewoi programme

Lodwar.