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sustainable development is impossible. Access to clean water, decent sanitation together with hygiene practices, reduce child mortality, improve health and education outcomes, and contribute to reduced poverty and sustainable development. Hence, it is high on the ChildsLife agenda.
Water
Since 1998, ChildsLife has been involved in borehole and irrigation projects. In extremely dry areas of Africa wells are drilled, water storage tanks are built and if possible irrigation lines are installed. Wells of up to 180 meters deep are sometimes the only way water can ever be found. Since 2002, ChildsLife also installs water tanks and water catchment systems at schools in several regions of Kenya. In most cases, a couple days rain is able to fill four 10,000 litre water tanks which is enough water to prepare lunches, allow for good hygiene practices and for the children to take home a little water to their families.
Sanitation & Hygiene
Together with water systems, ChildsLife equips schools with toilets and hand washing basins. ChildsLife’s work doesn’t
stop there. ChildsLife works closely with school teachers and communities so they can bring about change in local hygiene practices like hand washing. As part of the covid response program, advice and products for the prevention of covid19 were high on the agenda in 2020. Protective supplies and hygiene products were in huge shortage and controlling the corona virus, particularly in slums where people are packed together in unhygienic circumstances, posed a serious threat. ChildsLife field staff distributed mouth masks and products such as soap, gel and chlorine to many vulnerable families in slums and rural areas. They also gave advice on hygiene practices and information about the virus.
Food Security
Together with local communities ChildsLife fights hunger and improves access to food. On a daily basis, school children are offered healthy school meals, which often is the only meal they will receive in a day. ChildsLife stimulates and gives people tools to look after themselves. Therefore, vulnerable mothers in slums are provided with their own kitchen gardens to grow their own vegetables. Also, greenhouses are installed at schools to supple- ment the lunch program but also to sustain and financially empower schools. In the corona pandemic, food security became even more fragile. Many people ChildsLife supports have lost their jobs, their only source of income and struggle to put food on the table, not knowing where their next meal will come from. ChildsLife went to great lengths to mobilize additional food aid, such as food packages and kitchen gardens for these vulnerable families, hiv+ mothers, parents and staff affected by the school closures in both slums and rural areas.
Care
Clinic project at Oloropil Community
In February 2020 ChildsLife started the preparation for the construction of an urgently needed clinic at the Maasai Oloropil community of Olepolos. There is no clinic in Oloropil and the nearest small clinic is over 15 kilometres and nearest hospital over 60 kilometres away. An ambulance for emergencies is
not existent in the area. The area suffers an extremely high infant mortality rate. With the generous support of 2 donors ChildsLife was able to commence this project. Unfortunately, the construction had to be put on hold from March until November 2020 as travel into and out of the area was prohibited due to Government imposed restrictions. Construction has now been resumed and the clinic is due for completion in 2021.
ChildsLife | Annual Report 2020
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