Integrating COVID-19, TB Prevention and Gender UHC Goals in Strategic Quality Life Plans Targeting Peri-Urban Nairobi Areas: A Case for East Leigh, Rongai and Kitengela, Kajiado Kenya

Authors: Tom Muyunga-Mukasa, Raymond Brian Sebyala, Hudson S., David Kyobe, Arthur Edwards Kiwanuka, Chris Wasswa, Ainebyoona Rodgers, Madrine N.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is an over-arching ideal, goal, commodity and resource which can be claimed, is demanded, supplied and packaged as a service or outcome.

 It is a stimulant and catalyzer for social development and an indicator of standard of living. It is deliberated upon by those in the policy, programming and planning areas.

However, UHC cannot be beneficial unless it is in existence with other elements such as: well organized population groups, planned estates, well connected locations with road systems, well conserved biodiversity, institutionalized systems, policy regime, rights regime, strategic development, delivery of services, provision of services without discrimination, social care services, conducive climate, wellness, mental and physical health.

This realization was arrived at because of our work with refugees in East Leigh, Rongai and Kitengela suburbs outside of Nairobi City, Kenya. We meet and interact with citizens and refugees. We are TB case finders and since August 2019, after we had trained 400 Champions and through them identified 177 TB cases. We were able to encourage them to adhere to medication. 75 of these were living in overcrowded houses and all claimed they smoked pipes and cigarettes to numb hunger or cope with traumas. 72 are living with HIV and had acquired active TB due to compromised immunity. 35 had missed medication as a result of moving from one place to another. But, resumed when they got stable housing. For 12 the kind of stable housing is a church where they sleep during night when it is not in use. For (17) seventeen it is working as home maids during day and sex-for-bed favour changers. 83 are hawkers and use the money they get from hawking to subsist.  There is so much one can tease out of this characterization. There are bare vulnerabilities to COVID-19, TB, HIV and Malaria.

 Kenya enforces an encampment policy so it would be so hard for programmes providing for urban refugees to cater for livelihood and comprehensive self-reliance. To a very large extent this has to be done by the refugees themselves. Refugees are not allowed to vote in Kenya so politicians don’t see any ballot-value in them. It is no wonder these areas of residence with a larger number of refugees seem to be dismissed during election time. It means they do not get allocations as much as those areas where politicians get votes. However with increasing dignity-affirmation dispensation following the call for Sustainable Development Goals, roll out of human rights and the power of organization, refugees have developed among them cultural, economic and labour power blocks. This has turned out differently for different groups.  There is an increased demand for community organization opportunities. This is a leverage to segue into organizing around themes such as: #LivelihoodSupport #EliminationOfViolenceAgainstWomen #EqualityForAll, #EachForEqual #GenerationEquality #ZeroDiscrimination the #EndTB and #EndCOVID19.

At the local government level and in residential communities where refugees reside life goes on normally. Some refugees are professionals and this has helped them get work to earn and afford a regular subsistence. Others are perceived as unskilled labour readily taking on lowly jobs not taken up by citizens. There is a building boom in Nairobi and the suburbs. So, there is demand for food, human-power, security guards, porters, brick-layers, retailers, brokers and other service providers. Refugees have taken up these jobs and have been effective. In Kitengela, there various retail-groceries run by refugees and they are social-support drop-by places too. Refugees use these to pick up leads for jobs; they are referral places and this makes it easier to track progress of refugees referred to certain jobs.  This in turn has brought about informal trust-building mechanisms or connections. Job-seekers are able to meet job prospects with good references.

This and more constitute the background against which, UHC can be claimed and achieved. The TB persons we identified are able to adhere to medication-taking because they are now able to earn some money to afford subsistence as well as living within a known social support system. This has been the backdrop of our work until the advent of COVID-19.

With the ‘social distancing,’ self-isolation and other quarantine protocols, we have had to change tactics. First and foremost, we had to transition into adopting Virtual Work platforms. We had just completed community outreaches and ensured our beneficiaries living with TB and HIV had food and medication supplies taking them up to May or June. Then COVID-19 happened. We have come up with activities which our beneficiaries can emulate while they are staying home. Strategic plans have been drawn to occupy the days with activities. We are continuously learning newer tricks to use the computer to create virtual communities of prevention best practices. Some examples include: dissemination of information; education; and communication (IEC) using play skits. We found out a long time ago that one way to pass IEC was through skits which we recorded as audios or videos and shared them. We reach out to refugees from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and other parts of Africa. They have been able to appropriately translate the skit themes into activities they can do locally in their setting.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can play the multiple roles as an over-arching ideal, goal, commodity and resource which can be claimed, demanded, supplied and packaged as a service or outcome. This can be possible when it is consumed locally at a bite-size commodity. This is possible when commodities are provided skills to turn knowledge into activities in which they can participate fully. This requires not only individuals organizing, but necessitates a presence of a political regime allowing say, refugees to organize and pursue a fulfilling life. This is how we can best tackle COVID-19 while rolling out popular demand for dignity affirming political, cultural and social contexts.  We have relied on the support of well-wishers from USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and our own self-help organizations to support ourselves. We would like to be in a better positon to serve refugees and we hope COVID-19 is to wake up many to see refugees as an untapped resource to fight COVID-19, TB, HIV, Malaria and poverty. This is our hope. We desire to contribute to our local host communities. At the end of the day we all belong to the humanity community. COVID-19 cannot tell a refugee from a citizen. Can it?

Always Have A Fall Back Position!

You may be feeling so broke,

knowing that the next meal will be difficult to find,

but that the plate you have now is full,

share your food anyway,

You may live in that house,

knowing you are about to be kicked out,

but there is a visitor on the door asking to be let in,

open the door and share the bed

 anyway,

You may be so powerful,

knowing your word, action or inaction has consequences,

but you are about to make a decision destroying others,

manage your anger

 anyway,

You may think yours are the only big problem,

knowing you are hungry, homeless and destitute,

but have you asked about my pain too?

talk your pains through with another person anyway.

Spirituality and Neighbourliness go hand in hand.

 

 

Could This Be The Love You Get From Your Biological Parents?

We love the family created at the Nature Network.
It is a nurturing safe space.
It is also a safe space for people to lead and live as a family.
We are so proud to have it, for it represents the best family ever in our lives. 
One visitor said:
" I always feel at home, when I come to Nature Network House. It is a home away from home!"

The next time you are sitting in your living room or sharing a meal with your family, ask yourself: 

Do I truly feel at home? Am I doing everything possible to build a healthy family and household?  

Do guests feel welcome here? And, above all, does G-d feel comfortable in my home?

When a family shares principles and values, they grow together.
The home becomes a foundation for the family’s shared sense of purpose. It also provides a springboard for each member to pursue his, her and their own goals.

In such homes, families stay up late talking heart-to-heart about what’s on their minds. Children crowd around grandparents to hear stories. Teenagers debate meaningful issues with each other and with their parents or benefactors or heroes or heroines.

The whole family gets together and not just on holidays for evenings of songs, games, and reminiscing. The home becomes alive, a source of energy and hope, of agency and love. It is not the tranquility of a home that makes it peaceful; it is the life within.

It is all about the love and care we spare for each other. 

Parents, benefactors, guardians, policy makers and religious leaders all we need is to listen to us. Please do not chase us. Do not curse or reject your own.

What Nature Network has done so far, is to welcome those chased away because of their identity!

The Nature Network welcomes many and treats all equally.

We have team leaders ready to listen. We may be "young" but G-d has made us the custodians. We carry the responsibility. What you need to know is that we have rules though. Come with an open mind. Be ready to obey our house rules. We do not allow harassment and no one will abuse your space nor your privacy. Just remember, to treat us with respect.

I take time to listen to many stories. The love and support my community gives is uncountable.

I am glad and blessed to have you all in my life because each one adds a value to our happiness as a family at our house.

We can do it!

Make your home truly beautiful by introducing spirituality into your home, welcoming guests, and talking with your family about our responsibilities as good-hearted people. Your children will grow up to remember their home as a place of warmth and kindness, where people felt comfortable to gather and talk about things that mattered to them.

In all likelihood, these children will grow into adults who will create the same sort of home.

Celebrate life and smile about that moment when you celebrate. Make it memorable.

Mother Nature having a serious talk with the girls.

We couldn't help laughing and smiling at ourselves !

The love we have towards our community is uncountable.

Thank You all!

I am A Human Being As Well As A Human Doing

If you do good to your body, then you are improving on your experience as a human being. We are both human beings and human doings.

A friend raised an important point, "Gay people in most African countries are facing persecution both because of the laws and the direct homophobic persecution at village or community levels."

I looked at what keeps say, LGBTIQ+ behind, discriminated against, powerless and persecuted.

The answers:

Political dispensation of a country, is where gay rights are not politically driven, then it is difficult for that country to present contexts within which LGBTIQ+ can pursue quality life.

Legal dispensation of country, is where protection of human rights is not upheld.

Social factors where state should not discriminate against gay people.

Cultural aspects, including identity. Some examples of this are Female Genital Cutting and corrective rape. 

Feel free to follow our blogs.

Sometimes, they will be as short as 200-300 words. At other times, it will be longer.

Through these blogs, we want to stimulate readership; catalyze wider knowledge; empower beneficiaries; and organizing.

Members of Nature Network admiring Professor Adriaan Van Klinken's Book.

LGBTIQ+ Organizations Should Stimulate And Foster Aspirations For Quality Life

Organizations catering to LGBTIQ+, should aspire toward establishing and maintaining support spaces entrenching growth and development.

LGBTIQ+ persons face persecution but there is nothing as devastating as LGBTIQ+ led organizations which fail to serve LGBTIQ+. 

When LGBTIQ+ persons are provided support, they are able to fulfill their dreams. This is due to personal reasons, emotional fulfillment, intellectual growth and an insistence on positive and constructive approaches. This in turn is that what stimulates and fosters aspirations for  quality life. 

So, organizations should seek to fulfill needs, desires, emotional, intellectual, economic,  and social growth.

Grateful For Life!

Black is beautiful

Affirmation is the new Liberation Theology, Professor Adriaan Van Klinken Points Out

Reading the book: "Religion, LGBT Activism, And Arts of Resistance in Africa; Kenyan Christian Queer," reveals facts behind Queer life and religion. 

Religion, can connect with LGBTIQ+, through, affirmation which in turn is necessary for resilience, celebrating identity, inclusion and dignity. These in turn cause tolerance toward LGBTIQ+.

Religious, political, economic, cultural and social factors are enablers for resilience which in turn ensure dignity of all persons. But, as issuess they may enable or stand in the way toward acquiring quality life aspirations. There are many other factors that trigger off this trend. However, nothing may beat the identity of persons. For LGBTIQ+ this fact is a daily lived experience. 

I took time to read this book, after we had finished a session with one of our interviewees on the subject of resilience. 

Simply put, resilience is the capacity to recover or to be tough. It is also persistence.

The book made me connect many aspects of life. It reminded me of another word I kept hearing  at the Church I go to.

"Affirming!"

My understanding of this was it meant expanding space for others to occupy. Or, bringing into a given organization more people who may not necessarily have the required conditions to make them members. It means, providing space at the table (as African-Americans say). Or sharing the cake (as Ugandans say).

It also means to encourage or offer emotional support. Indeed, affirmation compels humans to do. To act. It compels humans to use religious, political, economic, cultural and social factors as enablers for protection of human dignity hence, rights. This in turn is what builds resilience which in turn ensures dignity of all persons. Once these are in place, agency, autonomy and self determination are possible.

The book, from start to end, shows there is bitter-sweet relationship between religion and LGBTIQ+. These two entities either support or subvert each other.

Religion presents contexts within which LGBTIQ+ can draw motivation to engage in self determination. Or, it can also cause persecution and hate toward LGBTIQ+.

Professor Adriaan (see pg 169) argues that, religion provides opportunities for believers to acknowledge inclusion, loyalty, forgiveness, justice and community transformation. It is a love that frees from obsession to bring down, fault find, denigrate and judge others as un-religious like. Just because,  they do not belong to one's political party, ethnicity, religious belief, or status. 

Affirmation, is the new Liberation Theology.

Without opportunities like affirmation, humans fail to be authentic.

They fail to be honest with self when they are faced with barriers to quality living and engagement in life improving practices. This is so because, we all aspire toward certain ideals. Most importantly, humans aspire to be self preserving, self determined and self advocating. These are basic aspirations, before we move up the hierarchy and seek political, legal, social, cultural, physical, economic and spiritual support. We are faced with being enabled or subversion with which to go on or fail in meeting needs of our daily life.

If, LGBTIQ+ are denied opportunities such as citizenship, employment, mobility, education, housing, food and health, life can be hard. They cannot engage in their own self-determination.

Political, religious, economic, cultural and social barriers stand in the way toward acquiring quality life aspirations. Because, through them one's identity may be used to abuse human protection for the LGBTIQ+. 

LGBTIQ+ persons are aware of this because this identity shows how political, religious, economic, cultural and social factors can be used to support or subvert aspirations. These factors have to be in place for dignity to thrive.  This is what makes humans whole. Anything less, is destructive.

So, affirming spaces promote self esteem and confidence. They transform our understanding of the fuller picture of humans, their diversity and uniqueness at the same time. 

Affirmation runs on a special fuel called action on a road called identity, in a car called inclusion and the destination is dignity.

The book, from start to end, shows the relationship between religion and LGBTIQ+.

Reading the book: "Religion, LGBT Activism, And Arts of Resistance in Africa; Kenyan Christian Queer," reveals facts behind Queer life and religion. Ideally, affirmation is necessary for resilience, identity, inclusion and dignity. These in turn cause tolerance toward LGBTIQ+.

Affirmation is necessary for resilience, identity, inclusion and dignity. 

As We End 2019!

This year at  Nature Network we have accomplished so much and we are so glad it was possible. However, we would not have reached here without the support from you our well wishers.


The following ten points have been a highlight:

1. We secured support and facilitation to go toward our poultry, photography and Videography, Culinary activities and ICT programmes. We are so grateful to all those who support our work.

2. We were able to conduct psycho social support sessions. These enabled us to meet our beneficiaries and provided them the necessary interventions.

3.  Housing: We are able to accommodate beneficiaries and provide nutrition support to them.


4. Drop-in/ Resource Center: Where beneficiaries can access computer and education sessions.

5. Kitchen Gardens: We have half an acre of seed bed which we can turn into small vegetable gardens. The food that we get out of here is used by us.


6. Recognition/ Awards: We have awards for participating in National Netball Games held at Mombasa and Nairobi


7. Prayer sessions: We hold Kusaba/Kutendereza sessions where we also have spiritual music, communal prayers and affirming spaces.


8. Bridges of Love Alliance: We secured a partnership with action Aid-Kenya and together we shot the documentary depicting instances of tolerance between LGBT Communities and other actors.


9. Our members participated in an HRD Training on organizing, Leadership and Campaigns.


10. We were part of the Book Launch titled:  "Kenyan Christian Queer" by Professor Adriaan Van Klinken.

One of Nature Network's member Raymond Brian after reading through the Book by Prof. Adriaan Van Klinken titled: "Religion, LGBT Activism And Arts of Resistance In Africa; Kenyan Christian Queer"