Edward Mang’uro is Community Health Volunteer in Ting’ang’a village, Kiambu County, Kenya. The 42-years old has been a CHV for 2 and a half years, a role he plays alongside being a Mzee wa Nyumba kumi, Ting’anga’a. He was among the 360 Community Health Volunteers who underwent a training on how to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Kiambu, an activity under the WASH-First Project supported by Simavi Organization.
“Today we have been reminded to remain vigilant in our work as CHVs. We have been taught that we need to be active, sensitizing our community members on the effects of Covid-19 and end stigma against people who have recovered from and/or have survived Covid-19, or under home-based-care”, said Mang’uro.
Although the Mzee Wa Nyumba Kumi admits that he has been supporting the fight against Covid-19 through creating awareness. He admits that it has not been a walk in the park.
“From my experience, sensitizing the community has been challenging because some people still do not believe that Covid-19 is real and causing deaths. Also, there has been rejection on messages from CHVs because of the general skepticism surrounding the disease. However, I plan to diligently continue doing my work. With the knowledge I have acquired here, first, I will continue spreading factual information on Covid-19 to eliminate the skepticism. Then, I will continue teaching on how to adhere to Covid-19 safety standards like washing hands, social-distance, and sanitizing. With organizations like yours, we are motivated because you have shown that you understand the work we do in the community and support continuous learning for the benefit of Kiambu”, Mang’uro added.
About WASH-First
The WASH-First project envisions a society that prioritizes easy access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services especially to the vulnerable. Funded by SIMAVI International and implemented in Kiambu, Nairobi, and Kajiado, WASH First is undertaking several activities including: procuring and distributing Covid-19 safety supplies for institutions (health & learning), designing and distributing Covid-19 safety materials for institutions (health & learning), distributing menstrual hygiene management kits to vulnerable girls, constructing hand-washing stations, and mass-messaging systems to promote service delivery in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sectors.