For years, doctors and midwives at the Mwituria Dispensary would dread women going into labour at night. The clinic had no electricity, which meant torchlight deliveries were the norm. Any complications were made ten times more difficult to treat under low light conditions. Lack of power also meant storing vaccines was impossible, hindering the clinic’s ability to deliver even the most basic health services.
Mwituria Dispensary is a government-run clinic on the border of Ol Pejeta, that supports approximately 3,000 people in the surrounding villages. In June, Ol Pejeta partnered with the Rotary Clubs of Langley, B.C and Nairobi North, to connect the Mwituria Dispensary to mains power.
Not only has electricity enabled night-time treatment and drug storage but staff also report feeling safer on the premises at night. Ol Pejeta has also funded medical equipment, the installation of water tanks and medical storage units at the clinic.
“Ol Pejeta have been our key partners as we strive to provide better health services to our communities. We are really grateful for their support and hope it continues,” said Teresa Muya, a nurse at the dispensary. Muya also reports that as a result of this support, incidences of communicable and waterborne diseases have significantly reduced.