By Sr. Rebecca G. Macugay, MM

Cecilia Wanjiku, at trainer with whom I work in the community Based Health Program in our parish, was just wrapping up the morning lessons on immunization of children when the rain clouds hovering above the halakesa tree (a variety of thorn tree) where training seminars were held released a gentle rain. Abashira, one of the community health worker trainees, directed us to her hut for cover. We huddled inside her “min”. (The min is the name of the small Orma house made of long thin poles bent to form an igloo-shaped structure, covered with palm and other kinds of grass and held together by colorfully dyed strips of bark). Abashira gave us an update in her home visiting activities. These seminars-under-the-tree or in a make-shift “min” are a recently developed feature of our health ministry.

Training health workers has been part of the health care program in our parish here in Bura. I work with another Maryknoll Sister, Anastasia Lott. We believe that a health education program for endemic diseases is essential.

Grazing Land Gone

The Orma are nomadic pastoralists. They wander with their cattle as they seek pasture. They are an ethnic group akin to the Somalis who’ve lived and roamed the vast semi-arid northeastern frontier plains of Kenya for hundreds of years. When an irrigation and settlement scheme was established in the late 1970’s, the Orma were cut off from their traditional land. Although some have participated in the irrigation scheme and have become farmers, most continued as pastoralists. However now due to their limited access to grazing land (as Bura gets pegged as agricultural land) and the drought which has ravaged the land in recent years the Orma are forced to “settle” the very apposite of their age old culture. With the ‘settling’ came the health services they are indifferent, confused and even resistant.

Difficulties

Many of the womenfolk attend ante-natal and well-baby clinics but sometimes with little understanding. Sometimes antibiotics capsules were shared by both sick person and livestock! When the family or clan moves on to a new place that wrecks our immunization and other medical programs because they do not complete them. Something had to be done.

Form Local Leaders

So we held several meetings with women leaders and elders about training health workers of their own. We deliberately chose the women because they are available and they hold the main tasks of care-giving and child –rearing. Also they can enable the community to prevent diseases through health programs. The enthusiasm of these health workers has been encouraging and hopeful.

Women to the Rescue

Late last year, there was an outbreak of cholera which started in some “manyatta” near a town south of Bura. After going through lessons about the disease and basic hygiene needed for its prevention and initial treatment, the women health workers mobilized their communities to dig emergency trench latrines and followed-up on the families with suspected symptoms. In the maternity and child health care clinics run in the Maryknoll dispensaries, they work closely and convivially with other health workers of different ethnic groups which was a breakthrough.

A joy to be with Them

The experience of working with these Orma women has been special for me. Being one of the few groups here in Kenya who are still very traditional (perhaps their being Muslim greatly influences this state) their oral tradition is still pretty intact. I find it a delight to be in the company of folk for whom story-telling is very much an art. Listening to Halima describe the birth of a baby is like listening to poetry and Yaroi’s commentary on the relationships between family members, especially the role of men in household affairs, is akin to watching a stage play. As I continue to listen to traditional health practices which they share, I discover and appreciate the wisdom of folk medicine which unfortunately has been damaged by our pill popping culture.