Kisii, Kenya is a city that is full of life. Less than one mile from the city’s center, I wake up to the sound of a rooster crowing at the small farm across the street and fall asleep to local music playing in the city. The streets are populated by locals walking, driving, or riding “boda bodas” (small motorcycles) around town. Vendors line the streets to sell their delicious, locally-grown produce, grains, meats, and clothes. I quickly learned that the staple food in Kisii is “chapatis,” which are basically glorified flour tortillas to accompany meat, vegetables, or beans. You will not find a single restaurant without them! Thank goodness, because I was hooked on day one.
Walk just a few miles from the city center in any direction and you will find yourself surrounded by trees and small farms. Here, cars and boda bodas are replaced by cows, goats, chickens, and local farmers transporting their goods to the city.
For my practicum, I am working with Curamericas Global to conduct operational research on an intervention in Kisii aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors for prenatal, postnatal, and newborn care. Curamericas has partnered with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to form what is called the Kisii Kenya Oroiboro Project (KIKOP), which has implemented health education programs in two catchments (called Iranda and Matongo) thus far. KIKOP initiated a Care Group training cascade in each of the two catchments and expanded the hours of each catchments’ health center so that they are now open 24/7.
Through my qualitative research on the project, I will meet with various stakeholders to determine what is going well so far for the project and what can be improved going forward. I am also conducting qualitative research on what constitutes a culturally appropriate birthing space for women in Kisii. Many mothers chose to give birth at home with a traditional birthing attendant rather than at the local health centers with nurses who are trained to handle birthing emergencies. My research will be used to create a birthing space at the Matongo Health Center that mothers in Kisii are more comfortable using.
I have only spent one week in Kisii, but I am enjoying the city, culture, and my projects here already. My first day began with an orientation of the project and meetings with individuals at the Ministry of Health. I also visited the Iranda Health Center and observed a training that KIKOP staff were conducting for community health volunteers, clan elders, and traditional birthing attendants who are involved with the project. I was greeted with many warm smiles and a local song and even given my very own Kisii name (Betuku)! The rest of my first week has been spent on preparing for focus groups, qualitative interviews, and training sessions for KIKOP staff so that they can assist with data collection. I am excited for next week when I will begin field work to collect data and meet with local community members to hear about their experiences with the KIKOP project.
– Dana