From the Beginnings
Previous Projects
… the best place to be …
Kindergarten
In contrast to our childcare system here in Germany, children in Kenya face academic demands from kindergarten age, diligently juggling letters and numbers as early as 3 years old. Benches and chairs, as well as paper and pens, characterize a part of daily kindergarten life, alongside singing, dancing, and free play on our spacious MCC grounds.
To make the school-oriented Kenyan kindergarten concept a bit more attractive for the little ones, a part of our active members will fly to Kenya in April 2019, packed with eight suitcases of play and learning materials. Within a few days, they will set up a colorful play oasis and shelves for craft, play, and learning materials based on Montessori pedagogy in one of the rooms.
In practice-oriented training sessions, the “teachers” learn how to use the brought materials and are shown examples of how Montessori materials can make numbers and letters literally “tangible” for children: an impulse from Germany, an attempt to grant children more self-determination and joy in play and learning.
The local team and the children are enthusiastic and open to the new concept. Unfortunately, the concept could not maintain a permanent existence against the strict requirements of the Kenyan authorities’ learning curriculum.
Medical Camps
Every day, approximately 800 women worldwide die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 99 percent of all maternal mortality cases occur in developing countries, with higher rates among women in rural areas and poorer communities. Improving maternal health is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations (UN).
What can be done about it? What can we do?
There are a variety of health solutions that can prevent most maternal deaths. Expectant mothers need access to prenatal care during pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and adequate care and support in the weeks after birth. This is the action that WHO, Hand in Hand für Kenia, and we believe in.
Together with Dr. Janet, the Medical Director of Matungulu Sub County, and Jimmy Kilonzi, the Director of Maisha Mazuri, two medical camps were realized with an approach to the population, offering free medical examinations in all possible specialties.
What is important to us?
- A health solution through connected ultrasound. Together with our partners, it is possible to equip portable ultrasound devices with an embedded communication platform, allowing for remote readings and training even in rural areas where women have no access to health centers.
- Sustainable training of health personnel. In our project "Mobile Ultrasound Patrol," we have seen that training local personnel to empower them to build a sustainable local solution significantly contributes to the success of such a project.
