Safe water and sanitation are the most basic of human needs–and are essential to good health. Yet around the world, billions of people lack access to clean water, the ability to wash their hands, or a working toilet. In Kenya, nearly 10 million people drink from contaminated water sources, 5 million people do not have […]
When it comes to improving health care, Lwala believes that communities should be in the driver's seat. “Many health programs are driven by donors and technical experts who don’t fully understand the local context,” says Doreen Awino, Lwala’s Director of Health Systems Strengthening. But no one can identify challenges and solutions better than communities themselves. […]
Most Lwala staff would agree that the hospital cafeteria–an open-air meeting space furnished with several picnicstyle tables, adjacent to a small kitchen–is the heart of the hospital complex. This is the place where every employee finds themselves at least once a day to take a cup of chai (tea) and a warm mandazi (fried bread) […]
The first month of a newborn’s life can be the most joyous. But it can also be the most dangerous, especially if a serious illness or infection goes untreated. Globally, 2.8 million babies die during this vulnerable period each year, with 99% of deaths occurring in low-resource settings like Kenya. Neonatal infections–including sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, […]
When Caroline Atieno Orwa saw the job posting for Lady Security Guard, or “Lady Soldier,” at Lwala Community Alliance in 2016, she applied immediately. Widowed just a year before and a mother of 4 children, Caroline was no stranger to breadwinning for her family. Plus, she had already been trained as a security guard. Securing […]
