Femme StaffYesterday, my colleagues and I joined M-Pesa Foundation and Safaricom Foundation in Kianjakoma Health Center in Embu County, where they were laying a foundation for the construction of a maternity wing at the hospital.
It is here that I met Esther Mwaniki, a dedicated Community Health Promoter (CHP) with a passion for maternal and child health. Being the team lead among her peers in her area of operation, she and her team fulfill the crucial role of connecting medical care and the community, ensuring that pregnant women receive the necessary guidance on nutrition and how to take care of themselves and their babies.
Esther’s work as a CHP involves visiting pregnant women at home, following up on their clinic visits, and providing crucial advice on nutrition, breastfeeding, and immunization. She’s keen to check clinic cards to track progress and identify any growth challenges or developmental delays in newborns. So passionate is she that she’s dedicated to doing everything within her power to ensure that no mother or child lives in challenges due to lack of medical attention.
Esther’s work is not without challenges, though she admits that they are not too many. One major one is that some pregnant women are hesitant to attend clinics, especially in very early pregnancy, leading to late discovery of complications that make treatment difficult. Some women also refuse to take essential supplements that support fetal growth. These issues make her work challenging but she gets even more determined to engage the mothers and encourage them to prioritize their health and that of their babies.
Some women also have a difficult time accepting their pregnancies especially those that are unplanned and many of them decline to follow guidelines. Others have to deal with resistance from unsupportive partners who in some cases even suggest abortion. In such cases, Esther steps in to offer guidance and encouragement.
To all the mothers she visits, Esther stresses the importance of staying prepared for delivery or any other emergency. She advises them to pack a hospital bag well in advance of the due date, given that labor can begin unexpectedly.
Her message is simple yet powerful: Be ready, be a woman, be strong. Women are life-givers.
Kianjakoma Health Center Expands Maternal Care with New Maternity Wing Project
Majority of the women in the area are tea pickers and therefore live in financial constraints. This sees Esther sometimes step in with her own resources to rush mothers to health centers. She always keeps her phone on and with a loud enough ringtone so as never to miss a distress call.
Culture in the area does not pose any significant challenge in the area but religion does, since there is a sect that discourages people from going to hospital for any ailment or even vaccinations. In such cases, Esther works with the area chief and sometimes the police to get people to the hospital.
To streamline their work, Esther and other community health promoters use a digital system to store records and track follow-ups. This technology ensures that no mother or child falls through the cracks, making it easier to monitor progress and provide timely interventions.
The construction of the Kianjakoma Maternity Hospital by the M-Pesa Foundation is set to transform maternal healthcare in the region. For Esther, this donation brings with it improved maternal and new born health, and she is deeply grateful to M-Pesa Foundation for selecting her area as a beneficiary.
Esther also highlights the broader needs of the overall Health Center and wishes that the foundation could step in with a helping hand there too.
Esther Mwaniki’s dedication is a clear testament to the power of community-driven healthcare. Through her tireless efforts and her team in the area, many lives have been saved and this is the fire that keeps her going. For her, maternal health is not just a job. It’s a calling and a lifelong passion.
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