Chartered in 2018, the Rotary Club of Lavington Jioni (RCLJ) has successfully implemented a comprehensive maternal and child health project in Mukuru Sinai, a densely populated informal settlement in Nairobi. This initiative, valued at US$75,781, represents a significant stride in addressing the pressing healthcare needs of approximately 500,000 residents. In collaboration with Cana Hospital, RCLJ has dramatically enhanced the facility’s capacity, expanding from 8 to 32 beds. This expansion has enabled the hospital to provide Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC), a crucial service previously unavailable in the area.

The project’s implementation has effectively eliminated the necessity for high-risk patients to be transferred to distant facilities, thereby reducing potential complications associated with delayed treatment. The club’s members engaged in extensive community outreach, training local health promoters to disseminate vital information about hospital services and National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) registration.

This grassroots effort has yielded tangible results, with a marked increase in facility-based deliveries and improved community health awareness. RCLJ’s hands-on involvement throughout the project’s lifecycle, from initial needs assessment to equipment installation and regulatory compliance efforts, have not gone unnoticed, learning them the prestigious “People of Action Award” from their District Governor, Joe Kamau.

This Rotary club went further to avail complimentary prenatal ultrasounds to 140 expectant mothers, surpassing their initial target of 100. This initiative, aligned with Rotary’s centennial celebrations, exemplifies the club’s continued commitment to maternal health. The success of this project may pave the way for further funding and similar initiatives, potentially catalyzing a broader transformation in healthcare accessibility across the region.