Mobilizing The Community To Support Vulnerable Families – Development Knowledge Link

Mobilise Community To Support Vulnerable Families

In one of the routine community households visits, DEVLINK social worker attached to Gembe ward came across a dire need in one of the households which had been newly enrolled in the program. Sonia Atieno Odero, who is 3 years, lives with his grandfather who is aged and diabetics.

Her grandmother is equally aged and mentally challenged. Sonia mother who is the only child of her grandparents dropped out of school in class six as a result of pregnancy and lack of school levies. She is currently working as a house help in a remote village far away from her parent place.

Sonia was detached from the love and care of her mother and grandparents due to the abject poverty the family is facing. The house they live in is dilapidated to the point that it poses as a security risk to their lives. We found how the grandparent were sleeping on the floor. The CHV showed DEVLINK staff a mosquito net that was hanging in a nearby bush as their covering beddings. Just not long ago, her grandmother brought to attention how thieves easily found their way to the house and took some of the items that they had been assisted with by a Good Samaritan.

Informed by these challenges, the social worker sought the intervention of the local chief. The chief managed to summon the LAAC members where the social worker presented the case of SONIA ATIENO. It was latter agreed by the LAAC members to conduct a home visit to the Kodero homestead and verify for themselves the said state of the household.

LAAC, members visited the household. They assessed the house and wondered how one of their community members lived in such abject poverty. The chief requested for quick intervention as the situation was dire. The members agreed to support the household with foodstuff and household items as they wait for more and long-lasting measures for support.

Community members contributed goods worth Kshs.10,000 which were given to Sonia grandparents. Some of these items included Mattress, Bedsheets, Mats, 2 blankets, clothes for both grandparents and Kshs. 700 for their up keep.

LAAC members later summoned his extended family and church members to help mobilize community for the repair of the house. The family members and church agreed to conduct a fundraiser and construct the house for Sonia grandparents. LAAC members and community agreed to repair the house and sensitize the community in taking care of the household from those who would otherwise of them.

DEVLINK also we enrolled the household in National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) scheme to cater for the ailing grandfather and earmarked the household to benefit for emergency fund to cater for their needs. Through the chief, we have followed up on cash transfer for the elderly where household has been enrolled and agreed to connect the household with a CHV to charge of them. We managed to mobilize and sensitize the local community to take care of its elders and less fortunate members as a sustainability measure.