SWAP since inception in 2005 has a distribution model of life saving health and hygiene products. These products are promoted through social marketing by community health volunteers who sell door to door to improve health and generate income. The products included in the basket of goods are a result of research findings, partnerships and community demand. The products became high on demand during COVID-19 and flood response and are a source of income for SWAP. Many Partner organizations have procured them and others are sold at local markets including our SWAP Model village in Ahero. Three water enterprises are up and running providing affordable safe water to vulnerable communities using environment friendly technologies. SWAP has in collaboration with Kisumu County continued to do COVID-19 response at health care facilities and hot spot areas, providing hand washing stations, soap and alcohol based hand rub as well as COVID-19 vaccination outreaches to most vulnerable communities. This included the informal settlement where SWAP also trained community health volunteers on tracking community perceptions on COVID-19 for correct messaging to reduce myths and rumors. SWAP actively participates during World Water Day, World Toilet Day, Global Hand Washing Day, the NGO week among other public forums with showcasing best practices and products. SWAP in 2020 adopted three schools in flood prone area in Nyando with the aim to help them comply with COVID-19 rules and regulations by improving WASH infrastructure and other preventive measures.
COVID-19 Response
SWAP’s founder and technical advisor was appointed in the Lake Region Economic Bloc Advisory Committee of Eminent person which provides advisory services to the governors and MOH of 14 Counties in the region. A COVID-19 database was established with external funding. Several COVID-19 stakeholders forums were attended. SWAP facilitated a COVID-19 vaccination outreach for families affected by flood in Ombaka and one in Kisumu Central for street families and physically handicapped. Eight more vaccination outreaches targeting the most vulnerable communities such as physical disabled, street families and elder population started in 2022 in each Sub-County within Kisumu County.
Risk Communication and Engagement
SWAP entered into an Agreement with OXFAM International in collaboration with Kisumu County and Winam grassroots for COVID-19 response in Nyalenda, Obunga and Manyatta informal statements. The objective of the project is to reduce transmission risk and secondary attack of COVID-19 in the target population. Following community entry SWAP supported 6 COVID-19 vaccination outreaches and participated in trainings of community health volunteers on community perception of COVID-19
Adopt a School Initiative
Three schools were adopted in 2020 which is an initiative of Lake Region Economic Bloc COVID-19 Advisory committee. This initiative is to help schools to comply with COVID-19 rules and regulations. The Selected schools were Ombaka Primary, Secondary and special school, where students come from families affected by flood.
Most support was provided to put WASH infrastructure in place to help the schools with monthly supplies of sanitary pads for all eligible girls and organized a deworming exercise. We received funding from the international Mathematics fund to launch a mathematics resource center benefitting the primary and secondary schools. The special school was painted and donations were given of mattresses and mosquito net.
Global Giving
SWAP applied in 2020 to the Global Giving COVID-19 response fund to help protect health workers in Western Kenya. So far USD 4790 was raised through this crowd funding platform and SWAP supported with handwashing stations, soaps, PPE’s and water tanks. in December 2021 SWAP received an additional donation of USD 10,000 to support Kisumu County with COVID-19 vaccination outreaches targets the most vulnerable and hard to reach communities. https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/covid-19-rapid-response-swap/
Distribution Model of Health and Hygiene Products
Distribution model of health and hygiene products which are sold from door to door by community health volunteers to improve health while they generate income especially in our Kegondi Office. SWAP focuses on fast moving, local available, affordable and profitable quality products. Kisumu Office sells to partner organizations and walk-ins and small and medium enterprises in local market places. Products are as well sold during emergencies such as floods, cholera response and other calamities. Products include water treatment chemicals, ceramic water filters, drinking water storage vessels and hand washing stations, bar soap, detergent, sanitary pads, menstrual cups, diapers, deworming tablets, fortified flour, condoms, cook stoves, mosquito nets, satopan and solar lamps.
Emergency Response to outbreaks and disasters
The initial response started during the post-election violence in 2008, whereby SWAP was supporting internally displaced and returnees with health products, material support and counseling. The main aim was to prevent diarrhea, malaria and other disease outbreaks and to mitigate the negative impact of the trauma. The purpose of the emergency response was to provide a rapid integrated response to outbreaks to reduce morbidity and mortality, and prevent the spread of illness.
Response activities have two principal components:
- Training on rapid integrated response to outbreaks to the Ministry of Health representatives, administrative leaders, representatives of NGO’, Community Health Assistants and Community Health Volunteers
- Distribution of water treatment, storage and hygiene products and mosquito nets to the affected families as well as to health facilities
There have been several disease outbreaks such as cholera and response during flood. SWAP has received support from Harber Charitable Foundation for general support and CDC in the case of cholera respond in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
SWAP is members of the Humanitarian Coordination Hub coordinated by UNICEF, which brings together all the partners for disaster preparedness and response as well as election preparedness. SWAP continued to offer preventive services through promotion and social marketing of health and hygiene products together with hygiene promotion including hand washing.
Some desperate cases supported are referrals. Examples are vulnerable and desperate families who need support with medical or funeral bills, shelter, loss during theft or fire, displacement, nutritional support or business seed money. Each case is scrutinized and counselled by SWAPs community support officer and communities are involved for sustainability and cost sharing.
DonorSee
Swap was approached by Donor see, a crowd funding platform to support some of the community projects. Following vetting and registration we raised USD 4762 and had 10 projects fully funded, 4 partially funded and 10 projects awaiting funding. Most projects are in support of very vulnerable families such as widow and orphan support, wheelchairs for disabled, medical support among others. https://donorsee.com/swap
Laboratory services
SWAP has a water lab undertaking bacteriological and full chemical water test at a cost with the aim to become sustainable. Bacteriological analysis costs KES 3,000 and full chemical analysis is KES 7,000. The lab is mostly utilized for research testing products and technologies, but also for surveillance monitoring water quality and identifying sources of contamination.
SWAP has a Parasitology lab which is mostly used for testing for parasites such as Schistosoma’s and other soil transmitted helminths for research. The lab works in collaboration with KEMRI and the Division of Vector Borne Diseases Lab.
Sondu Water Enterprise
In partnership with the Sondu community members, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water, Siemens Stiftung and Sky juice Foundation, SWAP established the Sondu Water Enterprise which was formally launched in July 2016. A collaborative initiative between Sky juice Foundation (Australia) and Siemens Stiftung (Germany) in partnership with SWAP. Seed funding was received from Siemens and ongoing crowd funding from Global Giving. The technology is Sky hydrant filtration of water from river Sondu-Miriu. The Enterprise sells filtered water to the public. Public toilet service offered with hand washing station for demonstration. A local CBO was identified and was trained to take over the enterprise. SWAP handed over running of the enterprise to the CBO with in March 2020 but still gives technical support as and when needed. SWAP has continued to partner with Siemens in the monitoring and water testing of five other sky hydrant filters in Western Kenya.