ElectricAid Deliver Funding to Renovate Old Maternity Ward in Nyenga Village

 

St Francis Hospital Nyenga is a rural community hospital that was founded in 1932 as a leprosy hospital by Irish nurse, Mother Kevin Kearney. Mother Kevin was a nun of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa. The hospital is a non-profit endeavour, managed by the Sisters of St. Francis. The dormitory of the hospital was transformed into a maternity ward in 1996 and since then has received very little funding for advancement.

In Nyenga, a high level of mothers who give birth experience complications. Many caesarean cases from the area and nearby towns are being referred to St Francis. The lack of available resources in this area, along with the aging equipment used by nurses, increases the vulnerability of women who are giving birth. Before the support of ElectricAid, St Francis’ maternity ward didn’t have the necessary resources to meet the needs of the community. The remodelling of the maternity ward will have an enduring and far reaching impact for years to come, offering women a safe, new and comfortable place to give birth.

 

The conditions of the maternity ward prior to remodelling exposed patients to risk of infection. With the support from ElectricAid the maternity and labour ward was able be renovated and remodelled. This includes roofing, repainting, wall refurbishments, tiling, fixing windows and outside structure, electrical installation and guttering. Having a well-functioning maternity ward will help insure mothers and babies are cared for while improving the moral of staff who care for patients. This project helps promote good health and wellbeing and matches Goal 3 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Goals. The community is also made more sustainable as a result (Goal 11) and infrastructure in the area is improved (Goal 9). Work on this project is still on going and is intended on being completed in the coming months.