A New Beginning: Grand Opening of the Maternity Wing at Soweto Clinic.

The 14th of July 2024 marked a huge milestone for the Soweto Kayole PHC Clinic as they launched the much-anticipated Maternity Wing. The event was a momentous occasion, attended by community members, local leaders, community health workers, representatives from the support offices, African Enterprise international; DRC, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe,Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana, Malawi as well as African Enterprise Kenya staff. The ceremony began with a welcome address from the Project Manager Bishop Stephen Vengi, highlighting the importance of maternal healthcare and the impact of the new maternity wing to the community. He also said that the clinic depends solely on community health promoters who act as the clinic ambassadors ensuring that those in dire need of medical attention in the community are referred to the facility. 

This was followed by speeches from partners who emphasized the importance of the new facility and their commitment to the well-being of the community.

The clinic has been a hub of hope for many men and women in Kayole over the past twenty years that it has been in service to the community. Taking on a myriad of health challenges ranging from the basic common cold, to mitigating the dreaded HIV outbreak that ran rampant in within Kayole.

In the last National Census held in 2019, Kayole, encompassing a total of 3.4 Km² was home to approximately 189,000 individuals, with most of them being unemployed, living in abject poverty, and surviving with under a dollar a day. The same community was only serviced with a handful of clinics around the area, and just one government hospital located over 5 kms away that could take on their most pressing needs where the clinic failed. And one of those needs was a maternity wing for expectant mothers.

The Soweto Kayole PHC Clinic has been offering pre and post-natal care visits to expectant mothers, but that effort was negated by the lack of proper services and equipment to cater to them from their first visit, until the delivery of their babies. This has been a pressing need that has seen partners and individuals come together to raise funds and construct a maternity wing that will hold 14 women at full capacity. Complete with state-of-the-art beds and a delivery room to boot, the hope is that women and mothers in Kayole will now have access to quality and affordable services when expectant.

Hon. David Mogoba, the area MCA said that this is the first Maternity wing constructed in the area. He added that there has been a dire need for a maternity to serve the young women and mothers. He expressed that he was so excited that it came to fruition.

“In my particular ward, I believe it will be of service to the more than 60,000 residents that reside here, a huge help to us as a community. I look forward to the impact it will have within our community. As the Member of County Assembly for this area, and moreso as a husband and father, I vow to continue helping the clinic achieve its goals as I believe they are here to ensure a better future for those of us who have seen the struggles the community undergoes on a daily basis. Thank you to African Evangelistic Enterprise Kenya, and the partners from around the globe who have made this a reality for us.” – Hon. David Mogoba, Member County Assembly,  Lower Savannah North.

The Community members expressed their gratitude for the new facility. The event also featured a tour of the maternity ward. Velma Adhiambo, an expectant mother who was present at the event said she was really grateful for the launch of the maternity wing in Soweto Kayole. She said that most of the time expectant mothers have had to go all the way to Mama Lucy Hospital, and some have gone into labor while on the road heading there because of distance.

“ I am a resident of Kayole, and I know this will benefit me. I have been visiting the clinic for my pre-natal checkups, and I have felt at home with the nurses and doctors here. I had been praying that the maternity wing would be completed in time for my baby. Since the distance to Mama Lucy hospital is quite far. I feel relieved. My baby will arrive by mid-august, and this is where she will be received. I have seen the ward, and am delighted. I am grateful to all who gave for the completion of this project. It will be a beacon of hope for all of us mothers here in Kayole, and I cannot wait to see the good that will come out of this” Velma Adhiambo, resident – Soweto Kayole

The facility stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared vision of improving lives, with continued support and dedication, the maternity ward is poised to make a lasting positive impact, providing a safe haven for mothers and their newborns.