18 Nov 2011

KENYA / DROUGHT AID UPDATE

The Kakwanyang Health Center is providing medical and nutrition services to pastoralist children and families in north-western Kenya, where drought threatens both lives and livelihoods, and malnutrition rates are high. UNICEF

Posted at: November 18, 2011 5:37 pm

Duration: 02:36

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: KENYA / DROUGHT AID UPDATE
TRT: 2:36
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: TURKANA / ENGLISH / NATS
 
DATELINE: 2 NOVEMBER 2011, TURKANA DISTRICT, KENYA
 
SHOTLIST:
 
1. Various shots, Agnes Longor and Akal Longor walking with her son Ekalale Ngaukon to the health center
2. Med shot, doctor measures Ekalale's mid-upper arm circumference as a test for malnutrition
3. Close shot, Ekalale Ngaukon
4. Pan left, huts in the Lokitoeliwo Village 
5. Med shot, Akal with her son Ekalale in the background, tree in the foreground
6. Close shot, Ekalale Ngaukon at home in his village
7. Tilt up, from Ekalale on the weighing scale to his aunt's face at the health center
8. SOUNDBITE (Turkana), Agnes Longor, Ekalale's aunt: 
"The child was sick between July and August this year. He had frequent diarrhoea, was losing weight and had a high fever. When we took him to the health center, they admitted him to the therapeutic feeding program."
9. Med shot, doctors handing out the therapeutic food
10. Med shot, tilt down, doctor weighs Ekalale with aunt and mother standing at the side
11. SOUNDBITE (Turkana), Agnes Longor, Ekalale's aunt:
"At first, the child was not responding but slowly he has improved, both in weight and in his overall condition."
12. Med shot, tilt up, from doctors measuring child's height to mother
13. Tilt up, from child on the weighing scale, crying, to the scale itself
14. Various shots, women walking in the rocky plains of the Turkana district
15. Wide shot, the UNICEF supported health center and people waiting outside
16. Med shot, doctor measuring child's arm
17. Med shot, mother holding her child as doctor pulls him out of the weighing scale
18. Close up, child's upper arm being measured
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Yambi, UNICEF Representative in Kenya:
"This is a great improvement since the situation in July. It means that the outreach services that are being provided in the communities where people and children are actually effective."
20. Med shot, Akal and Agnes walking into their hut
21. Wide shot, Akal and Agnes weaving brooms
22. Pan right, Akal weaving broom to Agnes weaving broom
23. Med shot, Anges weaving broom in the foreground, hut in the background
24. Pan right, Akal weaving broom with Ekalale in her lap to Agnes weaving broom
 
SCRIPT
 
Once a week, Akal and Agnes Longor walk for 2 kilometres across the rocky plain of Turkana in northwest Kenya.

They've been bringing Akal's son, Ekalale, to this health centre where the one-year-old has been receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

Earlier this year, the family lost a lot of their livestock to the prolonged drought in the region. There had no money to buy food.

As a result, Ekalale's health rapidly deteriorated, he grew weak, ill and dehydrated

SOUNDBITE (Turkana) Agnes Longor, Ekalale's aunt:
"The child was sick between July and August this year. He had frequent diarrhoea, was losing weight and had a high fever. When we took him to the health center, they admitted him to the therapeutic feeding program."

The parents were given therapeutic food to take home and since then, they've been bringing Ekalale back for regular check-ups.

Each week, the nurse weighs him and assesses his progress

SOUNDBITE (Turkana) Agnes Longor, Ekalale's aunt:
"At first, the child was not responding but slowly he has improved, both in weight and in his overall condition."

The Kenyan Government opened the Kak-wan-yang Health Center in July, with nutrition supplies, vaccines and medicines from UNICEF. If it wasn't for this centre, families would have to walk at least 4 hours to the district hospital to seek medical help

Like similar centers around Turkana, doctors here offer health, immunization and nutrition services that have led to a reduction in the malnutrition rates in the region

SOUNDBITE (English) Olivia Yambi, UNICEF Representative in Kenya:
"This is a great improvement since the situation in July. It means that the outreach services that have been provided in the communities where people and children, are actually effective."

Back home, Akal and Agnes weave brooms to sell hoping this would compensate for their lost animals.

With no end in sight to the drought, they're being forced to abandon their traditional lifestyle.

Hundreds of thousands like them are now left struggling to cope with the lasting changes that have come to their timeless way of life.