Siaya Community Health Center

In the heart of Siaya, stories of resilience and hardship unfold with quiet dignity. Families endure the weight of loss and chronic illness, often with limited support or relief. Here, challenges such as poverty, widowhood, and preventable health conditions cast long shadows over daily life, weaving narratives of struggle and hope among neighbors who lean on one another for survival.

There are individuals who require access to reliable and high-quality healthcare. In the following, I will share a few accounts of people I encountered in Siaya and discuss how adequate healthcare access might have influenced their experiences.

Winnie is currently 13 years old. At 18 months, she contracted a virus—likely malaria—that resulted in a febrile seizure. This seizure caused her to be unconscious for over an hour, restricting blood flow to her brain and leading to permanent brain damage. As a result, Winnie has experienced significant life changes. Her mother, a widow with three other young children, now faces additional caregiving responsibilities. Due to her condition, Winnie is limited in the support she can provide at home and is unable to attend school.

Elizabeth is an older widow who manages her property and travels on foot despite an injury. Her access to resources is limited, and she relies on community support for her needs. She experiences substantially elevated blood pressure that remains unmanaged, a situation common among many residents of Siaya.

Residents of Siaya currently lack access to affordable emergency, urgent, and preventative healthcare, resulting in numerous cases similar to those of Winnie and Elizabeth. The proposed Shults Community Health Center aims to deliver high-quality medical services to the community through its 24 bed short stay spaces, 6 consultation rooms, 1 laboratory, 1 pharmacy, 2 delivery and maternal short stay rooms, and a kitchen. The clinic will employ locally trained staff alongside volunteer providers who will serve on a scheduled and ongoing basis. Its primary objective is to reduce the elevated mortality rate associated with treatable medical conditions.