World Malaria Day Celebration

KELC Celebrates World Malaria Day

By Candise Heinlein

 

Christine Mbuli (DOMC) joins hands in partnership with Candise Heinlein (KELC), Ferestus (local villager), and Darius Nyamai (KELC) to fight malaria.

 

The national celebration of World Malaria Day (WMD) was held on 25 April 2010 in Lugari, Western Kenya. The Malaria and HIV/AIDS coordinator Darius Nyamai, Youth Coordinator Jonathan Kapanga, and ELCA volunteer missionary Candise Heinlein represented KELC at the celebration. Heinlein had been the KELC representative on the National Planning Committee for the event. The vision of Kenya’s Division of Malaria Control (DOMC) is a malaria-free Kenya by 2030. The WMD theme was Counting Malaria Out, and the Kenya slogan was Malaria-Free Kenya: Possible Through Partnerships.  Various traditional choirs and performers highlighted the celebration as well as speeches by local Members of Parliament and the Minister of Public Health and Sanitation.

Meanwhile, in the congregations of the 7 mission areas designated in the Lutheran World Relief /KELC malaria project, youth groups and congregants celebrated WMD in their own way.  In Hola Wenje, 250 congregants received a health message on malaria.

 

Parishioners in Kambu begin their celebration with a parade.

 

The Clinical Officer of the Mtiti Andei Hospital in Kambu gave a talk on malaria and demonstrated net treatment to 300 congregants. In Lunga Lunga, groups performed malaria-themed dramas and choral groups performed malaria songs at a congregational gathering. Festivities before a crowd of 250 in Malindi began with presentations of choral groups singing malaria-related songs, a comedy, and a drama followed by instruction on transmission, prevention, and treatment of malaria by Dr. Daniel Wanje of Malindi District Hospital. The congregation of Mombasa sent youth from Kambe Sunday School and Magongo to perform a drama, poems, and songs at the Coast Province WMD celebration. Tana Delta congregations invited their local health officers to give a health talk on malaria and demonstrate net treatment.  In Ukambani, the church hosted a soccer tournament highlighted by choirs singing thematic songs, youth group animators, individuals reciting poems, and a health lecture by the local clinical officer who demonstrated the proper treatment of nets; the climax of the event was the area chief’s presentation of soccer balls printed with malaria and HIV/AIDS messages to all participating teams.  One person from the 300-member audience at the Ukambani tournament testified,  “It was really a wonderful learning experience to many.”

 

MEW Director Visits KELC

Director of MEW Visits KELC

by Candise Heinlein

Rev. Peter Weigane, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bravaria and Director of

MEW Director receives gifts from Bishop Kahuthu and KELC.

 

Mission One World (in German, Mission Einewelt; MEW), visited KELC 4-5 March, 2009. Pastor Weigane has been director of MEW for two years. This visit was the culmination of his trip to various points in Africa where MEW has a presence. He and Bishop Kahuthu met to give the director an introduction to KELC and to discuss various KELC projects. The director also met with other KELC department heads. A farewell luncheon was held in Dorcas House to thank the director for MEW’s partnership and to wish him safari njema.

         In bidding farewell, Bishop Kahuthu commented, “It is said that the differences between us are skin color and where we are from. You (Pastor Weigane) experience 12 hours of light and a cold winter… But we are one in Jesus Christ.” In leaving, Pastor Weigane remarked, “God bless you and your work. We will be trustful partners…the issue is not only to be successful, but we will be partners in joy and when in sorrow, we will share pain and troubles.” The visit further strengthened the bond between KELC and MEW and ensures a bright future for the partnership.