Twice-monthly outreach sessions are bringing health and nutrition services closer to families in Manyatta Ongeli village, Marsabit County.
Eight-month-old Lochita is showing improvement after receiving acute malnutrition treatment and regular assessments through village outreach services.
Supported by the Kenya Humanitarian Fund, Concern Worldwide combines nutrition care, household hygiene supplies and community follow-up to assist families in Illaut.
Twice-monthly health and nutrition outreach sessions are bringing essential services closer to families in Manyatta Ongeli village in Illaut, Marsabit County, helping caregivers access timely treatment and regular monitoring for their children.
For Nakutayon, a mother of six, the visits have eased the difficulty of seeking healthcare while caring for a young family. Distance to the health facility had previously made it challenging to take her children for care.
Her eight-month-old son, Lochita, was identified with acute malnutrition and enrolled in the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme for treatment and follow-up. Through the integrated outreach sessions, he now receives regular assessments and treatment within his village.
According to Concern Worldwide Kenya, Nakutayon has observed an improvement in her son’s health since he began receiving support.
“Lochita, my son, has really improved. He was very thin before the support came and frequently got sick,” she said.
“I am happy that through the outreaches, my son is assessed frequently, treated and managed in good time.”
The sessions form part of Concern Worldwide’s lifesaving Nutrition and WASH response for drought-affected populations in Marsabit County, funded by the Kenya Humanitarian Fund.
By bringing services into the community twice a month, the initiative gives caregivers an opportunity to seek care closer to home and maintain contact with health and nutrition teams.
For Lochita, this means continued assessment and management as he receives treatment for acute malnutrition. His mother’s account highlights the value of consistent follow-up for families who face difficulties reaching health facilities.
Support for Nakutayon’s household has also included essential items intended to promote safer water handling and better hygiene, extending assistance beyond her son’s nutritional needs.
Community health promoter Ldisiwa Lemago reinforces the outreach work through household visits, follow-up with caregivers and encouragement for families to attend the sessions. These visits help maintain a connection between households and the services available in the village.
For communities such as Manyatta Ongeli, distance and caregiving responsibilities can make access to essential services difficult. Bringing care closer gives families a better opportunity to obtain timely support, alongside information and supplies to help protect their health.
Nakutayon’s experience illustrates what that access can mean for a household: regular monitoring for a child undergoing treatment, practical hygiene support and continued contact with a community health promoter.