Before 2019, poor women in Kibera who could not afford maternity services had limited options; go to understaffed public facilities with strained resources or resort to homemade solutions, including midwives.
But with the establishment of Tabitha Maternity Home, most women, especially young mothers, now enjoy access to affordable and high-quality services.
Jackline Matendechere is the latest beneficiary.
The 20-year-old told the Star she unexpectedly became pregnant and thought her life was coming to a halt.
She had to drop out at Form 4, has no job, is not married, and only got pregnant after a casual encounter.
The mother, whose baby is now a month old, felt hopeless, until she learned of the facility, which is funded by an NGO.
Tabitha Maternity Home took care of her until delivery.
What impressed her was the constant counseling and attention she got during her stay at the facility.
“They provided me with much comfort and the food they gave me was of good quality and a big portion,” Matendechere said.
WN, 19, who did not want to be identified, said she had opted to terminate the pregnancy at two months.
“I did not know that I was pregnant until I missed my menses twice and once I found out, I wanted to get an abortion, but my mother talked me out of it,” she said.
“My mother had arranged for a midwife to come from our rural home in Murang’a to come and help me deliver in the house at Makina in Kibera,” she said.
The news from her mother only added to WN’s despair, leading her to suicidal thoughts.
“I later got to learn of Tabitha through a friend and it changed my life. Tabitha maternity has remained ingrained in my heart because they offered to allow me to deliver for free.”
The experience at the slum maternity has inspired her to enroll at KMTC and pursue a career in nursing.
“The place is clean and the nurses involved are super courteous.”
The first such facility in the area, Tabitha Maternity Home provides health care services to pregnant women, newborns, infants and young children in Kibera.
It was founded in September 2019, by CFK Africa and funded by global donations from various foundations and individuals.
The facility has made access to maternal care like obstetric and gynaecological services and safe delivery hustle-free, clearing obstacles that plague women seeking sexual and reproductive health care services.
Services offered include family planning, antenatal care, safe delivery and postnatal care.
CFK Africa facilities serve 50,000 patients each year, with Tabitha Maternity Home accounting for 15,000 of those patients.
Monthly, 45 babies are delivered at the facility, which also provides 700 children with routine vaccination every month.
It also provides ambulance services to ensure patients access emergency health care services without worrying about transport.
Tabitha Maternity clinic’s good work has not gone unnoticed.
The facility was recently recognised by the Nairobi County administration, declaring it the “best-performing health care facility” for its neonatal care.
The nonprofit was hailed for its leadership and human resource management.
During the pandemic, staffers of the maternity home were also recognised as ‘Frontline Heroes’ by the Gates Foundation for ensuring continuity of care during Covid-19.
CFK Africa, formerly known as Carolina for Kibera, was founded in 2001, by American social entrepreneur Rye Barcott, Salim Mohamed and Tabitha Festo, who has since died.
The international non-governmental organisation was formed in Kibera and registered in Kenya and in the United States as a non-profit.
It is dedicated to fighting extreme poverty in 26 informal settlements throughout the country.
Director Jeffrey Okoro told the Star in an interview that the maternity clinic is the organisation’s flagship project which was established in response to the need for healthcare services.
Raised in the slums of Manyatta in Kisumu and Kibera, Okoro said leading the facility is like a calling for him and helping poor households causes satisfaction for his team.
“Over half of my staff live or have been raised in slums and so we understand the struggle of our people here. We know that even putting food on the table, getting better clothing or shelter are not automatic as may be the case for other people elsewhere. This makes the gap plugged by Tabitha Maternity Home a higher imperative,” he said.
Besides health services, CFK Africa targets the youth for empowerment, including using sports and mentoring school-going girls to build their capacity to defend themselves and find their footing in a patriarchal society.
The organisation uses football to reach young men, helping them not to be enticed by street life and criminality and equipping them with craft skills.
“We know the Kenyan economy is largely tending towards craft skills and entrepreneurship. We are keen to equip Kibera youth who are willing to ensure they take off in life.”
