AHADI Kenya is a Non Governmental Organization started in January 2007 whose major activity is to eradicate jiggers in Kenya.
The objectives of Ahadi Kenya are:
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Mobilize resources in order to address the needs of poor communities.
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Promote good health behavior among Kenyans
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Advocate for health and social rights.
Our Vision
A promise for a better, healthier life.
Our Mission
To create a better life for Kenyans, a promise to bridge the poverty gap by empowering women and youth in Kenya .
Ahadi Kenya is undertaking the following activities:
1. Rescue and referral of jigger infested persons to health centres: This involves
community mobilisation, identification of jigger infested people and referring them
to health centres for treatment.
2. Facilitating youth groups to come up with ways of educating the community on
prevention and treatment of jiggers: That is mobilisation of youth groups, training on
causes, prevention and treatment of jiggers, facilitation of meetings and development
of plays around certain issues related to jigger infestations affecting the society.
3. Facilitate theatrical performances at community meetings: This involves facilitation
of theatrical performances at diferent places in the community including schools,
market places, churches etc.
4. Facilitate health training in schools: This involves mobilisation in schools, formation of
health clubs and facilitation of training of club patrons and leaders.
5. Using diffierent forums to train the community on hygiene: This entails development
and distribution of flyers about jiggers and going to di. erent community meetings to
give talks on jiggers.
6. Facilitate community jigger eradication campaigns.
7. Facilitate clean up campaigns.
8. Facilitate training of health workers to change attitude towards jigger infestation:
Jigger infestation is commonly seen as an embarrassment in society and many people
will be shy to come out and visit health centres as the same attitude is held by health
workers. It is therefore important to organise workshops for health workers in order
to change their attitudes towards jigger infestations and encourage the community
to seek for medical care in case of heavy infestation.
9. Support health centres with simple surgical equipment and material for treatment of
jigger infested people.
10. Facilitate workshops to train targeted groups on causes, treatment and prevention
of jigger infestation. The community groups will be facilitated to be community own
resource persons meant to continue with the trainings even after the project closes.
11. Hold discussions in the media to come up with best practices in the prevention and
treatment of jiggers.
12. Run and manage a jigger centre within areas affected.
13. Monitoring and evaluation of the project.
14. Documentation of the project and dissemination of information to stakeholders and
community.
Expected Impact
These activities are expected to enable Ahadi Kenya Trust and any other concerned
organization reach areas where jiggers remain a problem. This will direct such organization
to areas that are need of intervention. Such intervention is expected to lead to the affected
populations being freed from the burden of infestation. Eradication of jiggers through
the various interventions is expected to lead to a higher quality of life for the affected
populations through:
- Reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDS and related diseases
- Increased economic activity resulting from better health, more time available, as time
is no longer wasted removing jiggers and greater confidence resulting from uplifted
of self-image.
- Better performance of children in school.
- Greater involvement in the social life of their community resulting from greater
acceptance by other members of the community.
Message From The Directors
Stanley Kamau
Founder/Executive Director
 The fact that the needy could not walk to a Christmas party
specifically organizedfor them, not because they were not
hungry but because they had jiggers made me concerned
about howsuch a tiny pest has caused havoc to our society.
I asked myself and the neighbours a common question that
cuts across everyone’s mind when you see the victims. Why
let themselves be attacked by jiggers to that extent? That
question faded from my mind when I came across a boy who
had contacted HIV Aids in the process of removing jiggers. I
realized that if only somebody had talked about the dangers
of sharing pins, this boy and many others could not have
suffered.
Even with the introduction of free primary education, I still
found many children at home, reason `jiggers’. Adults could
not attend to their farms hence live in total poverty. Most of the
victims have no idea of any political changes in the country.
With the help of other like minded people, Ahadi Kenya Trust
was born with the objective of eliminating jiggers in Kenya. In
March 30th 2007, Ahadi launched the Anti-jigger Campaign.
With the opening of a jigger help centre in Murang’a, Central
province a pilot project has been on going. The centre caters
for treatment, training and rehabilitation of jigger victim. This
campaign has since spread to other parts of Kenya.
Ahadi Kenya Trust has carried out study on jiggers for the last
one year in some parts of the country. A lot has been achieved
with overwhelming support from well wishers.
We are looking forward to a jigger free Kenya by the year
2012.
This campaign will spread to our neighbouring countries and
eventually cover the whole of Africa.
I challenge all able Kenyans especially thoe residing in the
urban areas to go back to their villages and help uplift the lives
of those suffering from various poverty related issues.
It all starts with you.
Joseph Mathai
Programmes Director
 God is always looking for availability and not
ability. This has been my rallying call in life. It
has also taught me that when I avail myself for
service to society ways and means to achieve
certain goals (ability) will follow.
It is for this reason that we teamed up to find a
way to highlight the plight of people suffering.
My drive from jigger infestation is giving for when you give, you put a smile on
another person’s face. That is of more reward than I could have ever hoped for.
What we at Ahadi do is give hope of better things to come and translate that hope
into reality. Many a people we first approached with the jigger infestation were
in denial that such an embarrassing menace existed in the 21st century. Through
innovative and imaginative ways, we were able to reach out to the media and get
their help in highlighting the menace.
I have witnessed first hand harrowing and excruciating agony and embarrassment
that jigger victims go through. The tiny pest renders them defenseless such that it
slowly eats away at their self esteem or rather what is left of it, shredding the little
dignity left and ultimately alienating them from society. One might be forgiven for
thinking this small pest is a dangerous alien out to colonize mother earth. Until
you see the faces of the victims and the despair etched in them not to mention the
humiliation they have to endure, one will be forgiven for looking the other way and
brushing the jigger issue aside.
I am inspired by the compassion exhibited by the likes of mother Teresa and closer
home Manu Chandaria whom I not only seek to emulate but surpass. I believe, were
there more people with the philanthrotopic nature the plight of the less fortunate in
society would be greatly mitigated.
Our greatest achievement at Ahadi Kenya Trust has been to bring the rather
embarrassing jigger plight to the fore and this would not have been possible without
the help of the media and other players This has enabled us bring to light a problem
that has been silently destroying fellow Kenyans lives while it could have been easily
remedied.
With integration of communities in the eradication of jiggers and working hand in hand with them will minimize the stigma associated with the jigger. Once the
stigma and embarrassment surrounding jiggers is eradicated, it is my firm belief
that the jigger menace will also be behind us.
In the words of President John Kennedy “Ask not what your country can do for you
but ask what you can do for your country”. And time has come when we have to take
a critical look at our fellow Kenyans who are less fortunate and ask ourselves how we
can help as a way of giving back to the society. Help remove a jigger, put a smile on a person’s face and give life to a fellow Kenyan.
Constance Gakonyo
Financial Director
 Since it was established in early 2007, the Ahadi Kenya Trust Jigger Project has achieved tremendous progress over
the last one year without direct donor funding. With an initial budget of Kshs 3.2Million , 60% of the expenditure
came from the contribution of the organization’s Directors while 40% came from well wishers both in cash and
kind.
Food, clothing, shoes and disinfectants donated have been distributed to families affected by jiggers whilst cash
donations have been utilized towards workshops, transport, office and medical expenses. In addition, there have
been contributions for space in the print and electronic media in order to raise public awareness on this issue and we
are truly thankful for the help we have received.
Records and information on donations received and distribution of items are available and open to public scrutiny
both at our Nairobi office and at the Jigger Help Centre in Muranga; we believe in transparency and accountability.
The demand for help trickles into our offices everyday from all over the country (and indeed within the East African
Region). There is huge need to conduct further research into the effect of jiggers within the community especially
with regard to links with HIV/AIDS, economic empowerment and learning disabilities in young children.
Currently, Ahadi Kenya is unable to meet this demand. I urge individuals, corporate bodies and well wishers (both
local and international) to join with us to make a difference to all those affected. An amount as little as Kshs 5 000.00
will help a family rid themselves of jiggers!!!!
Become our partner today and together, we will win the fight against jiggers.
Cecilia Mwangi
Director/Campaign Ambassador
 It is a pity that jiggers are still with us in the 21st century. The pain that they inflict on human
beings, who are also denied their basic human rights, is heart-rending. With the help of Ahadi
Kenya Trust, I set to answer to their cry and stepped as their voice.
I especially, thank the media for their salutary role in highlighting the menace over the last
year. Even as politicians denied the existence of jiggers and others shied away because of
stigma, the media highlighted in moving pictures and words the existence of jiggers in our
society.
Consequently, the corporate world and well-wishers supported this initiative.
Johnson and Johnson, Haco industries and Colgate Palmolive are a shining example in this
regard. That is not to mention the support we have received from Kenya Dairy Board, Riara
Group of Schools, Real Insurance and EABL foundation, Parapet Cleaners, Print Express, Child
Life Trust and Halisi Water. Of course, the support of churches and individuals came in handy.
Significantly, Kenyan women come in for special mention for their compassion and support.
For instance, Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Rukia Subow, vice-chair Jelioth Karuri and
patron Jane Kiano Who let us use their country wide spread net work to reach to the grass root.
Not forgeting Hon. Njoki Ndungu, Hon Amina Abdala, Terry Mungai and my fellow beauty
queens.
Government involment and partnership especially by the Ministry of public health and
sanitation, ministry of education, Ministry of Provincial administration, Constituency
development funds (CDF) and the National Aids Control Council could come in handy to boost
this initiative.
Crucially, there is an urgent need for a national baseline survey to establish how many Kenyans
are infested, and are under threat of jiggers.
Significantly, Kenya may not achieve the Millennium Development Goal by 2015 if the problem
of this pest is not effectively tackled.
I welcome your support and/or partnership.
Thank you.
- AHADI KENYA ACHIEVEMENTS > |
