Nyamecheo Village

FAST FACTS:

Village Location: KISII COUNTY

# of Villagers: 1,020

Village Started: OCTOBER 2022

# of Households Surveyed: 117

# of Villagers Who Started in the CHEC:  124

Graduation Date: MAY 25, 2023

# Graduated from Health Training: 70

# of Participants in Economic Training: 70

2023 Primary Economic Groups: 

BEEKEEPING

Nyamecheo is Global Health Connections 8th village to date, and third of the newly formed Rotary Clubs. It is located in Kisii county, Keumbu sub-county, Nyaribari Cache Constituency, Ibeno ward, Ibeno location, Nyamecheo location.  It is roughly 30 Km southeast of Kisii town.  

In mid-October 2022, GHC finished conducting the three Baseline surveys--Health, Economic and Social Impact--on 117 households. All enrolled in the CHEC and the 24-week health training curriculum began in November 2022.  

The main cash crops in and around the village are sugar cane, tea, bananas, avocados, coffee and horticultural crops. The villagers also engage in brick making, raising livestock, and creating small businesses and micro finance groups.  The climate is warm and wet, and the area is congested with a high population per square kilometer. Sustainable food production is a challenge and most families do not produce enough to sell, let alone consume. Because death rates have increased due to HIV and AIDS, and infant and maternal mortality, most homes are run by orphaned children and elderly people. Most homesteads are in deplorable hygienic condition. Sanitation is a big issue here--hand washing is all but absent, water is typically not treated at all, and communal springs are not protected. Needless to say, there are ample opportunities to help institute behavior change. 

GHC graduated 70 members from the health training curriculum in May 2023 and all the members showed commitment and engagement throughout the program. We taught them how to make detergent, how best to build a kitchen garden, a latrine and a shower shelter.  The progress throughout the program was impressive. 

All 70 members continued on to the economic training curriculum and will now be involved in beekeeping. The future site of the apiary has been picked out, and construction will begin in October 2023.  For more information on the apiary, visit https://greenerhillshoney.org/nyamecheo