Olare Village

FAST FACTS:

Village Location: HOMA BAY COUNTY

# of Villagers: 4,000

Village Started: JANUARY 2022

# of Households Surveyed: 100

# of Villagers Who Started in the CHEC:  100

Graduation Date: JUNE 2022

# Graduated from Health Training: 94

# of Participants in Economic Projects: 81

Primary Economic Groups: 

MAT MAKING (10 members)

PINEAPPLE MARKETING & SELLING (9 MEMBERS)

SOAP MAKING (12 MEMBERS)

CEREALS (28 MEMBERS)

WEAVING & KNITTING (10 MEMBERS)

BROOM MAKING (7 MEMBERS)

Olare is Global Health Connections 1st village in Home Bay County!  The village is in Nyanza Province, Rangwe Sub County. It has a population of approximately 4000 villagers and around 390 households. Out of these households, 100 have enrolled in our CHEC. 

The Global Health Connection's team from Homa Bay County began the CHEC on January 13th, 2022 by holding an open, public meeting which was followed by a member recruitment day. The GHC team did Baseline health, economic and social impact surveys and then began the 24-week health training curriculum for the enrolled members a few weeks thereafter.  This particular village has an average size of 10 members per households, which translates into at least 1000 villagers who will directly benefit from the Club's health teachings and economic opportunities.  The Baseline survey indicated that 76% of the members are women and 24% are men.  

Our Health Curriculum aims to change community health behavior, improve general public sanitation and hygiene, and reduce water borne diseases in the community. Our Economic Empowerment Curriculum focuses on the major economic activities of Olare village, which include agricultural production of subsistence crops and basket weaving activities, among other things. The CHEC has 93 villagers involved in different economic projects: Mat Making, Weaving, Broom Making, Soap/Disinfectant Production, Cereal Cultivation and Pineapple Growing. 

GHC is excited to be in Homa Bay County, and with our excellent team, we are empowering and creating sustainable change in the village! 

UPDATE June 2024:

The Olare CHEC has achieved an impressive milestone by becoming entirely self-sufficient and self-governing. The members now manage their operations, make decisions, and lead their initiatives with full autonomy. A key accomplishment is the continued growth of their five income-generating projects—Mat Making, Weaving, Broom Making, Soap/Disinfectant Production, Cereal Cultivation, and Pineapple Growing—all of which are flourishing and providing consistent income. These achievements not only bolster the club’s health and empowerment efforts but also enhance economic stability and resilience within the community. The ongoing success of these ventures and the improvement in health practices underscore the club’s commitment to self-reliance and sustainable development.