The Africa NCD Champions podcast has returned with a new season, focused on the impact of COVID-19 on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. This season aims to provide insights and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to help individuals and communities better prepare for future pandemics.

The Africa NCD Champions podcast is a platform dedicated to raising awareness about NCDs and amplifying the voices of those affected by these diseases. In this new season, listeners can expect to hear from experts and NCD champions as they share their experiences and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on NCDs in Africa.

Episodes will be released on a monthly basis, covering topics such as the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care, mental health, and diabetes management. The podcast will also explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic in terms of addressing NCDs in Africa.

This new season comes at a critical time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for improved prevention and management of NCDs. By sharing the experiences and perspectives of those affected by NCDs in Africa, the Africa NCD Champions podcast hopes to promote understanding, raise awareness, and inspire action towards addressing NCDs in the continent.

Don’t miss out on this insightful and informative podcast. Tune in to the Africa NCD Champions podcast on your preferred podcast platform and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #AfricaNCDChampions.Ogweno lancet presentation

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-health-and-covid-19-lessons-from-the-past/id1606613921?i=1000601377828

On March 9th, 2023, Stowelink joined hands with Community Led Solutions, the County Government of Kisumu, and other partners to celebrate World Kidney Day. This year’s theme was “Living Well with Kidney Disease”, which emphasizes the importance of early detection and intervention in managing kidney disease.

The event was a medical screening initiative that offered various screening services to the public, including blood pressure checks, urine tests, and kidney function tests. The screenings were carried out by medical professionals from the county government hospitals, institutions, and universities who volunteered their time and expertise to the cause.

The event also featured educational sessions that provided attendees with information about kidney health and disease prevention. Participants had the opportunity to learn about healthy lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, and how they can positively impact kidney health.

Stowelink continues to emphasize the importance of early detection and intervention in managing kidney disease. He encouraged attendees to take advantage of the screening services offered at the event and to make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce their risk of developing kidney disease.

The event was a success, with a large number of people coming out to participate in the screenings and learn about kidney health. The collaboration between Stowelink, Community Led Solutions, the County Government of Kisumu, and other partners highlights the importance of community-led initiatives in promoting public health.

Overall, the World Kidney Day celebrations were a great opportunity to raise awareness about kidney disease and the importance of early detection and intervention. Stowelink remains committed to promoting health and disease prevention in communities across Africa.

On March 4th, Stowelink hosted a World Obesity Day celebration at Githurai Social Hall with a group of enthusiastic young people. The event was aimed at educating the youth about obesity, encouraging them to listen to human stories, and teaching them how to use first-person language when addressing obesity.

The celebration was part of Stowelink’s commitment to empowering the youth to confront obesity, which has become a major health concern worldwide. Obesity increases the risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The prevalence of obesity has been rising rapidly over the past few decades, and it is estimated that about 39% of adults and 18% of children globally are overweight or obese.

The event began with a training session on obesity, which was conducted by Stowelink field officers. The training covered the definition of obesity, its causes, and its health effects. The participants also learned about the importance of healthy eating habits and regular exercise in preventing and managing obesity.

One of the highlights of the event was the sharing of human stories by people who have been affected by obesity. The stories were touching and inspiring, and they helped to break down the stigma associated with obesity. The youth learned that obesity is a complex condition that affects people from all walks of life, and that it is important to show empathy and support to those who are struggling with it.

Another important aspect of the event was the training on first-person language for obesity. First-person language is a way of speaking about obesity that puts the person first, rather than their condition. For example, instead of saying “he’s obese,” one can say “he has obesity.” This approach helps to reduce stigma and promotes empathy and respect for people with obesity.

The event was a great success, and the youth left with a better understanding of obesity and the tools to confront it. The training and sharing of human stories were eye-opening and empowering, and the use of first-person language was an important step towards reducing stigma and promoting respect for people with obesity.

Stowelink is committed to continuing its efforts to empower the youth to confront obesity and other health challenges. Through events like the World Obesity Day celebration, Stowelink is making a significant contribution to improving the health and well-being of communities in Kenya and beyond.

Stowelink is proud to announce that its founder, Ogweno Stephen, has recently joined the NCD Child Governing Council. This is a significant achievement for Stowelink as it highlights our commitment to advocating for the inclusion of children, adolescents, and young people in the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs) agenda.

NCD Child is a global multi-stakeholder coalition that focuses on the prevention, treatment, and management of NCDs in children, adolescents, and young people. By joining the NCD Child Governing Council, Ogweno Stephen will be able to contribute his knowledge and expertise towards promoting both treatment and prevention for addressing the NCD burden.

The NCD Child Governing Council aims to advocate for the inclusion of child and adolescent NCD prevention in the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as support the inclusion of youth and family voices in global and country planning for NCDs. This aligns perfectly with Stowelink’s mission of improving health outcomes for communities through innovative approaches to NCD prevention and management.

Ogweno Stephen’s appointment to the NCD Child Governing Council is a testament to his hard work and dedication towards the NCD cause. He is a passionate advocate for NCD prevention and management, and his expertise will be invaluable in promoting the importance of including children, adolescents, and young people in the global NCDs agenda.

At Stowelink, we are proud to have Ogweno Stephen as our founder and CEO. We believe that his appointment to the NCD Child Governing Council will help us further our mission of improving health outcomes for communities in Kenya and beyond. We look forward to the positive impact that his involvement with NCD Child will have on our organization and the communities we serve.

Stowelink continues to make strides in the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and climate change. The organization recently conducted a training program for the last five groups of beneficiaries under the project, aimed at improving their understanding of NCDs and climate change.

The training was conducted by Stowelink field officers, Oduor Kevin and Naila Chebet, who took turns to ensure that the objectives of the training were met. The beneficiaries were given a set of modules to use in training others in their communities.

The training aimed to achieve the following objectives:

Improve the beneficiaries’ understanding of climate change.

Add depth to beneficiaries’ understanding of Non-Communicable Diseases.

Draw clear nexus between climate change and NCDs.

To assess knowledge retention, the trainees were given a set of questions to help them remember certain concepts, including the five major NCDs according to the World Health Organization, the corresponding risk factors for NCDs, climate change, how climate change exacerbates NCDs prevalence, and actions to combat climate change and reduce the burden of NCDs.

According to the field officer’s assessment, the project beneficiaries’ knowledge of NCDs and climate change improved, and they were able to train others on the same using the module.

The training was held at Githurai Social Hall and was attended by the following groups:

Small Axe

Mwihoti Group

Githurai Social Justice

Young and Old

Youth @ Heart

Stowelink is committed to empowering communities with knowledge and skills to combat NCDs and the effects of climate change. The organization continues to conduct similar training programs and projects to achieve this goal.

Stowelink’s mission to reduce the negative impact and vulnerability of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) among young people is being achieved through various initiatives. One of such initiatives is the NCDs and Climate change project, which seeks to build the capacity of young people in under-resourced communities to mitigate NCD vulnerability and its impact through healthy diet, physical activities, and climate change education while leveraging technology and innovation.

On 26th January 2023, Stowelink held a training for the first five groups of project beneficiaries at Githurai Social Hall. The beneficiaries were taken through a rigorous training session on climate change and NCDs. The training aimed to improve their understanding of climate change, add depth to their knowledge of NCDs, and draw a clear nexus between climate change and NCDs.

Stowelink’s field officers, Oduor Kevin and Naila Chebet, took turns to ensure the training objectives were met and beneficiaries’ questions were sufficiently answered. The trainees were also given a set of questions to test their knowledge retention. These questions focused on the five major NCDs according to the World Health Organization, the corresponding risk factors for NCDs, climate change and what it means, how climate change exacerbates NCDs prevalence, and actions to combat climate change and reduce NCDs burden.

The beneficiaries showed a marked improvement in their knowledge of NCDs and climate change, and they were able to train others in their communities using the module provided. Stowelink’s assessment revealed that the training was a success, and the beneficiaries’ knowledge was significantly enhanced.

The project beneficiaries were encouraged to use the module to train others in their communities. By empowering the first five groups of project beneficiaries, Stowelink hopes to create a ripple effect that will increase awareness and knowledge of NCDs and climate change in under-resourced communities.

The NCDs and Climate change project is guided by three specific objectives: to build the capacity of young people to mitigate NCD vulnerability and its impact through healthy diets, physical activities, and climate change; to engage stakeholders such as communities and MOH actively throughout the process to embrace production and consumption of locally produced as alternatives to fast/ processed foods and red meat; and to effectively coordinate with other donors and implementers across NCDs implementation to optimize investments.

Stowelink is committed to achieving these objectives and creating a sustainable impact on NCDs and climate change in under-resourced communities. Stay tuned for more updates on the NCDs and Climate change project.

On 26th January 2023, the Stowelink team conducted an activity in Githurai aimed at distributing modules and posters as part of the NCDs and Climate Change Project. The team comprised of field officers and volunteers who held a meeting with the project beneficiaries at Githurai Social Hall.

During the meeting, the team identified strategic places where the posters could be mounted, and together with the project beneficiaries, they agreed that schools and churches were the best locations. Schools and churches around the project location were mapped, and each group was assigned specific schools and churches to target with posters. This strategy was chosen since schools and churches have a higher population and thus more people could be reached.

The team also utilized its noticeboard to guarantee that the posters would not be removed or plucked. The posters will serve as a reminder to the community to embrace healthy diets and physical activities while also raising awareness of the impact of climate change on non-communicable diseases.

The schools and churches were distributed among various groups as follows:

1. Mwihoti Youth group —Marces Academy and Revelation Center.
2. Young & Old group —Summer Brook school and Githurai ACK.
3. Youth @ Heart —New Hope Academy and New Hope Church.
4. Turf Moor — Faith Learning Center and Githurai Church of God.
5. Githurai Sports — Githurai Primary and PEFA.
6. The Link — Wonderland and Githurai Catholic.
7. Casino Youth Group — Saimos School and Githurai True Jesus Church.
8. Githurai Social Justice group — Keen Kids Academy and Our Lady of Mercy.
9. Small Axe Group — Red Rosses and Baraka SDA.

The NCDs and Climate Change Project seeks to reduce the negative impact and vulnerability of non-communicable diseases among young people. By building the capacity of young people in under-resourced communities to mitigate NCDs vulnerability and its impact through healthy diets, physical activities, and climate change education, the project aims to leverage technology and innovation to achieve its goals.

In pursuit of the project’s goal, the specific objectives are to build the capacity of young people to mitigate NCDs vulnerability and its impact through healthy diets, physical activities, and climate change education. Additionally, the project seeks to engage stakeholders such as communities and the Ministry of Health actively throughout the process to embrace the production and consumption of locally produced foods as an alternative to fast/processed foods and red meat. Lastly, the project aims to coordinate effectively with other donors and implementers across NCDs implementation to optimize investments.

Stowelink remains committed to its mission of promoting healthy living and preventing non-communicable diseases in communities. We appreciate the support and cooperation of the Githurai community in our efforts to create a healthier society.