J1281N Edensong Kenya

Our vision is to bring health and healing to the people of Igembe sub-counties in Meru County, Kenya through provision of professional and compassionate physical and mental health services.

Our first project in 2025 responded to the plight of pregnant mothers in the Igembe South subcounty who were travelling long distances on motorbikes to access medically supervised childbirth. Outcomes were often poor for mother or child. We partnered with Maua Methodist Hospital to bring maternity, pharmacy, laboratory and outpatient services to this region through development of the MMH -Kiutine branch hospital.

In 2026 we are aware of broader community needs, particularly as the miraa drug trade has sadly become the backbone of the Igembe economy. This has significant negative impacts on the mental health of the people resulting in high levels of domestic and gender based violence, relationship breakdown, HIV incidence, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, drug addiction and poverty.

Out of this concern we propose establishing a mental health, counselling and psychology facility in Maua (the main city in Igembe sub-counties). This is Edensong Counselling Centre - ECC

There is no professional service of this kind within 70km for the population of more than 350,000 people. Distance is a physical and financial barrier to getting timely help. We propose accessible professional individual and group therapy alongside school and community education initiatives in order to assist the individual, family and society to make healthier life choices. This is Ushauri Ponya - UP Igembe - “counselling for health”.

In the meantime, we want to encourage teenage mothers to avoid an unsafe abortion or home delivery and instead seek quality health care by individually subsidising hospital supervised childbirth at Kiutine Branch Hospital. (Sponsorship of a normal delivery is $A150 while an assisted delivery (Caesarian) is $A450.) This is Okoa Mama Kiutine - “save young mothers”

The community leaders of Igembe sub-counties are keen to see these initiatives established so that the quality of life improves for their people and for generations to come.