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THE VITO MOJA HEALTH SCOUTS PROGRAM
Background and Vision
Started by Eran Maina with Scott Perkins's help in the Fall of 2019, the Health Scouts Program was inspired by the College of Wooster Health Coach program. As Health Coaches, students are trained by local health professionals on basic topics in health and disease and assigned patients with chronic illness in the Wooster community to take vitals, monitor health, and living conditions, and establish healthy goals. Aware of the increasing chronic illness scourge in rural Kenya from diseases like diabetes and hypertension and inspired by the impactful learning experience the Health Coach program provides in students and their patients, Eran, himself a Health Coach, decided to begin a synonymous program in Embu. In partnership with Scott- a highly experienced and devoted Health Coach himself, the two designed and implemented a program focused on spreading Vito Moja’s village Health Education and Wellness mission.
The Health Scouts program educates upper primary school students on basic health topics, including blood pressure, blood sugar, mental health, and hygiene. Students are taught how these categories of health are measured and analyzed in a Vito Moja library, common chronic maladies in these areas, and how to identify emergencies related to these health areas that require immediate attention. Following in-class lessons, students engage in practicum sessions. They learn to analyze blood pressure and manual pulse and are provided patient scenarios to evaluate student understanding of taught material. By the time students complete the days-long Health Scouts Program, they are well-versed in basic health topics. Following completion of the program, pairs of students are assigned elderly patients in the Embu community to monitor their vitals and living conditions weekly to ensure they maintain a healthy lifestyle in a healthy environment.
In addition to improving community health, the Health Scouts program's goal is to teach next-generation Kenyans to be model scholars and active members of their communities. Furthermore, through the Health Scouts program, Vito Moja seeks to solidify and promote the cultural relationship between village elders and youth to provide students mentors who can help them navigate life and become model citizens. The Health Scouts program also continues to assist Health Scouts continuing into secondary school.
Scott's Perspective:
"When Eran first told me about his vision for a health scouting program, I was immediately excited. Starting a program to increase community health and promote student success in school would be a great chance to impact people's lives, and I couldn’t wait to start. Bringing my health coaching and public health experience to the table, I worked with Eran to understand the community's expressed needs and draft a curriculum based on those needs. Once we had a plan, Deborah was the perfect person to help put it into action. Through her many personal connections, we partnered with community members to revise and implement our plan effectively. Growing up in Embu, she made sure our program was sustainable and had the biggest impact possible. Her ability to think outside the box and come up with new solutions was also invaluable.
It has been an immense privilege to work with the people of Embu. The students are brilliant and eager to learn. The teachers are passionate about teaching and are deeply committed to their communities. The people I met taught me so much about sustainability, community power, and the positive change that can happen when people come together with a common goal. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am thrilled for the future of this program!”