Page 63 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 5
P. 63
BUSINESS
matatu crashing every day and at the end of December 2014, I erything you want in that box;
no one is making enough noise was just like, “You know what? I you’re pitching next Friday.” And
about it. And they die from caus- can’t do this anymore.” So, I left. she did and we pitched the idea
es like sepsis, hemorrhage, ob- In 2015 we went through loss, to Shiko, five of us sitting on the
structed labor and these deaths our brother passed away and floor of her living room. Therein
are preventable. Also you find we lost our father-in-law. When began the Toto Care Box sto-
we lose about 40,000 newborns you go through loss it just re- ry and Shiko just catalyzed it,
due to preventable causes as jigs you and you realize what she was like a little explosive!
well, like malaria, neonatal sep- actually matters in this life. 2015 [Laughs]
sis, cord infections and diarrheal was a blur for all of us; we were
diseases. all in a pit. Maybe that was the Lucy: She said, “We’re going to
I shared it with Angie and I was threshing floor, because I think register it now, we’re going to do
like, “I read this thing about this that’s where God found all of us. focus groups…” That’s what we
box, we need one here!” And So 2016 is when I met up with did, we jump-started the whole
she was like, “Oh it sounds like Jacky. We had been students process of registration, we got
a fascinating thing.” And we kind at the Manchester University of the box with the things that we
of just left it on the shelf and con- Pharmacy together and then she thought that mothers would
tinued selling meat and cookies! left, but I continued. We were need - our target was that lady
[Laughs] tired of just doling medicines in Marich - and we held focus
out to people. I had experienced groups with some moms. Jacky
Angela: I’d been in the UK for that in the UK and I think she is such a connector for how Toto
about 16 years with my family had seen it for herself. We both Care Box worked because she
and in 2012 we relocated. Since didn’t want to just keep giving used to work at Dream Center
I’d studied Pharmacy, I came out medicine and people were in Langata, which supports HIV
back and started the intern pro- getting sicker instead of better. positive moms from Kibra area
gram with the government. For So our first initiative was to start from the very low economic
two years I worked for the gov- a lifestyle consulting outfit, which groups. So we got a group of
ernment in Kiambu, and it was we registered and then the day 27 women and we had a box
eye-opening; I learnt a lot about we were supposed to meet our with maternity pads, a book,
our healthcare system. Devo- lawyer, I told Jacky about Lucy’s baby clothes and the things we
lution had just happened, and I idea about Toto Care Box and thought that they would need.
think the Counties were trying to then she said, “You know who They told us to take out the
just figure out how health works needs to hear about this? Shi- book, include soap, water guard
and so I spent a lot of time as a ko!” [Jacky’s sister, Catherine and a leso (cotton wrapper) for
Pharmacist telling people there Wanjiku Mueke, who is a Dou- the new mom. Community par-
was no medicine in the Pharma- la, works in maternal health and ticipation is very important in
cy… and that was just soul-de- is also a fellow Trustee at Toto an intervention. We had focus
stroying. My husband said, Care Box Africa]. I called Wam- group discussions with other
“Why don’t you just leave this bui; I remember those words, I health professionals, ex-nurses,
job? Why not just quit?” I said, said, “Your life will never be the midwives, pediatricians and we
“Quit and do what?” But one day same again! Get a box. Put ev- were good to go. Our mom gave
us the first donation for five box-
es.
Jacky: I think 2015 as Angie
said was such a threshing time
for all of us. 2016, joining Toto
Care Box gave me my life back.
All: All of us.
In the photo from left to right:
Regan, Jacqueline Wairimu Gachihi, Hel-
en Wanja Kariuki, Angela Gakenia Kavi-
la-Kwinga, Elizabeth Kirumba andLucy
heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika |
www.msingiafrikamagazine.com Wambui Kaigutha. 63
