Pamoja Project applies the approach of Population – Health – Environment (PHE) in addressing linkages between health service deliveries, community – based natural resource management (NRM) and conservation through innovative, cross-sector interventions. The PHE approach understands that lack of access to health, sexual and reproductive services acts as a barrier to community participation in NRM, thereby limiting effective management of both marine and terrestrial resources. The project takes advantage of the unique outreach capabilities of Safari Doctors and Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT- Coast) operating in the same geographies with aligned organisational goals and values.

The project increases the communities’ capacity to demand improved service delivery from local government and help local leaders better understand the issues faced by their indigenous constituents and how to address them. Ultimately, the project visualises its innovation informing Lamu County’s Integrated Development Plan, with potential to scale to the entire County.

As an Innovate and Learn grantee, the project ensures that creative measures are also part and parcel of communicating better the highs as well as the lows the project is facing.

From the onset it was visible that the belief of the community owning their rights and voice posed to be a challenge. However, it’s prudent to note that there is an ongoing shift of positive thinking as more community members become active and intentional in ensuring that they are part and parcel of promoting a safer and healthier environment.

Through a partnership with Skoll Foundation, the team has shared the below wonderful video which documents the journey of the project past its halfway point.

“The best thing for me has been entirely everything I have learnt on the importance of health coverage for my community and how to involve them in improving it. These training sessions have really empowered me. I look forward to volunteering more on the projects and activities that will change my community for the better. The shared knowledge I experience when I am with the rest of my teammates is incredible and I always look forward to the next meeting with them“. Mkuu Mohamed Bwanausi, CHW Kizingitini 

The  Pamoja  (meaning  together  in  Kiswahili)  Project  aimed to  apply  the  Population-Health-Environment    (PHE)  approach      to      address      the      linkages   between      health      service      delivery,      community-based      natural      resource management  (NRM)  and  conservation  through  an  innovative,  cross-sector intervention.  The    PHE    approach    understands    that    a    lack    of    access    to  health,    sexual    and    reproductive    services        acts        as        a    barrier    to  community  participation  in  NRM,  thereby  limiting  effective  management  of  both    marine    and  terrestrial    resources.  

The  project   sought to take advantage  of  the  unique  outreach  capabilities  of  Safari  Doctors  and  NRT-Coast    operating    in    the    same  geographies  with  aligned  organisational  goals and values.  Overall,  the  interdisciplinary  and  intersectionality  of  the  project  design  helped  Safari  Doctors develop  and  refine their theory of change of how to address health, social and environment issues in the same  project  cycle.  If  communities can  live  and  thrive  in  healthy  and  holistic environments,  the  impact  can  be  felt  by  them  for  generations  as  well  as  work towards providing dignity to those who are often left behind or marginalised.  

More precisely, the project addressed the below learning lessons; 

1. Does the project increase access to health services and information and increase health-promoting behaviours among the target communities? 

1. Does the innovation strengthen engagement in NRM among the target communities? 

1. Does the innovation strengthen political participation among target communities at County government level? 

1. Does the partnership between Safari Doctors, NRT-Coast and Blue Ventures provide a scalable model for a more holistic and sustainable approach to engaging communities on issues of Population, Health and Environment? 

1. Does the County government have the capacity to adopt key project activities to ensure project legacy? 

The  most  significant  and  innovative  were  the  government  roundtables,  which were all about health discussion dialogue in Lamu County, and the lesson Safari Doctors have  learned  in  order  for  policy and  decision  makers  and  their constituencies, is  that the  Members  of  County  Assembly  as  well  as  the  Village Chiefs need to be closer to the people to listen to their concerns with the aid of informal and sometimes field based exchanges.  

The  project  also strengthened the work  with  the  Northern  Rangelands  Trust (NRT)and  Blue  Ventures  in  the  region  to  better  address  issues  that  affect  the environment that these populations   of the indigenous and marginalised depend on.  The  simple  impact  of  seeing  plastics being  cleared  to  make  way  for  better farming,  fishing  and  hygiene  motivates  us  to  continue. 

 Furthermore,  the  ability to see change in attitudes, skills and behaviour within the project cycle makes it meaningful  for  all  those  involved  from  youth  able  to  access  better  sexual  and reproductive  health  services  means  they  can  make  wiser,  more  informed, choices (contraception, counselling, family planning. etc.).