This early spring ACI Kenya met with the Ministry of Health and Hygiene of the Nyamira County of Kenya. Our Director of Operations there, John Nyagwencha, presented a detailed presentation along with our Program Manager Charles Momanyi. Below was an update from our Program Development Specialist, Jenaya Rockman.

“Yesterday we met with the health minister and she said it would be good to get the others in the loop as well.  So John, Charles, and I met with these folks today.  John had an excellent powerpoint presentation put together about ACI and our activities, etc.  We also took along a sample of the household hollow fiber and the school size hollow fiber for them to see.  And they were pretty excited.  They Health Minister wants the large hollow fiber for clinics, the Education Minister wants large hollow fiber for schools.  (The Health Minister actually has a hollow fiber in her house that she was given at some point.)  After the meeting we went to meet the governor as well as the deputy governor.  The ministers are really keen to enter into an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with ACI and they also want to write purchasing of these filters for clinics and schools (about 600 total if they did all) into their budgets (or the water budget…it gets a bit complicated how things cross over between ministries).    This would be an amazing partnership as John feels it would set an example for other counties who may want to follow suit.  In addition, the Minister of Water really is a good contact as he has worked in water for over 25 years and really knows whats going on.”

We look forward to this partnership and what it may bring to the people of Kenya.