Kisumu County Government has partnered with Safaricom Foundation to build a Mother and Child (MCH) specialist hospital in the area.
The area Governor, Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, said construction of the facility is expected to kick off soon to meet the rising demand for specialised MCH services.
He added that the facility will have a special component for teenage mothers to allow them to continue with their studies while the children are taken care of at the hospital.
This comes in the wake of rising teenage pregnancies, which continue to impede girls education.
Support for teenage mothers, he said, was paramount to enable them to proceed with their studies and, at the same time, ensure the children had access to proper medical care and nutrition.
This, he added, would ensure that they don’t suffer from stigma, which in the end affects their learning.
Speaking at Ratta in Seme Sub-Country, where he received the Nyamira Girls High School hockey team, which lifted the East Africa Secondary Schools Girls Hockey title in Rwanda, Nyong’o said wholistic support for the girl child was critical to enabling them to unleash their full potential.
The champions defeated Kakungulu Memorial, Tigoi Girls, St. Marc’s Namagunga, Gayaza High School, Bwaranyangi Girls, and St. Joseph Girls Kitale to lift the regional title.
Nyong’o congratulated the team for making the Nyanza region and Kenya proud.
He gave a personal donation of Sh300,000 to the team to support them as they proceed to represent Africa at the World Inter-School Championships in Serbia.
Ten members of the team hail from Ratta village and are beneficiaries of a hockey academy rolled out at Ratta Primary School in 2014 to promote the sport.
The initiative, he said, has had a positive impact on the girls, adding that his government is committed to supporting talent development and sports.
“My government values sports and has been giving it priority since I came into office in 2017,” he said.
Nyong’o further said that through a collaboration with the national government, the county had built the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, which, besides hosting the Africities Summit last year, is currently serving as the home ground for national Premier League side Gor Mahia.
The county government, he said, was in the process of rehabilitating Moi Stadium and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, which will soon be open to the public.
By Chris Mahandara
