Public Health Teaching

 Mitsuaki Hirai, or as the locals have named him, Mwiti, is a young Japenese man who recieved his masters in Global Health in the United States at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA.) The morning we arrived at the Village Hopecore International office, he ushered us into the land rover where the rest of his team was already prepared to go. But, before we could leave town, we had to stop and buy bananas and peanuts. This crew doesn't stop to eat lunch.

Mitusakin teaching the younger primary classes about handwashing.

 Mitsuaki is the Public Health Coordinator at Village Hopecore International in Chogoria, Kenya. The office is located on the third floor of an open air building located on a steep hill near the main road in Chogoria. Village Hopecore International was founded by Dr. K.K. Mugambi. Dr. K. K. attended primary school in Chogoria and then traveled to the United States, where he earned a law degree. Dr. K.K. took his knowledge and compassion for Kenya and created Village Hopecore to help the community in Chogoria by providing microloans and public health education.

 Mitsuaki was hired as the public health coordinator with a one year contract. He has implemented programs to teach children how to wash their hands, eat a balanced diet and recognize symptoms of ring worm, typhoid and malaria.

 When the public health team stepped out of the land rover, a group of kids was waiting there to welcome them. Mitsuaki walked over to the children and spoke a few words to the children who answered back in unison. As he stood in the group of children with their faces looking very seriously up at him, he touched heads and lifted stocking caps, examining the childrens heads. This initial check was the first look at how many children at the school are affected by ring worm.

 Mitsuaki explained that ring worm is one of the few diseases they have been able to actually see results with because it's symptom is visible and does not need a blood test to confirm. Anyone with ringworm is given a pill during lunch, and those with more severe cases are given cream to use on the affected area. "It is hard to explain what the cream does to the children, but it is easy for them to see where they need to put it," he said.

 During the day, the primary school is split up into two groups. The younger classes are sent to sit in the shade of a tree in the playing field between the school and the bathrooms that are located on the opposite hill. The children all sit and play and chatter with each other, but when a bucket of water is retrieved and the Mitsuaki stands in front of the group, they all stand and give him their attention. He leads them in a song they have learned before. The song he sings has actions and is used to show the correct way to wash their hands. "The song and words actually have no meaning," he said, "It was created by UNICEF Japan and is a song that uses words that are similar to sounds." He went on to say that Japanese pronunciation and Swahili pronunciacion is very similar, so the song was easy for the children to pick up as well as it was easy for him to pick up the local language.

 Up in the church, the older children listened to two nursing students who spoke about the importance of a healthy and nutricious diet. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," they chant, as they connect a healthy diet to a strong immune system that fights away diseases. The next nursing student explains how AIDS takes away that immune system, no matter how well you eat.

 Village Hopecore International has created a public health program that is spreading knowledge as well as medication to the children and people who need it. Mitsuaki, who has only just started his career in global health, has already made an impact in a place that is benefiting from his knowledge.