GALVmed meets… Kimani Merendei
Kimani lives in Arkatan village, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. He was initially suspicious of vaccines and only started administering the immunisation against East Coast fever in 2004.
The series Animals & Us explores the strong connection between the health of animals and people. In GALVmed’s film, we explore how innovation, collaboration, and vaccination of livestock help protect animals, strengthen communities, and advance One Health.
Kimani lives in Arkatan village, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. He was initially suspicious of vaccines and only started administering the immunisation against East Coast fever in 2004.
Malulu Morongo is a village elder and in Mundara village in Longido District, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. He was one of the first Maasai to have his calves vaccinated against East Coast fever and each year he immunises over 200 more, and now has 700 cows.
Marry lives in Mairowa village in Longido District, a Maasai area, in Tanzania and is head of its women’s organisation. She had only 10 cows before she had her herd vaccinated against East Coast fever. She now has 60 cows. East Coast fever has a high mortality rate with cows and the disease is rife in many parts of Tanzania
Mepukori Mebolokini Mollel, a Maasai chief, lives in Mesarani village, a Maasai area, in Tanzania. Before he immunized his livestock against East Coast fever, many of his calves died.
Teresa lives in Nzeluni village near Mwingi in Eastern province in Kenya. Her husband died a few years ago and she was forced to work as a casual labourer. Part of her job was making tea for her employers, “I was so poor that when my employers finished their tea I used to add water to their tea leaves and drink it“.
Elizabeth Wayua Mutoso’s chickens were all killed by Newcastle disease, a contagious disease that usually kills most chickens in a household or village.
Safari Mbui owns a veterinary drug store providing much needed medicines and qualified advice on animal health.
Animal diseases devastate the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world. For this reason, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department for International Development have entrusted 28 million USD to GALVmed over the next three years to make livestock vaccines, diagnostics and medicines accessible, affordable and available to the poorest people.
Tabitha lives with her husband and five children in Nzeluni village nearMwingi in Eastern province in Kenya. She was chosen to be theToggenburg buck keeper in the FARM-Africa Kenya Dairy Goat Capacity Building Project.
MacDonald lives in Nzeluni village near Mwingi in Eastern province in Kenya. Trained as a community animal health worker by FARM-Africa, he was given a drug kit, bicycle and mobile phone. He treats and gives advice on animal health to local farmers in his community and these days his business is thriving.