How?
A Toto Care Box will be offered as a free incentive to every mother who goes through the minimum four Ante Natal Clinics (ANC), where she will also go through certified training on use of the box, and gives birth in a health facility. The box is a maternal care package that contains items for the mother and the new born to ensure that the mother has what she needs to cater for her new born child for the first 28 days of life, which are the most critical. The items in the box have been chosen due to their possible impact on reducing the four-main causes of new born deaths in Kenya. These are: Malaria, Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Gastroenteritis and Neonatal tetanus
The Toto Care Box Africa Trust-Mission
We exist to protect, preserve and promote the health and well-being of newborns in their first 28 days of life.
If the availability of a free Toto Care Box saves the lives of 1 mother and 1 infant, our mission has been accomplished.
If the life of 1 new mother and 1 child is improved by the Toto Care Box, our mission has been accomplished.
We hope that working together with the public and private sector will allow us to work towards increasing the number from 1 mother and 1 child to 1,000 mothers and 1,000 children.
The Toto Care Box Africa Trust-Vision
To save One million babies in Africa by 2022.
The Toto Care Box Africa Trust-Values
L: Love all we do.
I: Integrity shall be our guide.
F: Fearless boldness, to be the voice of the voiceless.
E: Embrace change and Impact lives.
The Team
Lucy Wambui Kaigutha
Founder and Director
She is a Public Health and International Development professional with experience gained within Global NGO and Corporate entities. As the founder and director of Toto Care Box, she possesses problem solving and analytical skills. She has worked in projects with AMREF, Kenya Red Cross and the Nairobi City County. She has conducted research on infant and under 5 mortality and morbidity. She is also adept at handling and interpreting data. She has demonstrated the ability to research, plan, implement and manage projects.
Helen Wanja Kariuki
Finance Officer
She is a Public Health and Finance Specialist worked on the Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey (KAIS 2012) and provided technical support that included questionnaire development, review and facilitation of a three-week field interviewers training. Before joining UCSF, she volunteered at the World Health Organization in the Neglected Tropical Diseases department where she created a database, which monitored requests, orders and utilization of praziquantel used in the treatment of schistosomiasis. She has diverse international experience working in corporate, NGO and university sectors both in the financial and public health arena. She is currently the Finance Officer at Toto Care Box.
Angela Gakenia Kavila-Kwinga
Operations Officer
She is a UK trained pharmacist who holds a post graduate certificate in clinical pharmacy. She has 12 years of community pharmacy and Primary care trust experience. She has dealt with drug budgets, formularies and medication reviews where her team managed to save £60,000. She has 2 years’ experience in Kenya at the Kiambu District Hospital where she gained knowledge on the HIV /Aids program in the county whilst working as a pharmacist officer. As Operations Officer for TCB she is passionate about health and as a mother of three, the Toto Care Box cause is dear to her heart.
Jacqueline Wairimu Gachihi
Marketing and Public Relations
She is an experienced pharmacist and has over 13 years’ experience in technical pharmaceutical and administrative management. She has worked as a hospital & district pharmacist, program manager, development officer in both the public and private sector. During this time, she has gained a wealth of skills, experience and knowledge in planning, implementing activities, work plans, evaluation of objectives, documenting best practices and commodity management. Interaction with private and public stakeholder organizations has created an understanding of the benefits of public private partnership. Currently Jacqueline is involved in Marketing and Public Relations for Toto Care Box.
Dr Fiona Moejes
International Consultant
Dr Fiona Moejes is a research scientist with interests in innovative sustainable development tools. Fiona‘s PhD in Biology coupled with her role as a Principal Investigator at a research station in Ireland will add a scientific research dimension to the Toto Care Box mission. Furthermore, her previous role as a Project Manager of a €4mil European Union project will provide excellent project management skills to the Toto Care Box team. Fiona’s passion is to provide and promote innovative and novel tools for sustainable development, particularly Kenyan-based ideas for the well-being of Kenya’s future generations.
Catherine Wanjiku Mueke
Community Health Nurse
Catherine Wanjiku Mueke is a Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse and has over 9 years’ experience in maternal and infant health. She has worked as a Noe-natal nurse and Midwife in both the public and private sector. During this time, she has gained a wealth of skills and experience in maternal and infant health issues. As a former Deputy First Lady for Nairobi County interaction with private and public stakeholder organizations such as the Beyond Zero Campaign, White Ribbon Alliance Kenya of which she is now a Champion has created an understanding of the benefits of public private partnership and given her a wealth of knowledge in maternal and infant health care at the public level. She is also the CEO of Nurturing Touch Wellness Center, a center that provides a holistic approach to prenatal and postnatal services for Pregnant mums in Nairobi, and is currently the maternal and infant health consultant for Toto Care Box.
The Statistics
Kenyan infant mortality rate is 36 deaths per 1,000 live births (WorldBank.org)
Kenyan maternal death rate is 488 deaths per 10,000 live births (Kenya Demographic and Health Survey)
Neonatal period is only 28 days and yet accounts for 38% of all deaths in children under 5 years, globally (Lawn et al., 2005)
Causes of neonatal death:
- 36% infections (pneumonia, tetanus, diarrhoea)
- 28% pre-term birth
- 23% asphyxia
Direct Causes of Neonatal Deaths in 2000 (Lawn et al., 2005)
Major Causes of Pregnancy Related Deaths (Desai et al., 2013)
The data Above shows distribution of direct pregnancy-related deaths during labour and during the neonatal period (Desai et al., 2013)
New mothers are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS-related complications (McIntyre, 2005)
They are also more susceptible to HIV and STI infections (Warren et al., 2011)
Download the Toto Care Brochure
