Saving Lives from Snakebite in Kenya

Virtual Eco-missions is a ministry I (Jonathan Twining) started to partner with two organizations in Kenya - the Upendo Conservation Area and the Snake Community Action Network.  Virtual Eco-missions is a way to provide online, voluntary consulting or advising services to organizations outside the US regarding conservation of biodiversity.  In this case, I am assisting two organizations with the development of snakebite prevention programs, and one organization with restoration and preservation of a small protected area.  This campaign is directed toward the two organizations involved in snakebite prevention.

We need your help to save the lives and limbs of people that are bitten every day by dangerous venomous snakes in Kenya.  About 1000 people die each year in this country from snakebite, and 4000 suffer a permanent disability including limb amputation.  This most often affects the poor in rural communities where farming and herding is a way of life.  Women and children are also among those most affected. Kenya's medical facilities do not have access to adequate supplies of antivenom, so the only way to save lives is through prevention programs that teach people how to avoid snakes by changing their behaviors.  Your money will support the two organization as they send trainers to the communities most in need so they can raise awareness and educate people about how to deal with this problem in their daily lives.  Your donations pay for transportation to and from communities in need; for removal of harmful snakes from homes, schools, and businesses; for preparation of training materials, and for assistance to survivors and the families of victims.