How Bay Area Healthy Living Support and Communication Platform came about

The Beginning of BayHeal:

This concept note is about Africans and recent immigrants from Africa (from here on referred to as beneficiaries) in the West Coast Bay Area. It is also about how best they can be involved in owning skills for health living and outcomes in USA[i]. In 2012, a friend knocked on our door, her roommate was having a baby. This was in Los Angeles CA. It was 2:00 am. We rushed her to a hospital which we had googled and fortunately was 15 minutes away. She did not have insurance, we collected money towards that. She was admitted and delivered a bouncing baby girl. The previous week, we had helped another person who had chest pain. We prevailed on him to go to the hospital. This was a saving moment for him. He was diagnosed with a buildup of fluid in the pleural space. A month before I had talked to a friend who was complaining of frequent micturition, thirst and frequent fatigue after simple daily activities. I escorted her to Hospital and she was diagnosed with Diabetes. In Boston MA, a friend continued complaining of stomach pain and she could point it out in the right lower quadrant. It turned out she had appendicitis, a diagnosis arrived at after we rushed her to Hospital. A mother was overwhelmed by developmental delays of her son. She even relocated for fear of stigma among the African communities that had embraced her on arrival in USA. But, counseling and reassurance enabled her overcome her own fears and she is now a strong advocate in her area for children with disabilities. A doctor and mother to a daughter who had sickle cell disease never gave up seeking treatment for the daughter. The family went through all the processes of an autologous bone marrow transplant; the daughter is now free of sickle cells. I[1] have attended many African community, cultural and social events[2] as part of my own understanding of other Africans, how they socialize and as an appraisal, the precursor for starting a dedicated healthy living support platform. As a volunteer and Trustee with the African Empowered Communities-USA[3], we reached out to Africans new in USA and engaged them in activities that increase awareness, worldview, cultural sensitivity and utilization of the service delivery systems in USA. The goal being full utilization and full integration. There are patterns through which beneficiaries can be mobilized, empowered to become fully involved participants in healthy living. This tool is a mobilization tool tailored for Africans new in America. It can be copied for other immigrant communities too. It is based on Using Community or Social Events (UCEs/USEs) to continue mobilizing beneficiaries of healthy living in USA. On outcome is making health, nutrition and a quality life part of their plans[4].

                                                  References:

[1] Tom Rogers M. M, is a resident of USA since 2012. He can conduct communication and facilitate communities around Communicable and Noncommunicable diseases. He worked in 15 African countries under the Eastern and Southern Africa Health Network. In USA, he is a volunteer with UCSF, HIV/Hepatitis Community Advisory Board. He has interacted with many Africans in the Bay Area and this concept is the outcome of that interaction. You are reading it because Thomas is soliciting support to start the BayHeal Initiative.

[2] Food, Music/Entertainment, Parenting, Grooming, Work and Housing are 6 aspects that draw Africans in Bay Area together. Knowledge of dates, activities & venues (DAV tool) will get one the numbers to reach out to with messages. Radio station KALW FM 91.7, has African night on Thursday-9am-11am.

[3] An organization engaged in planning trade fares and market place-related activities all over California. In the Bay Area, it has featured at: Santa Rosa, San Jose, Ashley and San Francisco Market places.

[4] Health, nutrition, quality of life plans include: Safe motherhood, mental-health, physical health, Oral Health, diet plans, medical checkups, exercise and such activities promoting health.


Founder and Manager:
Tom Mukasa (APHA), Global Health (Harvard).
e-mail: bayheal@gmail.com
BAYHEAL Tax ID:47-4266549