By Jimmy Makhulo and Florence Dzame, Internews in Kenya
As the number of injecting drug users in Kenya’s coastal towns of Mombasa and Malindi increase, religions and cultural leaders, activists and recovering drug addicts turned up in large numbers at Mombasa Women’s Association Hall for the screening of My own flesh and blood, a documentary on pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who inject drugs.
There was hardly a dry eye left in the hall as the moving documentary came to a conclusion. The audience spoke of the growing number of women who inject drugs and with it risk of HIV infection yet there are no rehabilitation facilities at the Coast for women.
“Ile documentary ambayo tumeona hapa leo, tunaweza kufikia ile malengo ya kuweza kuwasaidia wale wengi ambao wako kule nje. Wale ndugu zetu ambao wanataka usaidizi, leo tuko hapa kuwaeleza kuwa inawezekana. Inawezekana kuwafikia, inawezekana kuwapatia matibabu na wao kujinasua kurudi katika hali yao ya kawaida (This documentary can help us assist our brothers. It is possible for us to treat them so that they can return to a healthy and normal life), says Taib Abdulrahman, the director of Reachout Centre Trust.
The documentary that was produced by 2012 Internews Broadcast Health fellow Marie Yambo was first aired during KBC primetime news.
