Organization Overview
OUR HISTORY
Organization overview
Organization overview
Dr Kawango Agot, PhD, MPH, is the founder and Director of Impact Research and Development Organization (IRDO). Although registered on January 23rd 2003, it began operating in 1999 in Dr. Kawango´s living room. At that time she was carrying out two studies: one towards her PhD in Medical Geography (Widow Inheritance and HIV) and another towards her MPH in Epidemiology (Male Circumcision and HIV) obtained concurrently from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. IRDO has its headquarter Kisumu City. She narrates the journey of IRDO:
Year 1999
Impact Was Founded by
Dr Kawango Agot, PhD, MPH
Dr Kawango Agot, PhD, MPH, is the founder and Director of Impact Research and Development Organization (IRDO). Although registered on January 23rd 2003, it began operating in 1999 in Dr. Kawango´s living room. At that time she was carrying out two studies: one towards her PhD in Medical Geography (Widow Inheritance and HIV)
Year 2007
Received funds from PEPFAR/CDC
As early as November 2007 IRDO had received funds from PEPFAR/CDC to provide Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) services in Nyanza Province. In February 2008, we sub-contracted Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NHRS) and UIC to provide the services. NRHS and IUC role was to be primarily responsible for VMMC training and service delivery in partnership with MOH. The targeted districts included Suba, Siaya, Bondo, Rarieda, Kisumu East, Kisumu West, and Nyando.
Year 2008
Ministry of Health (MOH)
In March 2008, training of Ministry of Health (MOH) personnel on VMMC started and by October 2008, service delivery started after the launch of MOH Guidance on VMMC. We carried out health facility assessments in all facilities in the districts to ascertain which facilities would be capable of providing VMMC
Year 2015
Because study involved HIV testing.
Because study involved HIV testing, I kept blood samples in my refrigerator next to the food to await shipment to the University of Nairobi for processing (there were no rapid tests then!), until my adviser, the late Prof. Ndinya-Achola, a microbiologist, almost read to me the riots act about the dangers of making my food and blood samples share a fridge!
Year 2018
Studies on the same topics.
In 2002, two follow up studies on the same topics (HIV, widow inheritance and male circumcision) saw IRDO graduate from my living room (and fridge) to my guest wing where Walter Agingu (see next paragraph) and I modified a kitchenette into a mini laboratory for sample storage and HIV testing, and the 10ftX10ft single room into a study-cum-data coordinating center. The study was better funded so all staff lived in their houses!
Who we walk with
