This month, our Kenya project gained real momentum: the long-awaited written report from our partner ARMOCK Kenya has finally arrived, and the numbers show an impressive impact on the ground. At the same time, our partners have built important political relationships, and we have significantly expanded our technical equipment. Here is all the news:
47 People Supported: The ARMOCK Report Shows Real Impact
47 people in Bungoma County now wear a finished prosthesis from our project, having been fitted and successfully discharged. This was made possible by 83 measurement sessions carried out by ARMOCK Kenya on site. To ensure long-term quality, 20 home visits have already been conducted to monitor usage, with 10 more planned for the coming weeks.
What moves us most is the social impact behind these numbers. The goal of the prostheses is to strengthen self-confidence, reduce stigma in everyday life, and enable genuine social and economic participation, for example by working in a cyber café, running their own kiosks, or returning to school. This kind of direct feedback from the field reinforces our belief that our approach truly makes a difference in people's lives.
Political Anchoring in Bungoma
Alongside practical care, the structural sustainability of the project matters to us. ARMOCK therefore held a successful exchange with the Bungoma County Government, including the Governor and Deputy Governor, as well as with the county-level Ministry of Health. The aim is to anchor the project politically in the long term. Changes have also taken place at ARMOCK Kenya itself: a new board will focus on transparent governance and will make follow-up surveys and home visits mandatory after patients in rural areas receive a prosthesis from Enevra.
Investment in New Printers
We have also used our grant funding to significantly expand our manufacturing capacity: four new printers have been ordered from Bambulab. One larger printer is intended for development (including leg prostheses), while three smaller ones will go to Kenya and later other partners. The decision to go with Bambulab over Artillery was deliberate: higher reliability mattered more to us than slightly easier repairability. In addition, we are ordering around 80 kg of filament, mainly in black and brown.
Software and 3D Scanning Continue to Evolve
Work on the software is also progressing: our software team is currently developing a test function for our online course. The training is aimed at our partners and teaches them how to use our software. After each learning video, short tests confirm their knowledge, and passing them is a prerequisite for being allowed to use the software. The entire course can be completed remotely, regardless of location and time. The corresponding video scripts and recordings are currently in preparation.
There is also progress in 3D scanning: we have developed a new scaling object in which two spheres, instead of a single tip, allow for a more precise calculation of the center point. Initial tests with the scanning app Kiri Engine still showed some difficulties. A possible next step is to attach the scaling object directly to the residual limb instead of placing it next to it, to avoid problems caused by interfering objects in the scan. Further tests are already being planned.
Outlook
In the coming weeks, our focus will be on logistics on site. We are arranging a filament resupply for Kenya soon and are checking whether a second 3D printer can be delivered to shorten the currently long waiting times for patients. Since regular shipping via Uganda and Kenya involves high customs duties, we are also evaluating alternative transport routes for future equipment.
In addition, we are working with ARMOCK Kenya to explore how a leg prosthesis offering could be integrated, as numerous requests on site have so far gone unmet. In the long term, ARMOCK is also working on a scaling strategy to gradually expand the project from Bungoma County to more of Kenya's 47 counties.
Stay Tuned
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Until next time!
Your Enevra Team