Health fair in Rainier Valley today targets Seattle's Africans

Lyungai Mbilinyi's father is 75 years old. He's been to the dentist twice in his entire life — and that was only when he thought his mouth would explode.

Regular medical care is still out of reach for many African immigrants and refugees in Seattle, many of whom cannot afford health insurance, are not aware of available resources or are reluctant to discuss topics they might consider taboo.

Today, a health fair in Rainier Valley geared specifically toward Africans will address those issues. The event is the first of its kind here and organizers hope it won't be the last.

"The resources are there, but Africans don't know they're there," said Mbilinyi, a board member of the Center for the Well-being of Africans in America, the Seattle-based nonprofit that is sponsoring the event. "There are challenges."

Renton resident Fatima Kheri understands those challenges. The Tanzanian native commutes to Anacortes from Renton every day for her job as a caregiver and is hoping she can get off work early to attend the fair.

"I want to see all that they have, especially cholesterol testing, well, because last month one doctor thought I might have gallbladder stones, and I know that high cholesterol might cause it," she said.

Since Kheri does not have health insurance, she cannot afford an ultrasound to be sure of the diagnosis. Also, last October she found a lump in her breast, so she thinks "it might be a good idea to get a mammogram."

Cultural outreach toward African communities has been limited, Mbilinyi says, because of language barriers and a gap between the way Africans and Americans address health care.

In the past, "outreach was done in a very American mainstream way," she said. "Words like 'focus group,' 'mental health' or 'victim' might scare people away.

"Bringing up issues of post-traumatic stress disorder, rape or assault through words like 'women's group' or 'cooking group' is a better way of talking about it. It's about how providers can reach the community in a more accessible way."

The fair has attracted more than 25 vendors, including the American Lung Association of Washington and Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, which is providing free bicycle helmets for children. Free cholesterol, diabetes and HIV screenings will also be offered, among other services.

The challenge is getting people to open up, said one of the fair's organizers, Agnes Oswaha, who moved to the United States from Sudan when she was 20.

"The way we are raised we don't talk about sex, ever," she said. "You really have to use a different, coded language."

The fair's family-friendly format is designed to make the topic of health care less intimidating, said Caroline Sawe, founder of the fair's sponsor. Free food from local African restaurants and entertainment by African musicians will be provided, along with a wading pool for children.

"We don't want discussions about health to be a negative thing. ... It's a chance for Africans to get together," Mbilinyi said.

If organizers can secure funding, they hope to make the fair an annual event and attract more vendors next year — particularly mental-health-care providers.

"The mental-health organizations, we didn't get much response, period," Sawe said. This could be because of a lack of licensed counselors who speak African languages, she said.

Among some African cultures, there is a stigma surrounding mental-health issues, which needs to be addressed, the fair's organizers say. The issue is of major concern, given "the atrocities people see before coming to this country," Oswaha said.

Community members are anticipating the event. Sawe has even received phone calls from people asking if the fair can be held again next weekend.

Kheri is eager to take advantage of what the event has to offer.

"It's a good opportunity for people like me," she said. "I am hoping to find an insurance I can afford to buy."

Arla Shephard: 206-515-5632 or ashephard@seattletimes.com