New banks for Thugunui Children

sh. Today we organized a big gathering of all school children up in the mountain village of Thugunui on 3000 m. Reason was the transportation of the chairs and tables that we got by container from the Swiss "kids-to-kids" organization. As it had rained last night, it was not easy to bring the two trucks up the mountain on the wet dirt streets. And once we had to push the truck by hand thanks to our hospital crew. As we approached the school, excitement among the young people was big. The children greeted us with palm branches and sang and danced for us. Also all the other inhabitants of the village joined the children and we had a real feast. Luckily the weather was also nice besides a small 5-minute rain. The children brought their old banks out of their classrooms and compared them with the new ones. The joy was visible in all their eyes and they were full of gratitude for all the gifts. The whole event started at 10 am and lasted until 5 in the afternoon. Watch our pictures!

Before...

... and afterwards

Singing, dancing & enjoying new T-Shirts

Today the Swiss TV crew from "Tele Südostschweiz" was busy filming youngsters getting T-Shirts (sponsered by Intersport) and they all were happy. Many refugees were singing and dancing. It was also busy time for the hospital crew who always show their gratitude of being part of Mama Matata's team. I am also happy to be back in the Rhein-Valley Hospital after some longer than expected stay in Switzerland due to a leg injury.

- Stephan Holderegger

Visit from Swiss TV Station

ak. Yesterday evening, Rhein-Valley Hospital founder Stephan Holderegger arrived in Nairobi with a two-man television crew from TV Swiss South-East. The crew is in Kenya to film a six-part miniture documentary series of the hospital and its director, Ruth Schaefer. Marco Nuessli and Marc Hosig from the Swiss station made their first trip to the hospital today and were very impressed with what they saw. An appropriate day for a first viewing, it was Thursday Neonatal Day, which provides a hectic atmosphere throughout the day. Once the number of patients had reduced in the late afternoon, we enjoyed a soccer game against the IDP children and then Marco had his hair braided.

Lawn Maintenance

ak. It was lawn maintenance day at the Rhein-Valley Hospital. Since electric or gas-powered lawnmowers are rarely used in Kenya, the most common way to the cut grass is by use of a "slasher", a machete-type tool with a slight angle at the tip of the blade. To use a slasher, you must bend your body approximately 45° at the waste and slash horizontally in an arc, back and forth. Over a course of 2 to 3 hours, a skilled slasher will slash an approximate area of 20m x 20m, or 400m2. Not very efficient, but certainly an excellent workout!

A Difficult Case

ak. Today was yet another busy day at the RVH. In the late morning, we dealt with a rather difficult, complex and disturbing case. This young woman, whose exact age is unknown, is the daughter of her mother and uncle. As a result, she has a mental disability, which in Kenya is very difficult to find support for. Her mother is so poor that they cannot afford shoes and both had walked barefoot from Thugunui, four kilometers downhill. The girl presented with a severe case of pneumonia, having had symptoms for over one month. It was also discovered that the girl had been raped two years ago, and after testing, it was miraculous that she showed no signs of STIs or HIV. Sadly, despite the efforts of the RVH to properly educate and care for the people of Kasambara and Thugunui, this example shows that either neglect and/or ignorance persist as significant obstacles in dealing with patients in a rural setting, be it in Kenya or in the Western world.

Busier than Normal Sunday

ak. As Sundays are normally quieter at the Rhein-Valley Hospital, it was unusual to see so many patients today. Considering it is currently the short rain season and evenings of late have been rather cold, it is not suprising that there seems to be more cases of pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections, especially amongst children. Although it is unfortunate to see that more people need care, it reassuring to know that these patients are a least receiving care. Prior to the RVH's existance, several of these patients could have died from such diseases which are otherwise easily treatable.

Visit from President Kibaki

ak. Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki visited Nakuru today. Early in the morning, two helicopters touched down in the field adjacent to State House, the President's Nakuru office/residence. Many of the locals watched in awe as the large helicopters engulfed them in body-shaking upcurrents and ear-piercing chopping. Since the President only seldom visits Nakuru, by late afternoon a large crowd of people had gathered around the periphery of the field, all hoping to catch a momentary view of their leader. President Kibaki spent the entire day in Nakuru and then departed as the sun was setting.

Moi Day in Kenya

ak. As it was a national holiday today, the hospital was relatively quiet. Although the staff appreciated a slight break after a busy week, the children in the hospital's IDP camp were even more appreciative of the fact that they didn't have to go to school. Moi Day is celebrated in honour of former President Daniel Arap Moi who was Kenya's commander-in-chief for over 27 years, from 1975-2002.

A busy day at the Rhein-Valley Hospital

ak. It was an exceptionally busy day at the Rhein-Valley Hospital today. On top of the usual 35-40 mother-infant pairs that arrived for Thursday's Neonatal Day, there was a constant flow of regular patients as well. By day's end, well over 100 patients had been attended to. Amongst the many interesting cases, there was one young girl who was terrified of a thermometer thinking it was a large needle. She protested so vehemently that Dr. Wanjara not touch her with it, Nurse Kennedy was forced to let her out of the room so she could run outside to "safety". Poor Wanjara was left in shock, not quite sure what he had done wrong.

Meeting Kamau the Street Boy

ak. On the way home from the hospital this afternoon, we ran into Kamau, an orphaned boy who lives on the streets. There are hundreds, if not thousands such children in Nakuru alone. They have no official support network and for most, the only family they will ever know are the fellow children with whom they wander the streets. Although these children normally congregate in small or large groups, Kamau seems to be alone, often spotted walking along the Nakuru highway in his over-sized suit, searching for food.

(Click on the picture to see it in large size as it appears on our photoblog "Kenya-Photos")

Maintenance Day

ak. Following yesterday's rearranging day, today was spent repairing and repainting furniture and equipment. The well-used maternity ward required some of Mama Matata's attention when it was discovered a lever on the delivery bed wasn't working properly. Wakomo, one of the hospital's maintenance crew, observed attentively as the resident hospital handy-woman took care of the job. In the meantime, I showed the kids from the IDP camp how to walk on your hands, a most useful skill when working at a hospital.

House Cleaning

ak. After a busy morning at the hospital, we took advantage of a quiet afternoon to reorganize one of the containers and a large storage room. What started as a small task quickly escalated and eventually required over three hours of work from most of the hospital staff and members of the IDP camp. When we were done, one storage room had been cleared, a different one had been filled, and an entire shipping container used to store food had been rearranged.

Rainy Sunday

ak. It was an unusually rainy day in Nakuru, which meant we were unable to traverse the muddy road to the hospital. As Sundays are normally a quiet day at the RVH anyway, there is little news to report other than that we hope the sun will come back tomorrow. In the mean time, please enjoy this beautiful rainbow that was captured in Lake Nakuru National Park last week.

Budget Transporation

ak. It was a routine, rather uneventful day at the hospital, so the afternoon was spent buying supplies in Nakuru. En route, this family was spotted. At quick glance, they seemed rather comfortable. Who needs a station-wagon or minivan when you have a motorcycle? I'm not familiar with Kenyan road laws, but since 3+ passengers on one motorcycle is a relatively common sight, one must wonder whether motorcycle passenger limit laws even exist or if they're simply weakly enforced. Either way, with soaring fuel costs, perhaps the motorcycle is the station-wagon or minivan of the future!

The Rhein-Valley Fitness Centre

ak. Welcome to the Rhein-Valley Fitness Centre. Here we have a full-purpose outdoor fitness complex that features a running track (two-acre lawn); a stepping machine (the road to Thugunui); a weight room; outdoor bathrooms; drinking water; fresh air; and music courtesy of the neighbouring primary school's gospel choir. Founded and built by 21-year-old Josphat Omwemga (photo), it has flourished and now has over 10 members! Josphat is an IDP that came to the hospital in January following the post-election conflicts. He now lives and works at the RVH, and is a multi-purpose employee: he cooks for the IDPs; works in the garden; and conducts general maintenance. He also occassionally moonlights as a personal trainer.

Tricky Driving in the Rain

ak. It was another busy day at the hospital. As usual, Thursday is neonatal day, which means the waiting room is spilling over with mothers and newborns by early morning. When all the neonatals had been processed, several other patients remained, so the medical staff was on the go without a significant break until early evening. By then, the rain had begun to fall, which makes it very difficult to traverse the lower part of the road leading to Kasambara. Thanks to a proper all-terrain vehicle (Land Rover), a skilled Swiss driver (Ruth Schäfer), and a charming Canadian navigator (Alex Keller), we made it down in one piece!

Collecting School Furniture

ak. It was a busy day at the hospital today. The waiting room was full by early morning and the medical staff were on the run until mid-afternoon when there was a much-needed lull in patients. Later in the afternoon, students from the neighbouring Kasambara Primary School arrived to collect their tables and chairs, donated by the Swiss organization Kids-to-Kids. It took two trips with 20 students, but within 30 minutes the furniture had disappeared, destined for good use by rural Kenyan school children.

Staff Vaccinations

ak. As Tuesdays tend to be a bit quieter at the hospital, it was decided that today the staff would receive their immunizations against Hepititis B. One would think that a hospital staff, especially its medical staff, would be immune to the fear of needles. However, Nurse Kennedy, who some days immunizes hundreds of patients himself, could barely contain a shriek as the needle was inserted. He was not alone in fear...several of the staff grimaced in 'severe pain' when receiving their injections!

A routine trip to Thugunui

ak. After a hectic morning at the hospital, we made a routine trip to Thugunui, approximately 30 minutes by car up the mountain, to check up on the water station. Thugunui's water station was completed last year at this time, a joint venture between the RVH and Austrian NGO Schilling for Schilling. As always, the villagers welcomed us with open arms and the school children flocked to my flashing camera for a chance to see a photo of themselves. Inhabited by over 30,000 people spread across a distance of 25km, the greater region of Thugunui is nestled into a quaint valley atop a mountain range bordering the Rift Valley and Central provinces of Kenya. Isolated from electricity or running water, it has an old-fashioned, nostalgic charm about it, especially when compared to the hustle and bustle of Nakuru.

Click on the photos to watch them in larger size!

Sticks & Stones

ak. On our way to the hospital this morning, we came across a large group of women gathering and carrying wood. According to Ruth Schäfer, many of these women are IDPs (internally displaced persons) who sometimes walk several kilometers just to find wood, which they use for heating and cooking. In this case, the land on which we saw these women gathering wood was private, so not only did they endure physical hardship, they also risked imprisonment if caught. In Kenya, due to mass deforestation, cutting down trees or using wood for personal purposes without a license is illegal and can result in severe fines or long terms of imprisonment. Another unfortunate example of Kenya's IDP plight.