New plaster will help the burn patients

Yesterday a boy with some heavy burn visited again our hospital for checking his condition. Last week we could successfully reduce the infections he had and a new skin is regrowing. We are now waiting for a new plaster that we should soon get from a company in Kerzers, Switzerland. With this plaster we can treat all such burns in the future.

Today we gave out more baby food, corn and cabbage, which had first to be cleaned before we could use it. The temperature again was high with 30° C (see also our regularly updated weather chart in the right column) and there is a strong wind blowing in our region. Asthmatics are suffering from the occuring dust. Tonight my partner Stephan Holderegger again is coming to visit me and the hospital. I will pick him up at the Nairobi Airport and then we have another 3-4 hours until we reach Nakuru.

I would also like to thank all people who kindly donated money for our hospital in the last few days.

Ruth Schäfer

Increasing hunger and fear

rs. Today I had a very stressful day. The refugees had a bad mood because they are at the end of their tether. They do not know where they can go. I had to use all my skills to keep them calm. I can understand them very well and can imagine what goes on in their minds. You can see their fear in their eyes. They start to doubt themselves. They nearly crushed me when they pushed forward in the food line. They are so hungry and always fear that there will not be enough at the end, although we have enough reserves, because we know that the number of refugees is increasing daily. - The picture below shows a young student who is sponsered by a German family.

TV interview with Stephan Holderegger

km. This evening the popular Swiss local TV station TeleZüri invited the founder of the Rhein-Valley Hospital Stephan Holderegger for a 30-minute live interview. They also broad- casted recent video footage that Stephan took in Nakuru. Ruth Schäfer, the director of the Rhein-Valley Hospital and partner of Stephan, joined them on the phone from Nakuru. It's great to see that Tele-Züri fully sympathizes with the project and asked the viewers to participate with a donation. At the end of the interview Stephan also mentioned that all the donated money is used 1:1 for the help in Kenya. The full interview can be seen as podcast here.

Spontanous help on the street

rs. This morning, on my way to the hospital I saw a woman at the border of the street. She seemed to suffer. I rushed to her and pulled her into my car (see picture), where I realized that she had a low blood sugar level. Immediately I gave her some sweet drink and her condition improved. We then checked her condition in the hospital. Today we also worked on the organization of the priorities in regard to the refugees who will get one of the 50 tents that should arrive from the Swiss Red Cross in Berne end of this week.

Despite bad news we still have hope!

rs. Today I had a stressful day. I transported all the baby food we got on Friday to the hospital, from where it will be distributed to the refugees. At the hospital we were also busy. A patient with third-degree burns came for after-treatment. Unfortunatey we again got bad news about the still active unrests: 13 people were killed, among them a pregnant women with her unborn baby. The locals, especially the Kikuju have big fear in regard to more violence here in the North-West region. Without daily prayers to God our team and myself couldn't continue our tasks. We will fight for the poor and try to relieve the destress, whatever is happening.

Swiss Red Cross promises 50 Tents

rs. Today 2800 people came to get their food portions at our Rhein-Valley Hospital in Nakuru. Especially the women were fighting to be first in line. I had to calm them down several times, explaining that there is enough for everybody. It is only now that I realize how much help I had in the last 10 days when Stephan and Hennie helped me with my work. I also have good news from the Red Cross in Switzerland: Mr. Thomas Kumpera promised to give us 50 tents by the end of the week. We urgently need them for our refugees.

Weekend: Time for Office Work & Preparations

The weekend gives me time for office work and my own household. I also quickly called the hospital, if everything is ok. Welda, our nurse on duty told me that everything is fine and that she is preparing the medication order for tomorrow. We have still temperatures of 35° C, but I also have to do my duties: preparing the food order for the coming week. And in the evening I use my free time to be with my companion: my cat "Ruggel". - Ruth Schäfer