Mattresses will bring some help for the people

rs. This morning we went to Nakuru to get the ordered 200 mattresses. They were already waiting for us in front of the warehouse. After counting them we loaded them into the truck and had to wait quite some time until the driver was ready beacuse he needed to fill up his tank. Anyway, everything arrived at our place in good condition. After storing the mattresses in a tent, a mother with her three teenage boys grabbed my attention; her husband had been killed and all she has is a small oven, some dishes and some clothes. Luckily we now have the mattresses so that people like them can get a place to sleep. Still many refugees have to rest on a piece of card board or a plastic sheet. I finally gave them some food enough for today and tomorrow. Later in the afternoon again the daily thunderstorm seemed to be imminent. Not that I fear the rain, but with the water the streets are transformed in a dangerous slippery path and even with my Landrover it's hard to stay in line. In the car I got a call from Fundi who told me that the woman with the 1 month old child just arrived. So many things are waiting to be done and I don't think I will have a long weekend...

Buying 200 mattresses and more ...

Stephan is back home in Switzerland and I started my day with shopping. We need 200 mattresses and I tried to get the best price in the industrial section of Nakuru. I finally payed 390 for one, which is not bad - including the transport. I will control the loading tomorrow morning and then we will bring them to the hospital. While being in town I checked our post office box. By the way that's the only way to get the post - in Kenya there are no postmen, to save costs. In town I met the boys who usually look after my car while I am shopping. I then called our doctor and asked how the little boy with the tumor is. The patient will be brought to the Kijabe Hospital for an urgent operation and I gave them the needed money. Until 6 pm I had no news about him. I also sent one of our staff members to Nairobi to get the documents for our container still waiting to be released. Also here no news yet how things went. - Mama Matata

Last works for the sanitary installations

sh. Mr. Maina Muhia from the UN WFP called this morning to ask us to come again to his office to clarify the details of the mattresses that are waiting in Nairobi. They should be transported to the hospital next Tuesday. Still no positive news from our container also staying in Nairobi. We hope to get another call later today. Arriving in the hospital we discussed the things to be arranged for the operation on the tumor of a 3-year old boy. And Mama Matata gave the last instructions for the toilets that should be finished in the camp area of our ground by Saturday.

Video reportage on Mama Matata's work

rs. Today we drove to the hospital ground to make the last arrangements for the installations of the toilets. Today I also realized a live video reportage on Mama Matata that we will also publish on this blog as soon as it is cut and finished. I filmed her explaining the hospital's activities. We started at the main entrance, then went to the ambulatory, laboratory, operation theater, storage room of the medications, book-keeping department and the sanitary rooms. We could also film the birth of a child. We just arrived some seconds before it happened! I never watched a birth in my life. The mother is fine and 3 minutes later Mama Matata made a little interview wit her. Then we watched the situation of other patients, among them two women with Malaria. We also called Nairobi to get the latest news about the container, waiting for the last papers to be released. Then about 2o IDP's came for their food rations; they couldn't make it yesterday. At 4 pm we rushed home but couldn't escape another heavy down pour.

Little malaria patient

Strenuous negotiations to get our container

sh. Since two months a container with school supplies and gifts for Kenyan children is blocked in Nairobi. So today we drove another time to Nairobi to speak with several offices to release the container at an acceptable price. I also had to explain them what the Rhein-Valley Hospital does. Finally they promised us that we will get the needed document by tomorrow. Let's hope for the best! After a whole day of wandering from one instance to the other we started our trip back at 5 pm and drove through the Rift Valley towards Nakuru. We drove over two mountains with 2600 m altitude and experienced all aspects of Kenya from city smog to beautiful landscapes.

Despite rain 3000 IDP's got their weekly food

sh. Today we had our big food distribution with corn, sugar, lentils, biscuits and baby food, and everybody was registered. The weather was not very favorable and we had a heavy rain for 1 1/2 hours, so we had to interrupt our distribution and the people found shelter under the roof of the new fire place and in the hospital. Finally, by 5 pm we had served everybody. During the day I also had the opportunity to meet the patients currently being treated in the hospital and learned why they were there. 3/4 of the patients are displaced persons (IDP) and get the treatment as well as the medications free of charge. - Today a DHL truck finally brought the latrines and soaps for our sanitary installations.

Morning at Nakuru Park

To see the picture in large size visit our Kenya Photos Blog.

Invited by Mr.Muhia and his family

sh. After enjoying our Sunday morning in the Nakuru park we could meet Mr. Meina Muhia (UN World Food Program) and his family in Nakuru town. We had lunch together and also could talk about the current situation in Kenya and tomorrow's food distribution to the IDP's - as we call them. Interdependent displaced people are in fact are not refugees. They will get again the portions for a full week. And Mr. Muhia promised that the sanitary installations also should arrive at the hospital by tomorrow. Although Monday will be a long working day I plan to go to Nairobi again to check the situation with the Container from kidstokids Switzerland who is blocked there since months. Perhaps we also get the licence plate for Mama Matata's car. We asked for it more than two years ago... Strong nerves are a big advantage in Kenya.

All those who are using Apple's new
OS X Leopard operating system;
this is a real one, taken in the Nakuru park by Stephan Holderegger

Kenya, also a paradise for zebras