Many signs of gratitude

rs. Today I had a meeting with our doctor Wanjara and nurse John. We discussed how to improve our team work and how to achieve new goals. One of these goal would be establishing a mobile clinic on the mountain. We will bring you more details when they are available.

Askari told me that the teacher here in Kasambara doesn't want the schoolchildren to go for lunch to our hospital ground. I have to speak with him next week. Otherways the children only get the food when they come home because we do not want to give out the meals. We had cases when they took out the meals to sell instead of consuming them.

When I wanted to leave the hospital facilities, a man approached me and asked me if I could take him to the next crossing. On the way he showed me his property and offered me to give me his house or even some land where I could build a house. He said that I am like an angel for the Kasambara people and he wants to give me something in return. I thanked him and politely said that I would have to think over the proposition. Anyway it's nice to see that these people are coming with such offers and with other words show their gratitude for what we are doing.

Our drinking water is always popular

Fun to collect garbage in the garden

rs. When I arrived at the hospital, I saw the mother waiting for her child who had a head operation and needs to the Kijabe Hospital a second time. We hope everything goes well. Later I discussed the food plan for the patients. Some said they didn't want Ugali and prefer a Coke. I told them that we are not a hotel. Only for Diabetes patients we have a special diet. Outdoors I saw children browsing through the field wit a lot of joy. I found out that Askari asked them to collect garbage and grass and everybody wanted to collect the most!

Family planning is important

rs. Today we had a long discussion with a young man who brought a young woman in his tent which is not allowed according to the camp rules. The girl is already a mother and had a first child in her school time... Our doctor Wanjara will have a talk tonight how to have proper protection and he will also speak about family planning.

Our hospital is quite busy at the moment. Many patients waited to be treated and a lot of visitors came to see their relatives. Still we have to constrain the number of visitors otherways the hospital will be a mad house with all the dirty clothes of the steeet. Today we also did vaccinations and control treatments of babies.

The hair clipper I brought becomes popular

Hard work to bring home the fire wood

rs. On the way to the hospital I saw many women and children and also a donkey carrying fire wood. On the hospital I made my usual controls and everything seemed to be ok. Some women stayed in the tents together with their children, some read the bible. Also no complains about the children, they all went to school today. Kongo, our gardener asked how to clean the corn mill and our elderly couple enjoyed their lunch. It was an easy day and I even had time to do some shopping on the way home. I found some Italian Ravioli which will make my meal tonight. Later I also got a call from a refugee who plans to go to Eldoret to check out the situation there and he needed a little money for the bus ticket. I will give it to him tomorrow.

Visit by the Ministery of Health

rs. Our gardeners were busy cutting the hedges and as it is common here all by hand. It is certainly slower than by machine but by hand more people can earn something and support their families. This afternoon we had a surprise visit by the Ministery of Health. They inspected the hospital and gave us some advice. They also invited two of our staff members to attend a two week seminar to learn more about the HIV virus. I first was not happy to let them go but because we have a lot to do and some of our workers are even sick at the moment. But then I chose our nurse Wilda and back home asked our doctor John by phone if he would like to attend the seminar too. He gladly agreed and we had our two people.

Food distribution for Kasambara refugees

Picture in large size on the Kenya Photos Blog

rs. We are splitting up the different groups of refugees for the food distribution; today we invited 250 living in private homes in Kasambara. They also told us that they do not want to go back. The repatriation of the population is a mere dream of the Government. The reality is different. They people even prefer to sell their property at home and buy a little hut here. Many also don't think that the next elections will bring any change. Since the 1990s people were displaced after elections. - Late afternoon our crew member Fundi got bad news: one of his relatives died and he asked for permission to see her a last time tomorrow. The details of the funeral are not yet fixed. Usually in Kenya the dead are brought to their birth place, which also cost some money and many do not have enough, so the dead people sometimes stay in the mortuary for more than a month.

One malaria case and again no electricity

rs. The planned demonstration in the Uhuru Park was blocked by the military, but in Nakuru town again houses were burnt and there were some casualties. Here at the Rhein-Valley hopspital it was a quiet day. We only had one emergency case: a small boy with malaria was brought and urgently needed an infusion. The majority of the people of our camp went to church; some stayed and prepared lunch. I went home early. Unfortunately we again had a power break down. Electricity and telephone connections in Kenya are not for granted!

Emergency: a boy came with malaria

Sunday in the Rhein-Valley Hospital