The Rhein - Valley Hospital in Nakuru-Kasambara opened in 2004 and is directed by Ruth Schäfer of Switzerland. The hospital relies solely on donations for buying food and medicine for the poor and suffering locals. Moreover, all funds are used directly for patient care. Every year thousands of people visit the hospital for medical help and nowadays also for food and shelter. Blog Editor: Kedar Misani.

You can send your donations to the Alpha Rheintal Bank, CH - 9442 Berneck, Switzerland; Clearing 6920, BIC RBABCH22926;
IBAN: CH75 06920016 1856 71206, Verein Rhein-Valley Hospital, CH - 9450 Altstätten, Switzerland.


Thursday, June 19, 2008

Red Cross questions support for RVH

rs. Early this morning Maina Muhia from the WFP told me that the Red Cross does not want to support our hospital anymore. I immediately called the Assistant Chief and he said that he will check the decision again. It seems that we are not popular because we are too kind to the refugees and let them live in our camp. Other camps are being closed and the refugees more or less forced to go back which is combined with big risks. Muhia intends to visit us next week together with a whole group of people and a report will be made, that can be presented to the Government. We certainly hope for continous help of the WFP, otherways we would also be forced to send the people back and close the camp. The Rhein-Valley Hospital cannot finance the hospital and the camp indefinitely.

Carol helping to complete the list of available medications

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Only in the team we can handle the duties


rs. When I arrived at the hospital today we had a big discussion. Some of the refugee women were arguing why they have to help clean the corn. We explained them again that we are not a hotel and that they have to help with the duties otherways they cannot stay anymore here. Also without the help of the WHO (Word Food Organisation) we couldn't do the whole current food distribution.

In the hospital we had quite some work today because a group of girls of the school up in the mountains came in and brought an injured girl that had an accident during a volley play. So we had to treat her and some other girls who fainted because of a shock...

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Still unsafe to return home

In the refugee camp

A farmer brought us cabbage and Noami is counting them.
One piece costs 30 KSh (= ca. o.60 $)

On the meadow some women are cleaning corn.

rs. The men that went to Eldoret to check out the situation came back and reported that it is still unsafe there and that they didn't intend to go back. Two other refugees want to go to Molo tomorrow for the same reason. In general the people would be interested in returning home but in most of the cases it is impossible. Let's look how it is Molo.


Monday, June 16, 2008

Classroom without teacher


rs. After four hours of office work in the morning, I reached the hospital around noon. Askari said that the teacher was here, probably to discuss the issue with the meals of the schoolchildren (see yesterday's post). So I went to the school to meet him there, but when I arrived at the school the teacher was absent. I visited the children and took the opportunity to draw a small cat in one of the notebooks. :) Then I returned to the hospital. In the day-clinic we had a lot to do because we get more and more patients of the Lord Delemares Farm. As the nearby St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic Church is quite expensive (a normal birth costs 10,000 KSh, in our hospital it's only 450) many come to our place.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Enjoyig a Safari in the Nakuru National Park

Sunday for once a time to take rest and enjoy nature.
I went to the Nakuru National Park and met all my animal-friends...

Photos: Ruth Schäfer