Busy hospital and 34 °C heat

rs. Our medical crew was very active for a Saturday. The waiting room was full with patients of all ages. Some came for a routine control only, others got their second injection of a 3-day treatment and to were Malaria cases. In the camp there are no holidays so we had a lot more going on. As it is snowing in Europe, we had again high temperatures of 34 °C.

Eddie Kroll vists Thugunui water project

rs. Today Eddie Kroll visited the water project in Thugunui together with family and friends from Austria. Since one year the locals of this area have access to fresh drinking water. The project is called "Schilling für Schilling" and came into life through the initiative of Eddie Kroll who wanted to create it as an act of gratitude for the survival in a serious boat accident in Kenya. Eddie was amazed how well the project is functioning. After giving out some presents for the local children and receiving a goat from the inhabitants, he descended the mountain to the Rhein-Valley Hospital and there also he praised the purity and order established by Ruth Schäfer and her crew. Soon he had to leave to catch a flight to Mombasa, his next station of his short African visit.

Waiting for the survey of our land

rs. Today we waited in vain for the surveyors who intended to measure our borders with the neighboring church. They said they didn't have a car to take, so they asked us to go to town to make a new date. We probably have to wait until next week for a new appointment...

4 hours by foot to bring the old father

rs. She had to walk for 4 hours to bring her sick father to our hospital. The father has high blood pressure. For the past few days he had pains in the heart region, but he was nto strong enough to go to the hopspital by himself. So his daughter who lives in Gilgil went to Thugunui to get her father and then together they came to this place. Our doctor Wanjara examined the man carefully and informed the daugther in all details. He also asked if it would not be better to bring the father to her home. The daugther herself has four children and had to leave again, but the father will stay here for a coupe of days. By the way the father already missed medical examinations in the past. Otherways perhaps the doctor could have acted earlier.

Lovingly caring for the wife

rs. It's nice to see how this elderly couple helps each other. The husband helps his wife to get some massage for her hand and is always at her side. In fact this would be a case for a nursing home financed by the Government because the grandma really needs daily care. Unfortunately the Government has no such projects so we try to fill in with the facilities of our small hospital.

A malaria case in the early hours

Today the nice weather prevailed. Already at 9 am the temperature was around 30°C and it seems that the rainy season has ceased for a while. On the way to the hospital I met taxi driver John and he asked me I got the latest news from our doctor Wanjara. This morning at 4 am John was driving a mother and her sick child to the official Sankt Meris Hospital in town for an urgent examination. But the doctor refused to examine the child and asked the mother to come back at 8 am. What a concern! The taxi driver spontaneously proposed to drive to the Rhein-Valley Hospital where they found doctor Wanjara who immeditately looked after the girl and gave her an infusion. It was a severe case of malaria and with the correct medications she can go home in three days. John was amazed to see how nicely our doctor was fulfilling his duty and I was surprised to get such a compliment from a Kenyan citizen. - Mama Matata

Some small patients

rs. I was in the hospital only for a short while today. I had to help restart the telephone computer because I am the only one who knows the necessary PIN code. There were not that many patients because on a Sunday people go to church and only then they remember to look for the doctor if they are ill. Still there were some small patients today with various illnesses.

A letter from Kasambara

I was born, raised and schooled at Kasambara. Today I had time to visit your blog and all that was left of me after going through the whole website was emotional tears. I could see even marathon being organized far from home just to see that the people in Kenya - Kasambara are leading a better life. May God bless the pioneers volunteers and everyone else who is troubled to see that Kasambara people are leading a decent life.

RVH has come by with so many other developments i.e. water, electricity and even school projects. These are projects that we the people of Kasambara never even one day thought would ever reach our area. I am a keen observer of the tireless effort by Ruth and all other volunteers who are there to ensure that their vision is fulfilled despite various setback by the local people. I blame all these to lack of education and exposure. We the young generation of Kasambara are fully backing this project. Our young people are now employed by the hospital. Roads to the hospital and beyond are always maintained. My heart is so grateful. My mother, father and siblings are beneficiaries of this hospital. Let no one stop the FIRE BURNING. Congrats Ruth, congrats everyone. MAY THE LORD MIGHTLY BLESS YOU. Hope to meet the management soon.

- Monica