Swiss officials came to visit our hospital

rs. Today we had a visit from Switzerland. Stephan, the driver of the Swiss Embassy called me in the morning to get the directions to the hospital. As our direction signs had been stolen, it is not easy to find the way to the entrance. Eliane Candido (see picture left) from the Swiss Embassy in Nairobi came together with Monika Gwerder (right), inspector of the EDA (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) in Bern. Both wanted to visit our hospital and the affiliated tent camp. Our doctor John showed them the hospital and I informed them about the tents. As we walked through the camp, Monika Gwerder asked why we invest so much energy into the camp while the Government closes camps. I explained that many people had fear to go home and needed a place to stay, at least until end of the year. In our camp we put a lot of emphasis on security. We do not want rapes to happen as it is the case in other camps in Eldoret and Nakuru. The Swiss guests were impressed by our work and wanted to tell others about it. Early afternoon they went back to Nairobi. I wanted to continue with some works but the daily rain forced me to go home.

Building our own toilets

While driving to the hospital this morning, I came accross many security posts and people still are on the road with all they have. In the hospital I met a new patient: a young student was there with a burnt foot. Our doctor John and nurse Wilder treated him. He needed an infusion with antibiotics, because the wound was already inflamed. Outside on our ground works progressed to build a simple toilet. As the church's public toilets have been closed we have to make something on our own. Here on the countryside no machines are used, everything is done with hard manpower. The day's activities lasted until 7 pm and suddenly I realized that I have forgetten to take a proper meal, so I was preparing my combined dinner/lunch. Today Spagetthi are on the menu plan...

2-hour interview with Citizen newspaper

Some glimpses of today's activities: Our doctor John had a lot to do because his nurse Aska hasn't come for work yet; she is still recovering from her injuries due to the attacks some days ago. Our crew did some sports in the break time and Ann was responsible for our Lunch. She prepared Ugali, some white sort of corn. In the afternoon I went to Nakuru to visit Aska and I met James Mwembi of the Citizen newspaper. They already published an article on our work at the hospital but he wanted more informations. So we spent almost two hours together. The situation in the town is still tense, military trucks are present and security posts have been established. The citizens are still inpatient and long for returning to their home towns. Often you see trucks full of household articles and furniture, leading to Nakuru, or further down to Kikuyu land. People already speak of Cholera, Typhus and Yellow Fever cases and it is our daily duty to emphasize on proper hygiene.

Power interruption and heavy rain

rs. This Sunday morning I got a call from John, that the power supply was interrupted in the hospital. I found out that it has been announced in the paper but who reads the paper every day... I then called Aska who was attacked yesterday. She doesn't feel well and still has a lot of pain and she barely can see with the swollen eye. She asked to stay home for another two days. Sure, no problem. Today I also made my control visit to the hospital. I visited a pregnant woman and saw a young girl, that have been beaten up by her mother and luckily the eye had not been damaged. When I returned home, I had to prepare everything for tomorrow, we will have our food distribution day. In the meantime we had heavy thunderstorms, temperatures are now around 19°C.

Husband visits his wife in the Rhein-Valley Hospital this morning

Sad stories remain in the focus

This morning Fundi, our Hospital manager packed his furniture to be moved to a small village at the border of Uganda, were he spent his youth. He and his family ran for their life when the turbulences started in Nakuru. I spontaneously gave them shelter. After a while his wife and children returned back to their parent's home. They belong to the Kalenjin tribe. As the wife couldn't take all the belongings with her, her husband is now bringing the rest. It is an 8 hour journey. Hope all goes well and he will be back soon; we need his help.

After returning home the phone rang and it was John, our clinic doctor. With agitation he reported that our youngest nurse Aska had been attacked yesterday evening and had to be delivered to the town hospital where they treated her for 6 hours, before she could go home. They also stole her salary that she picked up from the bank. She saved money for three months to help her mother whose house had been burnt. And she wanted to build a little hut around the hospital to be together with her animals. For the time being she had to take shelter in the police station. It is disheartening to hear all these stories. It seems that sometimes human beings are more cruel than animals. - Mama Matata

The rainy season started also in Nakuru ...