A routine trip to Thugunui

ak. After a hectic morning at the hospital, we made a routine trip to Thugunui, approximately 30 minutes by car up the mountain, to check up on the water station. Thugunui's water station was completed last year at this time, a joint venture between the RVH and Austrian NGO Schilling for Schilling. As always, the villagers welcomed us with open arms and the school children flocked to my flashing camera for a chance to see a photo of themselves. Inhabited by over 30,000 people spread across a distance of 25km, the greater region of Thugunui is nestled into a quaint valley atop a mountain range bordering the Rift Valley and Central provinces of Kenya. Isolated from electricity or running water, it has an old-fashioned, nostalgic charm about it, especially when compared to the hustle and bustle of Nakuru.

Click on the photos to watch them in larger size!

Controlling the water station in Thugunui

rs. This morning I brought the fuel for the machines of the water station up in the mountain in Thugunui. Our Askari Egidion controlled the water meters and found a small lack that we have to fix next week. In the afternoon I will drive to Nairobi to meet Alex Keller from Canada. He will assist us here at the Rhein-Valley Hospital for three months. He alreday ran the Quebec City Marathon and made some fundraising for us.

Finally unloading the kidstokids Container

rs. Yesterday was the moment to unload the many school supplies that were sent to us through the kidstokids organization in Switzerland. Our crew was amazed to see them. They have never seens such quality school chairs. First they thought they were all for our office. Then I explained them that they will be given to our Kenyan schools in the region. They checked out the chairs themselves and couldn't believe that the height could be manually changed. Tegla Loroupe who will get part of the equipment for her new Peace School in Kapenguria can only organize the transport to her place in 2 weeks, so we brought them to a tent to store them in the meantime. The rest stays in the container for he moment until we have made the plan how to distribute them to our schools in Thugunui.

Meeting people on the way to Thugunui

rs. Today I wanted to go to Thugunui where we have our mountain water station. But on the way I met so many people who wanted to speak with me, that I didn't reach my destination. But anyway it was good to have the possibility to contact the inhabitants. Some of them already started to build a new home here. I could manage to come back before it started to rain.

Visiting the water station in Thugunui

rs. Today I visited the water station that had been built with the help of Eddie Kroll in Thugunui. Our guard Nelson was just cleaning the house when I arrived. He informed me about a small whole in a tube that has to fixed, so I organized our sanitary person Kamau to come next week. Then I went to the "Hotel" of the village and saw they were preparing some local specialities. When I had my meal many school children came and asked if I brought something for them. Unfortunately I had nothing with me, perhaps next time. The teacher also appeared and said that I had some magic power; the children I recently visited finished school with high marks - much higher than the children in Kasambara. The local in Thugunui always enjoy when I come up the mountain to meet them and on the way I have to greet everybody. If not, they get mad at me! And I also keep getting offers to get some land from the locals to build my house there.

Sunshine Hotel in Thugunui

The church closed the toilets - unbelievable!

rs. When I arrived at the hospital ground, people were already waiting in line to get their daily food ration. After I parked my car a woman came to me and asked where she can use a toilet, because two days ago the church closed the public toilets! This is "love your next like yourself" practiced by the Catholic Church... Then I went to the hospital and Niaga from our crew came and said they fear further aggression by some groups of people and he questioned if we should give out food today. So we carefully served group by group, first those who are registered, then the Kasambara group, those from Thugunui and then the rest. The distribution was finally more or less quiet. Only 3 men wanted to push forward in line but our guard brought back the order. And some people even thanked us for our help and were happy to be taken care of. After work, we discussed plans how we could build new simple toilets as son as possible.

Then later in the afternoon the rain blessed us again ...

Another Dulcimer concert on 2700 m

Today we visited the water station in Thugunui on 2700 m where all school children gathered together to attend another concert of Swiss dulcimer player Nicolas Senn who is currently staying in Kenya together with his mother. The water station was opened on November 15th 2007 together with the Austrian help organization "Schilling für Schilling" and allows the whole community to have fresh drinking water the whole year round ... and even free of charge! The children were very receptive and happy. The adults were also listening and all had a good time. At the end the community thanked Mama Matata and the musician. Nicolas took the opportunity to walk down to the Rhein-Valley Hospital ground on 2000 m and realized how much effort it took for the locals in the mountain village to bring the water up the mountain before the water project was established.

This old men sponsored the land for establishing the water station.