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.

kidstokids Container opened

rs. Today we opened the container that we recently got thanks to the help of the Swiss kidstokids organization, a department of the International humanitarian organization "The Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles". The container is full of school supplies and packages that were collected by children from Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Finland, for their little Kenyan brothers and sisters. Tomorrow we will start unloading the school banks and chairs that will be given to Tegla Loroupe for her Peace School in Kapenguria. All my crew is eager to help tomorrow because it is a special day for them to help unload the container and discover all the things she normally only dream of.


Mama Matata (Ruth Schäfer), director of the Rhein-Valley Hospital climbs as the first onto the gymnasium mattress in the container.

Breaking News: Crane arrived

We just got a call that the crane vehicle arrived this evening and now they all have a lot to do to prepare the field to place the container which arrived yesterday . The work will continue in the night and we will bring you the first pictures in the early morning . -Blog Editor

Now we are waiting for the crane!

rs. The container arrived at the Rhein-Valley Hospital ground but what is lacking is the crane with its driver. He had some problems with the engine and is waiting for some spare parts- Hopefully he will arrive tomorrow so that we can place the container on our prepared spot. It was a question of inches that the truck with the container made the passage through the main gate.

The laundry lines had to be removed to let the truck enter the field.

People watched the truck on the way

The container is almost here

rs. After many obstacles along the road the long awaited container finally arrived at our ground, but now we need a crane to lift it up and place it on the especially prepared place on our properties (see picture below). On the way people came out of their huts to watch the huge container crawling up the mountain. They have rarely seen such a big vehicle. As I was informed the crane is now in Naivasha and should arrive in Kasambara tomorrow, if everything goes well...

Odyssee of container continues...

rs. We prepared the place for the container this morning but unfortunately it's odyssee is without end. After troubles with the muddy road yesterday, today new obstacles were in the way. The road conditions are so bad that the truck driver couldn't manage to continue his way in time. We expect him to arrive within the next one or two days...

Container after long waiting on the way

rs. Finally we succeeded to get the final permissions for the long awaited container with school supply material and gifts for the Kenyan children. The container was organized by our partner, the kidstokids organization in Switzerland together with the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and was blocked at the customs in Nairobi for many months. Countless telephone calls and personal visits at various offices were needed. Now, the truck is on the way but due to the heavy rain (see picture) and bad road conditions it could not make it up the mountain to Kasambara. After many tries the truck driver decided to wait until the sun will dry the muddy street - hopefully tomorrow! We will keep you posted.

Buying 200 mattresses and more ...

Stephan is back home in Switzerland and I started my day with shopping. We need 200 mattresses and I tried to get the best price in the industrial section of Nakuru. I finally payed 390 for one, which is not bad - including the transport. I will control the loading tomorrow morning and then we will bring them to the hospital. While being in town I checked our post office box. By the way that's the only way to get the post - in Kenya there are no postmen, to save costs. In town I met the boys who usually look after my car while I am shopping. I then called our doctor and asked how the little boy with the tumor is. The patient will be brought to the Kijabe Hospital for an urgent operation and I gave them the needed money. Until 6 pm I had no news about him. I also sent one of our staff members to Nairobi to get the documents for our container still waiting to be released. Also here no news yet how things went. - Mama Matata

Last works for the sanitary installations

sh. Mr. Maina Muhia from the UN WFP called this morning to ask us to come again to his office to clarify the details of the mattresses that are waiting in Nairobi. They should be transported to the hospital next Tuesday. Still no positive news from our container also staying in Nairobi. We hope to get another call later today. Arriving in the hospital we discussed the things to be arranged for the operation on the tumor of a 3-year old boy. And Mama Matata gave the last instructions for the toilets that should be finished in the camp area of our ground by Saturday.

Video reportage on Mama Matata's work

rs. Today we drove to the hospital ground to make the last arrangements for the installations of the toilets. Today I also realized a live video reportage on Mama Matata that we will also publish on this blog as soon as it is cut and finished. I filmed her explaining the hospital's activities. We started at the main entrance, then went to the ambulatory, laboratory, operation theater, storage room of the medications, book-keeping department and the sanitary rooms. We could also film the birth of a child. We just arrived some seconds before it happened! I never watched a birth in my life. The mother is fine and 3 minutes later Mama Matata made a little interview wit her. Then we watched the situation of other patients, among them two women with Malaria. We also called Nairobi to get the latest news about the container, waiting for the last papers to be released. Then about 2o IDP's came for their food rations; they couldn't make it yesterday. At 4 pm we rushed home but couldn't escape another heavy down pour.

Little malaria patient

Invited by Mr.Muhia and his family

sh. After enjoying our Sunday morning in the Nakuru park we could meet Mr. Meina Muhia (UN World Food Program) and his family in Nakuru town. We had lunch together and also could talk about the current situation in Kenya and tomorrow's food distribution to the IDP's - as we call them. Interdependent displaced people are in fact are not refugees. They will get again the portions for a full week. And Mr. Muhia promised that the sanitary installations also should arrive at the hospital by tomorrow. Although Monday will be a long working day I plan to go to Nairobi again to check the situation with the Container from kidstokids Switzerland who is blocked there since months. Perhaps we also get the licence plate for Mama Matata's car. We asked for it more than two years ago... Strong nerves are a big advantage in Kenya.

All those who are using Apple's new
OS X Leopard operating system;
this is a real one, taken in the Nakuru park by Stephan Holderegger

Kenya, also a paradise for zebras