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

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...

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.

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.

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

Many signs of gratitude

rs. Today I had a meeting with our doctor Wanjara and nurse John. We discussed how to improve our team work and how to achieve new goals. One of these goal would be establishing a mobile clinic on the mountain. We will bring you more details when they are available.

Askari told me that the teacher here in Kasambara doesn't want the schoolchildren to go for lunch to our hospital ground. I have to speak with him next week. Otherways the children only get the food when they come home because we do not want to give out the meals. We had cases when they took out the meals to sell instead of consuming them.

When I wanted to leave the hospital facilities, a man approached me and asked me if I could take him to the next crossing. On the way he showed me his property and offered me to give me his house or even some land where I could build a house. He said that I am like an angel for the Kasambara people and he wants to give me something in return. I thanked him and politely said that I would have to think over the proposition. Anyway it's nice to see that these people are coming with such offers and with other words show their gratitude for what we are doing.

Our drinking water is always popular

Fun to collect garbage in the garden

rs. When I arrived at the hospital, I saw the mother waiting for her child who had a head operation and needs to the Kijabe Hospital a second time. We hope everything goes well. Later I discussed the food plan for the patients. Some said they didn't want Ugali and prefer a Coke. I told them that we are not a hotel. Only for Diabetes patients we have a special diet. Outdoors I saw children browsing through the field wit a lot of joy. I found out that Askari asked them to collect garbage and grass and everybody wanted to collect the most!

Family planning is important

rs. Today we had a long discussion with a young man who brought a young woman in his tent which is not allowed according to the camp rules. The girl is already a mother and had a first child in her school time... Our doctor Wanjara will have a talk tonight how to have proper protection and he will also speak about family planning.

Our hospital is quite busy at the moment. Many patients waited to be treated and a lot of visitors came to see their relatives. Still we have to constrain the number of visitors otherways the hospital will be a mad house with all the dirty clothes of the steeet. Today we also did vaccinations and control treatments of babies.

The hair clipper I brought becomes popular

Hard work to bring home the fire wood

rs. On the way to the hospital I saw many women and children and also a donkey carrying fire wood. On the hospital I made my usual controls and everything seemed to be ok. Some women stayed in the tents together with their children, some read the bible. Also no complains about the children, they all went to school today. Kongo, our gardener asked how to clean the corn mill and our elderly couple enjoyed their lunch. It was an easy day and I even had time to do some shopping on the way home. I found some Italian Ravioli which will make my meal tonight. Later I also got a call from a refugee who plans to go to Eldoret to check out the situation there and he needed a little money for the bus ticket. I will give it to him tomorrow.

Visit by the Ministery of Health

rs. Our gardeners were busy cutting the hedges and as it is common here all by hand. It is certainly slower than by machine but by hand more people can earn something and support their families. This afternoon we had a surprise visit by the Ministery of Health. They inspected the hospital and gave us some advice. They also invited two of our staff members to attend a two week seminar to learn more about the HIV virus. I first was not happy to let them go but because we have a lot to do and some of our workers are even sick at the moment. But then I chose our nurse Wilda and back home asked our doctor John by phone if he would like to attend the seminar too. He gladly agreed and we had our two people.

Food distribution for Kasambara refugees

Picture in large size on the Kenya Photos Blog

rs. We are splitting up the different groups of refugees for the food distribution; today we invited 250 living in private homes in Kasambara. They also told us that they do not want to go back. The repatriation of the population is a mere dream of the Government. The reality is different. They people even prefer to sell their property at home and buy a little hut here. Many also don't think that the next elections will bring any change. Since the 1990s people were displaced after elections. - Late afternoon our crew member Fundi got bad news: one of his relatives died and he asked for permission to see her a last time tomorrow. The details of the funeral are not yet fixed. Usually in Kenya the dead are brought to their birth place, which also cost some money and many do not have enough, so the dead people sometimes stay in the mortuary for more than a month.

One malaria case and again no electricity

rs. The planned demonstration in the Uhuru Park was blocked by the military, but in Nakuru town again houses were burnt and there were some casualties. Here at the Rhein-Valley hopspital it was a quiet day. We only had one emergency case: a small boy with malaria was brought and urgently needed an infusion. The majority of the people of our camp went to church; some stayed and prepared lunch. I went home early. Unfortunately we again had a power break down. Electricity and telephone connections in Kenya are not for granted!

Emergency: a boy came with malaria

Sunday in the Rhein-Valley Hospital

Unrest in Nairobi, quiet day at the hospital

rs. The situation here in Kenya is still not very promising. Yesterday there was report of another riot in Nairobi after a student was killed. The students went on the street and demonstrated. Today another demonstration was announced in the Uhuru park. We can feel a lot of dissatisfaction in the country.

This morning I waited for a call of Maina Muhia from the WFP but there was none. I then went to the hospital to check everything there. Some relatives came to visit patients and brought cakes which is certainly not the right thing for the diabetes patients. Anyway it is not allowed to bring food to the hospital from outside. In general it is a quite day here at the Rhein-Valley Hospital and I am heading towards home when the daily rainfall is starting. Many things wait to be done at home too and I have to look after my health; I catched a little cold. So I will have some time watching the first fooball matches out of Switzerland.

Building swings for the children

click on the picture for a larger view

rs. On the way to the hospital I stopped by a shopping center to buy some string for two swings we are building on our ground. I was the first to test them and even took a child on my lap. Everything was fine, so we invited the children and they have now so much joy and used them the whole day. I used to have a similar swing in our home on the countryside in Switzerland where I grew up and I got back all my remembrances...

Photos: Ruth Schaefer

Refugees don't want to go back

rs. Today we had a visit of the assistant mayor of Nakuru. He wanted to discuss the future with the refugees of our camp. The answers of the people were the same throughout the group. Nobdy saw the possibility of a safe return to their homes. Even if they get 10,000 KSh, as heard from some sources, it will not help substantially. The rents and food prices went up considerably and without a job you are lost. As came out of the discussion, the majority of the people want to stay here as log as possible. When and if we close the camp will be our decision at the Rhein-Valley Hospital. The assistant mayor stayed for four hours and then said he planned to come back next week - for another round of discussion ...

Children's vaccination day

Weight control for babies

rs. Today it was chilly an cloudy, around 17°C. In the morning I wrote a few letters and then I went to the hospital. Today is vaccination day so we had many mothers with their babies here. Some of them came early because they know that in the afternoon it starts raining and then it will be complicated to go home - a 4 or 5 hour walk is no exception. At 1 pm the big rush was over and also our medical staff could pause for a lunch break. I took the chance to speak with doctor Wanjara about the organisation in the camp. We have to make it clear that they don't have a permanent home here; they have to start making plans for the future. Also the hygienic standard, especially of the women, is not very high. So it is not easy to make them understand how we act in the civilization; many origin from the bushes and are difficult to teach. We make our best to bring some order and purity in the camp life.

Small crops expected for this year

rs. The weather is quite funny. Although it is raining daily, it is not enough to let the corn crop flourish enough. It has a height of not even half a meter and already starts to dry out. As it is the case in other parts of the world, a shortage and a prize increase of various food products is predicted. As many farmers had to leave their fields after the clashes in Kenya, not enough seeds could be sowed. Many fields are empty. When I went home there was a special atmosphere. A thunderstorm was arriving and the last sun rays created a nice rainbow. I have to hurry to send my report before the power collapses again. Luckily I have some laterns to make my daily office work and to fill out my tax forms...

Today is Kenyan Holiday

rs. Many things happened today. Our Nurse Wilda was completing the medical history sheets, Carolin needed new batteries for an instrument and one new guest wanted to join our refugee camp. Today is a Kenyan holiday so the children could stay at home and were enjoying their playing. The women all were doing laundry at the same time and our doctor Wajara prepared new cards for the patients. Then I saw our grandma who is surprisingly better after many treatments she got. Her husband helped her walking through the garden. The boy who has weak muscles was asking for a better softer mattress. Fundi wanted to order charcoal, but I told him to wait until end of this month, we have to keep our budget plan. At 5 pm I went home while the first drops of the daily rain started to fall and one of the IDP's needed a ride to Nakuru because he wanted to visit his sister in the general hospital. He could come with me and I gave him some money for the way back.

Laundry lines booked out!

Every day new patients are coming to our hospital

Medicine from Minister of Health

rs. Today at 2 pm we got an unexptected delivery of medicine from the Minister of Health. As the driver had problems with his truck on Friday, he came today although it is Sunday. Before we put everything in our medical storage room, I asked Wilda to clean all the shelves. Hygiene is important, in our hospital as well as in the camp. That's why we check every day all our facilites. And from time to time we also have to tell the displaced people in the tents to get some sense of purity and order...

Lions Club's eye test not very effective

rs. Today people from the Lions Club offered a free eye test and two of our nurses helped them. What first was looking like a selfless service by members of the Lions Club, finally became a more business oriented action. They didn't made a proper eye test but only wanted to sell glasses. And if a treatment was suggested, our camp people have no many to get it later on. At 4 pm I told them to hurry up because dark clouds announced another thunderstorm. They ignored my advice and when I came home I heard that all their 8 cars were stuck in the mud and that they had much difficulties to get back on the road...