A Hospital of Hope

Another day starts sunny and warm with a breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast to power our team to the St Joseph Shelter of Hope.  We gathered and loaded into the vans for another medical adventure. 

St Joseph Shelter of Hope is a Catholic hospital that is the most advanced care in Voi.  It is largely funded by water filtration as it filters water and sells that water to neighboring businesses and vendors.  It is a small facility in comparison to what we recognize as a clinic or hospital, but for this area, it is progressive.  The facility has a triage area, laboratory, individual exam rooms, inpatient wards, one for women and one for men, a birthing room and pediatric room.  These rooms each house 3 beds separated by curtains.  X-ray and ultrasound can be performed along with surgeries. 

We arrived at the hospital and, as usual, were warmly welcomed by a team of Medical Officers and Physicians from whom we learned of our missions for the day.  We were separated into groups and away we went!

The nursing teams were placed into a variety of areas that included triage, where they took blood pressures, temperatures and assisted with determining who was more urgent to see and who would need to wait.  Other nurses had the chance to meet with Clinical Officers, who saw HIV clients.  HIV is very prevalent in Africa and maintenance of the condition is important as is education on how to limit its continued spread.   Others were involved in care of pediatrics where they saw a two week old baby with pneumonia.  This infant was not doing well and our team was able to help the mother better understand ways to help with breathing.  In addition, others were able to be first hand observers in the Major Surgical Theater, where a hysterectomy was being performed. 

The therapists in the group, were taken over to the on-site nursing home, where they had the opportunity to help elderly nuns get on their feet!  The nuns seen were over 85, with the eldest being 91.  These women, though afraid and uncertain initially, were able to get up with the assistance of our PTs and walk with walkers down the hall.  As they realized what they could still do,  their faces brightened with excitement! 

Others in our team, spent time in the pharmacy (which was very orderly – unlike the makeshift ones we’ve had J) where they learned about medications that are prescribed in this area that are not seen in the US and through their conversations, we figured out ways to improve our systems.  Lastly, time was spent in the ultrasound/Xray department.  A young woman, who was 27 weeks along in her pregnancy found out the gender of her baby… a girl!  She was so excited to hear the news; a broad smile spread across her face. 

Now, we all sit visiting and enjoying a relaxing evening… soon, the playing cards will come out and laughing will fill the air…

~ Steve and Julia

Back in Kenya

Today we got a later start in Tanzania-which was nice for a change. We stopped at the Union Cafe in Moshi and had pizza (and did some more shopping). Ninety minutes later we crossed the Tanzania/Kenya border without any problems. Jessica and Lance did a great job in customs. We enjoyed the drive through Tsavo West game park on our way to our next destination spotting wildlife along the way. Tomorrow we will help out at the local hospital.

The team is great! We have all been enjoying the time we have together, getting to know each other. I think we have now become a family.
Julie

Lost in translation....

A few lucky people slept deep as the roosters, dogs, and prayer calls woke the rest of us up too early. Breakfast was delicious as usual and accompanied by fresh Kili coffee. Some of the students were able to capture pictures of the top of the mountain, which has been shy (covered in clouds) since we arrived. We started our day stopping to see a Bao Bao tree - George informed us that the tree was 1000 years old! These trees are very large but have soft bark and are used to hide poachers that would hollow it out to hide during the day and come out at night to avoid being seen by locals. After some local information on the Bao Bao tree, he informed us even the 1000 year old tree still produces fruit – I guess trees don’t go through tree-nopause. After the delightful history lesson we continued our journey to the dispensary clinic. Here we set up our second medical camp. Students were paired with practitioners, the pharmacy was stocked, and glasses set up to prepare for a busy medical camp day.  Jessica coordinated an informative oral hydration therapy talk right before beginning to see patients.

            It was a slow and digestible day for the students. We saw a few patients, around 50 patients (give or take a few 10) and everyone struggled with the misunderstood and mistranslated; however, we all had a great day. We take simple medication directions like “take daily” for granted here as the words we use in America rarely translate easily into Swahili. 

            After the medical camp we were able to stop at George and Cornell’s (two of our wonderful tour guides while here in Tanzania) houses. It was a joy to see both of their houses and meet their families. George showed us his chicken coop. He received two chickens from Julie and Lance last year and each of the many chickens they have now came from those two original chickens.

            We were so happy to see our travelers that climbed Mount Kilimanjaro- they showed us pictures of the summit and they were amazing. We quickly went to dinner and talked about the next day and what we are going to do. We were just so happy to be back as a team.  It has been a joy to have been grated such an instant loving relationship with everyone here as each contact we meet in Kenya or Tanzania makes it clear how much a part of their family Hope Without Borders has become.  It is clear how much of an impact Julie and Lance have made here in Africa. It was another amazing day here in Tanzania and we are enjoying the more tropical weather of Tanzania than Kenya. We are at a bittersweet point in our trip. We are of course missing our families and friends, but are already sad to anticipate our departure from Africa.  

~Emily & Josiah

Work and Fun

After almost eight hours of driving, we arrived in Tanzania yesterday looking forward to a little relaxation and a good nights sleep. Little did we know we would be comparing the many night time noises at breakfast this morning. We climbed into bed hearing the Muslim call to prayer for a good hour. Some found it soothing, others ... Then a couple dogs both near and far decided to let us know they were out there. And lastly, the horn honking at 5 am.

Moshi,Tanzania is a beautiful area. It is green, beautiful and lush. The blooming banana trees were quite a site.  We had a wonderful dinner and breakfast. We spent the morning at an orphanage for abled and disabled children. The kids were wonderful to be around and such a joy. They were thrilled to have visitors and show us their dance skills and singing abilities. We played "London bridges", ring around the rosy, hokie pokie, and others. We all had a blast.

Next we visited the Ancient Chagga Cave and learned the history behind the building of the caves and the conflict between the Chagga and Masaai tribes. We climbed down into the caves and had to crouch down low to get through the narrow passages. While living in the caves, the Chagga outsmarted the masaai for many generations with clever architecture including fake air vents, winding tunnels to minimize noise and cow skin to block out the chemical warfare. We couldn't believe that at one time there were cows living in these caves as well. Today the tribes live in peace and we met a few people from the Chagga tribe including our own Dr. Faraha.

We then moved onto Ndoro Waterfalls. The water level was much higher and the falls much stronger than in past years. The wind and mist coming off the waterfall was like getting a shower at 50 miles an hour. It was a challenging walk down with slipper paths, but the views were breath taking. The "Shy Mountain" is  living up to her name, we have yet to been able to see the top of her. She is hidden in the clouds, we are hoping that by the time we leave she will show us her peak.

We then got to do a little shopping of course... we had fun spending out hard earned money on our treasures to take home.

Until tomorrow,

Susie and Jess

A Day of Fun

After spending 4 days visiting schools in the slums of Nairobi and running a medical clinic, we took the day off to see the sights.  We visited Lake Naivasha which is northwest of Nairobi by about 2 hours (or 93 km).

Along the way we visited the shops on the hills of the Rift Valley.  Many of us bought a variety of carvings, batiks and jewelry.  Some were better negotiators than others and the proprietors were pretty good at negotiating as well.  But in the end, all were happy with their new purchases.

On the top of this ridge, we also saw baboons and some animals that looked like large goundhogs.  And if you looked off in the distance, they said those straw huts were for a Maasai tribe.  It was pretty far away so we couldn't say if he was pulling our leg or not.

The roads along this ridge were extremely narrow - barely enough for 2 lanes - with significant drop off on both sides of the road.  And the drivers and walkers along this road seemed to "use the force" to avoid getting hit.

However the real treat of the day was the boat ride to Crescent Island on the lake.  Along the way we saw fish eagles, egrets, pelicans and hippopotamus - yes, hippos.  They were scary when they were under the water.  Nobody was sure where they would come up and our canoes were no match for these big animals.

On the island, which locals say has a place in the film Out of Africa, we saw giraffe, monkey, gazelle, impala, antelope, wildebeest, zebra and more we couldn't recognize.  We were able to walk among these beautiful animals as there were no predators on the island.  We also walked down a long dirt road which many speculated was the airstrip in the film.  However, we all vowed to watch the film again to look for familiar sights and certainly the airstrip.

It was a long day when we arrived back to our lodge about 7:30 p.m. - way after dark.  But all felt the awe in seeing these animals in the wild when we normally only see them in the zoo.  Just a great day.

Cindy and Terry

First Medical Camp

Today we spent the day running a medical camp in Athi River. It was our first medical camp since we arrived here in Kenya and it was a whirlwind to say the least. The medical camp involved us setting up four stations which each included an interpreter, NP student, patient and NP provider. We also had an intake station where vitals were taken and patients triaged, and a pharmacy station where patients could pick up their medications right on site. We were able to see patients from a few months old to the elderly and saw everything from cough to more acute concerns like a penguin with a tummy ache. We are too tired to do a final count tonight, but know we saw at least 150 patients today!

We were grateful for donations of reading glasses as we set up an eye assessment station and were able to provide a lot of patients with much needed reading glasses. The day started out a little slower as we students were “learning the ropes,” but quickly sped up as the line grew significantly longer of patients waiting to be seen. We caught on just as it was getting dark, but continued to work into the night with flashlights and headlamps to make sure we were able to see all of those that were waiting.

A daily reinforced lesson here in Kenya has been appreciation and perspective. We have been constantly reminded this trip of just how easy we have it in the United States. The needs of those here in Kenya where medical care, food, clean water and shelter are not a guarantee are daily struggles that many of us will never truly understand. We hope this blog will give you a small peak into the immense poverty that exists in this world, not so you will have crippling guilt, but so you will have empowering guilt that will force you into action. This trip has propelled 15 more people into heightened knowledge and emotional attachment with and of the communities here. We are so blessed to have been given this experience as it will most definitely have a ripple effect many years after the trip is already over. Many of us have already said this will not be our last trip to Africa!

~Emily

Oh the places we have gone.....

Jambo Rafiki! It was a "glorious" day in Kenya today! The sun was shining and the weather was beautiful! Our hosts have been wonderful and the food has been amazing. We are so happy to be here and the people we have been seeing have shown us nothing but love and gratitude. We have seen quite a bit of wildlife so far just driving but this morning we were blessed from a visit by the local impalas.

Our group traveled into Mukuru slum today to visit two schools and bring them donations. This area has been hit hard by rains and flooding so the mud and sewage was really bad. Our vans weren't able to get all the way in to both schools so we did have to to walk a bit. The first school was one that has been blessed by the love and support of one of our own's parents for many years. Noelle's mother first visited the Glorious Land Academy and Secondary School on a mission trip and when she saw how much they were in need she decided to do something. Over the years the school has grown and is quite the testament to what can be done and how far they can go with the support they need. They teach over 500 primary and secondary school children ages 4 to 18 and many of them go on to get college degrees. Noelle was quite the celebrity at this school and we received a very special welcome and program put on by the children and teachers. Our Hope Without Borders group brought the Red Elephant packs to the girls there and handed out 170 packs! The girls were very thankful and many of them were so happy they said they wouldn't have to miss school for a week each month anymore! It is a great feeling to know we are helping them stay in school!  Thank you for the support of the Rotary Club.

The second school is on the other side of the same slum unfortunately they are much less fortunate. It was shocking to see the difference and yet the children there are just as eager to learn as any of the others we have seen. Our guys brought the Blue Lion packs in for all the boys there which is a new program from Hope Without Borders (HWB). One of our team said the boys were so happy to have their own packs and it made them feel important. That really made our day! We also gave them new soccer balls and nets and candy for the kids. HWB also has a sewing co-op which makes the Red Elephant packs for HWB. They also sell scarves and beaded jewelry (which we all got to purchase!) to help support the school. We also got to do a home visit to check on a family who is using one of the HWB water purifiers. It is so surprising to see just how small the homes are, it was just one room and no bigger than 10'x10'. We had to walk through quite a bit of sewage and mud to get there.

Our time in Mukuru ended on a perfect note with our team leader Mama Julie teaching us all how to hypnotize a chicken! Yes...she really can!

Don't forget to follow  our journey on Facebook as well!

Lala Salama...Maria & Sheila

Hope In Huruma

Jambo! We are having an amazing time in Kenya! Today we went to a primary school in the Huruma slum. This school is very unique as it is a Christian based school in a predominately Muslim area. 350 students attend this school, whose ages range from 4 years old to 15. This was very different then the school we saw in Kiberia, as this school is 3 stories high with running toilets, a water purification system, a computer lab, and a sewing co-op. Each class welcomed us with a song and a bible verses, all of them doing a wonderful job! 

After that, we went to Simon’s new butcher’s shop! Simon is the treasurer of Hope Without Borders- Kenya. He named the shop Hope Butchery in honor of Hope Without Borders! Julie and Lance surprised him with a new knife sharper in honor of his recent opening. It is clear that he takes great pride in the shop as it is a way to continue to positively impact his community.

Before leaving the outskirts of Nirobi, we stopped to get freshly made chapatis. Chapatis are a traditional Keyan food staple that taste somewhat like a fried tortilla, but better. We all loved the taste!

When we got back to the hotel, we worked on sorting the remaining donations. Thank you to all of you who were able to donate. We were truly able to see the large impact that these donations have made.

~ Cindy & Noelle

We're finally here!!!

Well, after a 12 hour layover in Paris, we boarded the plane for another 8 hour flight to Kenya. Because we arrived early in the morning we were able to shower and get a nice breakfast (with an omelet bar)! The people here are very welcoming.

The rip into Nairobi-through lots of traffic, was eye-opening.Our first stop was the giraffe sanctuary, where orphaned or injured giraffes go to heal.They are majestic and friendly (as long as you have food in your hands).

After the giraffe sanctuary we wove through Nairobi streets to Kibera, the largest slum in Africa but home to the cutest kids in the world!! We stopped at the police station to pick up our "chaperones" and were able to meet John, Mary, Lydia and Lillian-the most kind-hearted amazing people who run a school in Kibera. What a joy to see all these children learning. We had questions and they had questions for us. Some of the girls thought they recognized Nate from a USA movie. They were also fascinated by Jessica, Emily's and Sheila's hair.

Tired, but happy, we drove back to our home base and ate a delicious meal and scampered off to bed for a much needed rest.

Steve, Rob and Nate head out tomorrow morning to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro-rest of us have other work to do. Stay tuned.......