A FINAL NOTE

We saw only a small section of Kenya in the two months we were there, but we did gain some appreciation of the country as a whole and of the problems and the potential shared by the Kenyan people. Drought in parts of the country, poverty, tribal hostilities, and a lack of educational and health opportunities make progress difficult for a country, even with the best of governments.  Yet, Kenya has a distance to go to rid its government of corrupt officials and to establish a democracy responsible to and trusted by its people.  Kenyans put great hope in their new constitution, which was approved last year. The document sets up a balanced government structure that will guarantee accountability and human rights. Parliament has made gains by establishing the Supreme Court, but has been very slow in implementing other parts of the new constitution. Kenyans also look to the 2012 elections with both hope and fear –fear that the ethnic rioting and violence following the 2007 disputed elections will re-occur. (Over 275 people were killed and 300,000 were driven from their homes.) The people hope that the 2012 national elections will be honest, orderly, and peaceful. We share that hope. 

We also share a love and appreciation of the Kenyan people we met and worked with. Memories of the smiles, the curious children, the exuberant worship services, the struggles of the poorest workers, the humor of the market ladies, and the beautiful singing are all memories we’ll treasure.  We’ll also remember the lush, gorgeous scenery, the mild climate, and the marvelous animals we saw at the three game parks we visited.  We  have enjoyed sharing those memories and experiences with you.

Maua Methodist Hospital’s problems are related to its precarious financial situation.  The money to maintain and operate the hospital runs short when patients have neither the  government insurance nor the money to pay for their medical services.  The fiscal crisis also leads to staff shortages and antiquated equipment.  The hospital struggles along however, and continues to provide the only hospital services in the area.  We were inspired by the sense of mission the hospital workers have and by their ability to provide services at the hospital itself and also to the outreach programs throughout the larger community. An opportunity to expand medical services at Maua lies in the scheduled opening of a medical school at Kenya Methodist University in Meru, a city 50 km. from Maua.  If the medical school develops as envisioned, students could do their clinical rotations at Maua Methodist Hospital.  For that to happen however, more clinical faculty would need to be recruited.

Leadership at Maua hospital has changed and continues to change.   As the full-time missionaries from the U.S. and from the U.K. retire, their positions will be filled by Kenyans.  Already Kenyans hold a majority of leadership positions.  Could the British Methodists who founded the hospital in 1928 have visualized a hospital for Kenyans run by Kenyans?  We hope so.  One negative possibility of this change in leadership is diminished financial support from the U.S. and the U.K.  Without American or British missionaries traveling through the country and interpreting the ministry at Maua, contributors might fail to understand the importance of Maua Methodist Hospital. The United Methodist Church in the U.S. makes it easy to donate to the hospital and its various programs through Advance Specials.  A donor can simply write a check, put the Advance Special # on the memo line and send it to their local Methodist Church.  None of the money for Advance Specials goes for administrative costs; all of it goes to the designated cause.  Advance specials for Maua Methodist Hospital include:

Advance # 09613A  Maua Hospital Service Fund – pays the medical bills of orphans, abandoned children and other poor children and patients.  Without this fund the hospital would be unable to continue serving the needy.  At least 30% of patients cannot afford to pay their medical bills as they are children and families of subsistence farmers.

Advance # 09610A  Operation Outreach, Maua, Kenya – provides mobile health care, takes essential preventive and curative health care services to areas where such services are not available and the population is too poor to seek services from other sources.  Services include preventive measures and treatment for AIDS, malaria, cancer, and diabetes as well as family planning and health education.

Advance # 982023  Giving Hope (ZOE Ministries)  - a comprehensive program for child-led families, Giving Hope offers resources and training to nurture and empower AIDS orphans to live healthy, productive lives in their own community, and to become self-sufficient. 

Our two months in Kenya seemed to just fly by.  They were filled with exotic adventures, some hard work, and so many fulfilling experiences.  Coming back home to what should be familiar surroundings, instead gave us some sense of unreality.  In part this feeling was brought on by our extreme fatigue.  Our flight from London was delayed by an emergency landing in Montreal, then a weather delayed leg from Dallas to Salt Lake.  In all it took 48 hours to get home.  Another part of our readjustment was getting re-used to the relative complexity of our US life style, with its distractions and consumerism.  We often lack focus on what is truly of value in our lives, and on the critical needs of the majority of people in developing countries. 

We again want to thank all of the people in our community and in our local church.   You supported us so well during our mission, by your financial help, but even more by your prayers and well wishes.   The medicines, medical supplies and small equipment that we brought were invaluable for our work at the hospital.  We were also able to give some of the medicines to a dispensary in a poor nearby region that had just about run out of drugs, and had no hope of getting any in the near future.  The Resusci-Baby manikins were excellent teaching tools, and will continue to be useful there for years to come.  The Neopuff resuscitator was well accepted and will be used for those babies that need help breathing.  A bone marrow needle helped save a child’s life.  The list could go on and on.  Thanks again for your prayers and your financial support.  You all helped to make our Mission to Maua one of the most deeply satisfying and fulfilling experiences of our lives

In many ways the most rewarding parts of our experience at Maua Hospital revolved around the people we met and the relationships we developed during our stay.  We want to share with you some images of these people.  Each has a story to tell.  We also want to share photos of some of the non-humans we encountered in some of the last wild places on earth.

Grace and Peace

Roger and Donna

Maua, the town and the hospital:

St. Joseph's Methodist Church, next to the Hospital

Administration building and Outpatient Department. This is the first building you come to on the hospital grounds:

Adam Baraka (aka "Lazerus" to Roger) and his mother the day he was discharged. He was 4 pounds at discharge. But look at his mother's smile! By the way, Baraka means "blessing." And he was.

Roger treating a patient at the rural dispensary.

Dr. Lumerai, pediatric intern with one of the premature babies at the hospital. A very capable intern! The incubator is antiquated and in need of replacement.

This was a very cheerful security guard at the hospital gate that we encountered most every day on our way to the hospital. She monitored people going in and out of the gate.

Some of the People:

One of the older men in the general community.

One of several older women we saw carrying a large bundle of firewood.

Isabella with her baby, Baraka, who shares a birthday with Roger. So we had a party and this is some of the birthday cake. He obviously liked it! Isabella was a housekeeper for us. She was a great fount of knowledge about her country and community. 

Some of the children on the playground at the Maua school. Their demeanor is quite different in the classroom, but here they are just normal fun-loving kids. Notice the Muslim students, who are Somalis who live in town.

This is the mother of Mary Mbai, who was at the church at Baroga, where we took a supply of drugs for their dispensary. Mary worked with roger at the Rwanda refugee camp many years ago. Mary and her husband currently live in Scotland. Her mother remains in Baroga, Kenya.

The animals:

Who is watching whom here?