Francisca's Story

We visited Joytown today and I have so many photographs of the children and facilities to share with all of you. We arrived and immediately met Francisa pictured to the left. She is a mentor and advocate working at Joytown for students with spina bifida. We sat down together and she told me her story of how she arrived at Joytown which I am going to share with you now. It's a story of significant challenges physically, but more importantly, socially, but one with a happy ending. I promise!

Francisca was born with spina bifida. In Kenyan society, a child with a physical disability is seen as a curse on the family so Francisca's arrival was not welcome by anyone in her family except her mother. Her mother found out that her mother (Francisca's grandmother) was planning on killing her in order to rid the family of the curse. There as a plan in place to do so at a time when her mother was distracted and this involved carrying the infant Francisca down to the river. When her mother caught wind of this, she fled the family and the tribe in order to protect her daughter. She knew her daughter's life would be difficult but as a mother, she wanted to do everything she could to protect her.

Though she was a very bright and personable young girl, the spina bifida that afflicted her made learning to walk extremely difficult and controlling her bladder difficult if not impossible. As a young girl she remembers going to school and wanting to make friends so badly but no one would play with her. She was the girl who walked funny and was seen as unclean. She told us how she used to bring candies with her to school to offer them to her classmates so they would play with her but they would take her candies and then leave her alone. She described her life as a child as extremely lonely and very sad. Her parents used to fight all the time about her as her father was not supportive or understanding about her disability while her mother continued to fight for her daughter. She felt terrible about being the source of her parents' fighting and shame on the schoolyard as she tried desperately to make friends.

When she was 19 years old she heard about Bethany Kids and made her way to Kijabe where she was seen by the doctors and operated on to help her with her walking and incontinence. She describes it as her re-birth! She stayed at Kijabe for the next 10 years working with children with spina bifida as a counselor and mentor to try to support them as they struggled as she did as a child. Nine months ago, when Bethany officially became involved with Joytown, Francisca moved to Joytown to continue to counsel and mentor the children at Joytown with a special heart toward those with spina bifida. Francisca is married now to a wonderful man and they live together just outside of the school where she commutes to Joytown and he commutes into Nairobi.

Francisca's story is a remarkable one of faith and perseverance. Presented with so many challenges, she continued to approach life positively and has now committed herself to giving back to support others. Her story also highlights the importance of the work at Bethany as physical but also social supports for the children. The medical intervention can go a long way toward allowing the children to become fully functioning members of Kenyan society when they would almost certainly not without it. Not only are there physical challenges with such a disabilty, but devestating social challenges as well. There is nothing a child wants more than to make friends and be accepted for the person they are. Francisca struggled through a difficult childhood but now wants to support others in any way she can. Her story is a wonderful connection between the work the doctors are doing at Bethany Kids and the work happening at Joytown for the most needy.

I will be back at Joytown on Monday with books for the library which I will talk about more in my next post...

Unique and Various Needs

As you know, Bethany Kids was started as a children's hospital to meet the needs of the children of East Africa who would not normally be able to afford medical care on their own. The work being done here has garnered a reputation around East Africa and beyond as a place where children will be cared for regardless of their situation and condition. Much of the work has focused on surgeries for spina bifida (dramatic curvature of the spine), hydrocephalus (water on the brain), and other physical disabilities such as cleft palate and club foot. However, the doctors are increasingly faced with a variety of situations as children are brought in with injuries from conflict or accident. I met a girl this morning from Somalia (first photograph) who came in with her right arm in terrible condition. The initial thought was it was the result of a burn, but in fact she had been bitten by a snake. I was with Dr. Bransford when he saw her today. I asked how a snake bite could possibly do that to her arm and he replied that it was simply a result of not receiving any medical intervention in a timely manner. Her family are poor Somali refugees who did not think they could afford care. The doctors are working with her now but much could have been prevented with more timely care. This seems to be the on-going theme even from my last visit - a never ending need for care for those who cannot afford it. We have much to be thankful for in Canada with our healthcare system.

I made a new friend in the hospital today. He was waiting with his mother and brother to be admitted and he was very curious about the camera so I took some shots of him (close up above) and his mother took a picture of the two of us in the hallway! I had a chance to spend some time with the mother and daughter in the photo below. Her daughter is recovering from burn wounds and is doing quite well all things considered. It is almost unthinkable to consider what would have been the fate of the young girl without the care she received at Bethany.

I met so many wonderful people today who were so open to talking about their experiences, where they are from, and what they hope for themselves and their children when they leave Bethany.

Mercy always made a point of introducing me in every room as a principal from a wonderful school in Canada. She talks about you (our students) with all of the mothers, fathers, and children - about the wonderful things you have done to support their work over the past years. She also talks about the fact that we bring crayons - that seems to get an even brighter smile!

Please read the post below after this one as I posted two this evening. The next one is entitled "Walking with Mercy Today" and it's more about my morning in the hospital. Read on below...

Walking With Mercy Today

I remember when I first visited two years ago, I was overcome by emotion walking through the halls and visiting rooms. Mothers and fathers wearing pink hospital robes sharing small single beds with their children was almost too much for me to handle emotionally. I remember pausing in the hallway with Dr. Patey who was also visiting for the first time as we looked at each other as tears welled up in our eyes. The children were in such need - swollen heads from hydrocephalus, conflict and accident wounds, and post-op scars from spina bifida. I was an outsider walking through for the first time and felt like an intrusion into the most difficult time in their lives. When I engaged in conversation, listened to their remarkable stories of courage and hope that brought them to the hospital, I lost that initial snese of intrusion as I connected with them personally.

It was different walking into the hospital again today. the needs are so obvious and ever-present. There appear to be more beds squeezed into rooms and in the hallways as there were last time - something I did not think was possible. Mercy told me today that the planned expansion of the hospital will increase the capacity from 65 beds to just over 100, but she confided that the number was not near enough. There are always occupied beds, filled rooms, and cots in the hallways.

I was so encouraged by the hope and optimism of the mothers and fathers for their children the last time I was here as they recognized the challenges their children were facing, but knew they were in the right place at Bethany where they would recieve the care they need. Today I was able to witness both ends of the emotional spectrum from fear and despair to hope and optimism. The first was when I visited two infants and their parents today - one born last Thursday and the other born on Friday - not even a week old. The children were the first borns to both parents. The six day old girl had stiches all the way up her spine from surgery to repair spina bifida at two sites on her back - something I have come to understand is very rare. Her young mother (pictured holding her daughter wearing the red bandana) was terrified. The five day old was also recovering from spina bifida surgery and was being held by his father (pictured in the photo here as well) as his mother was also recovering from surgery. They are Masi and had travelled to Kijabe for their son. The father held his boy, looked up with tears in his eyes and asked Mercy in Swahili if everything was going to be alright, and if he was going to develop hydrocephalus as well. Mercy did her best to reassure him. As a parent I know what it is like to worry about whether your child is going to be ok but not in such a difficult and helpless situation. We started talking about being a parent for the first time. They asked about my family and I showed them pictures of Sarah and Fiona on my camera. We talked about how every child is a blessing and how fortunate they are to be blessed with theirs. They are where they are supposed to be at Bethany. The early intervention with their surgeries will likely mean a positive prognosis for the future for them. I would not say they were filled with hope or optimism yet as they went from the joy of welcoming their child in to the world last week to terro and worry because of their illness to getting them into the hospital in a few short days. It was too early for optimism, but as their children recover, they will hopefully be encouraged for the future. We shook hands and I told them I would see them again on Friday.

The other end of the spectrum was when Mercy and I went into another room filled with ten beds, mothers, fathers, children and a grandfather. Everyone wanted a photograph taken! I took some shots and taught one curious young many how to use the camera. I included his shot in these photos - his is the one looking at the end of the bed at Mercy. Mercy led prayer int he room and they sang about putting their faith in God. I wished I had my camera with the video recorder like I had the last time to record the amazing singing. I will be back with Mercy again on Friday and will not forget the video camera that time. I hope to be able to record another singing session in the ward as it was so uplifting and encouraging. I tried to load a video onto the blog last time without success, but I will try again on Friday. If I am unsuccessful again (Safaricom - the local internet provider - is not the most reliable...) I will be sure to share it with you when I get back to school. Please forgive the odd typo in these blogs as well - I'm writing them as quickly as I can to not get bumped off the internet mid-blog.

I also included a photograph of the crayons some of the students were using in recovery. I'm sure you all remember my story from my last visit of the crayons being broken and not having any green ones left. That was two years ago and while there are some green ones evident in the photo this time, you also see that the need continues. I was not able to bring the bags down with me today but look forward to doing so on Friday. I also look forward to sharing Mercy's reaction with you as well!

I'm off to Joytown on Thursday to see what is happening there. When I'm back at Bethany on Friday I'll be in the new operating rooms and will get a chance to visit the hydrocephalus ward was well which I didn't get a chance to today. So much more to tell...

Arriving in Kenya

It is almost 1am in the morning here in Kenya as I write this having arrived safely in Kijabe. We landed in Nairobi and had to wait for quite a while to secure an entry visa but once that was taken care of we were able to retrieve our bags quickly. Six huge hockey bags (between Dr. Stewart and myself) were a lot to manage, but knowing they are filled with all the generous contributions of school supplies from our community for Bethany made it so worthwhile. I look forward to sharing everything with them this week.

We didn't know if we would travel to Kijabe or not this evening as it was entirely dependent on who picked us up. A good friend of Dr. Stewart, a missionary here in Kenya, met us at the airport which meant we would be traveling to Kijabe. Not everyone is comfortable navigating the roads here at the best of times, let alone at night. We piled into the van with our bags and headed into the mountains toward Kijabe. There are frightening moments on the road - especially driving through Nairobi - but I'm happy to report that we made it here safe and sound.

We picked up a friend in Nairobi who is visiting. He was born to missionary parents and though he is American, he has spent much of his life here in Africa having been born in the Congo, evacuated in 1997 during the war and ending up here in Kijabe at the Rift Valley Academy, and now works for Samaritan's Purse in the Sudan. It is amazing to meet so many people who have committed themselves to serving others. As many of you know, Samaritan's Purse is the organization we work with at St. Vincent every Christmas season (and again this Christmas) with our shoebox project. They do so much relief work around the globe and it was interesting to spend the hour drive to Kijabe (when I wasn't covering my eyes on the road!) speaking with him about his work in Sudan. There is an upcoming referendum in Sudan in January to see if Southern Sudan should become independent from the north so instability will inevitably return to the area unfortunately. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, especially in the new year.

There are so many people doing great things here it is inspiring. I look forward to sharing more stories so you can know how many people are working here in support of others.

Have a great day at school everyone. I look forward to posting again tomorrow. Hopefully with some photos!

Half Way There...

I was walking through the cafetorium on Monday and a Gr. 1 student came up to me and said "Mr. Browne, I hear you're going to Africa." "Yes, Iam," I replied. "But they don't have any food there," he said. "What are you going to eat?" I was touched that he appeared so concerned.

We have a lot of ideas about what life is like around the world but a common one seems to be that there are some places in the world that may as well be on another planet. The images we see on television and news reports describe a place so foreign to us that it almost seems like fiction. What I have come to realize, however, especially on a visit such as this, is that our world is very small indeed. I am writing this post this morning from London, England, yet I was with you all yesterday at school. I will be in Nairobi later this evening and in Kijabe even later. It is amazing that one day I can be at school with all of you and the next evening I am on a small mission station an hour's drive into the mountains in Kenya.

There are others who do not have what we have, but they are not that far away. I hope that my stories about conversations and situations with the mothers, fathers, children, doctors, and nurses remind us that everyone has hopes and dreams for the future, just like us. Sometimes those dreams are as simple as food on the table or basic medical intervention. I hope you will remember this when we embark on our Lenten initiative again this year.

The time change here in London is only 4 hours at this time of year. Since we moved to adpot the American daylight savings and standard time, there are weeks around the time change that we are only 4 hours apart rather than 5. That means Kenya will only be 5 hours difference until Sunday.

The last time I was here President Obama had just won the presidency of the United States. Since his father is Kenyan, he was celebrated like a native son in the media last time I was in Kenya. There was barely a newspaper story that did not talk about him in some way. This time the mid-term elections are on and things are not looking as rosey for him. I look forward to reading how the media reports whatever happens in the election today and how that plays out in Kenya.

I look forward to my first post from Kenya. Until then, my thoughts and prayers are with you all at school. Thanks for keeping me in yours.

Bags are Packed!

The St. Vincent Community has been, as always, so supportive and generous when it comes to Bethany Kids Hospital. The three bags in this photo are filled with donations from the community for me to bring over to Kenya with me. When I went two years ago, simple items such as crayons, books, balls, and bibles made an enormous impact on the children who were waiting for surgery or recovering. When I announced that I was returning to Bethany, the support from the staff, students, and teachers was immediate and tremendous. I have received crayons, markers, colouring bokos, reading books, deflated soccer balls (and a pump!), toy cars, as well as IV equipment and surgical gowns and even the hockey bags themsevles. I was also thrilled to receive so many soft cover bibles, and one parent went so far as to special order two bibles in Swahili! The generosity is overwhelming and so appreciated. Having British Airways wave the weight restrictions on my bags is also appreciated! I am heading over with the bare minimum in terms of clothing - so don't be surprised if I'm wearing the same shirt in multiple photos - so I can bring as many medical and school supplies as possible. Thanks for your support! I'm leaving later today and will be landing in London, England tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. From London, I fly to Nairobi during the day on Tuesday landing there late Tuesday night. For more information on Kenya, Bethany, or some interesting facts about Kenya - which reminds me that I have to get some Kenyian shillings today -check out posts from my last visit two years ago including "About Kenya". Your thoughts and well wishes for a safe journey and return home to my family are appreciated.

Back to Bethany!

It's hard to believe that it's been two years ago this month that I made the journey to Bethany Kids Hospital in Kijabe, Kenay. The experience was such an amazing one - connecting with so many people who have committed themselves to serving the children of East Africa and the mothers, fathers, and children who were there preparing for surgery or recovering. So much continues to be accomplished at Bethany Kids and yet there is so much more to do - adding capacity through expansion and renovation to serve the seemingly never ending need. The support of the St. Vincent community over the past three years has contributed significantly to the on-going mission of serving the children of East Africa.

This return visit is intended to further connect our communities to witness the real impact acts of service here in Oakville have made on the other side of the world. We have been intentional about moving beyond simply charity and into relationship, despite the distance between us. I not only look forward to seeing the physical improvements to the hospital and Joytown school, but I look forward to connecting with parents and children again. The work is more than facilities; it involves connecting with people. I found their stories of courage and optimism inspiring during my last visit and I recognize that theses stories can further inspire and strengthen our resolve to do good things for others.

There is a new operating room since my last visit, and I am told we will notice the changes at Joytwon as well. Stay tuned to this blog for daily updates and photos as I share stories and experiences from Kenya!