Deciding to Make an Impact

We had breakfast this morning Dr. Bransford’s home and had a wonderful discussion around the table. Noel from Norway, Pierre from Belgium, a missionary named Rick who was working in northern Kenya and his brother Mike from California, Dr. Bransford, Dr. Patey, and myself. We spoke at length about everyone’s work in Africa. Pierre and Noel as advocates for education and medical intervention for children with spina bifida, Dr. Bransford and Dr. Stewart regarding plans for Bethany, and about Joytown, a school for disabled children. Dr. Bransford shared with us a story about how he was visiting Joytown one day and watched as the children made their way from classes to the cafeteria. Students all suffered from various physical disabilities and Dr. Bransford remembers watching them help one another across the yard to the cafeteria, each moving at their own pace, and noting that with medical intervention, he felt that he could he and his doctors could correct 80% of them. That is a staggering statistic and indication of the lack of support and education which continues to exist here in Kenya and throughout Africa. Apparently, the state of affairs at Joytown for these children is appalling and Bethany is considering how to intervene on behalf of these students. There is no concrete plan in place now, but simply a recognition of need in the community. It is interesting when they differ to my opinion from a school administration and pedagogical perspective, especially since I have not been there yet. We do plan on visiting Joytown tomorrow. We will also be visiting another school for disabled children that is run by Feed the Children after Joytown. Pierre and Noel then take their leave from us as they are heading up to Uganda from here.

What struck me as the conversation around the table progressed and opinions and ideas were shared is how everyone became involved here in Africa. Both Noel and Pierre lost children to the disease and are working to help prevent other parents from going through the same thing. Dr. Bransford and Dr. Stewart have felt called to contribute to the children of Africa. None of these people ‘fell into’ their roles or became involved because of luck or fortune. They made conscious decisions to intentionally make an impact, to seek out and contribute to organizations which are doing good things for others here in Africa. I am both inspired and humbled by their commitment to service to others.

We had the unique opportunity to attend a baptism this morning as part of the Sunday service. We were outside under large trees and a large basin in which children were baptized. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to take part in a local celebration.

We were invited up to Dr. Pinero’s house (one of the main surgeons at Bethany) so we could have the opportunity to get on line and sit on his porch and look out at the incredible views across the Rift Valley and the mountains in the background. It must be one of the most spectacular views in Africa. I have included a picture of the view with this post. Across the valley are white ‘dots’ of tents. These are settlements of displaced people who lost their homes during the civil unrest during the elections in January of this year. The interesting this is that these people set up makeshift settlements out of nothing. The government gave them 10,000 Kenyan Schillings each (there are approximately 65 Schillings per dollar so 10,000 is approximately $150) for their trouble. They then pooled their money together and actually purchased the land on which they were temporarily settled on. Not everyone is happy about it, but it highlights the resiliency of the spirit to move on.

Dr. Pinero conducted a session here with two medical residents from Cameroon. As I mentioned in a previous post, a goal is to educate African doctors on the surgeries and intricacies of the work on children with spina bifida, hydrocephalous, club foot, etc. and their care. Dr. Pinero regularly hosts doctors as the mandate of Bethany expands to include doctors from around the continent who can continue to carry out the work for the children. While he was meeting with the surgeons from Cameroon, Pierre was inside the house meeting with another surgeon from Tanzania about the possibility of joining them up on Uganda. The connections that everyone makes with one another is inspiring and very grassroots. One doctor or volunteer NGO introduces to another, contacts are made, and plans developed to support the various projects in the area.

I am staying in a remarkable little two room structure with a tin roof. There are no roads in the way we would think of them. Simply worn footpaths of red clay that snake their way around the area. With no television, phone access, and limited internet (when I visit other’s houses) there is a lot of room for reading, writing, and reflection.

The Drive to Kijabe

This is rainy season in Kenya so while the weather is lovely most of the time, when it rains, it pours. We were woken up a few times during the night with incredible rain pounding the tin roof of our room as it sounded like torrents rushing off the top and onto the road outside.
As Dr. Stewart, Dr. Patey, Noel and I waited in the reception area for breakfast, conversation turned to plans at Bethany for the future. With 60 beds being the current capacity at the hospital, there is a growing need to expand the number of beds in Kijabe. However, the physical and financial barriers families face to even get to Kijabe is a reality. As the current physicians age, there is a need to support young doctors, local Kenyan and other African physicians to take over in the future. The educational component of Bethany which focuses on the training of doctors (a post-degree residency specializing in the type of care and surgeries performed at Bethany) is becoming a larger focus in order to move away from medical care coming only from North American doctors, but from African doctors trained to take over. For example, there is a current resident at Bethany who is willing to set up in Madagascar and that island is recognized as an area of need. The support, financial and otherwise was discussed as a way to spread out and reach as many children as possible through more doctors helping more children and taking on leadership with Bethany with an eye to the future. Through the education of more doctors willing to take on this work, more children can access the medical attention they need throughout Africa.

A Belgian gentleman named Pierre then joined us before breakfast. Pierre works very closely with an organization dedicated to medical assistance for children with Spina Bifida at various clinics throughout Africa in memory of his daughter who died of the disease 20 years ago at the age of 11. Pierre works with International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (http://www.ifglobal.org/) which works in Kenya, Uganda, and is moving into other areas in Africa in need. The basic mandate of IF is to promote the concept of inclusion (congruent with our School Board’s philosophy of education) so that families will accept and care for their children born with this disability with an eye toward societal acceptance. Acceptance leads to families seeking help (medical intervention) rather than abandoning their children at birth. He told a story being able to intervene with a young mother who was so distraught with finding out her son was born with spina bifida that she was about to leave him by the river. Instead, the child was cared for and received the surgeries required to help him survive and live a full life (the child is still doing well by all accounts). Children who are born with physical deformities are often abandoned because they are regarded as cursed. IF and Bethany are working toward dispelling that myth and advocating for medical intervention and education and support for families. Having only been here for a couple of days now, I am seeing how organizations are connected and working together.

Pierre is also connected with Bethany, is friends with Dr. Stewart and would be joining us on our journey to Kijabe. Over breakfast, we discussed his plans to be with us at Bethany until Monday, then on to Uganda to a clinic there. Noel and Pierre advocate for medical intervention for children with spina bifeda, Noel having a 13 year old daughter with the disease.

We packed up and headed into Nairobi and stopped at a local coffee shop. We began to share the morning’s discussion with Pierre and he shared with us that a Swedish NGO he partners with was looking at financially support the overhauling of an existing hospital in Mombasa (about nine hours south of here on the coast) to focus on care for children. As Bethany is currently looking for ways to reach more children and expand through the training of African doctors, the Mombasa situation presented an interesting option. Dr. Stewart asked how the group responsible for funding would take to the Christ-centric mandate of Bethany, and the conversation turned to “When can we visit the hospital?” Sometimes opportunities are presented without explanation that require further investigation. Despite the 9 hour drive, they are considering heading down there but sadly (for me) it will probably not be when I am here.

We hit the road and headed for Kijabe. Though the influence of being a former British colony means everyone drives on the left side of the road, traffic appears to be without rules of civility or safety. Ditches line either side of the road, there are no lines painted, and cars come and go from all angles. Thankfully our driver was a missionary ex-pat who was comfortable with the conditions. The markets along the side of the road were absolutely extraordinary. Shops are housed in small wooden shacks with precariously balanced tin roofs crammed beside one another, painted bright shades of blue, red, yellow, and green. There were donkeys carrying packs and women walking along the dirt path with loads on their backs and on their heads. Markets lined the road for mile after mile selling everything from meats and vegetables to clothing and tools.

My ears kept popping as we steadily climbed. Mexico City, the highest elevation to ever host the summer Olympics, is 5000 ft above sea level. By the time we neared Kijabe, we were at 8000 ft above sea level! Kijabe is located in the Rift Valley, so we came down from that height to closer to 73000 ft above sea level.

Since it was Saturday, we met Dr. Bransford, the Director of Bethany Kids, at the local mission school where his son was playing soccer. Imagine my fortune of turning up just in time for a soccer tournament! I had a chance to walk around the school – it is an international school for children of missionaries which offers an American or British diploma for students – and see what their elementary school looked like and secondary. I look forward to the opportunity to visit this school when students are in session at some point this week.

The photos above are of local markets on the road between Nairobi and Kijabe.

I will be at Bethany hospital this week and plan on visiting a school for disabled children in Joytown which is, from all accounts, turned into a sad situation for the students, staff, and facility. I look forward to keeping everyone posted. Thank you for your on-going support!

Airports and Airplans

Dr. Stewart and I arrived at the airport at the exact same time as Dr. Patey. Between the three of us, we unloaded nine suitcases: hard shell cases filled with venitilators, drugs for the hopsital, computers, and gifts from our community. With three trolley pilled high, we made our way to the desk and were happy to check in and not have to see them again until Nairobi.

We arrived in London at 6am UK time and experienced the rush of multiple planes landing simultaneously. Since Heathrow does not permit landings before 6am, planes are forced to circle until then so first thing in the morning, the airport becomes packed instantly. We had to go through the crowds and security again so after a quick breakfast, it was time to catch our 9:50am flight to Nairobi.

The flight to Nairobi is 9 hours but since Kenya is three hours ahead this time of year, we arrived at 10pm. Kenya does not change its clock in the fall and spring like we do so this time of year they are 8 hours ahead of us. We had to go through the process of Visa application (which is done on arrival) and pay $50 US for it. We met up with a man from Norway named Noel who is a donator to Bethany who was waiting for us after coming in an hour earlier on a KLM flight. Two men from Africa Inland Mission help up signs with our names. We loaded up two cars and headed out in to the Nairobi night.

Our driver Stephen was a native of Nairobi. He slid a mixed cassette inot the tape deck that played Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers songs exclusively and navigated the roads in and around traffic as I stared out the window at the buildings, sings, billboards, shacks that sold everything you can imagine during the day, and the tin roofs. We had decided to stay in Nairobi to save the night time drive to Kijabe. I was delighted with this plan as we were tired from such a long journey, and happy not to be risking a drive into the mountains at night. Stephen took us to MAyfield house run by Africa Inland Mission which is associated with Bethany. After some confusion with keys and reservations, we unloaded the cars of all of our bags again, pulled them into the room, pulled the mosquito nets over the bed, and fell asleep.

Though I have taken a lot of photos already, I am not able to post yet. I look forward to doing so soon.

Kenya and the American President-Elect

I am looking forward to the opportunity to get an international perspective on world politics with my trip to Kenya. Specifically, the new president-elect of our neighbours to the south (who would spell ‘neighbours’ without the ‘u’) Barack Obama is of Kenyan descent. In fact, his father was born and raised in Kenya so President-Elect Obama is half Kenyan – his mother is originally from Kansas. When I was watching the results from the American election broadcast on election night, there was a special camera on supporters in Kenya who were watching the election with interest as he is considered a son of Kenya. I look forward to finding out more about the Kenyan reaction to the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

As Friday is a travel day, it may be difficult to post a blog. If can from the airport, I will. However, we get into Nairobi late (Kenyan time) on Friday evening and still have to travel to Kijabe so I may not have access or opportunity to post for Friday the 14th. I do look forward to my first posting from Kenya by Saturday.

Thanks for all the support and well wishes these past few days. It has meant a lot to me and provided me with tremendous encouragement. I hope to be able to pass along your enthusiasm and support to the children at Bethany while I’m there. I also continue to appreciate your thoughts and prayers while I am there as well. That would mean a lot to me.

About Kenya

I have been receiving books to bring over with me to Kenya to give to the children there as our community continues to contribute to the important work happening at Bethany. I also recently received some beautiful portable (pocket size) versions of the New Testament to bring over as well to give to the children and the hospital. I was asked “What language do they speak there?” by the contributors of the books.

In Kenya, most people speak English as Kenya is a former British colony. In fact, before 1920, the area now known as Kenya was known as the “British East Africa Protectorate”. The educational system in Kenya to this day is still based on the British system. However, there are many regional dialects that are spoken throughout the country. A native language is Swahili and many Kenyans speak Swahili as their first language, but English is widely spoken and read in the country so our books will be put to good use there

It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somolia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the eastern border. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a very significant landmark and the second among the highest mountain peaks of Africa.

Where I am going in Kijabe is into the mountains in Kenya. The temperature varies quite considerably throughout the country depending on the elevation. For example, down by the coast in Mombassa, the temperature is very warm as it is at sea level and close to the equator. Into the mountains, the air becomes thinner and temperatures drop. Kijabe, where Bethany Kids is located, is approximately 7000 feet above sea level so even though I will be very near the equator, the temperature actually dips quite low in the evenings. I’ve brought my St. Vincent hoodie to wear at night.

The high elevation is also a reason why Kenya produces some of the best distance runners in the world. Up at elevation, the body produces more red blood cells which carry oxygen. This gives runners who train at elevation an advantage when they run at sea level. So many of the Kenyan runners who are world class athletes actually come from or train in the part of Kenya where I will be: the mountains!

I encourage you to find out more about the country while I am there to find out about where it is the culture and people. Also, feel free to post a question on this blog and if I can find out the answer for you while I’m there, I will.

Planning for the Journey

Travelling to a country like Kenya requires more than simply booking an airline ticket. As is the case with most countries in Africa, precautionary vaccinations are required months before departing. To get ready for my trip to Kenya, I went to visit my doctor to find out what medication I should take to keep myself safe. I received shots to protect me from hepatitis, yellow fever, tetanus, typhoid, and have pills to take for the prevention of malaria.

Malaria is a disease which is usually passed to humans through mosquitoes. There is a large movement to equip houses across Africa with mosquito nets for sleeping at night. These nets hang from the ceiling over each bed and stretch to the floor. The net is fine enough to keep mosquitoes out, while letting air in. Recent research has shown that the increased use of mosquito nets around Africa have begun to significantly reduce the number of incidents of malaria. While I am there, I will be similarly sleeping under a mosquito net. I will take a photo of the mosquito net and post it on this blog once I arrive. For more information on how mosquito nets are making a positive impact in Africa, check out the Unicef site at http://www.unicef.org/health/index_26163.html or google ‘mosquito nets in Africa’.

Along with the vaccinations I received already, other precautions include mosquito repellent with deet to protect me from mosquitoes during the day, breathable clothing, a hat to protect me from the sun (my TFC hat!), and sunscreen. Kenya is an equatorial country meaning it is located very close to the equator. If you can imagine how intense the sun can be in Oakville in the summer, you can probably imagine how intense the sun’s rays can be right on the equator. I will be packing enough sunscreen to keep my skin protected while in Kenya.

I am making this journey with Dr. Ivan Stewart, Chair of Bethany Kids Hospital (and my father-in-law) and Dr. Greg Patey. Together, the three of us will be bringing two respirators for the hospital, drugs for the surgeries, computers for the hospital, and items donated from the St. Vincent community including books, pencils, pencil crayons, Canada pens, stickers, and balls, and soccer balls which have been flattened to fit into my suitcase. I look forward bringing these items over to share with the children there some things from Canada.

The journey itself begins at the airport in Toronto. We fly from Toronto to London, a flight of approximately 6.5 hours. From London, we fly directly to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The flight from London to Nairobi will take approximately 10 hours. From Nairobi, we will drive an hour north west into the mountains to Bethany Kids Hospital in Kijabe. May bags are packed, precautions taken, and I am looking forward to the journey to Kenya. Stay tuned to this site for updates as the departure approaches and when I am in Africa!

Support from the St. Vincent Students and Community

Since we introduced our Lenten initiative last year and challenged our students and community to contribute to the important work the doctors are doing at Bethany, I have been amazed by the support, encouragement, and creativity of our school community.

During Lent last year, as mentioned in my first posting, a grade 6 student hosted a birthday party and asked for donations in lieu of gifts. That act of selflessness and consideration of service to others was extremely encouraging as we attempted to plant the seeds of service and philanthropy in our students. That act made me realize that we were making an impact and our students were beginning to see the world and begin to ask “how can I make a difference?” Parental support was similarly inspiring as a parent hosted jewelry sale in support of our initiative. Our Lenten fundraiser was a resounding success because of our community commitment.

When I accepted the invitation to travel to Bethany, the generosity of the community became apparent again. In addition to sincere support and best wishes, parents asked “how can we help?” From a school perspective, we decided that I would carry as many books, colouring books, pencils, pencil crayons, and school items as I could. I even received size 3, 4, and 5 soccer balls which I have flattened and packed into my suitcase. I look forward to sharing these items with the children at the hospital and the local school in Kijabe.

I continue to be amazed by our students at St. Vincent and I am delighted that this journey has inspired our students to take on some amazing initiatives. During the month of October, five Grade 5 boys organized a yard sale on their own and presented me with their earnings: $53.37. A Grade 2 student hosted a birthday party at which she asked for donations instead of gifts for herself. She was able to purchase a goat for a community, clean drinking water, and donated the rest to the children at Bethany.

More recently, I was invited into Mrs. Becker’s Gr. 5 class today to hear about some of them. The class organized a ‘Crazy Hair Day’ in for the group last week and raised $28. Two students organized a hot chocolate stand in front of their house on the weekend and raised $82. Other students from the class came up with the idea to sell pizza to high school students and set up a ‘pizza stand’ at their house across the street from the local high school and raised $100. Finally, another group of students hosted a garage sale outside their house on the weekend at which they also sold baked goods and raised a total of $400! Staff and parents have also contributed to Bethany and I am honoured to bring their contributions over with me to present personally.

We did not ask for money, books, crayons, balls, pencil crayons, or markers before departing, and that is the most amazing aspect to these contributions. Our students’ and parents’ support came from a genuine desire to support the journey and the children in Kenya. This encouragement will be with me as I visit Bethany and I look forward to sharing the experiences using this blog and when I return.