I’m not long back from a few days in Kenya, having had a superb break and rest! Four nights at Kilifi Bay Beach Resort – about an hour up the coast from Mombasa, and a long way away from any other sort of African life that I’ve experienced in the last couple of months. If you can imagine an oasis of a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, several thatched roofs covering a poolside bar and air conditioned en-suite rooms, a second bar built on a terrace over the private white sandy beach with the rolling waves and surf of a very warm Indian Ocean… you may be getting somewhere close!
This was a retreat for development workers belonging to Skillshare International, the charity that is kindly helping to fund my year in Africa. The East African Skillshare team and all the workers they support try to get together once a year with the aim of supporting each other in the places they are working, and building better relationships between development workers and the organisation out here.
There were several short meetings, time spent debating several issues that people were having, and a day spent in team-building exercises. There was also plenty of time for eating, relaxing and swimming. I found it very interesting to meet the different people involved with Skillshare – some in various health projects, some in other different settings on a local or regional basis. On the basis that I haven’t had to seek help from the Skillshare Office since I’ve been here, Kiwoko Hospital was held up as a superb example of a “Partner Organisation” – Skillshare funds and supports people who are employed by other partners in the area.
Kilifi was very hot, so it was a relief in many ways to get back to Uganda on Saturday afternoon. For being a neighbouring country, its very different from Kenya in many ways, and I think I’m very glad to be living and working here. I think the pace of life is a little slower, the people a little more welcoming, and the countryside a little greener…. It’s difficult to explain, but in many ways it felt like coming home!
And so back to work today… many of my patients from the last few weeks have now left having recovered well. My six-month old baby recovered extremely well from its second operation to rejoin its bowel, and went home barely a week after surgery. I ended up paying for its treatment, and even giving some money to help feed the mother while they stayed. I found out today that the mother had been so distressed at the time of the original life saving surgery, and so appreciative of the care given from Kiwoko that she had come to know Jesus through it all and had become a Christian as a result. Personally, I’m delighted to have seen the baby healing well, and getting home – it gives a real sense of what I’m trying to accomplish by being here.
I’ve now been here long enough to want to start putting some stuff together to help improve the services that Kiwoko offers its patients. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll hopefully have time to put together some detailed plans, and start implementing some more formal training. On a more personal level, I’m starting to put together some changes in my accommodation – I’ve wired my fridge into a better location in the kitchen, installed a new oven/cooker, and will soon have electricity for lighting/computer when there’s no mains power, courtesy of a car battery and voltage inverter that arrived as a birthday present from my Dad. In some ways, life is getting a bit comfortable – I’ll not want to leave at the end of the year!
If anyone is interested in personally supporting the work of the Hospital here, and would like to make a financial contribution to the general running costs, or to our “Good Samaritan Fund”, the people of this area of Uganda would be very grateful! Have a look at the “Friends Of Kiwoko Hospital” website - www.fokh.org.uk - for information on how to give, or alternatively get in touch with me directly.
Alternatively, if anyone has access to unwanted medical equipment, that would also be extremely beneficial. One major piece of equipment that would be fantastic to source would be a fibreoptic endoscope and light source… perhaps a hospital somewhere has converted to video endoscopes and has an old fibreoptic scope lying spare?
Anyway, if nothing else, please keep supporting the hospital, its staff and its patients by praying regularly. Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.
Steve
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