Mikinduri Children of Hope

Thursday, February 23

Wrapping up an extremely successful mission

Forgive me if I seem distracted. It’s rather hard to concentrate as the zebra, impalas, warthogs, waterbucks and giraffe arrive and depart the watering hole like trains in Grand Central Station.

The last time I wrote, we were still in Mikinduri, gearing up for the last two days of clinics. As with last week, out site was the most popular show in town. Unless you have experienced it yourself, you simply cannot imagine hundreds of people gathered like cattle outside the gates, pushing and shoving in desperation for health services. They are, by and large, the poorest of the poor – the very people MCOH was created to serve.

In all, some 4,700 Kenyans received medical, dental or vision services during the seven-day clinic. Prescription drugs and eyeglasses were distributed to those who needed them, and teeth were extracted by the hundreds. While we were the fortunate ones who were able to serve these needy people, without the generous support of Islanders and other caring Canadians, we wouldn’t have the much needed items to distribute. So, thank you!!!

What a difference a year can make! Team member Libby was thrilled this year when one of her favourite patients from last year walked into the clinic this year on her own. Last year, this woman, with her baby strapped to her back, was carried in by her husband. Through MCOH, she received a prosthesis and braces and is now independent. What an amazing gift this woman received. Libby was so touched by the woman’s courage and determination that she hung a picture of her on her wall at home. Libby can now hang an “after” picture!

We were all thrilled to witness the groundbreaking for a new rehabilitation centre which is being built on the grounds where we held our clinics. This much-needed centre is made possible through the generous donors of MCOH and is a welcome addition to Mikinduri. We are hoping that Martin, one of our favourite medical patients this year, will be able to benefit from this centre. Sixteen-year old Martin was diagnosed with cancer and will have a significant part of his leg amputated in the coming weeks, followed by chemotherapy. Team member Bea Keaveny and her husband will be working closely with the Lions Club in Meru to ensure that Martin, an orphan, receives the services and treatments he needs at no cost to him. With any luck, he will be using the new rehab centre next year.

Team member Lily Campbell received special recognition at the ceremony, receiving a Kenyan flag in recognition of her great work. The government officials were most impressed that she took the initiative to contact her MP, Sean Casey, asking for flags and pins to share with the Kenyan children. District chief Alex Kiburi Mukindia touted Lily as a good example of what children can do and hopes to use her story as inspiration for Mikinduri children. Zanetta Ambassa, daughter of cook Makena Ambassa, also received a certificate of recognition.

Speaking of recognition, the team would like to acknowledge the support of the Mikinduri development organization, the Kenyan arm MCOH. Office staff Cynthia, Caroline and Samson, as well as Project Officers Martin, Francis and Lloyd – we certainly would not be able to carry out our work without them.

On Tuesday evening, Fr. B and a host of other MCOH friends feted the team on Tuesday evening in thanks for our hard work. We were honoured to receive certificates and other tokens of appreciation. On Tuesday morning, we bid a sad farewell to Mikinduri. Our first stop was a reception hosted by the Meru Lions Club to celebrate our partnership with them. Team members Bea Keaveny, Ted Grant, Libby Osgood and Lily Campbell received special recognition for their efforts.

Now, back to the wildlife! When calculating the cost of our participation in the MCOH mission, a two-day relaxation retreat was factored in. That’s how we come to be enjoying the luxury and amazing game drives here at Sweetwaters Tented Camp. Mind you, these are glorified tents, complete with bathrooms which feature separate shower and toilet stalls (unlike in Mikinduri), extremely comfortable beds, awesome food, and a refreshing pool. The game drives are amazing. With just two excursions under our belts, we have already seen six lions, eight rhinos, a small herd of elephants and countless giraffe, zebra, warthogs, waterbucks and several members of the antelope family. And that’s not to mention Lily’s close encounter with the marabou stork that stuck its head in an open door of the restaurant and snitched her dinner roll!!

As a team, we feel very proud of what we have been able to accomplish while in Kenya. Again, your support for MCOH and/or for us as individuals, is crucial in our work. Assante!

Meet:

- Charlottetown resident Grania Scott is enjoying her second trip to Kenya. Last year, she was dedicated solely to the vision clinic, but branched out this year, spending some time sterilizing dental equipment. She connected with MCOH through a friend.

- Ken Campbell, former owner of Island Optical, and valued member of the vision team. Father of two and papa (grandfather) of two, Ken is married to his lifelong sweetheart Judy. Ken is also an avid runner and is eager to hit the trail when he lands home in Canada.

- Brian Bellefountaine, a Fredericton-area native, a semi-retired health care worker who spent much of his life in construction. Brian’s sister, Marilyn MacKay, is a member of the MCOH board and serves on the scholarship committee.

- Port Franks native, Liz Place, mother of three girls and grandmother of four (with number five on the way!). Liz’s late husband and Ted used to work together, so the two couples knew each other well. This year seemed to perfect time to experience Mikinduri. Despite injuries from a nasty fall, she worked full time in the vision clinic all week. We all admire her spirit!!

- Husband and wife team, Tom and Louise Campbell, parents to Lily whom you’ve already met. This trip is a celebration of their 50th birthdays – and what a celebration it is. Tom worked in the vision clinic while Louise was the team reporter and assisted Lily with craft clinics.

- Rosylene Karugutu (I saved the best for last), a Nairobi-based doctor who works at the hospital. Dr. Rosie, as she is fondly known, quickly befriended each of us and was a valuable member of our team. We arrange our drivers through a Nairobi tour company; Rosie works with the husband of the lady in charge so that’s how she found out about MCOH. While Rosie fully enjoyed her experience, she feels especially good about the people for whom we’ve made a lifelong difference; for example the boy with cancer mentioned above.

Sunday, February 19

What kind of people are these?

This question, so eloquently posed by three-year-old Beatrice, was certainly a legitimate one? Beatrice was one of many children who greeted us in the most remote area most of us have ever visited, a one-hour hike up Thuuri Mountain, starting from a three-building village. The “community” we visited up the mountain consisted of a cookhouse (with half a wall missing, but securely locked), and an amazing little schoolhouse, built by MCOH so the youngest mountain children do not have to climb down the mountain and walk a couple of miles to the nearest school at Kugwaru. Instead, they safely learn at this “just the basics” tiny schoolroom. Smiles were wide as we fitted pillowcase dresses on the beautiful mountain girls.

After climbing back down Thuuri Mountain, we climbed in our combis (vans) and drove the 15 minutes or so to Kugwaru. Believe it or not, some of the school children made it there ahead of us (many of them barefeet)! Kugwaru, site of a school from pre-Kindergarten up to Class (Grade) 8 as well as a MCOH feeding centre, holds a special place in the hearts of team members, especially Ted Grant. That affinity is due to the commitment of village members to meet MCOH part-way to collaborate on projects. For example, when Ted first visited Kugwaru, children did not attend school past Class 8, as they were required to work in the fields. MCOH agreed to support the school and build a feeding centre if the parents would commit to keeping their children in school until at least Class 8. Each year, the enrolment in all classes continues to increase – to the point that the village has asked MCOH for assistance in building four more classrooms.

The 330 students at the school get feed nourishing meals twice a day, six days a week, compliments of the MCOH feeding centre. As volunteers, we were thrilled to serve up a meal which was enthusiastically received by one and all students (a meal which would likely not entice too many Canadian students – a bowl of rice topped by some sort of thick multi-vegetable and spice-laden soup).

With their bellies full, the children were excited to perform for their visitors and were even successful in getting some mazungas (white people) to join in.

We were also privy to an exciting new initiative through which local people are creating charcoal (for heating) by using agriculture waste, rather than wood.

Our combi had an extra passenger on the way home. Eight-year-old orphan Bruce sat proudly on my (Louise’s) lap, called me “Mom” right away, and welcomed lots of hugs and back rubs. With a Kenyan mother (deceased) and a German father (who has not been part of his life), Bruce is considered “white” by the locals and has taken a while to fit in. Thanks to sponsorship by the Campbells, Bruce will be assured of a permanent place at Fr. B’s school, where he will receive regular meals six days a week. Like the other kids sponsored by team members and other generous Canadians, Bruce will also receive a uniform and sturdy shoes and the books he needs for school.

What do you get when you mix an eight-year-old, exhausted volunteers, several priests, and roasted goat? A Saturday night at local bar Makutu!! There were lots of mixed feelings, though, as the gathering was a send-off for valued team member Cheri who returned to Canada today.

Sunday was another busy day, albeit with a later start. Some went to church. Some went to visit Charia hospital, a smaller but cleaner facility than that in Meru. Some went to visit an orphanage which is home to 85 children, one as young as three months, who are HIV positive. Funded by an Italian NGO, this orphanage is much more state of the art than others team members have seen. As each child has an Italian sponsor, they are well looked after at the orphanage.

Another highlight of the day was the laying of the cornerstone for the maringa facility which is being constructed on the site of the Kinwe Feeding Centre (as described last week). We also got to see some maringa being dried in preparation for processing.

The weekend ended with a rousing game of “spoons,” introduced by our fearless leader.

Friday, February 17

A surgeon, a journalist, an accountant and an engineer coming right up. At least there will be if Veronica, Nancy , Esther and Eliud continue the way they are going. These four keeners are all recipients through the MCOH scholarship program. And today team member Kiona Heath – accompanied by scholarship committee’s Philippine Kaaka and team members Bea, Lily and Louise- visited them either at their school or at the local MCOH office.

Kiona is doing a project on behalf of MCOH and its scholarship committee, a committee with both Canadian and Kenyan members. The focus of the project is to determine the needs of scholarship recipients that go beyond tuition and textbooks. The move from primary to secondary school in Kenya is akin to Canadian students moving from high school or college. The secondary schools are usually boarding schools and many of our scholarship students are leaving home for the first time. Currently, there are eight students in the MCOH scholarship program, including two newbies this week.

“Wraparound support is so critical to these students,” said Kiona. “We must look beyond their educational needs and consider the other factors which impact them and can threaten their scholastic success. And who better to tell us about those needs than the students themselves.”

Some steps have already taken place to provide that support. For example, Martin the MCOH staffer responsible for the education programs delivered the new students to their schools and left his contact information with the administrators so they can contact him directly if there are any issues or concerns. Other suggestions came from the students.

Form 2 student Veronica reported that the Kanjalu Girls Secondary School is a very good school and that she “will work very hard to achieve my best.” However, she did suggest that having a quiet space available to study during the school breaks, when students are back home in their crowded and noisy houses, would be beneficial. She also suggested that having some discretionary funds available so they could buy extra revision books (sort of like Coles Notes) to assist them with exam preparation.

Michelle, our physiotherapist, has been working with a variety of patients in the clinics. She has seen many children with cerebral palsy, people with amputations, arthritis and mobility issues. She has also been doing a lot of education with people regarding back care and injury prevention.

“Many of the conditions seen here in Kenya are ones we only see in textbooks in Canada,” said Michelle. “It has been a busy but great week in the clinics.”

Highlights from Thursday included distribution of Smile dresses, donated by First Baptist Church in Charlottetown, to girl patients. Easy to see why they are called Smile dresses – these lovely young ladies were beaming from ear to ear.

Marlene MacDonald accompanied two patients to hospital in Meru. The first was a young man with a likely malignant tumour on his knee. He had been to a facility previously for assessment but didn’t return as he is an orphan and his aunt and uncle with whom he lives don’t have the wherewithal to get him care. The Ministry of Health does not look favourably on those who enter the system and discontinue their participation, yet don’t show much understanding of the other factors which come into play. The second patient, accompanied by her mother, was a nine-month-old girl weighing in at around 6 pounds, and suffering from a congenital heart disease. Both patients were admitted and will be followed up by MCOH.

“Our accreditation folks on PEI would have quite a field day at the Meru hospital,” said Marlene, employee of the PEI Health Agency. “This 400-bed hospital has at least 800-1,000 patients at a time, which works out to two and sometimes three patients per bed.”

With five days of clinics under our belts, we have served some 3,300 patients, providing medical, dental and vision care – and introducing countless children to the joy of crafting! When we say TGIF, we really mean it!!!
Meet:

- Kiona and Lincoln Heath, an American couple who originally found each other through their work in East Africa. Kiona, whose parents immigrated from Dominican Republic and Italy, was raised in New York. At age 16, Kiona attended high school in Ontario and then went on to McGill University. Although Lincoln was also a McGill student at the time, they didn’t meet until they both ended up in Kenya on a semester abroad. At the end of their semester, they linked up with MCOH through a relative of Ted Grant, who was also on a semester abroad, and helped set up the first feeding centre at Kinwe. That started a love affair with Mikinduri and eventually back at McGill, a love affair with each other. Back home in Vermont, that relationship continued, culminating in a Fall 2011 wedding. Lincoln is currently finishing his medical degree and Kiona is an advocate for victims of violence. Both love affairs are sure to continue: “We are both very attached to this kind of work,” said Kiona. “And we have a special affinity with East Africa.”

Wednesday, February 15

Today was even busier! The medical team saw 350 patients (up 90 from yesterday); dental saw 130 patients (up 30 from yesterday); and vision saw 250 patients (100 in the last hour) – for daily total of 730, and a to-date total of 1,700 in just three days. In addition, today 60 kids and three adults participated in the craft clinics.

On the sponsorship front, Grania has linked up with 12-year-old Joceyln while Greg and Leanne are sponsoring her six-year-old brother Rian. They are both orphans and are extremely blessed to gain this sponsorship!

The vision team saw two special patients today, both of whom could only see shadows. The first man is having surgery on one eye tomorrow and will have the other operated on later. The second, a giant of a man, was carried in by his son. He received glasses and a wheelchair – a double blessing!!

Kiona and local MCOH employee Martin took two newly-qualified scholarship students to their new (boarding) high schools today. What a huge deal for these two gentlemen. They were most appreciative and were assured by Kiona and Martin that there are supports available should they need them.

Overall, the Canadian and Kenyan team members are working together smoothly, with a great deal of respect on both sides.

Three patients were taken to hospital in Meru today, none of whom were admitted, unfortunately. A woman with TB was sent home, because she had previously been to another clinic. A woman with a fractured hip and a man with a septic knee were both sent home with meds. Due to the strain on the health system, many people who should be admitted are not.

Ted had a special visitor today. Sixteen-year-old Judith, sitting at about 2 ½ feet tall, came to the clinic site to thank him for changing her life. A couple of years ago, Judith received a wheelchair from MCOH, giving this sweetheart, who had to be carried everywhere, a real taste of independence. Judith is brilliant and articulate and aspires to become an engineer. We’re sure rooting for her!

As a team, we all feel really blessed to be here in Mikinduri in service to amazing people of Mikinduri and surrounding areas!

Tuesday, February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day!

A BIG news day! Where to start, where to start!

Joining a new class full of strange faces at Spring Park School would be well out of Lily Campbell’s comfort zone. So imagine how she felt this morning as she entered Class 2 at St. Dorothy Mossimo School in Mikinduri. Not only was she the only white girl in the class, she was the only one who knew no Swahili! (She was glad that Zanetta Ambassa, daughter of Makena Ambassa of Charlottetown Farmer’s Market fame, was in the class so there was one familiar face.) The students go to church at 7, then to school from 8-5 with a couple of breaks. In the end being the centre of attention proved too much for shy Lily so she skipped out part-way and helped the parish workers bag maize.

Shortly after Lily’s departure from school, the team was thrilled to know that two kids have joined our team clan, so to speak. Thanks to Michelle and Angela, two sweet little children have had their lives turned around. Michelle is now the sponsor for six-year-old Phineas, one of three kids, to a single mentally-challenged Mom. They live in a mud hut which is bad, even by Kenyan standards. Angela is now a sponsor-Mom to eight-year-old Fiona. She lives with her grandmother and her twin brother, and has been at the Chalice office every day since October asking if she had gotten a sponsor. Thanks to Angela and Michelle, these kids’ prayers have been answered – they will now get uniforms and shoes and have a better chance at life.

The excitement didn’t end there. I (Louise) happened into the maternity ward and realized that there was a woman in advanced labour, all by herself, standing up gripping the rails of a questionable hospital bed for all she was worth. Remembering the dedicated nurse who looked after me during my labour, I figured that I happened in there for a reason. I stayed with Rebecca rubbing her back for the two-and-a-half hours until delivery time. During that period, both Lily and I were able to listen to the baby’s heartbeat using a relatively primitive fetalscope. Since she was okay with it, I witnessed the birth of her extremely sweet baby girl. I was so thrilled to witness that birth miracle, I was honoured to be able to pick up the tab for her hospitalization and delivery.

Leanne accompanied a patient to the hospital in Meru. While there, she got a tour of the hospital, including the motorcycle accident ward, the AIDS ward, and the maternity ward. Despite the facility’s large size, most wards had two patients per bed. In the maternity ward, two mothers and two babies shared each single bed.

All in all, a sweetheart of a day! Complete with a candlelight dinner, thanks to a multi-hour power outage!

Meet:
- Ted Grant, who really needs no introduction to most people. His connection with Mikinduri started eight years ago when he first met Makena Ambassa. While he is quicker than a gazelle to deflect credit, Ted and the MCOH supporters he has amassed since then have made an incredible difference in the lives of the poverty-stricken people of Mikinduri. Though he originally had no intention of starting a new NGO, he soon found it was the quickest way to help the poorest of the poor. He is fondly known as Fr. Ted.

- Ted’s niece Libby Osgood, also well known in these parts. Libby, an engineer, teaches at UPEI. This semester, she has tasked her students with a unique assignment –they are designing a charcoal press making use of agriculture waste, to reduce the burden of gathering wood to produce the charcoal. This is both an engineering and cultural project. Libby has lived in four countries, but certainly has a special spot in her heart for Kenya. Libby is the team’s technology expert and is the overall coordinator of the clinics.

Monday, February 13

From what I hear, this was the smoothest opening day ever. One hundred and thirty-eight patients were seen at the vision clinic, 85 teeth were pulled from 75 patients, 260 patients were seen at the medical clinic (two of whom were referred to hospital), and 45 kids excitedly partook in MCOH’s very first craft clinic.

Team members Courtney Kennedy and Sue Donahoe fully integrated into the medical team and had experiences beyond their wildest expectations. Courtney was teamed up with a Kenyan physician and observed patient consultations. She witnessed a cyst being drained, saw the doctor diagnose cerebral palsy in an infant, and herself checked for an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). They also saw a patient with an extremely high blood pressure. And that was just the morning.

Sue started her day in the triage tent, where height, weight, temperature and blood pressure were measured – and from where referrals to the individual clinics were made. Sue recalls one big boy with a disability being carried for miles by his grandmother so he could see a doctor. She also saw a patient with an extreme skin condition.

In the afternoon, Sue and Courtney teamed up with a Kenyan nurse, Rose, to escort two patients to the hospital in Meru. One patient, a 27-year-old woman, presented with a swollen abdomen. The clinic doctor suspected a malignant tumour, but due to fasting restrictions, she would have to wait a day for an ultrasound. The second patient was referred with pregnancy complications. This woman was quite panicky until she was able to contact her husband using a borrowed phone. It ends up that women cannot be admitted to hospital without their husband’s permission.

While in Meru, Sue and Courtney saw many areas of the hospital. Sue, a medical radiation technologist in training, was especially delighted to have an up-close look at their X-ray equipment (film). They were told that some people arrive at the hospital early in the morning, wait all day hoping to be seen, often don’t get to, and then return the next day to start all over.

Meet:

- Charlottetown resident Courtney Kennedy, here in Mikinduri for her second time. Courtney has completed her BSc in biology at UPEI and has applied to enter medicine at Memorial University in Fall 2012. She is a volunteer at the emergency room at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

- Sue Donahoe, a Cardigan native, who is finishing her training this year at UPEI, graduating with a BSc in Radiology. Sue was in Mikinduri for the pre-week, teaching self-defence and Kindergarten (administering exams!).

- Shawna Quinn, the self-proclaimed “biggest bombshell between Cardigan and Kenya” – Sue may not agree! Shawna is here in Mikinduri for her 4th time and has no intention of stopping. This education assistant from Cardigan Consolidated remains very cool under pressure and is much loved here in Mikinduri. During the pre-week, Shawna taught school. She is the dental team lead.

- Cherie Butt, Mississauga resident who was born and raised in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. When she is not holding down several “jobs” with MCOH in Mikinduri, she’s in footwear sales. A black belt Karate guru, Cherie taught self-defence to the girls at St. Dorothy Mossimo school during pre-week. Cherie oversees logistics for the team and is co-lead of the vision team.

Sunday, February 12
The pews were full. The choir and congregation members were singing their hearts out, clapping with abandon and joy. The rosary was said ahead of mass. The sermon was long. And it was all in Swahili!

After a leisurely lunch, we got to it. It was time to get our clinics ready for business.

The vision team is 20/20 and has a clear vision. They had a productive day, sorting and organizing in the morning to prepare supplies to take to the clinic. Many preparations were done at the clinic area, including creating shady areas, reviewing procedures, setting up seating areas and individual rooms for testing.

With respect to dental, the dental assistant (Shawna) and the assistant to the dental assistant (Leanne) arrived at the grounds, but the tent for the dental clinic. The Kenyan dentists who have joined the team for the duration of our clinics will “specialize” in extractions only while in Mikinduri.

The medical team is quite robust, combining Kenyan and Canadian professionals. In total, there are 8 practitioners (physicians and clinical officers), 10 nurses (two Canadian), pharmacist, physiotherapist, nutritionist, assistants and some runners and interpreters. In the midst of preparations, Nancy, Canadian nurse and medical team lead, even did some landscaping – removing stones from the walkway so patients can get to the clinic safely. The clinic got power today, and are fervently praying they will have water for opening day.

To give you an idea of the state of the regular Mikinduri hospital, on Saturday, one of our team members,Liz Place, had a bad fall, injuring her head and her leg. She was carried to the hospital. Once she got there, her caregivers found that there was no electricity (therefore no light), no gauze, and no water. The maternity ward, which welcomed a new baby on Saturday, is like something out early movies, although it was just opened in 2007. (Liz assures you that she is recovering very well – and is hard at work in the vision clinic.).

Lily got her craft supplies sorted out and ready to go. Lots of foam stickers (a whole wheelbarrow full, to be exact), beads and beading twine. She also decorated the craft area with cheery Valentine banners.

Meet:

- Souris native Marlene MacDonald, who is well-known in Island circles as the host of the annual Queen Elizabeth Hospital Eastlink Equipment Drive telethon. Marlene decided to join the team a full three weeks before departure; therefore her preparations were fast-forward. “I’m now seeing the reality of the commercials – they are all true. The people are happy, but the poverty is mind-boggling.”

- Island friends Nancy Taylor and Ann Andrews, both on the medical team. Nancy is an RN at the Central Queens Family Health Centre in Hunter River. She has three sons and 8 grandchildren; her husband has elected to stay in Florida to golf this year. Nancy had such a great time last year, she signed up for a return visit and talked Ann into coming as well. Ann, also an RN, works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She has three children and 7 grandchildren; her husband is at home in PEI..

- Angela Trainor, a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist in Charlottetown. Angela has heard about the MCOH missions for years, and decided that this year the time was right. She and her friend Michelle Foster, love to travel and plan to explore Capetown and other South Africa locales before returning home.

- Jess Stewart, a true breath of sunshine. Jess has earned a BSc and hopes to become an optometrist. She currently works at Maple Leaf Foods in Guelph. She is a member of the vision team here in Mikinduri. In her spare time, she loves camping in Northern Ontario; she sometimes goes for two months without a proper shower, so our accommodations here are luxurious by comparison. Jess says hello to her Mom, Dad, brother Ryan and boyfriend Mike.

Usually being swarmed is seen as a negative. But when you are suddenly surrounded by 300 adorable, precious and grateful children, it definitely becomes a positive! That was our experience at the Kinwe Feeding Centre, one of the earliest projects funded by the Mikinduri Children of Hope (MCOH).

Before our trip to the Feeding Centre, though, we had to get to Mikinduri, crossing the equator on our way. Our trip from Castle Forest Lodge to Mikinduri was punctuated by a stop at the NacuMatt (Kenya’s version of Wal-mart, except for the security check at the entrance) which sells everything from housewares to hair products and booze to bedding. Speaking of bedding, we stocked up on pillows and large basins to wash our clothes.

By late afternoon on Friday, we arrived in Mikinduri – our home away from home for the next ten days. We quickly “checked in” at the No-Name Hotel (so named by the team because it has no name!) and settled into our rooms.

Those who frequent the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market were simply delighted when Makena Ambassa (our cook) served up her famous samosas for an appetizer! Our dinner was also delicious, followed by a team meeting to get oriented. We met the members of the local MCOH team who are all hardworking and friendly.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early, eager for a tour of the town. Through the dusty streets we strolled visiting the MCOH funded sewing centre, which is expanding its sales, and the local office.

Next up, we visited Fr. Bernard’s church and school. Fr. B, as he fondly known, is the pastor of the St. Mossimo Catholic Church in Mikinduri and a huge fan of the MCOH organization (the feeling is mutual). Fr. B also runs a privately funded school St Dorothy for children of his parish. The children were proud to sing to us and a few of the girls demonstrated their newly learned self-defence techniques (taught by our own Cheri Butt from Mississauga, Ontario).

Then the swarming! As we walked up the long and dusty road to the Feeding Centre, the children came excitedly to meet us. They ushered us to the Centre yard where we soon had the honour and privilege of serving them breakfast of porridge and later a lunch of rice (I’ve never seen such a HUGE pot of rice) and a stew of meat (special since we were there), beans and corn. Most of these children are sponsored by Canadians. We were treated to a program of songs and poems delivered by the children. We reciprocated by singing O Canada and leading the crowd in Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Hokey-Pokey, and If You’re Happy and You Know It.

To give you a sense of the children’s gratitude, I’m including the words of a prayer they recited:

Almighty Father, we thank you for giving us good friends. Our father Teddy Grands, Suzanne Johnson and others. We express our heartmost love for your kindness and care. We thank all other stakeholders, our beloved Fr. Bernard Njeru, our priest, our director Cynthia Muthoni, our teachers and other workers. May the good Lord keep you safe always focused and loving. We children will keep our spirit burning with desire to excel, to make our lives meaningful. Help us, oh Lord, help Kinwe Centre, our beloved home. Amen.

We were pleased to see the site of the soon-to-be-built Maringa Leaf Powder processing plant, which will be located at Kenwe. Maringa is the only vegetable that has the complete amino complex, so it has all of the elements to build protein. This leaf can be ground into powder that the locals sprinkle into Ugali, a porridge-like substance. It can also be taken as a supplement, made into a salve to rub on sores, mixed with tea for ulcers, and the root broken up into chips to filter water. There is a customer that will purchase as much Maringa powder as can be produced! This does not make MCOH any profit, but enables the farmer to sell a new product.

After a lunch back at the hotel compound, we got to work sorting out the many bags of “stuff”: glasses, medical and dental supplies, craft supplies, toys, school supplies and baby blankets. Later in the afternoon we went to the clinic area to meet with the medical professionals from Meru who will be part of our team – and to become familiar with the space.

Meet:

- Youngest team member, Lily Campbell, who is getting a great taste of Kenyan life. A Grade 3 student at Spring Park School in Charlottetown, Lily is excited to be part of the team. Her roles will be craft leader and assistant in the vision clinic. She also plans to attend school at Fr. B’s for a few days. To date, her highlights have been the feeding centre visit and seeing the elephants and giraffes early in the trip.

- Husband and wife team, Greg and Leanne Butler. Greg, born and raised in western PEI opened the original dollar stores in PEI. In recent years, he has operated Christmas Discounters stores in both PEI and New Brunswick. He is with the vision team. Leanne, an RCMP member, is part of the criminal operations section for PEI. Leanne has had key roles in post-war Kosovo and in the security detail at the Vancouver Olympics. Greg and Leanne live in Stratford.

- Physiotherapist Michelle Foster, an employee at Charlottetown Physiotherapy. She will be teaming up with an occupational therapist from neighbouring Meru to treat patients. Michelle is mother to two children – a seven-year-old Brooke and a five-year-old Sam – who are very excited that their mother is having this experience. Her son is especially excited about Mom going in the cage to watch the shark feeding in Cape Town, after her mission work. Brooke is hoping for some Kenyan treasures.