The Rotary Club of Homa Bay participated with the RC of Victoria to receive a matching grant from Rotary International to send two containers to Kenya. One of school supplies to the Kakamega area and one to Homa Bay with medical equipment. Unfortunately the second container for Homa Bay never arrived because of the turmoil at the beginning of 08. The delays and price increases ate up most available funds. The remaining funds were used to purchase medical kits for Homa Bay. They were carried to Kenya by NGO agents and early this week I delivered them to the Rotary Club.
We have travelled some pretty awful roads, but the one to Homa Bay has to be amongst the very worst. We bumped and swerved around the potholes on the road from Kakamega to Kisumu, then sailed along a wonderful road built by Israelis for just an hour. Then we hit the dirt road. It must have been tarmacked at one stage, but the cover has completely gone leaving a roadbed of rocks and stones. This was for about an hour and a half. So it took a total of more than 4 hours to cover about 160 km.
Very hot and very dusty we arrived at the hotel owned by a Rotarian to discover our front tire was deflating. The askari (watchman) helped change the wheel (there was also a rip in the sidewall) and we had the puncture fixed on our way out. In addition, the shaking had broken the clips holding the front grill and lights in place. The askari wired it togetehr for us and it held until we reached our mechanic in Kisumu.
However, we were of course warmly received by the Rotarians who were delighted with the drugs and supplies and we had a very pleasant evening with them. The public hospitals have no drugs and few pharmacists (none in Homa Bay) can afford to stock them. The doctor who received them kept saying: We never see this... this is impossible to find..no one can afford this...I have sent them the group picture with all the drugs displayed hoping they will be able to use it for publicity. The doctor calculated the supply will last about 3 weeks since they treat about 35,000 patients a year.
I have posted pictures of the Rotarians receiving the drugs and a couple of the town of Homa Bay and the road. There is also a picture of the past president of the club sitting in a chair that
We have travelled some pretty awful roads, but the one to Homa Bay has to be amongst the very worst. We bumped and swerved around the potholes on the road from Kakamega to Kisumu, then sailed along a wonderful road built by Israelis for just an hour. Then we hit the dirt road. It must have been tarmacked at one stage, but the cover has completely gone leaving a roadbed of rocks and stones. This was for about an hour and a half. So it took a total of more than 4 hours to cover about 160 km.
Very hot and very dusty we arrived at the hotel owned by a Rotarian to discover our front tire was deflating. The askari (watchman) helped change the wheel (there was also a rip in the sidewall) and we had the puncture fixed on our way out. In addition, the shaking had broken the clips holding the front grill and lights in place. The askari wired it togetehr for us and it held until we reached our mechanic in Kisumu.
However, we were of course warmly received by the Rotarians who were delighted with the drugs and supplies and we had a very pleasant evening with them. The public hospitals have no drugs and few pharmacists (none in Homa Bay) can afford to stock them. The doctor who received them kept saying: We never see this... this is impossible to find..no one can afford this...I have sent them the group picture with all the drugs displayed hoping they will be able to use it for publicity. The doctor calculated the supply will last about 3 weeks since they treat about 35,000 patients a year.
I have posted pictures of the Rotarians receiving the drugs and a couple of the town of Homa Bay and the road. There is also a picture of the past president of the club sitting in a chair that
was in the container. I saved it for them so they can use it as a fund raiser for their club.
1 comment:
A general commeny: Pat, I picked up your blog through awcc. Just wanted to say how much I have appreciated your 'news'.
Maeve
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