March 2015 – Walk for Water

I received a lovely telephone call from Daniel last night advising me of the situation in Kanthi village. He was so excited to speak and tell me of the successful fundraising event that the people held last Sunday, 8th March. All the village people contacted their family members in the big cities or overseas and requested them to collect a donation from other family members and friends

They raised in excess of Ksh 200,000.00 plus 100 bags of 100 kg of cement were donated on the day. If the conversion rate is approximately 70 cents then they raised nearly $2,900.00……this is why I wish to continuing helping these people as they are so willing to help themselves…..their Government does not seem to help them. From the women digging the 8 km. trench with their hands (see Kanthi Bulletin Update No. 5 of 8th August, 2012) to holding a fundraising event as Daniel said “so we don’t have to ask Hellen to give us more money’! They wish to build a room to house the nurse and also toilets for the nurse and patients……hopefully a septic tank for the Dispensary. Daniel intends to fence the Dispensary in so that everything is ‘under lock and key’ for safety reasons.

During the conversation Daniel also advised me that they had approximately 20 children enrolled in the Nursery school for 2015. Here again they will persist to try to continue with their projects. Daniel ordered uniforms for the new children and when I was relating this to two lovely ladies they donated $100.00 for the uniforms…….so generous!

Another little piece of news that Ruth related was that the Government releases water to the village one day per week, of a Friday. It certainly is not enough but they ‘were grateful for small mercies’! They hope when the rains come then the source will be able to sustain them.

I received a further reply to my email requests from Ostrich……a Government Health Specialist:

Hi Hellen,

It is quite sad that the water project crashed. The success of a water supply project relies on the source. I suppose this a larger public scheme. This may as well be inadequate, which is often the case.

Regarding the dispensary matter, Daniel require to engage with the Kitui County Director of Health. The government and faith-based health institutions had structured mechanisms for collaboration and partnering all along. This may have changed a bit with introduction of county government structure. Nevertheless, the two (public &affair has-based) health systems should work together with effective stewardship. I am looking at deliberations of the Kenya Health Policy Forum on sustainable institutions for universal health care and will advice Kanthi project appropriately. For the time being, Daniel need to contact/consult the Kitui County Health authority. Registration of the facility with Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board either as a Community or Faith-based facility is a regulatory requirement. At the same time the facility should be registered as a Service Delivery Point (SDP) under Kitui County Health System. As a SDP, the facility can be provided with vaccines and family planning resources free by the County government.

We continue interacting through this forum

Cheers

Ostrich.

I am disappointed at the defeatist attitude of Octrich ‘It is quite sad that the water project crashed’. This was such a viable project and can be rejuvenated if the Government ‘lifted their game’, and he is a Government worker! Let’s hope that Hon. Rachael Nyamai may have time to respond to what her Government is doing ‘to assist the people of Kanthi’, her constituents. Her constituents are more than willing to help themselves. They are to be commended! I hope to have some photos from Daniel soon together with news of the registration of the Dispensary.

Should you wish to view past Bulletin Update please visit the website www.walkforwater.com.au/news

Cheers,

HELEN

I am writing further to the matter of having the Dispensary operational. Prior to received the email from Ostrich, I had contacted the Nairobi hospital and spoke with Sister Anne Itotia, a Mercy nun whose name was given to me by Sister Mary Geason, in Melbourne. I spoke with Sister Itotia who put me in touch with Dr. Osoro-mbui who in turn advised me to contact CHAK (Christian Health Association of Kenya, a missionary organization).

However I since received an email from Peterson Muriithi (Ostrich) whom I met when he was in Australia and when he participated in the Walk for Water event. Ostrich is a Public Health Specialist in Kenya and I note his email and my response with regards the Government’s part in the Dispensary. My comments in my response are due to the ‘failed water issue’ due to the Kenyan Government:

Dear Hellen,

I congratulate you for the consistent support to the people of Kanthi. I differ strongly with Daniel’s position regarding the dispensary. I am well versed with the organization and regulation of health care in Kenya as a Public Health Specialist. Registering and licensing of the dispensary with the government is a legal requirement. It is also important to distinguish the ownership of the facility as whether Community or Faith-based. Majority of public dispensaries (level II) in Kenya are community initiatives which eventually are taken by the government. The community remains key stakeholders and are involved in the management and leadership. On the hand the government is responsible for staffing and supplies. If the dispensary is established as a faith-based, the facility can also benefit from government support of it is affiliated to Christian health Association of Kenya (CHAK) or Catholic Secretariat -health.

Further, if the establishment of the dispensary is felt need, then I don’t see the reason it cannot be supported as develop agenda of the County Government.

I foresee a major setback if the facility goes solo. The fee collected cannot sustain a clinician, probably they can afford salary of a enrolled community nurse.

This development requires some guidance.

Regards,

Peterson (ostrich).

My response:

Hi Ostrich,

So nice to hear from you after a long silence. I am pleased that you are still receiving my Bulletin Updates and are “up to speed” with the developments in Kanthi village…..the model village with a Water Kiosk (water supply), Greenhouse (food source), Nursery school (education) and now Dispensary (health).

I appreciate that licensing of the Dispensary with the Government is a legal requirement and I shall address this issue with Pastor Daniel.

I wish this Dispensary to be registered as a Community based dispensary owned and run by the people of Kanthi under the guidance of a clinician. This too will be in consultation with Daniel. I am dubious about the Dispensary being “eventually taken by the government” due to a previous case related to me whereby the Government took charge and the Dispensary has closed.

Disappointingly is the case of the water issue to Kanthi. I have written emails to Hon. Rachael Nyamai regarding the issue of the water source being ceased since September 2014 to Kanthi and Rachael rang me in Australia and said that money was the issue and did not really know when the source would be connected. Rachael also promised to have one classroom of a Primary school built by December, 2014 for the Nursery school children to transfer over to Primary school. This was not completed and when I asked when it would be built in several emails, there has been again silence, sadly.

You having lived in Australia and participated in the Walk for Water and saw the effort we made in raising money for the initiatives in Kanthi village and now to see the project fail and the domino effect the water has on the Greenhouse crops, they have failed due to lack of water…………..I am beginning to have scepticism after three years of hard work. I do not wish to abandon the wonderful people of Kanthi, especially the women who have worked so hard therefore I request that you as a Public Health Specialist initiate and implement what you advised, that is “On the hand the government is responsible for staffing and supplies”.

When we licence the Dispensary will you as a Public Health Specialist order and deliver supplies and staff the Dispensary please? Also when will this happen, how long after we apply and are granted a licence for the Dispensary? Please be realistic in your response and not just “political spin”.

You stated “this development requires some guidance”, what are you therefore offering?

I look forward to your urgent reply as we need to have this operational a.s.a.p.

Cheers,

HELEN

As Ostrich contacted me I do hope he will reply in the affirmative to my requests, that the Kenyan Government will view our gestures and give continued support to our initiatives. Lets hope they also see light to reconnect the water as it is very expensive to buy water! These wonderful women dug with their picks and shovel “now in vein”……how lucky are we?

If you wish to read previous bulletin updates please visit the website www.walkforwater.com.au/news

Cheers,

HELEN

Month: March 2015

Update Bulletin 52

Update Bulletin 51