Pastor Daniel Ntheeu is the most incredibly dedicated man to his people and to our cause. He has completed the required building works of the Dispensary meeting the requirements of the Kenyan government. He has engaged with the doctor, who is the District Health Officer, and she is writing a letter of recommendation to accompany Daniel’s application for registration of the Dispensary to obtain a licence from the Kenyan government to operate as a Medical Centre. On top of all this Daniel has engaged the services of a registered nurse to commence working in the Medical Centre in July. The nurse is fully qualified as I understand even to practice midwifery. This combined with Ruth Ntheeu’s first aid course with St John Ambulance, should make a great combined service to the people of Kanthi. All this without the aid of Hon. Rachael Nyamai……still silence from this government minister! Daniel is very impressed with the assistance from the District Health Officer.

What a life changing experience this is for the people of Kanthi. They have water ‘on tap’ in the village. A Greenhouse growing a tomato crop to help sustain the village. A Nursery school for their little ones and now this Medical Centre within their village.

A couple of more requirements I wish to meet are to supply the medical equipment to equip the Medical Centre and also raise some funds to pay for the nurse’s wages for about three months until their tomato crops are viable to sell at market and hence bring in income to support the Centre. Pastor Daniel has negotiated a monthly wage of Ksh 25,000.00 which is approximately A$333.00 depending on conversion rate. Patients also will be required to pay for services to maintain viability.

I am currently contacting medical suppliers to try to obtain equipment, as per the list published in Bulletin Update No. 58, hopefully being donated by a supplier otherwise at a discounted rate. Currently I have enough money to pay for the equipment listed if Daniel purchases it in Nairobi and another term’s food for the Nursery school children. However that leaves me short for the Nursery school children’s teacher’s wages and the wages for the nurse. The Nursery school teacher’s wage being paid by the village was dependant on the Greenhouse and when the water was cut off then the crop that they had sown failed without water.

So I am planning another ‘small’ fundraising event possibly a garage sale in Anglesea or a mini walkathon in Melbourne…….I shall keep you posted.

If anyone wishes to read previous bulletin updates please visit the ‘new’ website, thanks to Derek Whitten, at www.walkforwater.com.au

Cheers,
HELEN

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Well we are ‘up and running’ full steam ahead again with regards to the Greenhouse. You might remember the water was cut off for sometime and I have not been able to get any communications from Hon. Rachael Nyamai MP for a couple of months. I rang her, she answered, said she was in a meeting and would ring back, that was two months ago. My subsequent emails have gone unanswered……so frustrating! However in speaking with Daniel last night he said they have had water once a week but then for whatever reason they had water for a ‘whole’ week and Daniel wisely filled both the 10,000 litre tanks, so he is very happy. Subsequently he told me that he went ahead and planted tomatoes and these are the crops below:

This means they will now have an income to pay the Nursery school teacher. I had sent money over for the children’s breakfast and lunches and for the teacher for the first term’s tuition.

The toilet (or long drop) as it is known has been finished as to the incinerator pit. Daniel received an itemised list from the doctor regarding medical supplies, which if you remember, Hon. Rachael Nyamai said the Government would provided once we built the centre and registered it. Apparently we cannot register it until she gives us a letter of authority to take to Nairobi!
The doctor said we have to access a nurse ourselves……still trying.

I am displaying the list of medical items they require. I am trying to decide if we can access them freely here then send them over, via someone, otherwise I shall send the money for Daniel to purchase them there. The total cost is Ksh 26,100.00 which is approximately A$348.00. I still have some funds however I was hoping we might have access via a medical supplier. Daniel wrote: The doctor said after the purchase of this items they would be in a position to reply on way forward,they also said since this is a community based facility the comunity is suposed to faccilitate the nurse.Thanks for the continued support

For those who wish to access previous bulletin updates please visit our website www.walkforwater.com.au

Cheers,
HELEN

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