Remote Access

The medical team completed a remote medical clinic during our first week in Kenya. We travelled three hours outside of Ongata Rongai to the small Masai village of Bissel, where we partnered with a local church to treat over 400 men, women, and children. 

For two days prior to leaving, we all sat together in a conference room at Beacon of Hope and sorted pills into small single serve bags... Over 25,000 pills later, we were ready to go. We packed up our sleeping bags and backpacks and hit the road. As we left the hustle and bustle of Ongata Rongai, we entered the flat, spacious land of the Masai with the beautiful Ngong hills spreading across the horizon.

When we arrived at Bissel, we spent our first hour emptying the front half of the church of its pews, tying up twine, and hanging blankets to create twelve treatment rooms and organizing the makeshift pharmacy.  Afterward, we split up into groups and walked deep into the Masai village to visit some of the people in their homes. 

We visited an old woman who lived in a 5x5 square foot mud home with her bed and kitchen all in one space. In order to speak with her, we had to walk through in a single file and take turns in her one-room home. Most of us could not stay long in the room because she had a coal burning fire going with only a small hole in the wall for ventilation.  This setup was typical of many homes in the village, and we found a lot of the people in Bissel suffer from respiratory illnesses as a consequence. 

When we got back from the home visits, after eating a hearty meal and doing some logistical planning, we joined members of the local church for a late night service that included lively singing, a conga line, and some dance moves that I'm certain most of us have never done before. We were blessed to join them in worship, even though we couldn't understand the Swahili. 

The next morning, we awoke bright and early and got ready for the influx of patients.  The folks from Beacon of Hope were inspiring with their level of organization and coordination in setting up areas for registration, triage, clinic rooms, an injection and vaccination room, laboratory, eye clinic, HIV testing tents, cervical cancer screening rooms, counseling, and a pharmacy! This whole operation was just a small church and dirt field less than 12 hours before!

At the end of the day, we were exhausted. Over 400 patients came through our makeshift clinic. 10 patients were referred to a local ophthalmologist for cataract surgery, many people were screened for HIV who'd never been tested, and nearly all the children were treated for parasites, which are a leading cause of diarrhea, malnutrition, and dehydration. 

Our perspective of our home base, Ongata Rongai, changed after returning from Bissel. What once seemed foreign, rundown, and impoverished when we first arrived in Kenya now felt like home -  polished and comforting. 

It's clear that the folks at Beacon of Hope, led by Mike Oloo and Jane Wathumi, are doing incredible things with limited resources. However, they never complain or seem despondent about the odds stacked against them and the impoverished people of Kenya. They faithfully trust the Lord to provide everything they need. It's a good lesson for us. Sometimes I think we give in too easily when we come up against obstacles or setbacks, when the money is tight or not forthcoming, or if we fatigue from the effort to do the good work for which we are called. This will be a reminder for all of us that great things are possible through God. 

...and one last thing.  We literally almost hit a zebra on the highway as we were driving home from Bissel. One of our new team mottos: We brake for zebras!