01 July 14

Giriama Soak Pit

GIRIAMA DISPENSARY

     In five days I will leave to go to Minnesota. All of my family will gather for the first anniversary of the passing of my nephew, Alex Vitalis, on July 15, 2013.  The family asked that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to my ministry account to help people in need in Kenya.  Attached are pictures taken of the renovations to Giriama dispensary that included building a soak pit and improving the 

Giriama medicine dispensing station

pharmacy and laboratory.  These were empty rooms  with nothing in them at this time last year.
     Additionally money was donated to pay for a salary for a nurse at St. Patrick Dispensary for one year.  They opened a maternity unit in the informal settlement (slum) of Bangaladesh in April 2014 and have been delivering 6 to 8 babies each month.  This is a place with 50-60,000 people and no safe facility to deliver babies.

Giriama Pharmacy

 It is not safe to go out at night  and most women delivered their babies at home and hoped for the best.  Now they have skilled nurse/midwives to assist them and assistance to take them to a bigger hospital if needed.  We hope that after one year the service can be self sustaining and pay for the nurse's salary out of the money collected for doing the deliveries.     Alex was a person who cared deeply for others, especially those who were in need or excluded for one reason or another.  His memory lives on in the lives of these people and we are grateful to those of you helped us with your gifts.  We will never forget him.
   
 

Giriama Laboratory

   Many continue to ask how life is in Mombasa with the insecurity of this past month.  There is tension.  I met Sr. Veronica two days ago and heard the details of how her father was murdered.  It is a gruesome story and no one knows for sure who is responsible.  Al Shabaab claims they did it but the attackers knew the names of many of the 60 people they killed and were looking for them specifically.  This suggests that the attackers knew the town very well and perhaps had even come from the town.  When I ask people if they feel safe they say NO!  Personally, I don't go out at night and I don't go to big modern shopping centers or restaurants.  I go to a small little grocery in our neighborhood and when I go to a bigger store to buy something special (olives or ice cream) I don't look around at all.  I just buy what is on my list and leave as soon as possible.  The churches are also targets and I go to the Saturday evening Mass which is for the children's choir.  Not many people attend and while the children have a bit of trouble getting the right pitch and rhythm it's nice to support them.  It's not a liturgy that would be much of a target for someone trying to cause trouble.
     My work has not been affected too much. The trips I do to rural clinics are not in places that are very dangerous.  The roads are bad and the people are isolated so they don't pose much of a threat to anyone.  I continue to be amazed and frustrated by the incompetence and negligence of the public health sector.  I suppose after all these years I should start getting used to it and not waste my energy on things that don't work.  This causes me more angst than the insecurity.  I'm sure that getting a break and being with my family will help.  I plan to return to Kenya the middle of August.
     On Saturday the new moon was seen and the holy month of Ramadhan began.  This is the fast that all Muslims perform each year to purify themselves and bring them closer to God.  Hopefully we will all remember we are children of one God and should love one another as God loves us.

PEACE OF THE MOON OF RAMADHAN TO YOU