Rotary volunteers have returned from a massive international medical mission in Kenya which provided preventive health care services to thousands of children in the poorest neighbourhoods of Nairobi, a city still recovering from the post-election violence of December and January.
Rotarian Peter Sotheran from North Yorkshire joined more than 70 doctors, dentists, opticians and non medical volunteers from around the world for the first ever multi-medical mission led by Rotary,which combined health services, dental surgeries and optical checks.
Peter, a member of the Rotary Club of Guisborough & Great Ayton, helped coordinate the international team which included volunteers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, India, Japan, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania and the United States, many of them Rotarians.
Peter’s involvement began in April when he began collating the information on the professional skills of the 70 strong international team. Using his logistical expertise, he planned the airport transfers for almost a score of incoming flights over 3 days, booked the hotels and arranged home-stay accommodation with local Rotarians for a number of the international volunteers.
Once the camps went ‘live’ his days were spent monitoring the ‘hot spots’ redeploying the local volunteers as pressures built in one or another of the clinics. In his sparetime he prepared plans for a 2 or 3 night visit to a safari park asan end of mission treat for many of the international team.
More than 12,000 children and young people up to the age of 20were screened and treated during the two week ‘health and hygiene’ mission at the end of September, 2008. Those living inthe Nairobi slums of Mukuru, Mathare and Korogocho, where the poverty rate is high and access to preventive health care extremely limited, were particularly targeted.
Projects that were undertaken throughout the mission included: the setting up of dental clinics at local schools, eye treatment and examinations where the optical team produced prescriptionspectacles, tailored to the needs of each individual and a specialist HIV/Aids counselling and treatment unit.
A 150 foot-deep water well was also built in the village ofMithini, to put an end to residents having to walk miles each day to haul water from a polluted source.
An elated Peter said: "There were moments of drama, of humour and moments to touch the heart.
It was just fantastic. It was the most amazing experience, just to see the sheer number of people we were able to help. It was the first time I have ever come away from the dentist with a smile on my face!"
Recent UNICEF reports showed that the widespread rioting and violence that rocked Kenya in the wake of the disputed presidential election last December took a particularly high toll on the residents of Nairobi’s slums, where almost 60 percent of the city’s population eke out an existence on personal incomes averaging less than 60p a day. As usual in such circumstances, children were among the most vulnerable victims.
The Mission was directed by Rotarian Sally Platt of the RC ofMarietta Metro in Atlanta Georgia and DGE Connie Spark, anoptometrist from York Pennsylvania D-7390. Key mobilisation partners included the Rotary Action Group ‘Rotarians ForFighting Aids’ – RFFA – and the African Charities Heart Africaand Hope Worldwide.
The Rotary Clubs of Nairobi and Nairobi Northplayed vital roles in co-ordinating the local transport and practical support of all kinds. The Nairobi University MedicalFaculty provided 300 newly qualified doctors and senior students tohelp staff the clinics and pharmacy and to act as interpreters.Scores of local members of Rotaract joined the teams to help manage the crowds and provide logististical support.
The medical mission was supported by a $38,000 matching grant from Rotary’s charity The Rotary Foundation with a further Rotary matching grant of $49,000 funding the installation of the Mithini water well. The overall cost of the mission, including the travel and accommodation expenses borne by the individual volunteers was $1.5m. It is believed to be the biggest health mission in the 105 year history of Rotary International.
