On Sunday, October 23th, we visit the babyhome in Rangala. This place is run by six nuns, along with several nurses. The babies and toddlers who stay here are either orphans or children who have been abandoned.
Sister Marie Esther asks me emphatically not to post photos of children online. She appreciates that we take the time to visit the place. On our tour of the baby home, we are told that a number of children are suffering from HIV. The HIV problem is really high and Sister Marie Esther tells us that in Kenya, there is especially a taboo on getting tested. This results that HIV mothers are often in an advanced stage of illness and die. When a baby is brought to the baby home, sometimes they are only one day old, they will be examined in an isolation room and stay there until they can go to the baby room. During our visit there were 8 babies, including 3 babies with HIV. The music echoes through the room and the babies are swinging along in their bed. Lovely to see the love the nurses have for the babies. Toddlers play outside in the courtyard. After the tour we are invited to have dinner with the nuns but first we are guided to the guesthouse. This guesthouse is also used by trainees of the Kellebeek College. It is very special to sleep in a bed with a mattress, sponsored by my own Kellebeek College.
In the morning we visit the hospital on the same compound. Sister Agnes guides us and speaks enthusiastically about the improvements that still occur.
Yet she still has a lot of needs to improve. On the compound, there is a small building ready for a dentist but unfortunately she can’t find a dentist who wants to work here. We promise her to try our network in the Netherlands. Who knows …. After visiting the delivery room, I realize again how well organised healthcare is with us.
According to sister Agnes this delivery room is better for women than a home birth.
Finally we visit the nursery school. In the classroom of Miss Pauline, the children sing for us, in English!
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At the end of the morning we say goodbye to Sister Marie Esther and meet Consolata, who will guide us to the primary school, sponsored by the Baja foundation.