Part II - LDS Charities' Projects in Kenya



Kisumu Branch - We just got out of church

 The pictures below are from the NRT Training.  The neo-natal resusitation couple from SLC came over for the training on May 14-25.  We assisted them in training 127 mid-wives, nurses in a 2-day course in two separate locations.  There were also seven pediatric physicians from Nairobi that helped with the basic training - at the end of the training we distributed the resusitation equipment to each participant who agreed to go back and then they become the trainers to other staff.  One in 10 babies have breathing difficulties when born, this training and equipment will help save many babies.
This is the Kisumu LDS Branch, the sr. couple also lives on the bottom floor, the chapel is on top - open air in the trees with a view of the city.  Kind of different to hear the city noise during sacrament!!!!

 Before we left, Dick is stuffing envelopes with Kenya shillings to pay 120 participants this stipend for travel, lodging and meals.  (Its like playing monopoly - only I didn't pass Park Place.  We were packing alot of cash - kind of scary!

 This is the specialist, Steve and Deb Whipple who have been to Kenya for 4-5 years doing the training of the physicians just days before the training. 

We were the ones who did all the arrangement of hotels, meals, conferences, training materials, importing the equiptment, travel. etc.

Check out the little dark baby manequins the participants work on as they practice their "Help Babies Breath" skills.  This 2-day class was held in a small, cramped hotel rooftop with no restrooms - but in the rural areas there was not much to pick from.  It was a difficult course and we couldn't stop until everyone passed.  Our days were long, we worked very hard, but the class worked even harder to learn the skills.  It was so worth it!!!





Check us out on the roof, we had computers, printers
to manage the training course

 The entire course (registration, facility, pre-post tests), had to be documented for the files and the church.  It was pretty intensive and first class.  We will be doing another course in the fall so we were glad to get the training and understand how it all works.  Steve and Deb are very capable and I think we all made a good team!  It will be fun to work with them in the fall and in 2012.

 This is the second class in Homa Bay, at a District Hospital on Lake Victoria.  The classroom was much better and the course went smoother.   Just to keep things challenging, the hotel we stayed at lost their power in the night and the class was to start prompt at 7:30 am - try getting ready in the dark!!!!! Nothing is easy in Kenya! 




The caterer making capaties - look closely!
She and her husband are Members

 There is no way for me to describe how the caterers pulled off meals for 65 people for two days - it was all made outdoors, by hand, in the dirt with no available water, electricity,  refridgeration or stoves, they would just fill buckets of water and carry them to the area on the grass and prepare all the food.  They cooked with charcoals and big pots - we were amazed.  It was all traditional african food!





We were sure surprised to see how nice the caterers set everything up.  So much hard work for the caterers, but there were no hotels or services so we had to contract the meals out.

 Dick was loving doing all the medical stuff - like he was back being a paramedic!   Next time he will be certified to actually train the trainers - he can't wait!   He got along with the physicians really well and they asked him to pass out the graduation certificates to the participants.  This is a project that we both believe in and enjoyed doing, anything but being in the office!!!!

 Like I said.... this is a rural area.  Check out the road ahead of us.  This is more the norm once you are in the bush.  Realize we are 8-9 hours from Nairobi on the Kenya/Uganda border, once in awhile we do have asphalt but most of the time its dirt roads.  Everything takes longer here and is harder to accomplish!!! But whose complaining - not me.

Well finally we had a little R&R.  This is over looking a game preserve at Lake Nakuru.    The Whipples were more than fun to be with as well as very hard workers.  The second week they were here we made site visits to set up two more locations for trainings in 2012.  It was a very busy two weeks but a nice change of pace.  Now back to Nairobi and the office and to get Whipple's on the plane to SLC.