Charleston to Kenya - Part 2

Plateau Mission Hospital, Kenya

The next day we drove two hours to the little Plateau Mission Hospital after stopping at a girl's school and had a greeting committee waiting for us including local dignitaries, hospital staff and board members.

We toured the hospital and had many formal introductions and speeches. The ceremony was planned for the afternoon and the whole gang walked down to see the source of their murky water at the river. We walked to the local elementary school and turned on the tap for the kiddies to drink from. Walking onto the school campus the kids were in the yard singing and dancing to welcome us. Scott became (thankfully!) our official spokesman since speeches seemed required everywhere we went. He turned on the tap and cupped water to take a first drink and them was rushed by the kids trying to get their chance.

Then we hiked up the hill to see the treatment system that was already delivered and ready to function. After speeches and prayers we were invited to officially turn on the tap and let the clear pure water flow there. There was such a rush of happy excitement it was difficult to even get a good photo for all the little shaved heads trying to get to the tap.

They had set up a tent on the hill for the commissioning ceremony and we were advised to settle in for a long afternoon. There were poems about water, songs about water, dances, speeches and sermons. The hospital board members, the pastor, the physician and head nurse matron spoke. Scott gave a speech but it apparently wasn't long enough to impress and they kept signaling him to go on...and on.....an on. The ceremony went on for at least three hours and with the children curled up in the shade under the trees, everyone settled in to listen for the afternoon.

Close to the end the women came out from under the trees with a ceremonial song and thanks. They gradually formed a circle and we were to go around to greet each person. By this point everyone was laughing and singing. We shook hands in a rhythmic manner and then rubbed both cheeks, greeting each person in turn as they continuing singing and swaying. It was awesome. They had token gifts for us and luckily I had planned ahead. Besides the bags of toys we had an official gift of a clock with a message inscribed and I had taken a quality stethoscope for the physician.

I started taking pictures of the kids and letting them see themselves in the viewer. This brought squeals of hysterical laughter from people who had probably never seen an image of themselves. They pushed each other forward for a turn and were so eager I could hardly get individual shots.

By this time we felt a connection with the hospital staff. We were to come back the next morning for an official meeting with the board but it was almost teary leaving them that afternoon. We felt that we had been lucky enough to connect with sincere good people trying to do the best they could with what they had on hand. I was impressed with both the physician and the nurse matron. My nursing background was helpful here and I took as many pictures of shelves of supplies and hospital wards so I would remember what they were working with. They explained that half of the usual hospital admissions could be prevented with pure water.