Final Appeal for a Young boy and His Family

About two months ago I introduced you to a young boy named Kigen, his mother and younger brother, Tiktik. They live in a very remote village with the closest largest town being, Marigat, Kenya.

Kigen needed medical attention and I appealed through this blog for financial help.  It turns out his little brother, Tiktik travelled with him and unbeknownst to me at the time, he has a similar condition as Kigen.

This is Kigen.

We did get some financial help and for those of you who contributed I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Unfortunately the financial support received has not been enough to cover the costs to date and we have been stretched far beyond our ability as individuals to help this young family.

For those who don't know, this young family has been staying in the hospital.  Lodgings, food and medicines must all be paid for the two month period of their stay at the hospital. We have been able to feed the family and  cover the cost of medicine and medical attention for little Tiktik who is doing much better.

Originally we were told that Kigen was going to require surgery. However as time went on it was clear that the doctors think that Kigen's condition is hereditary and cannot be fixed by surgery or indeed be completely treated. However hee has improved under medical supervision and has grown stronger while his little brother was pronounced ready to be discharged a few weeks ago.

Kigen in hospital

Medical personel at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital have told us that they cannnot do more for Kigen so they are ready to release him.  In turn, we are ready to get him and his mother and brother home as soon as possible but we need your help.  The remaining costs we need to cover are the medicines and medical services for Kigen (at least $250 Canadian)  and the return trip home by bus to Marigat from Eldoret, then by taxi from Marigat to the nearest station to their home (another $200 minimum) and a bit of food ($30 or so,for the journey home).  When the taxi has taken them as far as they can go they must walk another  six (6) hours to get to their home where they will be reunited with the father of the boys and the other children.

Admission to the hospital.

We have done what we could to get Kigen the medical help he needs and though he is not completely healed we are happy that he is now stronger and has shown some improvement. We are also encouraged by his brother's remarkable improvement. We continue to pray that Kigen will improve more on his own and that he will not have any setbacks in his condition. We are also encouraged that his mother has been able to learn some of the national language of Kiswahili while she has been at the hospital because she could only speak her native tongue.  This new skill will serve her well in years to come.

Kigen's mother.

If you can help, please send your donation as soon as possible. You can find a donate button by clicking here  (see upper right hand corner).

Journey to Marigat

I want to say a big "welcome and thank you" to my newest blog followers: Chicken Underwear, Barbara Rosenweig, Jack and Donetta.

When I last left off on my Kenyan safari, I was just wrapping up the tour in the Nakuru National Park. Now I want to take you north, to Marigat, Kenya.  My memory is getting a little fuzzy but I believe it took about 5 hours to drive from Nakuru to Marigat with one stop at the equator.

You can see the Kenyan sky is quite cloudy in some areas. It looks like it might rain.  Yet in other areas it was quite blue. It was a very hot day that day and it was nice to sit in a large and comfortable van by an open window to catch the breeze created by the speed of driving.

This photo is taken on the site of the new visitors centre at the equatorial line in Kenya.

Here I pose for a photo.

I tried to get as many flags in one photo as possible.  My flag is in the foreground, I couldn't capture it if I wanted the big globe and the Kenyan flag in the photo too.

Marigat is a small town in the Rift Valley and it is known for its extremely hot and dry weather. There are no major hotels at this small town but there are places to lodge and to eat.  There are also banks and shops in the town.  Marigat, is the last main stopover for tourists before you drive on to a couple of well-established spa resorts located about 20 km away at Lake Borgoria to the southeast and Lake Boringo to the north.   I will feature the resorts in future blog posts.

Marigat also seems to be the hub of market activity for the surrounding villages.  There are many people living in small villages for miles and miles around.  Most of them are pastoralists and they go to  Marigat to buy things or to conduct their business.  I'm sure many villagers never even make it to Marigat and make do with what they have wherever they live. In my next post about my Kenyan safari I will take you to such a place.

The next few photos give you an idea what the terrain is like on the drive from Nakuru into Marigat. 

Seeing goats on, or along the highway, is a fairly typical sight.

The next two photos are taken on the highway just outside the town of Marigat.  It was market day and there were scores of people walking on the highway going to and from the market.

Although Marigat is a very dry place there is an Perkerra Irrigation Project in place.  I've read that this is responsible for the rapid growth of this still small but bustling town.  While we were driving on to a particular village we drove past a lot of the irrigated lands.

Here is downtown Marigat. It is full of matutus (small van buses) and people trying to get to their homes in far flung villages and towns. Everywhere too there are jeeps and 4x4s with people trying to fasten down their purchases and get a ride as close to their homes as possible as regular vehicles cannot make the journey.  Many of the people making the purchases have small stalls/stores in their little villages to service the other residents.

I'm always fascinated by the street scenes in Kenya.  This young girl was trying to sell me a bag of produce.

 

Women line the main highway to sell produce.  This kind of market place activity is quite common everywhere you go in Kenya. Usually the women purchase produce in bulk and then sell it at a small mark up to try and make a living each day  They work long hours and sit in the hot sun all the day long.  It is so hot and dusty in this place that I couldn't imagine me doing this. I needed cold water every so often.

We had lunch at this establishment that has a balcony overlooking the main highway and the activity down below.

Some people don't come to eat or drink. They just come to relax and watch people down below.

Our stopover at Marigat is not long. We only have lunch, use the facilities and buy water for the long journey ahead.  We are on our way to an outlying village and it will take hours over bumpy and dusty roads to get there. I have been there once before and am anxious to see it again.

In case you've missed other posts in this series, please do check them out. You can find some links at the bottom of this post.  Also check out my stories about little Kigen, the young boy who needs medical help. Please keep him in your prayers.

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Little Kigen's Medical Mercy Mission, Update March 30, 2011

I've been waiting for more information to be able to give you an update on little Kigen's medical mercy mission in Eldoret, Kenya.

The surgery we had been told would go ahead two weeks ago or so, did not go ahead after all.  Due to Kigen's fragile skin condition he has been under the watchful observation of a skin specialist and plastic surgeon.  This doctor must give the go ahead before any surgery is done.  In Kenya it is difficult when you are the patient or the family/friends of the patient, to be given details of your treatment. You must simply be patient and wait.

My friend Jonah has been helping Kigen's family get medical attention at the Moi hospital.  He says that what the doctors have been doing so far is cleaning the boys, and that little Kigen and his brother are very clean.  I don't really know if he means that the boys have been cleaned physically or internally with medicines, like antibiotics. I suspect it is a little of both.  I know that various topical treatments have also been administered to Kigen throughout his already 3 week stay at the hospital.

But we do not yet know what the ultimate treatment options for Kigen will be.

Fortunately Jonah was able to talk to the person in charge of the ward and was told that they are waiting for the report of the consulting doctor.  A 'lady' of Indian origin, the Ward Manager has refused to give up on Kigen and that has warmed the family's heart and Jonah's heart so much.  This woman was also the one who admitted them at the hospital and given the "hint" of surgery but she is still waiting for the report.  My friend Jonah is happy to report that the hospital is taking the utmost care not to do something that will worsen little Kigen's situation.

Jonah says he believes that Kigen will ultimately be able to get the help he needs.  Some of the boy's wounds have healed and he is moving around and eating.  This means he is gaining strength.

Prayers are requested for Kigen, his mom and his brother TikiTiki and for Jonah whose heart is heavily burdened by their needs. It is also his pocket that is sorely stretched. The burden of these things is heavy when you live in Kenya and don't know how you are going to cover the costs.  We are believing in God to speak to people's hearts about this need.

You can donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission through

 Pay Pal here. Just click the donate button.

Updates on Kigen will be posted here as they come available. Please bare with us as we wait for word from the medical doctors. 

Photo credits: All photos the property of Jonah at Missions of Hope.

If you wish to share this story, photos may be used with credit. Many thanks and blessings.

My Safari at the Nakuru National Park Continues

A big welcome and thank you to my newest follower, Maus Tratos ao Idoso Denuncie, which I understand translates to Report Abuse of the Elderly. This is indeed a worthy cause.

For those of you who have been following my travel series to Kenya, I'm happy to report that I will resume the series.  At the end of this post you will find links to the other posts in this series.  I've also started a new series on frugal living and, I will continue to post about little Kigen's progress on this blog also.

When I left off the tour in the last post on this park, we were seated in the car discussing which road to take. We decided to turn right.

Amongst the trees you will find a group of zebras. Did you know that a a group of zebras is not called a herd but a harem?  I just learned that by looking it up on line today.

A close up of the water buffalo with some kind of white bird in the foreground. I'm afraid I don't know what it is. (Graham from Namibia tells me they are egrets.  Thanks Graham!).  There are also several species of birds behind the buffalo.  You can get a better view by clicking on the photo to enlarge it.  The ones at the far back are Lesser Flamingos and Great White Pelicans.  There are so many kinds of birds that feed at this lake but the largest in  numbers are probably the flamingos.

A snapshot of the lake's beauty.

A Kenyan water buffalo grazes on the wet grass while two flamingos fly overhead. I was delighted to capture the flamingos in flight.

A Thompson gazelle grazes on the grass.

I want to get a closer look at the flamingos.  They are much farther away from the shoreline than they usually are. That is because there has been so much rain and the lake has been artificially enlarged but the flamingos remain where the lake's natural shoreline is located.

The water buffalo in the foreground and the flamingos in the background make for a pretty picture.

This is about as close up a shot as I could get on this trip. I don't have a fancy camera with the ability to zoom right in.

I believe these birds are called the Helmeted Guineafowl. My driver didn't know the name of them as he isn't a tour guide. He just kept telling me that the bird tastes very good.

Here is a close up.  We came across these birds several times during our tour of the park.  I think the spotted pattern on the feathers is so pretty.

The Great White Pelican. I love the look of their beaks.  If you click on the photo it will enlarge and you can see the beak up close.

I am not fully certain but I think this blue bird might be the Lesser blue eared Glossy starling.

I thought it was so pretty and it ran across the road several times during our trip.

Come back again soon so I can show you more of this beautiful country called Kenya.

Click here to read Part 1 in this series. It starts with my stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to read Part 2 in this series in Kenya. It continues with my sojourn in Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to read Part 3 in this series on Kenya where I stop to view a stunning lookout.

Click here to read Part 4 in this series on Kenya where I stop at Lake Elementeita.

Click here to read Part 5 in this series on Kenya where I talk about some hotels in Nakuru.

Click here to read Part 6 in this series on Kenya where I show you some tourist sites around Nakuru.

Click here to read Part 7 in this series on Kenya where I show you the Castle Without a Princess.

Click here to read Part 8 in this series on Kenya where I feature a collection of scenes from around Nakuru. 
Click here to read Part 9 in this series where we enter the park and begin to tour it.

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What's Happening with Little Kigen?

I want to welcome my newest follower, Nelson Issangya who originally hails from Tanzania and now lives in Oregon. Nelson I do hope you find some of my blog posts worthy of your time and interest. I've never been to Tanzania but I imagine it looks a lot like Kenya :-)

I hope you're having a pleasant Sunday. The clocks had to be set forward by one hour here last night so I am behind on things and catching up after losing an hour.  It is also still very overcast and rainy but I have some "sunny news".

Little Kigen is doing better. Jonah went to see him in the Moi hospital in Eldoret Sunday. I guess the little guy was asleep for most of the visit but Kigen's mom reported that he is getting better and being treated with ointment for the wounds and medication for the ears and eyes until he has surgery and further consultations with specialists later this week.

The hospital entrance.

The younger child, Tikitiki, is doing much better too. He is Kigen's little brother and his eyes are now clean looking and he can see too. We praise God for that report.  The mother is adjusting well to the hospital environment in the big city of Eldoret and she has been able to make some friends which is so important when you are far from home.

Jonah takes a bag of food to the hospital. When you are in hospital in Kenya you must bring your own food.

Some good nutritious food and water.

Currently there are many sick patients at the hospital.  This means that where possible, people are being doubled up in the available beds.  This includes little Kigen and his brother Tikitiki.  We are thanking God that the little boys are now able to stay together because initially they were in different wards due to their age difference.  You can imagine that for little boys so far from home and in a big, strange, place, they are far happier being able to stay together.

Since Kigen has arrived at the hospital they have given him IV treatments and blood transfusions in readiness for surgery. The skin specialist has been booked for tomorrow (Monday) and Wednesday is the surgery day. Just note that things can change without notice in Africa so we will update you when the actual surgery and skin study are completed.

Kigen being examined and prayed over.

I understand that Kigen's mom left behind a child in the village that she is breastfeeding so she has had some breast pain this week. Jonah is glad that she is with the boys in Eldoret as this makes the care of the children that much easier.  Please pray for these little ones, their dear mom, the surgeons, doctors and Jonah.

We gratefully accept donations to assist in little
Kigen's medical mission.

You may donate by Pay Pal by clicking here.
There is a donate button at the top right.

Updates on little Kigen will be posted when they come available.
Photo credits:  All photos taken by Jonah.

Click for a Cause

I want to thank my newest followers:  Cindy Adkins, gmirage, Regina and Ai Kai Rui Liu.  I hope I write something worthy of your interest as you grace me by your comments and make this blogging adventure worthwhile.

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Thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people as the strongest-ever earthquake to hit Japan triggered a tsunami that moved across the Pacific Ocean. Early reports from the Associated Press indicate that at least 300 people have already died.  Here is an excellent overview of  early responses from large international-aid charities, grant makers, and other groups. Click here for a link to the overview and ways you can help.

Twitter is all abuzz with tweets about Japan and prayers and help for the country. I found a helpful tweet about how to follow the disaster on twitter in real time.  Click here.

Map credit: Zimbio

It's hard to believe but it has only been a few days since I first told you about little Kigen. See here. While early blog posts had good readership and some donations, interest has slowed a bit. We know that is normal and other things distract.  But we are still praying and seeking God to meet all the needs related to little Kigen's care. If you can help, we'd love to hear from you. Please continue to pray also as that is so very important. Thank you and be blessed!

Kigen receiving IV treatment.

Kigen's need isn't as astronomic as the needs in Japan but they are just as real and catastrophic to him and to his family.  Together, ordinary people can have huge impacts in the lives of people, one step at a time.

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You can donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission.   

Donations can be made through Pay Pal here. 

Updates on his treatment will be posted when they come available.

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First Signs of Spring

While we await news of little Kigen and how he is doing at the hospital, I thought I would tell you about my little outing on Sunday.  I end this post with a short blurb on how to donate to Kigen's medical care.

I went out on the spur of the moment on Sunday past to enjoy a walk and take in a movie. The weather here has been alternately cold, windy or rainy and we've had very few sunny days. Sunday was an exception so I took advantage of the break in the weather.

As I went about I snapped a few photos of some of the early blossoms I passed.

I thought this wall of bamboo looked lovely.

Having experienced bamboo plants in my own garden I think it is better to plant bamboo in containers or they'll overtake the surroundings spaces.  I feel sorry for the neighbours.

This evergreen tree has obviously been here a long while too but I thought it looked so majestic.

I took several shots of this tree so you could see just how large it is...

... It positively dwarfs the vehicles.

This was the movie I went to see.  I know I left it a  little late to go and see it. It is probably out on DVD shortly!  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and it was very touching when the King made his speech.

This was the weather on the walk home. It had turned chilly. I had a brisk walk.

I thoroughly enjoyed my little outing.

If you are wondering whether you can still donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission, the answer is "yes". We not know yet how long the hospital stay will be and the medications that will be needed.  All of which in turn affects the food and lodgings required for everyone on the mission.

Whatever donation you can make will surely help.

You can donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission. 

Donations can be made via Pay Pal here. 
Just click the donate button.
Blessings.