Marafiki AIDS Orphans

Rafiki Turns on the Afterburners!

February, 2010

When I visited Rafiki this month, it was clear that major progress is occurring on the Rafiki campus simultaneously in many different areas. Here are just a few examples:

Opening of the Clinic

A Rotary International Matching Grant involving District 6690, The Columbus Rotary Club, District 9200, and the Nairobi North Rotary Club, spearheaded by Rotarian David Vieira for $17,500 provided for the equipment and supplies to swing the doors open on our Clinic at Rafiki.  We were fortunate to recruit Susan Munga, MPH to take the position of Health Project Director and use her considerable project management skills to help Dr. Henry Njenga, Medical Director and Chair of Rafiki Board to get the clinic up and running. The Clinic at Rafiki is the best equipped clinic and laboratory in the region.

John, Susan, and Henry	Equipment being unpacked prior to opening
Approaching the gate for the opening	President Joyce of Nairobi North helps open

Thanks to Rotary funding, basic lab testing including AIDS testing will be available on site. We are also equipped to provide space for women of the region, all of whom give birth at home under suboptimal conditions, to come here with their midwife to give birth. Sterile supplies, and concentrated oxygen will be available for the newborn. Running water and electricity are all hooked up and working. President Joyce Waiyaki, Nairobi North Rotary, and I cut the ribbon for the ceremonial opening.

BP Check and examination room	Plaque recognizing Rotary and donors

The final hurdle prior to actually opening for business is Government inspection and approval. Dr. Njenga runs several government clinics in Nairobi, so he knows how to navigate the various regulatory processes to make that happen. The plans are to open the clinic to the general community and charge $0.50 for children and $1.00 for adults. If they can’t pay we will still take care of them to the extent of our ability. The clinic will be staffed by an advanced practice nurse, a practical nurse, and a lab technician 5 days a week. Medical backup will be provided by Dr. Njenga and his wife, both physicians. This staffing pattern is the best in the entire region, and the onsite lab sets it apart. We are applying for some grant support from the Government to assist, and our projections are for the clinic to ultimately be self supporting.

The Laying of the Foundation Stone for the Newark Rotary Trade School

The Rotary Club of Newark made a very generous donation that allowed us to resume construction on what we have named the Newark Rotary Trade School. This will be home to five trade schools now scattered around and without a place to put their equipment and carry out their classes. Five schools (carpentry, welding, computer skills, hairdressing, and dressmaking) will equip Rafiki graduates who are not heading off to University or other advanced schooling with a solid trade and skills to make a living in today’s world. With unemployment estimated at between 30% and 40% in Kenya, this school will make all the difference for our Rafiki kids. We hope to dedicate the school on August 14, 2010.

Wood arrives as construction resumes	Heading toward the roof- much activity
Plaque recognizing Newark Rotary	Ceremonial trees planted outside school

Rafiki goes green with new Biogas facility
A dream only six months ago, Rafiki now generates its own biogas (methane) from what’s left over after the cows have eaten the grass and grain and given milk for the kids—cow dung. One wheelbarrow full of dung is placed into the receptacle on the left side of the complex along with an equal amount of water each day. It goes into a three part chamber at the base of the gas collecting tank and methane is released which is captured in the tank, sealed by the circular sleeve of water on which it floats. As more gas is produced the tank rises, as more is used for cooking, the tank settles down. The second day’s dung delivery pushes the first day’s deposit into the middle chamber, and after three days it emerges on the other side as highly enriched fertilizer useful on the farm. It turns out that one wheelbarrow full a day is plenty; more produces more gas than we can use. The amazing thing about this facility is that there are no flies, and no smell! Besides being good for the environment, and convenient, and reliable, Rafiki would have to pay $1500/year for gas if they were to buy bottled gas. Up to this point, they have used firewood for cooking. Biogas is far more efficient.

Collection chamber with input on right	Dr. Njenga shows output without any flies
Before- wood used for fuel	After- modern gas cookers

Upper Arlington High School rallies for Rafiki
Tess Galantowicz and Gerrit Hobson, two seniors who are raising money for the Clinic as part of their capstone project, came to Rafiki to see first hand what is going on. Not only are they raising money at home for the clinic, but they brought with them enough donated soccer equipment, collected by Eric Furst, another UA senior, to equip two teams. These donations were enthusiastically received by the Rafiki Kids, and were immediately put to use.

Tess and Gerrit making presentation	Let the games begin!

With all of this rapid change and progress going on, it is important to remember that all of the projects on the campus: the Clinic, the Trade School, the farm, the Biogas: all are in support of the kids at Rafiki—giving them the chance to grow up educated, with self worth, faith, and a sense of direction. And that is happening. As a witness to that is the fact the Rafiki family is reaching out to those even less fortunate: the Street kids. But we are out of space for now. More on the Street Kids later. For now, just continue to remember: it’s all about the kids.

“Thanks to all of our donors!” www.marafikiaids.org