Day 20 Friday 24th February

Left 8am for Nyahururu, picking up Rosemary, two interpreters/community health workers and a local elder with professional pump bottles for the pesticide, to assist us today. Although the clinic was being run in a school only 60kms outside of Nakuru, due to the condition of the roads it took us 1.5hours to arrive there. It was a lovely surprise to see them all in readiness, basins filled with water, children who were affected by jiggers already lined up for treatment and the rest of the pupils in order of grade, awaiting assessment.

While Lyle and Rosemary focused on kick-starting the jigger’s education program, Sue, Tagisia, Nichole and Kathy focused on worming the entire school, treating those with obvious skin infections ie ringworm and triaging those in need of clinical assessment and treatment. A relatively small clinic was required with approximately 70 people young and old – including teaching staff- who came and were treated. By 1.30pm all had been seen and clinic ended for the day, with Lyle organizing for the remainder of the medical supplies for the jiggers program to be appropriately stored at the school. Rosemary and Katherine would be in charge of following up the progress of the program.

We stopped briefly at Thompson falls for a belated lunch enjoying the splendid view. On the way home, word was received that Ida was ready to be discharged – in Kenya patients are unable to be discharged until the hospital bill is paid. We sped back to War Memorial Annex hospital only to find that they were keeping little Ida in one more day as she was febrile. Both mother and child were in good spirits though. News was also received re: Alex is doing well; they actually operated on his right eyelid and the contractures under his right armpit. His next operation is scheduled for April, when they will target the webbing in his right hand.

Tammi Fenwick also rang and updated us with the news that Nemo is responding well and the gastroenterologist has ordered allergy-testing asap. Tammi will be returning to Mombassa on Sunday to organize a good carer to come and remain with Nemo for the duration of her hospital admission as Di will be needed back at the orphanage while Tammi and Patrick are overseas in Australia.

Finally returned to M.I.A. 6.30pm reuniting once again with Glenda, Gillian and Jenny who returned from their safari earlier today. So to date Kenya Health has kick-started 3 Jiggers-programs in 3 different areas. If this can be replicated in other surrounding remote area’s, this scourge can be finally eradicated.