My favourite picture now:

My studious librarian:

Underground Robert Library

From Popular Science Magazine

Infographic, from The Huffington Post

Read the story, or click the picture below for a very large pic.

Wow a month since we came home.

Very hard to get adjusted back to our reality. Hope to post more, and will post a slide show of our pictures.

We created a book, which will be shipped to us shortly, did some presentations and will do some more, and Lily got a full page spread in the paper!

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Arts/Entertainment/2012-03-31/article-2943920/Memories-of-Mikinduri/1

From: louise.campbell@tacsltd.com To: soccer_fun@live.com Subject: FW: Pictures Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 07:43:05 -0400

Kelly, can you please forward this one last email to the group. It includes a few pictures from our trip with the descriptions in the body of the email.

Thanks to you for being our contact person and keeping our friends and family up to date on our whereabouts and activities. I appreciate it! Thanks, also, to our family and friends who followed our journey. It sure was a FABULOUS trip!!!

Louise

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www.afamilyjourney.com

Charlottetown, PE

From: Louise Campbell

Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 7:14 AM

To: Louise Campbell

Subject: FW: Pictures

079: Juvenile elephants feeding themselves at the elephant orphanage

017: Lily on her bed in Mikinduri, surrounded by mosquito netting

048: Lily wheels a barrow of foam stickers to the craft area.

023: The baby that Louise “helped” deliver.

003: Louise holding “her” baby.

004: Children enjoying the craft clinic.

005: Mikinduri girls modeling Smile dresses

046: Lily and sponsor brother Bruce, both eight years old.

034: Lioness preparing to hunt at Sweet Waters Game Park

033: Playful cubs taking a break from stalking their mother

001: Lily models her Kenyan hairdo and wrap

003: Louise and Lily sip Kenyan tea while showing mementos of their trip

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www.afamilyjourney.com

Charlottetown, PE

A surgeon, a journalist, an accountant and an engineer coming right up. At least there will be if Veronica, Nancy , Esther and Eliud continue the way they are going. These four keeners are all recipients through the MCOH scholarship program. And today team member Kiona Heath – accompanied by scholarship committee’s Philippine Kaaka and team members Bea, Lily and Louise- visited them either at their school or at the local MCOH office.

Kiona is doing a project on behalf of MCOH and its scholarship committee, a committee with both Canadian and Kenyan members. The focus of the project is to determine the needs of scholarship recipients that go beyond tuition and textbooks. The move from primary to secondary school in Kenya is akin to Canadian students moving from high school or college. The secondary schools are usually boarding schools and many of our scholarship students are leaving home for the first time. Currently, there are eight students in the MCOH scholarship program, including two newbies this week.

“Wraparound support is so critical to these students,” said Kiona. “We must look beyond their educational needs and consider the other factors which impact them and can threaten their scholastic success. And who better to tell us about those needs than the students themselves.”

Some steps have already taken place to provide that support. For example, Martin the MCOH staffer responsible for the education programs delivered the new students to their schools and left his contact information with the administrators so they can contact him directly if there are any issues or concerns. Other suggestions came from the students.

Form 2 student Veronica reported that the Kanjalu Girls Secondary School is a very good school and that she “will work very hard to achieve my best.” However, she did suggest that having a quiet space available to study during the school breaks, when students are back home in their crowded and noisy houses, would be beneficial. She also suggested that having some discretionary funds available so they could buy extra revision books (sort of like Coles Notes) to assist them with exam preparation.

Michelle, our physiotherapist, has been working with a variety of patients in the clinics. She has seen many children with cerebral palsy, people with amputations, arthritis and mobility issues. She has also been doing a lot of education with people regarding back care and injury prevention.

“Many of the conditions seen here in Kenya are ones we only see in textbooks in Canada,” said Michelle. “It has been a busy but great week in the clinics.”

Highlights from Thursday included distribution of Smile dresses, donated by First Baptist Church in Charlottetown, to girl patients. Easy to see why they are called Smile dresses – these lovely young ladies were beaming from ear to ear.

Marlene MacDonald accompanied two patients to hospital in Meru. The first was a young man with a likely malignant tumour on his knee. He had been to a facility previously for assessment but didn’t return as he is an orphan and his aunt and uncle with whom he lives don’t have the wherewithal to get him care. The Ministry of Health does not look favourably on those who enter the system and discontinue their participation, yet don’t show much understanding of the other factors which come into play. The second patient, accompanied by her mother, was a nine-month-old girl weighing in at around 6 pounds, and suffering from a congenital heart disease. Both patients were admitted and will be followed up by MCOH.

“Our accreditation folks on PEI would have quite a field day at the Meru hospital,” said Marlene, employee of the PEI Health Agency. “This 400-bed hospital has at least 800-1,000 patients at a time, which works out to two and sometimes three patients per bed.”

With five days of clinics under our belts, we have served some 3,300 patients, providing medical, dental and vision care – and introducing countless children to the joy of crafting! When we say TGIF, we really mean it!!!

Meet:

- Kiona and Lincoln Heath, an American couple who originally found each other through their work in East Africa. Kiona, whose parents immigrated from Dominican Republic and Italy, was raised in New York. At age 16, Kiona attended high school in Ontario and then went on to McGill University. Although Lincoln was also a McGill student at the time, they didn’t meet until they both ended up in Kenya on a semester abroad. At the end of their semester, they linked up with MCOH through a relative of Ted Grant, who was also on a semester abroad, and helped set up the first feeding centre at Kinwe. That started a love affair with Mikinduri and eventually back at McGill, a love affair with each other. Back home in Vermont, that relationship continued, culminating in a Fall 2011 wedding. Lincoln is currently finishing his medical degree and Kiona is an advocate for victims of violence. Both love affairs are sure to continue: “We are both very attached to this kind of work,” said Kiona. “And we have a special affinity with East Africa.”

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Mission 2012 Blog #6 and #7 Dear Kelly,

Here is the blog from the travelers: If you'd like to view the pictures that are associated with them please view it on our website instead please visit www.mikinduri.com/tripblog Sharing Valentines Love...by Louise - Feb14th

Sharing Valentines Love - by Louise

Tuesday, February 14 - Happy Valentine's Day! A BIG news day! Where to start, where to start! Joining a new class full of strange faces at Spring Park School would be well out of Lily Campbell's comfort zone. So imagine how she felt this morning as she entered Class 2 at St. Dorothy Mossimo School in Mikinduri. Not only was she the only white girl in the class, she was the only one who knew no Swahili! (She was glad that Zanetta Ambassa, daughter of Makena Ambassa of Charlottetown Farmer's Market fame, was in the class so there was one familiar face.) The students go to church at 7, then to school from 8-5 with a couple of breaks. In the end being the centre of attention proved too much for shy Lily so she skipped out part-way and helped the parish workers bag maize. Shortly after Lily's departure from school, the team was thrilled to know that two kids have joined our team clan, so to speak. Thanks to Michelle and Angela, two sweet little children have had their lives turned around. Michelle is now the sponsor for six-year-old Phineas, one of three kids, to a single mentally-challenged Mom. They live in a mud hut which is bad, even by Kenyan standards. Angela is now a sponsor-Mom to eight-year-old Fiona. She lives with her grandmother and her twin brother, and has been at the Chalice office every day since October asking if she had gotten a sponsor. Thanks to Angela and Michelle, these kids' prayers have been answered - they will now get uniforms and shoes and have a better chance at life. The excitement didn't end there. I (Louise) happened into the maternity ward and realized that there was a woman in advanced labour, all by herself, standing up gripping the rails of a questionable hospital bed for all she was worth. Remembering the dedicated nurse who looked after me during my labour, I figured that I happened in there for a reason. I stayed with Rebecca rubbing her back for the two-and-a-half hours until delivery time. During that period, both Lily and I were able to listen to the baby's heartbeat using a relatively primitive fetalscope. Since she was okay with it, I witnessed the birth of her extremely sweet baby girl. I was so thrilled to witness that birth miracle, I was honoured to be able to pick up the tab for her hospitalization and delivery.

Leanne accompanied a patient to the hospital in Meru. While there, she got a tour of the hospital, including the motorcycle accident ward, the AIDS ward, and the maternity ward. Despite the facility's large size, most wards had two patients per bed. In the maternity ward, two mothers and two babies shared each single bed.All in all, a sweetheart of a day! Complete with a candlelight dinner, thanks to a multi-hour power outage! Meet: - Ted Grant, who really needs no introduction to most people. His connection with Mikinduri started eight years ago when he first met Makena Ambassa. While he is quicker than a gazelle to deflect credit, Ted and the MCOH supporters he has amassed since then have made an incredible difference in the lives of the poverty-stricken people of Mikinduri. Though he originally had no intention of starting a new NGO, he soon found it was the quickest way to help the poorest of the poor. He is fondly known as Fr. Ted. - Ted's niece Libby Osgood, also well known in these parts. Libby, an engineer, teaches at UPEI. This semester, she has tasked her students with a unique assignment -they are designing a charcoal press making use of agriculture waste, to reduce the burden of gathering wood to produce the charcoal. This is both an engineering and cultural project. Libby has lived in four countries, but certainly has a special spot in her heart for Kenya. Libby is the team's technology expert and is the overall coordinator of the clinics. A Grateful Girl by Louise - Feb 15th

A Grateful Girl - by Louise

Wednesday, February 15 Today was even busier! The medical team saw 350 patients (up 90 from yesterday); dental saw 130 patients (up 30 from yesterday); and vision saw 250 patients (100 in the last hour) - for daily total of 730, and a to-date total of 1,700 in just three days. In addition, today 60 kids and three adults participated in the craft clinics. On the sponsorship front, Grania has linked up with 12-year-old Joceyln while Greg and Leanne are sponsoring her six-year-old brother Rian. They are both orphans and are extremely blessed to gain this sponsorship! The vision team saw two special patients today, both of whom could only see shadows. The first man is having surgery on one eye tomorrow and will have the other operated on later. The second, a giant of a man, was carried in by his son. He received glasses and a wheelchair - a double blessing!!

Kiona and local MCOH employee Martin took two newly-qualified scholarship students to their new (boarding) high schools today. What a huge deal for these two gentlemen. They were most appreciative and were assured by Kiona and Martin that there are supports available should they need them.Overall, the Canadian and Kenyan team members are working together smoothly, with a great deal of respect on both sides. Three patients were taken to hospital in Meru today, none of whom were admitted, unfortunately. A woman with TB was sent home, because she had previously been to another clinic. A woman with a fractured hip and a man with a septic knee were both sent home with meds. Due to the strain on the health system, many people who should be admitted are not.Ted had a special visitor today. Sixteen-year-old Judith, sitting at about 2 ½ feet tall, came to the clinic site to thank him for changing her life. A couple of years ago, Judith received a wheelchair from MCOH, giving this sweetheart, who had to be carried everywhere, a real taste of independence. Judith is brilliant and articulate and aspires to become an engineer. We're sure rooting for her! As a team, we all feel really blessed to be here in Mikinduri in service to amazing people of Mikinduri and surrounding areas!

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Mikinduri Children of Hope | 25 Waterview Drive | Cornwall | Prince Edward Island | C0A 1H0 | Canada

Sunday, February 12

The pews were full. The choir and congregation members were singing their hearts out, clapping with abandon and joy. The rosary was said ahead of mass. The sermon was long. And it was all in Swahili! After a leisurely lunch, we got to it. It was time to get our clinics ready for business. The vision team is 20/20 and has a clear vision. They had a productive day, sorting and organizing in the morning to prepare supplies to take to the clinic. Many preparations were done at the clinic area, including creating shady areas, reviewing procedures, setting up seating areas and individual rooms for testing. With respect to dental, the dental assistant (Shawna) and the assistant to the dental assistant (Leanne) arrived at the grounds, but the tent for the dental clinic. The Kenyan dentists who have joined the team for the duration of our clinics will “specialize” in extractions only while in Mikinduri. The medical team is quite robust, combining Kenyan and Canadian professionals. In total, there are 8 practitioners (physicians and clinical officers), 10 nurses (two Canadian), pharmacist, physiotherapist, nutritionist, assistants and some runners and interpreters. In the midst of preparations, Nancy, Canadian nurse and medical team lead, even did some landscaping – removing stones from the walkway so patients can get to the clinic safely. The clinic got power today, and are fervently praying they will have water for opening day. To give you an idea of the state of the regular Mikinduri hospital, on Saturday, one of our team members,Liz Place, had a bad fall, injuring her head and her leg. She was carried to the hospital. Once she got there, her caregivers found that there was no electricity (therefore no light), no gauze, and no water. The maternity ward, which welcomed a new baby on Saturday, is like something out early movies, although it was just opened in 2007. (Liz assures you that she is recovering very well – and is hard at work in the vision clinic.). Lily got her craft supplies sorted out and ready to go. Lots of foam stickers (a whole wheelbarrow full, to be exact), beads and beading twine. She also decorated the craft area with cheery Valentine banners. Meet: - Souris native Marlene MacDonald, who is well-known in Island circles as the host of the annual Queen Elizabeth Hospital Eastlink Equipment Drive telethon. Marlene decided to join the team a full three weeks before departure; therefore her preparations were fast-forward. “I’m now seeing the reality of the commercials – they are all true. The people are happy, but the poverty is mind-boggling.” - Island friends Nancy Taylor and Ann Andrews, both on the medical team. Nancy is an RN at the Central Queens Family Health Centre in Hunter River. She has three sons and 8 grandchildren; her husband has elected to stay in Florida to golf this year. Nancy had such a great time last year, she signed up for a return visit and talked Ann into coming as well. Ann, also an RN, works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She has three children and 7 grandchildren; her husband is at home in PEI.. - Angela Trainor, a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist in Charlottetown. Angela has heard about the MCOH missions for years, and decided that this year the time was right. She and her friend Michelle Foster, love to travel and plan to explore Capetown and other South Africa locales before returning home. - Jess Stewart, a true breath of sunshine. Jess has earned a BSc and hopes to become an optometrist. She currently works at Maple Leaf Foods in Guelph. She is a member of the vision team here in Mikinduri. In her spare time, she loves camping in Northern Ontario; she sometimes goes for two months without a proper shower, so our accommodations here are luxurious by comparison. Jess says hello to her Mom, Dad, brother Ryan and boyfriend Mike.