Eye Care Kenya

Testimonials from Past Team Members | Testimonials from Villagers | Goals

Every parent wants to provide the best for their children. It is no different for parents living in Africa. Unfortunately, many of the villages struggle to have clean drinking water, adequate food supplies, medical treatment, and educational opportunities.

Eye Care Kenya was established in 2006 to address the needs of the children orphaned due to AIDS.

AIDS is devastating the country of Africa. According to information provided by UNICEF, there are currently over 34 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1.6 million of them residing in Kenya. SPANDA partnered with Empowering Lives International (ELI), to gather resources and to provide an eye care outreach program to the children of Kenya. Organizations, such as ELI, have provided basic treatment and educational material, but these villages still struggle. Spanda promotes the education and self-sustainability of the Kenyan villages. What have we accomplished?

In 2006:

• September 2006, Spanda established a permanent clinic in Kipkaren with state-of-the-art equipment and supplies to provide eye exams, prescription glasses, and ocular medications. During our first ten-day expedition, the Spanda team was able to provide assistance to approximately 300 patients in two Kenyan villages (Eldoret and Kipkaren).
• On behalf of Spanda, Inc., Dr. Fitzgerald purchased a satellite and the satellite feed for the native residents of Eldoret to facilitate communications with Dr. Fitzgerald and other U.S. health care providers. This has been vital to providing assistance with diagnoses as needed for eye exams and to relay information needed to manufacture and ship prescription glasses.
• The native Kenyan, Julius, was sent by Spanda, Inc. for additional optometry education in Mombasa. He now provides exams and is seeing almost 15 patients a day.

In 2007:

• September 27, 2007 through October 8, 2007 a selected team embarked on a second mission to Kenya, Africa. During this expedition, Spanda representatives attended the grand opening of the permanent 24’ by 48’ medical clinic in Kipkaren which was established by Spanda Inc. The clinic was filled with additional equipment, computers, medical and dental supplies.
• Additional training and materials were provided to the native Kenyan, Julius.

In 2008:

• April 10th, 2008, Spanda, Inc. made it possible for an incinerator to be installed. There is a need for proper disposal of hazardous waste and contaminated needles due to the high risk of HIV/AIDS. The incinerator will dramatically lower the rish of spreading these diseases.

 

Testimonials from Past Team Members

Dr. Ellen Miller, O.D. – When I was invited to be part of the team that went to Kenya for an eye care mission, I did not hesitate. I had always wanted to provide care to those in need. I had several colleagues who had done similar trips and had only rewarding experiences. I had some experience with helping in free meals programs and other non-profit, volunteer based work in the community, but nothing as large or as far away as Africa. But I did know that this would be a privilege, a start, an experience not to be missed.

Spanda, Inc. was a maverick from the beginning. First, we were not part of a much larger, already organized and experienced non-profit group. We were not a religious organization. We were brand new to this. Dr. Fitzgerald had a vision and a hope and a lot of support, but NOT much else. She was researching and organizing and planning as a stand alone non-profit unit.

By some small miracle the team compiled all the equipment necessary to provide very good, complete eye care in a mobile setting. This equipment was left there and a staff of nurses trained for on-going care.

Our trip was made easier by the assistance of ELI (Empowering Lives International). This organization operates the orphanages that we were visiting. By having this group, we were able to safely navigate every stage of our trip.

My impressions of this experience are many. It is difficult to sum up. Overall I was impressed. I liked the Kenya people very much. They are warm and proud and community oriented. They are fortunate to have a beautiful country with temperate weather and vast resources.

I was also impressed by ELI. While I do not know much about missionary work, I will say that ELI seemed to be an organization there to assist the people, not to save the people. I was impressed that they wanted to work within the culture of the Kenyan people, not necessarily to impose their culture. We were fortunate to be invited to participate in the care of these children and people of the surrounding community.

I was impressed by the care given to the children. These children had a family to care and love them. They had food and clothing and shelter and schooling. The family unit was fostered in this orphanage system. A family unit was a husband and wife with sometimes children of their own and then 12 girls and 12 boys. This family lived together, ate together, prayed together and worked together.

So much more could be done for the people of Kenya. The slums, seen from the plane as we descended into Nairobi and from the ground as we weaved our way through the city, are scenes no one ever wants to witness. The huffing children seen around the smaller villages; the alcoholics stumbling through town; the battered and bruised women and children who have no rights or choices; and the thousands who have AIDS. All of these people are human and need help.

Dr. Fitzgerald and Spanda, Inc. set up an ongoing eye care clinic. With funds raised, a building for the clinic was built by Kenyan people for Kenyan people. This clinic provides eye care, dental care, and obstetrics. We worked extensively with the staff to provide training and ongoing education. We envision an opportunity for the people of the village and orphanage to have care by the citizens of that same village. I felt hopeful that what we were able to accomplish was a start, an example, a privilege.

Dr. Robert Kingus, O.D. – The Eye care Kenya mission produced many "take away" moments for me. Certainly being able to put a pair of glasses on a 70 year old village elder and watch his face light up as he was able to see his wife several hundred meters down the road and the cows in the field across from the clinic was very moving. The most moving experience for me, though, occurred on the last day we saw patients in the clinic. The pace of patient flow had slowed to the point where Dr. Fitzgerald, Roy, and I had a moment to catch our collective breaths. As we did, we all looked around at the clinic in a "big picture" sort of way. We were amazed and pleased to see that, even without any guidance or input from the three of us, the clinic was running itself.

The local Kenyans had completely taken ownership and responsibility of every aspect of patient care from Roman, Ruth and others checking visual acuity, to Cosmos running the auto refractor and Julius checking ocular health and verifying patients' refractions. It was such a beautiful sight, it almost brought me to tears. In my mind, this is what our mission is all about. Certainly our goal is to help and provide as much vision care during our stay as possible, but it is more imperative to empower the local Kenyans to be able to sustain the clinic and continue the care that we bring. This is not possible without continued support from Spanda, Inc. and the surrounding Cedar Rapids and Corridor communities. Without this support, we cannot help the people of Kipkaren sustain this wonderful venture of providing eye and health care to their community.

Michele Burnes, P.A. — I had the great pleasure and honor this year (2007) of teaming up with Dr. Fitzgerald for medical/eye care mission to Kipkaren, Kenya in Africa.

My background is in family medicine. I am a physician assistant and currently practice in a small family medicine clinic in Urbana, Iowa. I also do emergency medicine. For many years my experiences in medicine have been filled with diseases, diagnosis and treatment. I have been very fortune to love what I do.

When Dr. Fitzgerald approached me about taking a team to Africa I of course said absolutely. Like most people I did my research is it safe? What will I do? What will they need? I really thought I had prepared myself both physically (vaccines, etc) and emotionally.

Well…Surprise!!! In my 20 years of health care– I had many wide eye opening experiences.

The poverty, disease and lack of resources were unimaginable. The first experience for me was when we landed in Nairobi, Kenya. We were greeted by ELI staff at the airport –we loaded up the supplies in the van taxis and took off to spend the night in the missionary home. On our way the traffic was slow—no rules, no lights, no street signs. We unfortunately came upon an accident scene with multiple trauma victims.

A taxi van ran into a large construction vehicle parked with no lights or no hazard lights(NO RULES IN KENYA FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY) .I quickly did what I am trained to do-- I looked out the window and started to triage the patients. I counted 5 victims: 2 fatalities, 1 critically wounded and 2 severely wounded.

I instructed the ELI staff to pull over so we could assist these people who had multiple injuries from trauma. . Of course working in emergency medicine and caring for trauma victims I felt confident that we could assist these patients. The taxi staff and ELI staff paused--- they all look to Adele who was our lead missionary. There was this moment of awkward silence. Michele –we can not stop. WHAT??? I could not believe what I was hearing. The staff informed me of all the reasons why we could not assist on scene to these victims-reasons that never crossed my mine. In the US it would be unethical not to stop. No – what we call Good Samaritan laws, no equipment, no gloves (41% people HIV positive)-no police protection. I paused to process in my mind what they were saying…They were right of course.

As we drove away---I realized how out of control and out of my comfort zone I really was. WELCOME TO KENYA!!!

After that experience I was really unsure of what would happen next. We arrived at the mission house and were greeted by all the staff and missionary groups who were there on different missions. It was a relaxing, motivating night to hear all the work the missionaries were doing to help the people of Kenya. The next day we took off in flight to the village. Our greeting from the children and staff at Kipkaren was nothing like I had ever experienced. The joy and appreciation that we were there to help them was contagious.

The illness, diseases and poverty I saw over the next few days was overwhelming. To try to tell the many sorry stories is emotionally too much. Trust me –its life changing!!! I was able to do some home visits in the village .I met a family of six -- single mother (Lillian) with 5 children (new 6 week old twins) all starving.

Lillian had no resources, the father had left some time previous. No cow, no crops, no clean water–nothing but a mud hut and a pregnant dog.

The pain and sadness in her eyes was heart breaking. Did you know if you are a mother and you have no food to eat you won’t produce breast milk? IMAGINE –how you would feel. Yes--- she has severe post partum depression. When I left Lillian’s home- I knew that I could not help everyone in Africa, but I could help Lillian’s family.

I can not express enough the kindness and faith of the Kenya people and ELI staff. They are doing amazing things to better the life for the Kenyans.

Upon return home to the many blessings I have –I scheduled my next return to the village. So many things we can do to help them get clean water, medical care and supplies.

I will never stop supporting the local charities for my neighbors, friends, and family. We in the United States do amazing things for each other/ charities etc. But I have more neighbors now, more friends and more family. To anyone who wants to help by giving of their time, money or prayers it will be so greatly appreciated. Sincerely Awakened!

Roy Brandt – You want to know why I find it fulfilling and worth while to go to Kenya and fit eye glasses? There was one older lady who we saw for an exam…she had dense cataracts, and not being surgeons we were unable to remove them for her. As a result her distance vision was not going to be good no matter what. However we were able to fit her with a pair of reading glasses. These helped her to see the smaller print.

Instead of being upset that she wouldn't be able to see things far away she said to me "Oh good, now I can read my Bible. I've had to bother people to read it to me, now I won't have to do that, I can read it myself." She was so grateful to be able to see to read, she didn't complain even once about us not being able to help her to see far away.

That is the general feeling we got most of the time we were in Kipkaren, people were glad we were there to help as we could, and to at least give them answers if we could not help them. Being able to help train the native staff was incredible, these people have such a heart for the others in their community that they just couldn't learn fast enough to be able to help others. And this is what its really about being able to help them, to the point where they can continue to serve their community, even though we aren't there...

Lori Beaurivage – One of the very small memories I have that keeps coming back to me is: there was a man that had been dispensed glasses that was very excited to see through them. He had said, "It looks like a window that has been opened!" He was outside the clinic later, and I noticed he wasn't wearing his new glasses, so I asked him why. He patted his shirt pocket and said he had them safe, right here. They were precious, he was saving them for when he really needed to see. Little encounters like that one stay with me.

Testimonials from Villagers

Alestar

Alestar woke up early in the morning to begin his journey. He had been told that eye doctors were visiting the clinic in Kipkaren and his grandmother, his Gogo, had been squinting for months. He pressed his pants the night before, so that he would not waste the morning light. He could hear the rain falling lightly on the metal roof of his small hut and he tucked his pant legs into his socks, so that they would not be muddied and caked in the red clay.

He walked, he took a bus, and he walked a little more. It took him over an hour to reach his Grandmother’s house in Nagong Hills. When he arrived, she was patiently waiting for him. Her small frame draped in a long purple skirt, she wore a black Nike stocking cap to keep the morning cold from her ears. In one hand, she held a knotted wooden cane that supported her like a wise, arthritic finger, her other arm wrapped around her grandson’s youth for support.

They walked slowly to the bus stop. The bus would be able to take them close to the clinic, but there was still more walking to do when it stopped. Alestar began to worry that they would miss their chance to see the doctors. Heavy rains from the night before had soaked the clay roads into mud and Gogo’s cane kept getting stuck. When the bus dropped them off, Alestar rented a bicycle porter to carry gogo on the back of the bike. Alestar walked beside them to the clinic. At 9 a.m., grandma and grandson were climbing the incline that led to the clinic doors. People were already lined up waiting to be seen, but there were open spaces to sit on the wooden benches.

When it was their turn, he helped her into the clinic and took an old, worn, yellow booklet out of his backpack. It was his grandmother’s medical history, recorded in Swahili, in no particular order across the pages. “See,” he said pointing to a few penciled markings, “that is where it says blindness.”

After the appointment, Alestar stood talking with some of the men that were waiting to be seen, Gogo rested in the grass underneath the shade of the large tree in the front lawn. New gold frames sat on her nose.

A young woman approached her there, as she sat in the grass, and asked her how she was doing. Gogo turned toward the girl and bringing her weathered fingers to her eyes, she touched the frames.“This,” she said, tapping the glasses, “This is God.” And a knowing smile crept across her windswept face.

Mary

Imagine yourself at the age of 17 and a single blade of grass or a single leaf on a tree didn’t exist and one day you discovered the world in a new light by being given the gift of sight. This reminds me of Mary, 17 years of age, who was brought to us in Eldoret by her mother and father for an eye exam. The examination proved she was visually impaired, so we supplied her the exact prescription. Immediately the young lady began to smile, while repeatedly taking her glasses off and on. You could feel the excitement welling up when she sees her mom waving at her from a distance or sees her classmates up ahead. The realization that she had one less challenge in her future; a future of endless possibilities made the experience worth while. The very next day her mother wanted to tell us that all the way home with her dad she was giggling about all the things she could see-like leaves on trees and the sunset on the horizon—her mother wanted to let us know that Mary was the brightest of all her children and that she would be able to further her future in higher education. She continued to smile while telling me her daughter expressed interest in becoming a doctor!

Henry

The gift of sight is not age specific, young and old derive much pleasure in being able to see. While in Kipkaren on the last day, our team met Henry. Henry was 56 years of age and had numerous visual imparities including, bilateral cataracts. Minimally, we accessed his needs with the limited resources available and were able to manufacture an exact prescription. Immediately placing the glasses on the bridge of his nose, an enormous smile resided. Instantaneously he jumped up and began to sing and dance. He rushed out to the many waiting to be examined and feverishly telling them how wonderful it was to be able to see.

Julius

This expedition is reaching its end and time is running out for us to see more patients, But the greatest measure of the expedition’s success was given when we overheard Julius, our trained local Kenyan, tell a patient "not to worry, come back tomorrow and I will be able to do your eye exam". When returning home, we received communication from Julius stating he was seeing almost 15 patients a day only 1 week after us leaving. Not only that but some patients were traveling nearly 3 hours one-way to see Julius. This is when you realize that you helped sustain a village with continued hope and in keeping with the motto of the people of Kenya "Harambee": "Let’s pull together."

Kevin

2006 Eye Care Kenya expedition supplied over 300 eye examinations. Many of the patients were able to receive their exact prescription glasses on site. Due to Kevin having such a special need prescription, we needed to manufacture his back in the states. The eyeglasses were shipped to him directly and when the orphanage received the package they looked at the name and strength of the glasses, and knew it's got to be Kevin’s glasses. They went and found him at school and he was thrilled with his new glasses.

See more on the website www.spandainc.com or on the docs blog http://docfitzgerald.blogspot.com/2007/10/welcom-to-kipkaren.html

Goals

Spanda, Inc. continues to supply the Kipkaren medical clinic, the orphanage, and the school with needed supplies and equipment. And, Spanda Inc. is working to provide the Kipkaren village with a fresh water supply. The following outlines these needs:

Water Project: Spanda, Inc. has initiated a partnership with Metro North Rotary of Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the Eye Care Kenya Water Project. This will provide a clean and ample water supply to the eyecare/medical/dental clinic built by Spanda, Inc. in 2007, to an orphanage that serves at least 700 children, and to the at-large Kipkaren village. The water project will impact thousands of villagers in need of fresh water and will offer the opportunity for surgeries to take place at the clinic as well as for the future production of ready-to-use-therapuetic food to combat malnutrition faced by so many. $20,000 is need to complete this project, with the well being drilled in 2009.

Eye Care Clinic Supplies (refurbished or new): Portable Phoropter Stand, RM-8800 Topcon Suto- Refractor, Ophthalmoscope, Handle for Ophthalmoscope, Ishihara 14 Plate Color Test, Stereo Randot, Tono-Pen XL Starter Pack, Kerotometer, Projector/Eye Chart, Biomicroscope, Portable Phoropter Stand, Laboratory equipment, Portable Auto Refractor, Projector, Biomicroscope with Teaching Scope, Hand Held Instruments (Retinascope, Ophthalmoscope), Lensometer, Non-Contact Tonometer and Edger.

Ophthalmic Drugs (new or are recently expired): Tobradex, Systane, Zaditor, Elestat, Alamast, Vigamox, Zymar, Betimol, Alphagan, Lumigan, Pred Forte, Xybrom, Xylatan.

Over the Counter Medicines: Caltrate 600 Plus Chewables, Children’s Non-aspirin Quickmelts, Prevacid/Naproxen, Children’s Prevacid Adult Prevacid, Bactrim (Sulfamethoxazole 800 mg & Trimethoprim 160 mg tablets), Amoxicillin, Acetaminophen 325 mg, Benadryl 25 mg, Ibuprophen 200 mg, Amoxicillin chewables 125 mg, Lomotile (Loperamide hydrochloride 2 mg), Prilosec OTC, Nexium 40mg, Symbicort Inhalers, Antacand 4 mg, Benicar, Rhinocort Nasal Spray 32 ug, Synthroid.

Other materials needed for the general Medical Clinic include Oral Rapid HIV test kits, Sterile Non-Adherent Pad, Iodine Swabsticks, Sponges, Elastic Bandage Roll (Ace Wrap), Non-sterile Gauze Sponges, 3” Surgical Tape, Bandaids, Non-sterile Roll Gauze, Round Bandaids, Comfeel Hydrocolloid Dressing 8”x 8”, Duoderm Extra Thin Dressing, Thin Hydrocolloid Dressing, Hyanosol Island Wound Dressing, Small hydrocolloid Wound Dressing, Low Profile Hydrocolloid Dressing, Flexigel Hydrogel Pads, Thin Foam Dressing, Thin Non-Adherent Dressing, Thin Small Non-Adherent Dressing, Control Gel Formula Dressing, Silvasorb, Heel Dressing, Surgical Drapes, Surgical Towels, Sterile Gloves, Sutures, Sterile Saline Flushes, Irrigation Trays, Flush Bags, Epbrine Flushes, Bulb Syringes, Lidacane Inject, IV Starters, Bacitracin Ointment, 1% Hydrocortisone Cream, Protective Ointment, Cavraklenz.

Spanda, Inc. is also working to provide a dental chair, which is needed for the local Kenyan that has been trained and educated in dentistry. The dental chair will be purchased from an organization in Nairobi called MEDS (Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies). The clinic is registered with MEDS, which offers quality and affordable drugs and supplies to mission clinics and hospitals.

Educational Supplies: Text and reading books, laptop computers, and basic school supplies are needed for both the orphanage and the village school.