So I’m starting this post while taking an extended lunch
break, why – it is pouring outside. I thought the rainy season was over but I
would be soaked to the bone if I tried to walk back to work right now, even if
I had an umbrella as the rain is coming sideways. Yesterday, the rain and wind
came together so hard that a large tree limb broke off. I was glad no one was
under it and that the staff cleaned it up as soon as the rain slowed. This rain
is necessary for the plants to grow and keep the Tenwek I call home green.
About a month ago I blogged about the Africa you think I live in (but don’t) so
this is a follow up to that post as I am writing about the Tenwek I call home.
Tenwek is in rural Kenya halfway between Nairobi and lake
Victoria and is in tea country – this means we drink a lot of tea, always with
lots of milk and sugar as well as grow lots of tea. Fields full of tea bushes
are a beautiful site. Many of the local people are farmers growing corn, beans,
potatoes etc. They also may work at the hospital, a bank or a store. People get
around in their own vehicles, walk, take a taxi or bus or hire a motor bike
driver to get around. They speak a mixture of kipsigis (local tribal language),
Swahili and English.
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| The misty hills |
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| A tea farm about 30 min from tenwek |
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| The view from the road leading to the hospital |
Tenwek however is something different in the midst of
Kipsigis land. It is a large hospital that provides care for the
area as well as trains Kenyan physicians, from all over Kenya. We have the ability to
not only teach medicine but disciple many in their faith. Here are some of the physician
groups that we train.
- · Clinical Officers (CO’s) – CO’s have their schooling at formal institutions but come out here for 1 year for their clinical internship they spend time in OB, Medicine, Pediatrics and surgery. We have 8 of these at a time
- · Medical Officers (MO’s) – MO’s have completed medical school but come to us for their intern year, like the CO’s they spend time learning/working in each of the services OB, Medicine, Pediatrics and surgery. We also have 8 of these at a time.
- · Family Practice Residents – After completing their MO intern year Kenyan physician’s can work for a few years before going into residency. We train 2 residents per year in Family practice which is a 3 year program, so that is another 6 people.
- · Surgical Residents – Tenwek trains surgical residents as part of PAACS (Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons) We have 2 per year in general surgery, and we just started an Ortho program which is another 2 per year so we have 14 surgical residents (if the math is confusing one year we took in 4 General surgery residents) and once the ortho residency fill up we will have 20 residents.
- · Medical Students – as part of their MO training we have med students come out for a few months this is about 10 at a time
- · Others – There are also other visiting African residents that spend time at Tenwek. As Tenwek is one of a few mission hospitals to have an ICU other residents come to learn here for a few months from other training locations in Africa. We also have residents coming to learn ophthalmology. So we probably have 2 of these at a time.
Every one listed here is African and they are all at Tenwek
for training if you total up the numbers that is 48 people that we are
training, and as the programs get full we will be getting more. Also some of
these individuals are married and many have children. With all this going
on we are running out of housing. It is the hospital's responsibility to find
housing for all these people and our current housing has run out. There are
plans to build a new complex to house these trainees and we would appreciate
your help. Would you be willing to make a donation so we can continue to house
and therefore continue to train high quality doctors for Kenya and Africa?
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| Some of the trainees gathering for bible study at Dr W's house. |
World Gospel Mission has an account set up specifically for
this project. If you are an American you will get a tax receipt, if you are
Canadian unfortunately you will not but I hope that will not prevent you from
giving to this important project. To give either follow this link https://www.wgm.org/tenwek-hospital-housing
or send a cheque to World Gospel Mission
note: for Tenwek Housing Account #125-35006
Donor Services
World Gospel Mission
PO Box 948
Marion, IN 46952-0948
Thank You.
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| The proposed building to house 44 people. |
