On Saturday Sammy, Mark, Dr. Vincent and I traveled to Isiolo and took the all night bus to Marsabit. Our mission was to see Yewlanda and to buy shoes for the children of Parkishon. We also planned to meet with the Ministry of Health to partner with them to assist in Kenya's 90 day Rapid Response Initiative to eliminate jiggers throughout the country. We wanted to make sure the children of Parkishon were included in this Initiative. Yewlanda looks great. She is walking and is jigger free.
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| Baby Yewlanda |
Her brothers are also jigger free. A donor funded our trip to Marsabit and sent us with money to buy shoes for the children. The shoes help the children avoid the jiggers. We also were given $40.00 from a young girl who shared her birthday money to buy shoes for the children. While the children looked "better" following the medical camp we did in August they still broke our hearts. They are dirty because there is no water to bath them. They are in rags and some are naked.
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| The children of Parkishon |
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| Fitting them with new shoes |
Thanks to both the medical camp and Pastor Hirbo's weekly visit to treat the jiggers only a few of the children had jiggers. Pastor Hirbo will help them on his next weekly visit. We met with the Minister of Health and he said the answer to the elimination of jiggers in Parkishon is WATER. We are exploring now with the Ministry of Water. Pastor Hirbo is also teaching the women starting with Yewlando's mom how to use animal dung to help rid the house of the jiggers. You mix the dung with the dirt once a week and spread on the floor of the manyatta it keeps the jiggers away. Imagine...but it works.
Returning to Nairobi now...remembering the children of Parkishon in our prayers, Connie
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