Sometimes there are so many things on my mind and in my heart that I don’t know how to organize them in order to share them, hence the reason I haven’t blogged in quite some time. We’ve been in Kitale for two months now, and are continually learning of greater needs here among the people of Kitale. I’m planning to share a series of stories over the next month about life on this side of the planet. I will begin by sharing about our first personal experience with malaria.
Apparently, mosquitos go for the “sweet ones” and so two weeks ago, Amy became the first of the Beagles to join the Malaria Club. Fortunately it was a mild case, easily diagnosed and treated, but it raised our awareness of what the nationals face when malaria bites. For Amy, the malaria caused severe stomach pain and regular trips to the bathroom, resulting in a weight loss of 4 pounds over a 3-day period. For those unable to get medical attention, the consequences are much more dire.
Despite our regular precautions of a living in a secure dwelling, and the daily use of intact mosquito nets, it didn’t take long for us to experience this common disease. While Amy’s diagnosis and treatment cost us only $7.50, this represents approximately 11% of the average monthly income of a Kenyan family. Couple this with the fact that most Kenyan families have 3 or more children to support, do not live in a secure dwelling, and do not have intact mosquito nets, and it is easy to understand why malaria is considered one of the planet’s deadliest diseases, killing an African child every 45 seconds.
At our Children’s Home, one of the most common reasons for a visit to the doctor is malaria. The children at our home have mosquito nets, however many of them need to be replaced because of holes and tears. In addition, we recently learned that most of our children prefer to sleep on the floor rather than in their bunks, because of the extremely poor condition of their mattresses. Rather than feel the wooden slats of the bed frame through the deteriorating mattresses, they throw their mattresses on the cement floor so at least there is flat surface under the bed. This means they are not sleeping under their nets, and are therefore at a much higher risk of contracting malaria on a regular basis.
Because of staffing issues, Jason has spent the last week sleeping in one of these bunks at the children’s home. He has now personally experienced the discomfort, sleep deprivation, and itching that our children there endure every night. Watching Jason try to function at a reasonable level with so little restful sleep for only one week, has given us a much better understanding of why so many of our children are also doing poorly in school.
The children at our children’s home are supported by sponsorships provided through Christian Relief Fund. Each sponsored child receives approximately $32.20 per month of the $35/month sponsorship cost. Even with this generous support, all of our children at the home are living below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. The $32 per month that each child receives covers food, hygiene supplies, one outfit including shoes every year, and primary school costs. Not covered in the monthly CRF sponsorship amount are secondary school expenses for older children past grade 8, or periodic larger expenses such as new mattresses, bedding, and mosquito nets. Also not covered are the operating expenses of the home itself, such as staff salaries, utilities, and building maintenance. The Children’s Home currently depends on donations beyond the CRF sponsorships to cover these costs.
The cost for a decent foam mattress that is expected to last 2-3 years with a new blanket, sheet set, mosquito net, and a board to go under the mattress to reduce uneven wear is approximately $47. We have 53 kids at the Home, meaning we will need nearly $2500 to cover the cost for all the kids to be able to get a good night’s sleep in a mosquito-safe bed for the next couple of years.
We know that so many of you already sponsor children, or support us in the work we are doing here. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity. If you would like to help us provide additional support for these children in the form of a safe and sound night’s sleep, please click on the Mattress link at the top of the sidebar to donate to this project. Life here can certainly be overwhelming at times, but we are also learning that when we are totally out of resources, whether it be time, money, or energy (or all three!), God shows up with His abundant supply. May He bless you as you consider helping these precious children.
