In the community of Wanjengi, a village with close to 35,000 people, resources are extremely limited.
UCF assistant professor of nursing, Jannie Gichia and her husband Frank Mwangi Gichia were quite familiar with this east central African village. Frank Gichia left the village and his family in 1961. So several years ago, when the decision for a family swimming pool in their home in Florida was to be made, the Gichias took action, donating the funds for the pool to instead renovate the local school of Wanjengi.
Still, Jannie Gichia was not satisfied. Gichia could see a severe lack of adequate medical care, "The closest place for health care was 15 miles away and the roads are very difficult to traverse by car. This barrier prevents people from seeking preventative services, and when they do seek care they are in advanced stages with severe complications." Added Gichia, "many people die before they can get health care."
With this in mind, the couple donated the family house in Wanjengi to the village. The house, once belonging to Frank Gichia's mother, sat unused until recently when Jannie Gichia started pursuing the idea of a local health clinic. "The house we donated had been empty for 12 years and it is a stone four bedroom house. We realized it was a sin to allow such resources go unused in Africa when so many people are living in very poor circumstances and had no place to go for health care," said Gichia.
The house alone was not enough to fund the clinic. The village would need a paid staff, supplies and training for its volunteers. Thanks to an organization of Candle makers in California and a grant of $7,500, the Gichia's were able to hire a licensed nurse practitioner for the clinic. Along with a nurse, the clinic will house ten other individuals trained by Gichia to spot signs of high blood pressure or diabetes, with the help of medical kits arranged by Gichia. These emergency "kits" filled with common medical aids such as blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, digital thermometer, penlight, watch and notebook, will greatly improve the chances of disease detection and survival for the villagers of Wanjengi.
However, the difficulties did not end with the money struggles. Jannie Gichia pointed out a large problem was, "determining where to go for official sanction of the project as there are no clear directions about who approves what," and added that "obtaining licensure and permits is difficult -- The specifications for the clinic were never clearly spelled out and we just had to keep changing things until the health officer finally said it was OK."
Still another problem found by Jannie was "finding a nurse with the skills we needed in a rural community clinic. Most nurses work for the government or mission clinics and finding one who was in the area which is my requirement was a problem. I wanted a nurse from the area because that would increase the community connectedness. I also had to be sure the nurse was accepted by the community." In May, the couple traveled at their own expense to the village of Wanjengi. Frank Gichia acting as her interpreter, Jannie Gichia planned to train twelve missionaries as local health care providers, using the medical kits she purchased. However, when she arrived, Gichia found far more than she had bargained for with fourteen villagers eagerly waiting to be trained the first morning. By late afternoon, twenty-four villagers sought training, and by the following morning, fifty-four waited patiently for Jannie Gichia's expert instruction.
The Gichia's trip to Wanjengi was an overwhelming success. "The community was very receptive to the clinic and took a great deal of interest in the training program I conducted to provide some lay-people with skills and equipment to monitor community health and advise people to seek additional health care," said Gichia. "I was able to talk with many of the community residents because they would come to the clinic and wait on the porch for me to come out and just talk with them. They also advised me on future projects they believed were needed in the area."
And what are some of the future goals for the newly opened clinic?
"Several older men requested that I provide maternity services for the area and these should include a clean place to deliver babies. I believe these men have lost wives, sisters or daughters in childbirth and are concerned about the matter," Gichia said.
Also, villagers noted the need for a four-wheel drive ambulance for emergency transportation, as the nearest hospital is fifteen miles away.
"The roads are very rough and there is NO public transportation in the area. The private transport only comes through on Wednesday and Saturday with outbound at 6 a.m. and inbound returning at 7 p.m. on those days," said Gichia. "All emergency care is very precarious and private vehicles are scarce and those available are unreliable. Many are held together with wire and hope."
Gichia and her husband also took away many new friends from the trip as well as new personal insight.
"We also realized how little many people have to live with and yet they consider themselves lucky. The people in this community were very happy to have a health clinic in the area and thanked us many times over," she said.
In fact the villagers were so grateful, explained Gichia, that they "tried to offer something in exchange in the form of vegetables and fruits from their gardens. I realized they were offering the best they had available because money is not readily available to them with per capita income for Kenya at $231." Gichia added, "The experience has certainly made me realize that I do not have to have excess for a good life."
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