The Kibwezi I knew was a little highway township. I didn't know that for the past 12 years, that changed and Kibwezi is no longer on the highway. Our home for the night was a homely place called Kambua Resort. The proprietors, Mr. and Mrs. Makwattah, are a lovely couple who warmly welcomed the team. Together with their staff, it was certainly a great reception.
The heat is increasing and the ground is getting sandier. The fauna is changing, there are more and more insects buzzing loudly everywhere especially at night, around the lights. Certainly not a scene for those with arachnophobia. For me it's the creeping animals that raise my hairs. The colorful lizards are best observed from a distance. I certainly won't want to share tent with one.
It has been many days spent traversing the county of Makueni. I am still in awe of the vastness of the place. It is also very sparsely populated. As a doctor, it is not lost on me the challenges the county must be experiencing in delivering health services to its people. With such sparse populations, making services accessible is certainly a huge challenge. Every sign I see indicating a health centre warms my heart.
I recall nine years ago, I had a patient in my care from this region. She was with us for a few days before passing on. She came with end stage breast cancer which had spread to all her organs. She told me she had sought care in the neighbouring Tanzania as it was closer to get to a hospital there, than attempting to get to one in Kenya. I was horrified. How could our people go through such experiences, as if they were not Kenyan!
As we close the inequality gap by putting up more health facilities, my prayer is that we don't just pay lip service. Let these facilities have the requisite human resources, drugs, diagnostics and support services to care for our people. Then and only then, will we be truly one as a nation.
The team is finally at Kambu, a tiny little township that is two kilometers off Mombasa road. They shall spend the night at the common compound housing the police post and the administration unit. And guess what? In this little place that's a tiny dot on the map, an angel from my past, Rose Museo and her friend Josephine, are the first to welcome the team from the highway, with applause and donations to the campaign! What blessings!!!
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