IPPNW-Students Kenya

Report on Volunteering in Keyna

On August 12th, 2003, a small medical clinic opened in a remote village of Western Kenya and six local residents were treated for malaria. Although this may not sound like a big deal to most people, it was of major significance to me. When I first traveled to Kabula, Kenya during the summer of 1998, there wasn’t a health care facility in the village and very few opportunities for education. What was present, however, was an AIDS epidemic that was threatening every man, woman and child in the area.

But there was hope for the village. Hope in the form of a local minister who was able to come up with a television and VCR, a small generator, a wheelbarrow and a vision to educate his people about the dangers of AIDS. When I first met Reverend Reuben Lubanga in the summer of 1998, he has already been relentlessly educating his people about the transmission and prevention of “ukimwi”, the Swahili word for AIDS. Reuben provides hope that one day the life in the village will be better. Hope that one day food will be plentiful and essential medicines will be available to all. Hope that one day everyone will be entitled to attend school, get an education and find employment. And hope that one day everyone finds happiness, because isn’t that what we are all searching for. While Reuben’s vision for his community provides hope, his words enunciated during sermons promote action of the individual and self-realization. Reuben gives me hope. Whenever I find myself being cynical, I always think of Reuben and it is only a matter of time before I see the absurdities of my attitude and use my energy in a more effective manner.

In order for Reuben’s vision to touch more people and be more effective, he needed some help. Over the past five years, I have devoted time and energy to making sure that Reuben gets the help he needs to continue improving the living conditions in his village. What started out as a one man with a vision, is now network of students and professionals across the world working together to make a difference. Reuben has started a local organization in Kenya. I have established student organizations at universities across the United States. Partnerships have been formed, and progress has been made. Reuben’s vision is steadily becoming a reality.

Since 1998, our main area of focus has been AIDS Education. On a shoestring budget with no source of external funding, we have managed to sensitize over 55,000 Kenyans about the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. During June of 2001, our team constructed and opened the first Public Library in Western Kenya. Our team also constructed a Preschool in June of 2001 and established a "Sponsor a Child's Education" program to assist families with school fees. In the summer of 2003, a primary classroom was added to accommodate the needs of the community. There are currently over 150 kids enrolled. Our goal is to build a complete primary school within the next two years. Recognizing that Kenyan women in rural areas often lack access to credit, we have also organized an income-generating program for the local women. Over 2,000 women from 62 different women's groups organized into six consortia for the purpose of establishing sewing and tailoring centers during the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003. Each consortium was given five sewing machines to begin their businesses. Through a partnership with the Foundation for International Education (USA) in 1999, we established a Teacher’s Program that offers students and experienced teachers the opportunity to come to Kenya and teach in the local schools. During the summer of 2003, we were able to open an Internet Café to provide a source of funds to support the programs.

Through my experiences in development work over the past five years, I have found it to be very beneficial to work hand in hand with the local people at the grassroots level. These are the people and areas of rural Africa that are seldom reached by International Aid programs. While the Western press highlights the dismal failures and corruption of the leaders and the elites in the African countries, they are overlooking the resilience of the people at the grass-roots level. An abundance of hope does exist in Kenya. This hope resides in the people. The people who live in the rural areas, who are self-confident, resilient, and unnoticed, but who continue to develop and improve their communities. It is this group of people that we will continue to work with. And it is with these people that Kenya's future rests--a future that is much brighter than many realize.

Building a clinic in Kabula had been on my mind since my first trip to Kenya in 1998. However, after my dad battled lung cancer for four brief months and died on April 10th, 2002, this project took on a whole new meaning for me. Shortly before his death, my dad told me that he wanted memorial contributions made on his behalf to go towards the work in Kenya. The opening of the Bill Selke Memorial Clinic on August 12th, 2003, gives me satisfaction that I could honor my dad in such a way.

Medical students, as well as practicing physicians and other health care professionals, are welcome to come to Kenya and work in the clinic. Local health care workers staff the clinic all year round, so volunteers are welcome at any time. For more information, please visit our website and contact Hank Selke via email (hankselke@hotmail.com) or phone 1+(313) 580-8932.