Issue no 2, 2000 -- English edition -- home
Page: -- Contents -- 1, 2, 3, (4), 5, 6, 7, 8
"Lately, the mortality rate for malaria has gone down in the Nandi Hills region of Kenya, probably because of the work by the Rotary Doctors and the jeep relay based there."
This positive news is reported by Dr Peter Novak, from Trollhättan, Sweden, who quotes the Kenyan chief medical officer Balaam Kalele.
In the lowlands that are part of the jeep-doctor district, there are three outreach clinics. The children there are often undernourished, and malaria is endemic the year round. The problems are less in a region 1200 meters higher up, and Dr Novak tells of effective local health committees. A retired woman teacher, who heads one of these committees, started a school where she teaches the villagers to raise vegetables. In addition, she heads a fishing project.
On the negative side, the district has grave problems with lack of water and electricity, constant telephone trouble, and ever worsening roads.
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Benson and Naomi are nurses with the Doctor Bank jeep-doctor relay based in Nandi Hills. Naomi takes care of vaccinations, a popular aspect of the Rotary Doctor work. |
The Rotary Foundation has approved a grant for USD 175,824 to the Rotary Doctor Bank project Water for Life. Together with matching funds from the Doctor Bank and the Scandinavian Rotary clubs, this will cover the costs for 30 wells!
The first contracts have recently been signed with two contractors, who are responsible for the wells for the Homa Bay and Maseno jeep-doctor lines in Kenya. As the project progresses, all Doctor Bank outreach clinics for the six jeep lines will get their own wells, unless they already have. Most wells will be dug, but some require drilling. All wells get a solid, simple hand pump, and will be fenced in just like the wells the Doctor Bank already has. A committee will be formed for each well to be responsible for it.
"This large grant from the Rotary Foundation does not prevent the individual clubs from still funding wells," emphasizes Rotary Doctor Bank Chairperson PDG Gunnar Fjellander. "Many wells are needed! Our experiences show that we need 35,000 Crowns to make a well."
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Water means life. Here is one of the wells dug earlier with funding from the Doctor Bank. |
Reporter Henrik Williamsson for a regional newspaper asked Dr Claes Bratt, from Ängelholm, Sweden:
"Doesn't one get distressed by all the misery in Africa?"
Claes Bratt answers:
"One is both affected and involved - one is very close to life there.""And close to death?"
"Yes, of course. There, death is a part of life. But since the need for help is so great, you get an incredibly strong feeling from being able to do something for these people."
This was the fifth assignment for the Doctor Bank that Claes Bratt returned home from, after having treated almost 900 patients. He finds a continuous development occurring in Kenya.
"I saw new roads, new houses and better water purification plants. In addition, a state run hospital looked better than when I visited it in 1995."Despite all the problems, you meet such enormous happiness, and more laughter in a day than during a month at home. Africa has got into my blood, and I intend to go back, again and again."
Nobody knows exactly how many thousands of lives have been saved in developing countries since the Doctor Bank was founded in 1988. Nor do we know how many thousands of people our surgeons, orthopaedists, gynaecologists, ear and eye specialists, jeep-doctors, and dentists have treated. But one thing we do know: thanks to the large contributions from Rotary clubs and individuals, the Doctor Bank has each year been able to help ever more. The biggest contributions have come from Marks RC in Kinna, Sweden. From December, 1995, to December, 1999, this club has donated 1,017,860 Swedish Crowns!
Responsible for this outstanding result has throughout been former prosecutor Curt Tilly, who tells us that the club sales of "Doctor Bank towels" raised 434,360 Crowns and concerts 583,5000. He adds:
"Planning for yet another jazz concert is underway…"
The Doctor Bank initiative "Water for Life" engages both clubs and individuals. Here is a letter from Ingela Bergendahl, president of Uddevalla-Byfjordens RC:
"For all the spring club projects, our club has chosen the motto 'every child everyone's child'. We directly chose the project 'Water for Life' as part of our international service for children in developing countries. We emptied a bottle of 3000 Swedish Crowns in March. This was enough for 2000 water bottles, which we hope will save many children's lives! Fundraising then continued all spring."
102 families in Kenya first received mosquito nets through the pupils in a school in Glimåkra, Sweden. Then the children collected 121 pairs of glasses, which Dr Yngve Plym Forshell took with him when he went out as jeep-doctor.