homepage

HEALTH page.2

In 2001 AAF received a request from the community leaders at Mataka a remote village, to assist them in constructing a brand new clinic. After agreement by the Kenyan Health Ministry to provide trained staff on completion, the construction started in January 2002 and work was completed and the clinic officially opened in October 2002. Mataka is a much needed facility for the surrounding shambas, which total 10,000 people. Prior to this people had to walk 21kms. to the nearest clinic.

On its opening, the government did indeed provide nursing staff, and also vaccine storage facilities to compliment the equipment provided by AAF. Mataka is now operating a child immunisation programme which is free to patients, and the poor can use their AAF Health Cards to receive treatment at half cost. The people are overjoyed that now they have easy access to health facilities which is affordable to all.

<<< PAGE.1
PAGE.3 >>>

John Matiti 42, is a farmer who was bitten by a poisonous Pavanda snake in 1993. He received prompt treatment but unfortunately gangrene had set in and amputation was necessary. He could not walk on his badly fitting wooden leg and in late 2002 asked for AAF help. We paid for a custom plastic & leather prosthesis to be made and fitted at a Nairobi hospital, and now he can work his land to provide for his wife and four children.

Syengo Kitonga 52, had been completely blind for 15 years, when he asked for AAF help in 2001. We sent him to a specialist eye centre at Nairobi, where cataract surgery was carried out on one eye. The other was inoperable. Now he can walk the bush unaided to play drums for local dancers, and can see his 16 year old son who was a baby when Syengo last saw him.

Cost to AAF £83 -
value to Syengo, priceless