Quick Cyrus Update (and some other stuff)

Hi everyone,

I'm sure Meghann will be able to blog soon with a more thorough report of everything that's getting done in Kenya but I just thought I'd take a second to update everyone on what is happening with Cyrus (pictured here, photo taken last year at Tunza).

As of this week, he has slowly been regaining a little bit of his sight. He can now see up close and can make out shapes. He can tell if someone is in front of him and can identify things (e.g. telling the difference between a dog and a person) but his vision is not good enough that he can identify the person or see colors or anything far away.

He was taken to the Kikuyu eye clinic this Friday and they said that they were happy with his progress and would like to continue the same treatment that he had been originally given. We were told that it would take 3 to 4 weeks for the swelling of his optic nerves to go down and at that point, we will be able to assess how well he will be able to see. It has been a week since that point so we are very hopeful that he will continue to make progress in the coming weeks! He will be returning to the eye clinic on November 11.

Along with Cyrus, we (note: I say we as in Uweza because I was not involved and there only in spirit), brought one of the HIV+ patients from our Tumaini Health program to the Kikuyu eye clinic. She has been having trouble seeing and was given medication and will return in two weeks for further assessment. We hope that her condition will improve as well.

Our Tunza FC teams continue to practice every week, and I received an email from one of the oldest boys on the under-18 team about how their team is doing: with our Tunza team its going on well, hope that you will continue sponsoring us, we normally go to training every day, our coaches this round are serious on this hope come December in the tournament we will win!"

Finally, this week Meghann met two girls in Kibera that had compelling stories and we were able to provide them with uniforms so they could continue going to school. One of the girls is 12 and in class 4. She lives with her aunt who is paralyzed and bedridden due to having suffered from a stroke. The girl is responsible for taking care of her aunt and doing everything for the household and was not attending school because she could not afford the uniform. Her cousin is 10 and in class 3. She traveled to Kibera from Eldoret with her mother, after being chased from their home during the violence following the election. Her mother hasn't been able to make enough money to purchase the uniform and supplies needed to send her daughter to school. Uweza was able to provide both of them with uniforms and according to Meghann one of the girls kept chanting "I'm going to school again!" excitedly while purchasing the uniforms.

That's all I have - I think Meghann will be updating with more information soon.

Oh, sponsorship welcome packets are being sent out VERY soon. We sincerely apologize for the delay and are working hard to get them finished.

Thanks (as always) for reading and for your support.

Jen

I think we're finally staying on top of the blog...

So I just wanted to quickly update everyone while I was thinking of the recent updates here at Uweza. Like Jen said previously in the blog, we have been falling behind on some of our projects because of the situation with Cyrus. This week I have spent 4 out of the last 7 days at a hospital up to 15 hours a day working on the case of Cyrus. His bill at Kenyatta amounted to a number we simply could not continue to afford. So we were working together with the hospital for a future payment plan, as they refused to release him. At first it was crazy to think how the National Hospital did not wish to help this orphaned boy who is now blind by releasing some of his debt, but the more we thought about it, we thought about the thousands of other poor and destitute that the National Hospital caters to and we began to see our payments as a donation to helping the hospital achieve the power to help all of the others unable to afford private care in Kenya.

We also wanted to inform everyone on the official diagnosis of Cyrus. The doctors had been struggling with his case for days trying to diagnosis the direct problem. They were sure of a bacteria infection but they could not quite pinpoint the overall problem, and it was especially difficult as he was unconscious and not able to answer any questions. The final result, after talking with Cyrus once he was stabilized, was that he had also suffered from methanol poisoning. Thankfully, the doctors suspected this all along and provided Cyrus with the proper treatment. Cyrus received methanol poisoning from taking a methylated spirit, a household cleaner at Tunza Children's Center. We were surprised and saddened to hear this news because now we must also question why Cyrus chose to take this toxic chemical. The children at the Center have had no one to talk with about things such as drugs or the traumatic events they've had to deal with as orphans, and so we are not sure if he was suffering from depression nor do we know what he wished to accomplish from drinking cleaning fluid.

We are happy to see now that the counselors will be there for the children to discuss these matters. We are excited to see their progress so far, as Jen has mentioned in the previous blog, and we hope their presence will prevent cases such as Cyrus from happening again.

So as of Thursday, Cyrus was released from the hospital on a payment plan. He was referred to both an ophthamologist for his eyes, and a psychiatrist to seek counseling and find out why he chose to take the methylated spirit. So immediately, yesterday on Friday morning, we all awoke at 5am to take Cyrus to Kikuyu Hospital, a center with one of the best (and affordable) eye care facilities in the country. We arrived to be the second in line for the clinic that opens at 8am, however, we still spent the rest of the day getting tests and seeing specialists. At the end of the day, we were told that the methanol had permanently damaged his optic nerves, however, because of complications the nerves were still swollen. The doctor noted that partial sight could return once the swelling had been reduced, which would naturally occur in the next 3-4 weeks. In the meantime, Cyrus has been given vitamins and nutritional supplements to help his eyes heal, in hopes that if the vitamins are pumped into the recovery of his eyes during swelling, he may gain his sight back. Unfortunately, however, there is no guarantee yet and he is to return to the eye clinic to seek further treatment in one week.

After the situation at Kenyatta, our plan has been to first diagnose his eye problems and find a way forward. After we are through with the eye clinic, we will be taking him to counseling, and in the meantime he will talk with the Tunza counselor, Collins, that we have hired. If his eyesight doesn't return, we will search for alternative methods of schooling and sponsorship for Cyrus. Again, we are so saddened to see his life turned upside down, all for making one simple mistake and we want to try and help him move forward in the best ways possible.

As of today, the hospital care for Cyrus has amounted to around 56,850 Kenya shillings (around $780 US dollars), however, we and Tunza Children's Center, are in a great deal of debt. If anyone could help to provide for the care of Cyrus, please donate or contact us for more details.

Aside from Cyrus, we have been working with two babies needing formula in our HIV+ program that Jen discussed previously. We have tried clinics throughout Kibera and have had no success in finding a feeding program so that the children may receive formula. There is such a need, especially in Kibera, for formula due to the high infections of HIV among the population. But we are determined to get these two children formula, in hopes that it will save them from being HIV+.

Lastly, we have finally moved some of the support group goods to the United States and will soon be selling them there to everyone. The support group project helps a lot of our HIV+ patients to earn a living and provide for their families, while still helping to set up a fund for themselves in providing loans and healthcare during emergency times. Recently, this week we sold some goods to a few American students studying in Nairobi. When Daniel, our health director, went to the home of one HIV+ women, Mary, to give her portion of the profits, she was completely overjoyed. She told Daniel that it must be a miracle that he came on this day because she had no money in the house and no way of providing food for her children. She was so overjoyed to get 400 kenya shillings (around $6 US dollars) she even offered to give Daniel 100 shillings of the profit for helping her. But Daniel informed her that she had received her deserved share, and the rest of the profit would be put into the support group funds for loans and hospital care. By buying these goods, your donations make an impact on a personal and local level, as in the case of Mary, so please stay tuned for more on support group sales soon!


That is all the news for now, more soon!

Meghann

Update from America

Unlike the past blog entries, this one is being written from the United States. I returned home last Saturday, but still wanted to give everyone a heads up on what we were up to right before I left and also what has been happening since then. Meghann is still in Kenya and working hard to keep all of our projects running and make good use of our donations.

There is not a lot to update about since the last blog entry because our time and energy has been consumed with trying to handle the situation with Cyrus. Since we last wrote, Cyrus had made a lot of progress. He was moved from the ICU to a normal ward where he has been slowly recovering. He can now eat and communicate almost normally. Unfortunately, he is still completely blind. The doctors at Kenyatta had been assuring us that an ophthalmologist would be coming to check on his eyes and see what they could do, but unfortunately, that never happened. As is the case in America (and certainly other places), lack of funds for healthcare necessitates poorer quality care. This is not to say that Cyrus is suffering or not receiving decent care, but Kenyatta was the best we could do with our limited budget and we, undoubtedly along with numerous other Kenyans, have been growing frustrated with the general idea that good health must be bought.

This aside, considering the condition that Cyrus was in when we rushed him to Nairobi Hospital (where we did pay large amounts to ensure adequate care in the emergency situation), it is very likely that we saved his life. And we have been doing our best to make sure Cyrus is as happy and healthy as possible, despite his inability to see. We have visited every day, made sure he is eating and drinking enough and have been communicating with the doctors about the best options from this point on. He is being discharged in the next few days and we will be taking him immediately to an eye clinic to see what can be done. We won't be giving up on the chance that his eyesight may still return. We're also, in the event that he will remain blind, trying to find options for alternative schooling and care once he returns to Tunza so that he can continue to lead a normal life as possible.

So far, his hospital bills have amounted to about 50,000 shillings (about 700 USD) and they are still increasing. Because we are a new, small organization, this has taken a tremendous toll on our budget and we are starting to worry that it will affect our ability to maintain our other projects. We are continuing to reach out to our supporters or anyone that may have stumbled on this blog for assistance. All of the donations that we have received in the past have allowed us do the very best we could to help Cyrus but now we need help to continue being able to do so.

In Tumaini Health news, the patient that was pregnant and due at any time has given birth to a healthy baby girl. We are continuing to look for formula to ensure the baby is not HIV positive. We have provided her with milk, sugar and bottles as a temporary solution while we visit clinics to see what can be done.

We previously mentioned the beaded goods that the HIV+ support groups make and that we would be selling them so that the ladies of the group could earn some income for themselves and their families. After throwing away about half of my wardrobe at the airport to be able to get my bags under the allowed weight, I have carried 568 pieces of jewelry (necklaces and bracelets) back to the United States. Half of the proceeds from the sales will go straight to the individual who made the piece and the rest will be used to buy more materials and will go into a group fund that will be used to provide hospital care, medicine, and other needs for the members of the group. We will be posting pictures of the available items as well as more information on the Tumaini website (www.tumainihealth.org) in the coming weeks.

We have been continuing to visit the girls that were moved from Tunza to Hekima Place and they are doing really really well. The youngest girl, who is HIV positive, is gaining weight like crazy and has still remained off of ARV treatment. They have all made friends with the other girls and are really comfortable in the new home. They're attending school and overall, couldn't be happier.

Lastly, the counselors that we hired to work with the kids at Tunza have started holding sessions once a week. There is a male working with the boys and a female working with the girls. So far, they have held two sessions. The female counselor had the girls each write her letters so she could get to know them better and she let us know that they are being really open with her. The male counselor has told us that the boys are also being really open and the older boys have already started talking to him about issues of sexuality and asking questions about HIV. With over 70 kids at Tunza and only one caretaker, the kids (especially the ones that have reached adolescence) haven't really ever had the chance to express the problems and issues they deal with in an effective way and we're really excited about this opportunity for them.

For those of you who have sponsored a child, we are almost finished with the welcome packets and I will be mailing them out very soon!

Although this blog was originally intended to be for the summer while we were both in Kenya, we are going to continue to update it with what we're up to as long as one of us is in Kenya carrying out work so keep checking back.

Thanks for your reading and for your continued support. We wouldn't have been able to save Cyrus, feed a baby, support a group of HIV positive women or hire counselors without you. We may carry out the work but everything we do is made possible solely by the donations we receive so thank you.

Jen

A bit of news...

So things have kind of slowed here at Uweza right now, and we've been struggling to catch up on summer overdue summer work; mainly, the sponsorship updates and welcome packets. For those of you sponsoring a child, we really apologize but the updates are running a little late. Please expect them in the mail in the next few weeks.

But as for the organization, we have been really trying to get things done because Jen leaves this week and I am in school much of the time during the week.

Our Soccer League teams in Kibera have been busy practicing for their upcoming tournaments. Recently, all three teams were involved in a few tournaments with other Kibera teams. The Under 17 Tunza FC team won a few games, but never made it to the finals of the tournaments unfortunately. Our younger boys all did really well also, but they lost their first games in the tournaments, causing them to lose their place to advance to the next stage. All the teams have been practicing really hard lately in preparation for the upcoming tournaments. We are excited to say that we are working on setting up our own Uweza Soccer League tournament as well and will be inviting other teams in Kibera to join-- more news on this soon! Also, we are going to start a girls' Tunza FC team because the girls from the orphanage all expressed strong desire in playing soccer, like the boys. We are happy to give the girls the productive and recreational activity as well!

In Jamii Children's Center news, we are happy to report that the kitchen has been completely finished and the door, walls, and floor reconstructed. The two stoves are now in full use everyday so the volunteer kitchen staff can cook for all the children of the school. It has been a great help for the kitchen staff because they are able to cook with more efficiency, and the new sink has added more sanitary measures to the cooking process. Also, the kitchen has become a healthy environment for the staff members, because they are no longer inhaling all the smoke from the cooking due to the new chimneys. Additionally, the new stoves use less firewood per use now so it is saving the school and our organization money in the long run. As for the kids at Jamii, as previously mentioned, they all are having fun learning with their new school supplies from the Backpack Project and the available classrooms after the refugees have moved out. Learning is now back to normal at the center, and has even improved in the last few months with the help of the school supplies. We hope to be taking the kids on some educational field trips in the next few weeks and will update everyone on that soon.

With our health project, we have been preparing to bring some of the support group crafts to America for sale there and gain support for the groups. With the support group crafts, the women and men do bead work and make handbags for sale in local markets and internationally. 50% of the profit goes towards the owner of the bag or goods and helps the HIV+ patient to afford for his/her family's daily living expenses. 20% goes towards buying new materials for the groups to make further crafts, and 30% goes towards the group fund (which helps to provide emergency medical care and gives loans for business startup to the group members). We hope to soon be able to sell these goods from the US, and we will update everyone on our progress in the future. With the rest of the health outreach, its business as usual; we have been maintaining our home visit program and have been working with the HIV+ support groups.

And with the most news comes Tunza Children's Center. We have been working with them a lot lately to try and improve the living situations of the kids and to register Tunza as an official organization with the government. We have partnered with Faces of Kibera in the hiring of professional counselors (one male and one female) to come twice a week and interact with the children. We have been meeting with them and Mama Tunza, the director of the Center, in the last few weeks to try and work out a curriculum and time frame for discussion with the kids at the Center. We are hoping this can provide an outlet for dialogue for the kids, as well as give them a mentor or role model to look up to and talk to on a normal basis. Furthermore, the counselors can help to make Uweza more aware of the problems that certain kids in the Center are facing, so that we can handle these issues as they arise. We hope to start the sessions with the kids this coming week.

Lately, the Center has struggled with a bit of a food crisis as well, and so we have been helping to provide for food for the kids at a time when they are struggling to find any at all.

On Friday, every school in Nairobi was closed so that children could attend the International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Showgrounds, just next to Kibera. We decided to use this as a field trip for the Tunza kids, and so on Friday, we walked over 50 of the kids to the show because they had been begging to go all morning. They had a lot of fun, and we wanted to thank all the donors for helping us to send them to the show. They saw a lot of different animals and learned about farming and agriculture; they also saw many performances from local groups in theatre, music and dance. It was a fun day at the fair and the kids really enjoyed it, they were even treated to some ice cream. Pictures soon!

And the last bit of news comes about one of the orphans at Tunza Children's Center. Recently, Cyrus Renji, a 16 year old boy who has been living at Tunza for the last 3 years, has fallen ill. Cyrus attends Ayany Primary School and is about to graduate Class 8 and move on to Secondary School. He enjoys soccer and is a member of our Under 17 Tunza FC Team and attends practice and games regularly. At the Center, he is always around helping to do construction work and repairing the Center, and he does very well in school. On Wednesday of this past week, Cyrus was suffering from a headache and stayed home from school to rest. On Thursday, he woke at 7am suffering from his headache still and blurred vision. At this time, we decided to take him to the clinic to get a checkup and so we helped him to St. Mary's clinic in Kibera to seek treatment. By the time he arrived at the clinic, he had completely lost all of his vision and was quickly becoming confused and disoriented. At St. Mary's they referred him to Kenyatta National Hospital or a larger, more equipped hospital to handle his diagnosis. Kenyatta National Hospital is a big and bustling national hospital that caters to all who cannot afford any other means and many more from all over Kenya. At Kenyatta, when you enter the emergency room, you can see lines of people laying out on stretchers waiting to be seen, and even many on the floor if their are no more stretchers. These people, no matter what their condition, wait hours and hours throughout the day to be seen by a doctor or any medical personnel. Some end up dying just in the waiting room because they have not yet been seen.

And so at the time, we saw Cyrus quickly deteriorating and we knew Kenyatta was not the best option and he would die waiting to see a doctor. So we took him for treatment to Nairobi Hospital, a private hospital. By the time we arrived, Cyrus was still unable to see at all and was confused and disoriented and almost unconscious. He was rushed in to receive treatment and was given a CT scan and lab tests. The lab results came back that he had suffered from a specific viral and bacteria infection that had spread throughout, causing his current symptoms. So he began the proper treatment immediately and was put on an IV and heart monitor. By nightfall he was unconscious and still not recovering quickly enough, so he had to be admitted; after he had now been treated and was being monitored, we chose to admit him to Kenyatta Hospital to afford the bill. He was rushed by ambulance to Kenyatta where he was admitted to the Acute Room as he awaited a bed at the Intensive Care Unit. We surprised to be informed that for Kenyatta Hospital, the main and national hospital for all of Kenya, the Intensive Care Unit had only 12 beds. But we were glad to see that he was being treated in the Acute Room. By Friday, he was able to be admitted to the ICU where he is now recovering. We are really happy to see the progress he has made, he is now completely off his breathing machine that he had been relying on, and is slightly more responsive and alert; however, his eyesight has still not returned.

We wanted to tell all of those who have supported and have been aware of our projects here at Uweza to ask for your assistance. Now, more than ever, we really need your help. Uweza chose to intervene in the situation of Cyrus because there was no one else; he is a complete orphan with no other options than the Center, and the Center does not have the funds to provide such intensive medical care. Without all of our supporters there would be no Uweza; and without Uweza, Cyrus would have died that day had he not received immediate and proper medical treatment. We are hoping that with Uweza, he can continue to recover and maybe receive his eyesight back. But he has a long way to go, and his care so far has put a very large burden on our organization. We are really hoping that our supporters can come to our rescue to help Cyrus recover by means of hospital care. So far, our organization has accepted the burden of the Nairobi Hospital bill of 25,000 Kenya shillings (around $400.00 US dollars) but this alone has wiped out a lot of our funds designated for hospital care, and his Kenyatta bill (which we assume will be even more than this due to the duration of his stay) has yet to be paid, and we cannot afford to provide for this alone.

Please please please, if you can help to fund his care in anyway donate online here or send a check or money order to:
Uweza Aid Foundation
P.O. Box 1042
Evanston, IL 60201
United States

We know our supporters will come through for this cause, and if you can do anything to provide please help us in this time of need. As for the rest, thank you again to all who have been supporting us and spreading our news-- we could not do this without all of you, and everything we do and write here in our blog is all that you have done. So thanks again and we will be informing you all more on our projects soon!

Meghann