In our culture well-checks have become a building block for our kids basic developmental needs. We check to make sure they are on track physically and mentally a minimum of four times within a child’s first year. Let alone seeing to any and all medical concerns as they arise.
In Kibera Slum the expense of getting to a medical professional for treatment is beyond what most can imagine. For crying out loud, just having dinner to serve is a frequent challenge for many.
Hospital scene from Queen of Katwe film
Last night my son and I watched Queen of Katwe again (thank you Disney Plus) and I was washed with in-my-face awareness once again. In this true story of a family living in a slum of Uganda we watch a little brother get hit by a Boda Boda (a motorcycle taxi), the older sister has to give another Boda Boda driver the rent money in order to get her brother to the hospital for urgent care. After they receive the care you see a conversation transpire where the Mom is approached with having to pay the bill immediately. The boy can’t have any further treatment, or leave, until the bill has been paid. But it took all the money they had to even get them there. (This is real life for most of the world.)
So, what does the family do? This ethical, caring and responsible mother is basically given no other choice than to have her daughter hobble her son out of the building and take off unnoticed. She had no way to pay the bill. In fact, moments later it is suggested by another Mama in the neighborhood that she find herself a Sugar Daddy - and sell her body to help pay her rent and feed her children. I am telling you, THIS too often is the only option they believe they have left. We can do better. We can all work together to help people find other avenues to improve their lives. I just know we can.
Every.single.time I think of each family’s story that I have been exposed to I am overwhelmed with a drive to DO SOMETHING. Of course it is too big for most people to tackle on their own. BUT together… TOGETHER we can help to build something that beautifully serves a very tangible need that is indeed LIFE-CHANGING to many. This isn’t the idea of some outsider hopping in and saying “Let’s do this”, this is people grabbing hands around the world to help provide materials of a dream the local leaders are already in the works of building.
The school has come up with an incredible dream to construct a two-story modified shipping container unit that will house a medical clinic, as well as a technology and trade classroom. The medical clinic would help ensure students would have good healthcare while also caring for the health of their entire family. Considering the many ways illness can create roadblocks for children attending school you can see the desperate need for this. An on-site medical clinic could make all of the difference In the world to this community.
The building cost for modified containers into classrooms is $7000.00 per classroom. Then we need to furnish and stock the space to care well for those entering the doors.Medical CLINIC cost is $30 per sq. foot - how many square feet would you like to sponsor?
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” —African Proverb.
If you feel compelled to join in this project and change a lot of lives, here is the link to the giving page:
https://www.pamoja.love/givingcatalog
If you would like more information about Kibera Slum: https://www.pamoja.love/blog/teachers-helping-teachers-around-the-world