The medical providers worked at the clinic most of the week except for Tuesday when they conducted a remote clinic for patients who did not have transportation or lived too far to walk to Migori for treatment. Those team members who did not do medical care supported various economic empowerment, water and education projects.

A total of 536 patients had been treated by Friday noon. On the busiest day, providers treated 145 people. Many kinds of ailments were treated. What captured my attention was the number of people who had eye, joint, back problems and recurring scabies.

Health education was conducted daily, and enamel varnish was applied to children at the clinic and at Lorena Special School for the Deaf.

P4P team members Sami and Courtney joined Brenda and Anita from Bomet Days for Girls enterprise to distributed 35 Days for Girls kits at Boya Primary. The school and the girls were very happy to receive them. We hope that these kits enable them to attend classes without missing any school due to their periods.

Mary, Sami, Courtney and I visited Lorena School for the Deaf. It was so humbling to meet eight children whose education would have been forgotten without this school. This school was founded by Faith, Robert Ogada’s wife, and was named after Mary Sobralske’s mum. Mary values the school a great deal, and she donated books and pens in addition to doing clinical assessment of all the students.

I noted that the Lorena School has only one 5,000-liter (about 1,320 gallon) water tank which cannot adequately serve the children.  During the dry season, they are forced to get water from other sources and even at the time of the visit, the tank was dry.

The Magongo Ribe deputy principal, Mr. Bernard, welcomed us to the school where David, Sami, Courtney, along with Madam Victorine, instructed form one and form two students on testing procedures. They were given water sample collection bags to enable them bring samples from home for testing. Most of the water tested at the school was free of e-coli, which is good news.

Another P4P volunteer accomplished something truly amazing. Last summer, P4P Board member and volunteer Eileen Dugger cycled 3,000 miles across the United States. She’s an avid cyclist and has completed the 200-mile Seattle to Portland (STP) race many times. However, crossing the U.S. was on her bucket list. Husband Cliff drove a support vehicle carrying food, gear and a second bicycle. Eileen pedaled 60- 70-miles a day over major mountain ranges including the Cascades, Glacier, the Continental Divide and the Appalachians, through expanses of prairie, countryside and farmland, through nearly every possible weather condition.

“Life is short,” Eileen says. “If something is important to you, make the time and go get it done.”

“With my amazing daughter, Kari, 29, son-in-law, Kurtis, and my strong and caring 27-year-old son, Jonathan, my heart is full,” Paula says.  “I absolutely love spending time with my family!”

When not spending quality time with family, Paula loves kayaking, sewing, making cards, painting barn wood signs, gardening and snowshoeing.