South of Kajiado town in southern Kenya near the Tanzanian border are the desolate Maasai lands of Lorngosua, reached over rough terrain from the small, vibrantly colorful (Maasai) town of Bissil. As impressed upon me, the ICROSS Lorngosua clinic serves as a model for what the upcoming Ilkilorit clinic will hopefully soon become, greatly improving the lives of the people in the neighboring manyattas (villages). Similar to Johnson’s Nyonyori clinic, the Maasai walk great distances to receive the free healthcare services that the wonderful doctors, nurses, and community health volunteers provide. Attracting predominately woman patients, doctors Steve and Anthony have dedicated their time and efforts to this clinic and its people for several years now . . . although the shape of the facilities are up against difficult times at the moment.

During my visit to Lorngosua, the cholera outbreak was still a concern, although scaled back from what it was in the days prior. One woman arrived with her young daughter for the treatment, while others visited for child malnutrition, pregnancy complications, and other various illnesses.

Continuing on from the clinic, Kotomo and Eric, two of the many trained community health workers (volunteers) took Saruni, Joe, and I to a few of the nearby manyattas for a glimpse into where/how the patients live and how they are cared for at home. In the face of the current cholera, they mixed up the treatment solution to be sprayed on and around the outsides of the homes. As I was informed, the disease is heavily spread through the children ‘going to the toilet’ outside the homes at night. This was a pleasant thought to consider as only moments before I had been lying on the ground to capture a specific image . . . doh!

The children in the manyattas were very playful and curious of their mzungu (white man) visitor. Their innocence and love for life was again refreshing and rewarding. As Joe and I sat in the parked truck, awaiting Saruni so we could leave, one particular boy and my choice model of the last thirty minutes, Sintila, rested upon a nearby tree and watched with great interest my every movement.

And before leaving, Steve gave me a tour of another kind . . . through the ailing premises. With scarred floors, missing water pipes, holes in doors and water basins, and broken windows, Steve, Anthony, and the other volunteers who live on the grounds are in desperate need of funds and assistance to keep the clinic from falling into an eventual state of disrepair.

If you are interested in donating, I will be happy to ensure your contributions make it to the clinic for such improvements. Please contact me at seth@shrubin.com. Thank you!