Slum
Ministry: Health
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The
Holistic Health Ministry is involved in health
care. Those living this ministry address the health
needs of children, youth, adults, and persons with handicaps
(physical and mental).
The
Church and those living this ministry are involved in
direct service to persons in need offering health care,
advise and medicines to those who need them. In many
of the slums, those in charge of the ministry of health
work on a a community-wide basis to establish comprehensive
community-based primary health care programs.
The
Pro-Life Ministry promotes and protects life
and raises awareness on issues affecting life.
It supports women in pregnancy crisis (often women abandoned
by their child's father).
The
Pro-life Ministry reaffirms the value of human life
and its inviolability, and works towards: respect, protection,
love and serving life, every human life. As pastors
and as christians we proclaim and recognize that human
life is a precious gift from God; and that persons and
society, must protect and nurture human life at every
stage of its existence.
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Waiting
room at Kibera Dispensary
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Elizabeth,
the nurse of the Kibera Christ the King Dispensary
with a patient.
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Kibera
Christ the king Holistic Health Center
The
Holistic Centre takes the person in her wholeness,
and takes care of the different aspects: body,
spirit, needs, psychology, etc.
The
Holistic Health Center of Christ the King, Kibera
has four departments:
- Dispensary
- Pro-life
- Social
Office
- Counselling
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Dispensary
Christ the King
The
Dispensary has the service of a full-time nurse;
Elizabeth Chalmandried, a French voluntary from
the D.C.C.
"Délégation Catholique pour
la Coopération". The dispensary counts
also with the services of two volluntary doctors:
Dr. Aloo who deals with general medicine on Tuesdays
and Sr. Catherine O'Sullivan (Medical Missionary
of Mary), who takes care of pregnant women and
children on Fridays.
The
Dispensary is open daily from 9 a.m. to 1p.m.
and the nurse takes care of the patients and prescribes
basic medicines. The main sickness at the dispensary
are chest infections and malaria.
When
the patients present serious symptoms they are
referred to the two closest government hospitals:
Mbagathi Hospital and Kenyatta Hospital.
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the
nurse with a patient at Kibera Christ the King
Dispensary
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The afternoons
are dedicated to home visiting. The nurse accompanied by the
social worker and members of the Christian communities go
those who are seriously ill and cannot walk. The parishioners
come to the Dispensary to announce when a neighbour or a member
of the family is seriously sick, and they lead the nurse to
the home of the sick.The dispensary does not have the possibility
of testing for HIV/AIDs, because there are many VCT centers
around. But none of them does home visiting so the patients
unable to move remain without care. This is why the Parish
Dispensary goes home-visiting. When the nurse detects somebody
sick with the possibility of being HIV positive, and needing
a text, she goes with the patient to the AMREF Dispensary
where the test for HIV/AIDs are done. In that way she is able
to follow them to make sure they take their treatment.
All the
clients are visited once a week, as the follow-up is the most
important. The patients with TB are referred to AMREF, to
MSF or to Mbagathis Hospital.
During
the visits the personnel of the Holistic Health Center gives
also spiritual help. Every sunday, the nurse with some brothers
and sisters go to take communion to the Catholics who desire
it, and pray with them. In all the visits there is a moment
of prayer if the patient wishes. When visits are done to persons
belonging to other Churches or religions, they are also asked
if they want to pray, nearly all accept and are glad, as in
the African vision of the person, the holistic aspect is very
important, and spirituality is a main factor.
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| Pro-Life
Rally organized by Christ the King Parish - Kibera |
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Christ the King Pro-Life Ministry
The
Pro-Life group of Christ the King started in 1990
with the suppport of brother Peter Daino, Marianist.
In 2002 this group was integrated in the Parish
as a Pro-Life Ministry as part of the Holistic Health
Department.
The
pro-Life Ministry supports women in pregnancy crises,
counselling them, encouraging them to keep their
child, and helping them with delivery fees.
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Most
of the clients of the Pro-Life Ministry are single
young mothers and young women abandoned by the
father of their child. The Department accompanies
the young mothers. They meet once a week to discuss
the challenges they meet in life; to help them
to identify their situation; their talents and
then to support them to get certain skills e.g.
hair-dressing; small business; tailoring; embroidery,
etc... to allow them to come out of their difficulties
by their own decision and effort.
The
group is small, about 15 young women, in order
to be able to follow them personally. and helps
them to earn their living.
Domitila,
the person in charge of this Ministry visits the
young women in their homes to be able to assess
their needs, and to support them. Many of them
do not have house, nor food, as often they are
rejected by their families when they are pregnant.
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Domitila
(at the back) in charge of the Pro-Life program
with two clients.
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Mother
and child - Korogocho
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Korogocho Holistic Health Ministry
Sister
Gill Horsfield, a Medical Mission Sister (MMS), has
been working in Community-based Health Care in
Korogocho, when HIV/AIDS was first seen in 1989.
In
the slum, which is home to 150,000 people, she began
training local health workers how to provide
home-based care for those who were ill. This care
included medical, pastoral, counseling, and social
services.
Pro-life:
A concrete help given to young mothers tempted
by abortion. Sustained by the Comboni Sisters.
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