Upendo Village Update
November 2006
The Njuguna family has been given new hope through the services and love of the Upendo Village staff.
At this Christmas Season we want to share with all of our supporters some stories of Upendo Village (UV) clients who have experienced renewed health and hope thanks to the generosity, solidarity and love that you have shared with them.
Paul and Veronica Njuguna were blessed with 2 sons and a daughter. The eldest, Simon, is 9, John is 6 and Susan is 5. Paul became seriously ill in May 2005 and sought help at Upendo Village. Susan also needed surgery to repair a very serious abdominal hernia, which the family was unable to have done because they were unable to pay the hospital. Through the generosity of our donors, Susan was able to have surgery and has returned to school, able to study and play with her friends. This poor family continues to receive nutritional supplementation, counseling and basic medical care through Upendo Village. Unforturnately, Paul died of AIDS in July 2006 and Veronica, also suffering with AIDS, has been too ill to work. Due to the solidarity and support of our donors, Veronica and her children have hope, even in the midst of suffering.
Susan proudly displays her incision scar, happy to be pain free and well.
Helen Nyaboke is 45 years old, the eldest of 3 children. She completed 7th grade and married at the age of 21 to Charles Kaburi. They were blessed with 6 children. Her husband, a farmer, died of AIDS in 1987. Helen worked on a commercial flower farm. She began suffering from malaria, backache and weight loss in early 2004 and lost her job because she was so ill that she became bedridden. She finally was tested for HIV, was found to be positive and was referred to the nearby hospital for antiretroviral medication which she started in July 2005. Her suffering was not over, however. In March 2006 she was discovered to have spinal TB and was hospitalized for 2 months for specialized treatment. While there, a friend introduced her to Upendo Village. Upon her return home, she began receiving home based care, including nutritional supplements, medication, physical therapy and counseling. Her daughter Rebecca was also trained to help her mother with physical therapy and to monitor her medications. After one month from beginning home based care, Helen was able to walk! She participates in the Upendo Village support group and continues to slowly improve on antiretroviral therapy and nutritional supplementation. Best of all, she has been able to regain her hope and dignity.
Helen Nyaboke has gone from being bedridden to walking and able to care for her family thanks to the loving care of UV.
These stories are poignant reminders of how much can be accomplished when we work together to build a global village of love and solidarity to address the AIDS crisis. Upendo Village is currently providing support and services to over 1500 people infected/affected by AIDS. Since UV began providing HIV testing in August 2004, over 559 people have come forward for testing. The 165 positive clients have been referred for services. Both those testing positive and those testing negative have received AIDS prevention education to help prevent the further spread of the virus.
Our support groups continue to grow, as our educational efforts dispel the myths and stigma surrounding AIDS. We now have 4 support groups with over 250 participants. Pauline, our new full time social worker for the children’s programs hopes to start a support group for the children in the near future, to help them deal with some of the losses that they have experienced.
In September 2006 the diocese of Joliet sent its second annual medical mission team to Naivasha to offer their assistance to Upendo Village and to the Naivasha Sub-district Hospital. The 19 volunteers included nurses and physicians. While they were there, approximately 200 patients were seen at each clinic session on Mondays and Fridays. 2 tents were set up to serve as a triage area and a makeshift pharmacy, since our facilities at our temporary site are so limited. We are happy to say that the building project at our permanent Upendo Village location is progressing, thanks to special capital project donors. The multipurpose building and the staff house are well under way. Recently, we have received a very generous anonymous donation for the construction of the clinic building. We hope to have the clinic ready for operation when we move the Upendo Village operations to the new sight at the beginning of March 2007.
Much has been accomplished this past year and much more remains to be done. The many poor who suffer with AIDS continue to need our help.
Thank you for your support for Upendo Village and the people of Kenya. Your concern and solidarity bring hope and life to many. Together we continue to work toward the day when the people of all the countries of the world will be able to live healthy and happy lives.—
Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, MD
Upendo
Village, NFP.
HIV/AIDS Women Project-Kenya
Sr. Florence Muia, ASN – President
Sr. Beatrice M. Hernandez, OSF,MD-Executive Director
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 449
Wheaton, IL 60189
E-mail: contact@upendovillage.org