But for the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa®, the residents of the area surrounding the Kebeneti SDA Dispensary in rural Kenya would not have convenient access to affordable healthcare in their community.
Bread and Water for Africa® established a partnership with the Kebeneti community in 2011. The secondary school and the dispensary are part of the Kericho district in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. Kericho County is home to the best Kenyan tea, renowned worldwide for its taste; the town square is even known as “Chai (tea) Square.” Some of the largest tea companies are based here, including Unilever Kenya, James Finlays, and Williamson Tea.i
In 2014, BWA established a partnership with Kebeneti Dispensary. The clinic has been providing basic services to thousands of people without access to such care. The center has 12 beds for those who need to stay a few days for inpatient care.
Over the years, Bread and Water for Africa® has built maternity care rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and accommodation for healthcare workers who must stay on the premises to provide 24-hour emergency care. Thanks to our supporters, we also funded a clean water development project and a solar power system for the clinic and purchased laboratory equipment.
Last year, an average of 135 people per month visited the clinic, founded in 1966 with the mission “to provide quality health services to the community at an affordable cost.”
To that end, Bread and Water for Africa® has been providing grant funding to further its mission, including the hiring of a second nurse “to assist the current nurse who is heavily overworked,” states Kebeneti board of directors member Titus Korir.
“It will also enable us to attract more clients, hence improve our income and support maintenance of our facility,” he added.
The Kebeneti clinic, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, provides a wide range of both preventative and treatment services, including maternal childcare, lab tests, family planning, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and more.
Joyce Koros describes herself as a resident of Kebeneti and “a regular client of Kebeneti SDA Dispensary” who told us:
“On behalf of the community members, I wish to inform Bread and Water for Africa® that we are happy for the support you are giving our dispensary because you have made health care services to be easily available to us and also at affordable prices…all because of your support.
“Community members are also appreciating of the fact that a nurse is always available, even during the weekends and night to attend to patients.
“I am a witness because I have been having problems of respiratory and I have never been turned away by the facility’s staff,” she said, adding “You have been a great blessing to our community. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
And because of the grant funding made possible by our supporters, Titus says, “We have been able to purchase medicines for patients, and a nurse is always available to provide services to community residents.
“The entire community of Kebeneti Village in Kericho, Kenya, sincerely appreciates the continued support of Americans to our clinic, which is helping to save many lives and has improved the overall health of our community.”
