By Merry Broughal | Project Leader
A Van Can Save Lives…
We’ve got quite a way to go….and it may take us some time…but thanks to you, we are one step closer to acquiring a van for Olalo of Hope-Kenya. Your support is so very much appreciated and we thank you for helping to make life better for the poorest of the poor.
Our goal to purchase a van is to help offset our costs of providing medical and educational services to the poor of Oyugis, Kenya.
The largest need is to be able to transport those who are ill or injured to local hospitals for help. Olalo covers the medical costs of those who don’t seek medical care due to their poverty, and for the most part, their need is immediate or critical. There are many times when people are too sick or too far out of the area to get to the hospital. In those cases, Olalo pays for cabs to get them there, plus their medical costs. Sometimes the cost of the cab is more than the medical treatment!
Just a few weeks ago, a woman grasping for breath, ran into a pharmacy and pleaded for medication to help her breathe. She was told to see a doctor first and then come back. Between breaths she struggled to tell him she had no money to see a doctor. One of our volunteers was there and got her in a cab and took her to the hospital. She was having a severe asthma attack and was desperate for help. Olalo covered the cost of the cab, medication and the hospital.
The next week, a paralyzed woman needed medical attention. Again a cab was necessary to get her to the hospital for examination where it was determined she had diabetes.
In fact, there were three cases in just 2 weeks’ time this May where providing transportation was necessary in order to get the sick to the hospital. At a cost of 3,000 Kenyan Schillings each time – or about $30 each trip, that was $90 used for transportation costs that could have been used for several more people to see a doctor for immediate needs.
We sincerely thank you for seeing the vision along with us as we attempt to keep those secondary costs down and work to impact lives. And thank you for partnering with Olalo of Hope-Kenya to help purchase a van to help save lives!
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