WHAT ABOUT THE AGED?

MRS. EMMITT JENKINS LITTLE aged 97 was removed from the Nursing Home in which she had been placed in 2007 by a grand-daughter.   Mrs. Little had been admitted by relatives into the Home temporarily after a Hip operation, and  was conveniently just left there not exactly forgotten - but out of the way.   She pleaded to one of her granddaughter to come and re-move.    She lived with that granddaughter for a further four years before dying, happy and mentally alert to the end.
This story caught my imagination.     Ageing can be a very frightening prospect to some, especially those who are without family or friends looking out for them.   There are many LONELY people around us getting older ALONE here in Kenya.      
IN KENYA old age is something of  a problem to many since urbanisation has meant that many families living in the towns just do not have the time or space to care for their ageing relatives.      In some rural areas it can in fact be worse, and if you happen to be aged and losing your faculties, your relatives might just take you to a remote spot and LEAVE you there to die alone -to be even EATEN by wild animals.      Even forty years ago when I first arrived here, and attending the funeral of an African friend, we were afterwards in formed that the person buried was not dead - just old!        The World, fast and selfish, finds the elderly often an increasing nuisance or inconvenience that slows them down.     Thus the Old People's Homes, and other institutions have come to be almost a necessity for many to pass their family responsibility on to.    
JUST THIS week Esther and I had a call for help from an ageing lady passing our compound.     I will not give her name - let's call her 'Lilley'.        She is 70, single and alone in the world.     She was born here in Eldoret but is Goan, her parents being of mixed blood (Portuguese and Asian).      She lived with her sister until she died just two years ago, and has worked as a book-keeper in many different local businesses.      NOW she lives alone with failing sight and a lot of apprehension.       Recently she has fallen down twice and broken her right arm in two places.     The bones are taking their time healing, and her doctor has told her that the breakage is very bad having been in a difficult place and that she may never have the strength she had before in it.     She can drive and has a small car, but finds she cannot now use it since she lacks the strength to control the driving wheel.       She lives about three kilometres away from us on a very bad, mud-bound road.     Her two bed roomed rented  house shares a compound with two or three others.    Her neighbours are unfriendly and last week one of them was broken into by a gang of five thugs.      She is a small, little lady, short and frail.  Every isolated night must be full of fearful listening for an intruder.
When she arrived at our gate she had walked from the Hospital where she had gone for treatment, she felt she could go no further.      We felt very concerned for her.     She has no one to help her, and with the temporary loss of her arm she finds it hard to dress or cook, or anything.       So in a way she is a prisoner now in her small house, waiting to die!      No fellowship, nothing to focus her time on.     By faith she is Catholic but has not been able to attend church since last September.    The Priest has never attempted to visit her.         We are now hoping to find a way for her at least to attend our own Service here on a Sunday.
Esther and I are also growing older - but thank God still able to be occupied and surrounded by so many in our daily life.    WE are fortunate.
There are MANY elderly Kenyans living in drab, poverty bound, loneliness.      Who thinks of them?   Not too many.        WE have BEGUN to pray about it.        Milly is able to phone us, and we her.    A little light of 'fellowship' has come into her life.        GOD CARES about each one of us from the Beginning to the End of our lives.      WE should be letting Him DO it IN us as well.      What is it we are told 'DO unto others as you would have them do to you'.      Think about it with us.

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LAST WEEK I wrote about Street Children in Eldoret Town, and how action was being taken to remove them.        The Task Force which I Chair is still pursuing its one agenda having, with the assistance of the Police and Courts, picked up more than 60 children from the Streets aged seven and under.

Since the the County Government for this County in which WE live (Uasin-Gishu), has picked up a further 160 of all ages, and many of them under the influence of drugs.     These too have been taken off to the already overcrowded Junior and Adult Remand facilities in the hope that each one might be repatriated to family of somehow passed on to some other place!!   THUS the need for other 'holding space' is seen to be the most urgent matter to attend to.

THE TASK FORCE and I had felt the old Municipal Social Hall would be ideal.     So on Monday of this week we made an appointment to see our Country Clerk, hoping to get his good will.     He saw us all in the afternoon, and became immediately interested and concerned about our own efforts.      He got in touch with the Country Governor, The Hon. Jackson Mandago, (left), and we were soon whisked into his presence.     He was very accommodating, and calling Finance and Social Services to be with us all in his office soon gave us permission to use the SOCIAL HALL facilities rent free, agreeing for the County to pay the cost of putting up a new Security Fence, and also the repair and improvement of the existing buildings where necessary.   This was very unexpected, and we realised the Hand of God upon our doings.          We now have to see that repairs are done, and that we are able to provide the necessary bedding and food supplies for up to ONE HUNDRED young people at a time.       The Governor has also given us five social service staff, fully paid for, to assist in counselling and discovering the background of each young person being held, and also in arranging home visits with hope of repatriating as many as possible back to their families.    A big task, and one that might have to go on for some many months.

The SOCIAL HALL stands on about two acres.    It comprises an expansive HALL with stage and toilets.  We hope to use this for Dining, Recreation, and the rest partitioned off for interview rooms.

Adjoining the Hall is a wing comprising three rooms to be used as dormitories - under 10s / 11-17s / those still under the influence of drugs and other solvents.        Of course the last group will also face the most effort from us in regard to Rehabilitation.        We hope to commence the exercise before the end of MAY.

The Facility also has a further five or six small office sized room that we might use late if we see the need.

Quite a challenge.      The TASK FORCE will only be responsible for drumming up support and for assuring the Facility is Managed.      NONE of us are in a position to be 'full time' in our contribution.

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SCHOOL WILL OPEN for the 2nd Term on Monday 6th May.     It has been a good Holiday, and all the children have seemed to enjoy the break from Lessons - even though the weather has continue to be mainly WET each day.    During the period the works on the School Swimming Pool have continued under the heavy rains to go forward.     Almost completed now.       A NEW playground for the Nursery School has also been put in place, and a semi permanent house has been erected in the Jacaranda Cottage Compound for the Cowman who cares day and night for the cows (which are sited right net to him!!     The Dairy does well and we do not want to discontinue it.    However we have had to move it from its original site due to the building of the Swimming Pool.     It's current site opposite Tyndale Cottage may not be final, but we have to wait and see how things pan out when all the current  building is completed.

FUNDS for the running of the Children's Homes had totally run out on MONDAY of this week.   The Bank was empty and so were all our pockets.    We WAITED on the Lord!      On WEDNESDAY we had a Gift from AENON combining all those send by so many of those who read this Blog, and many that don't!  Such perfect Timing - such perfect LOVE -  truly WE are not alone.        Our prayer that each one us will ALWAYS find the PROOF of this truth in our daily lives and experience.

God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all through this coming week as the Holy Spirit Himself binds you all together.     What a Fellowship!   What a JOY divine......knowing WE are not alone!

Lovingly in Him

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol