Your Generosity Has Done This...Part VI

We want to keep you (friends, family, our churches) aware of how your generous donations are being used. Travis & Lydia (with their two boys Meshack and Silas) have been missionaries in Nakuru, Kenya for over 9 years. Sara and Lydia were roommates back in 1999 at Wheaton College and it has been fun to reconnect. The Klingsforths are involved in Urban Ministry of Discipleship in Nakuru for the past 9 years. Travis and Lydia are encouraging because they are everything a missionary should be; fluent in the local language (swahili), immensely patient, relational, flexible, cross-cultural, evangelical, and just plain friendly.

Lydia approached us to team with then in an educational project. Lamaze International and Duke University Area Health Program have started a training program called "Giving Birth Lamaze Africa." This program trains Kenyan Nurse Midwifes and other lay health care workers in the concepts of Lamaze. Also, some concepts about bad outcomes (meconium present, water breaks and their is hemorrhage) are taught and when you need to get emergency help and get the laboring mother to the hospital. At least 75% of deliveries in rural Kenya are completed outside of the hospital under the supervision of lay staff. So, training of these health care workers can make a big difference.

Donations were needed to purchase the model placentas, umbilical cords, babies (Target), and replica pelvis openings to teach the course. A medical supplier can charge well over $100 per model (well above an affordable cost for the course). Thankfully some creative ladies by hand "created" a placenta, umbilical cord, and so forth for less than $10 per model.

You can see how the training you a model like this is far superior to a text book or verbal explanation. The instructor can show breach deliveries, foot presentation, twins, delivering the placenta, clamping the umbilical cord, etc.

We hope this training provides health care workers the knowledge to provide better outcomes with normal deliveries and also the know-how to get assistance more rapidly when things don't go as planned. Your generosity again has made a big difference here in Kenya. You bought 10 placentas (placenti??)! Thank-you for blessing others by giving to God's Kingdom.