In Kenya, we cooperate with BethanyKids, a special wing for the treatment of our children in Kijabe Hospital. This hospital is specialised in the complete care of children with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus and the reference point in Kenya and the whole of East Africa.
90% of their patients have spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. With mobile hospitals, we can reach children up to the border with Somalia. Both children, their parents, and healthcare professionals receive training here. In Kenya, we created a network of regional parent groups.
Child-Help supports them, but the groups are guided by the parents themselves. They are now nationally registered as Spina bifida & Hydrocephalus Association Kenya, or SHAK.
Because the hospital is overcrowded, hospital stays are kept to a minimum and parents have to find their own way back for the first post-operative consultation. Transportation in the fully packed small busses is dangerous and costs a fortune for local people. Hence we lose children from follow-up. Therefore Child-Help and SHAK conceived the idea to open a guesthouse for parents and children after hospitalisation. During this period they can be informed about the disability, and receive the necessary training. The guesthouse is run by parents themselves.
In 2018 we set up a workshop for orthopedic aids and we trained the staff. We continue to follow this up.
