8. SHORTCOMINGS
Although the Programme has been ongoing, there are also some short-comings which need to underscore as the concerns for this period under review.
i) Water
Even though we had undertaken a successful Hydro-survey to identify the water sources, we are still handicapped on the actual drilling of the bore-holes. The reason being that of funds. In our account for water, and having gone through survey and all the necessary conditions required for drilling of water and paying the fees due for the services rendered by the surveyors, the balance we now have is a mere Ksh. 450,000 for the two bore-holes. This amount of money infact is not even a fraction for the despite needed to start drilling one bore-hole and to make matters more serious, the donor who gave the money for the two bore-hole is very keen to know why the two bore-holes are not drilled yet, not realizing that this money cannot simply do the work even on a single bore-hole.
Upto now, we have gone through three drilling companies looking for quotations and a possibility of getting a cheaper one for this work, to our disappointment their quotations range between Ksh. 2 million and 4 million each bore-hole. Compare this with a mere Ksh. 450,000/- we now have in our water account, it is unlikely that this project takes off soon. We need Ksh. 1,300,000/- for one complete bore-hole with a pup. Pray with us about it.
ii) Medicine (Mobile Clinic)
Prices for medicines keep on soaring and as you know our Maasai Programme we give free treatment to all. When we reach this point , the future of mobile clinic becomes uncertain given that there is no permanent donor, KERUDO has at now, than the Partners International who sometimes allocate Ksh. 20,000 to this ministry which by itself is not enough for the number of trips we make in a month.
Recently, even early this month, we had a meeting with
some Maasai community representatives. In this meeting we suggested to
the community representatives the concept for cost-sharing which hopefully
would help us subsidize on the purchase of medicine. This concept was received
with a bit of resistance and therefore no welcome. We are planning a meeting
with the community in their respective centres to discuss this issue with
a hope that there be an agreement. We buy medicines for Ksh. 40,000 every
month. While fuel and vehicle maintenance is Ksh. 20,000. In total, we
need Kshs. 60,000 which is = to $ 1,000.
iii) Feeding
This area covers two parties meeting at one venue:
i) KERUDO Personnel going to the field experience difficulty in getting on with work due to hunger, the community are unable to provide for their food nor can the Programme who do not have funds to cater for this need, hence a prayer for God’s intervention.
ii) Patients coming for treatment with small children, some of them cover a distance of well over 15Km away from their homes and not able to carry lunch for them and even their babies. It is our feeling that we provide for these two groups light snacks or food fund should be available.
I am hoping that the above remarks will help explain the
position of KERUDO as at now, and that I am looking forward to a better
future improvements on this Programme.