By PP Rita Marete
The idea to develop a maternity community project by the Rotary Club of Thika was born in 2016/2017 when as Club President I visited the Kagundu-ini dispensary, in Muranga County. As fate would have it, a woman in labor was brought in. She needed urgent help and she couldn’t reach her destination, Thika Level 5 Hospital, which is approximately 65 kilometers away. Although the dispensary had no maternity ward facility at the time, the baby was delivered successfully and referred to Muranga County Hospital. It was clear that there was a need for a maternity wing at the dispensary.
The mission at first seemed impossible but there was determination and resilience on our part as Rotarians. There were incomplete buildings on site and therefore there was nowhere to put our medical equipment.
DG Alex Nyaga during the project launch
We then began sourcing for a partnering club which we did for some time with no success. Eventually, the Late Terumi, from Japan, the C.E.O of Moyo Children’s Centre in Thika connected us to the Rotary Club of Kashiwa Minami in Japan. Our two clubs held a physical meeting in Kenya and then got to work.
RC Kashiwa Minami were able to finance the completion of the building because there was no where to put the medical equipment that we intended to purchase.
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Thika and the Rotaractors from Rotaract Club of Thika Community based,JKUAT, MKU,Thika Technical Institute were in attendance during the Inauguration of the completion of the buildings as seen above in the photos.
Ongoing works on the incinerator and maternity ward building
After the completion of the buildings, we were then able to buy medical equipment for the maternity wing.
