Kenya Relief Through The Lens of a Mzungu

For a year and a half, I worked as a marketing manager and photographer to document the work of Kenya Relief. Kenya Relief is a non-profit organization in Migori, Kenya built in the legacy of Brittney James. Since 2001, Steve and Greta James have built a community dedicated to helping those in need through physical, mental, and emotional aid.

It started with Brittney’s Home of Grace, an orphanage that is now home to almost 100 children. In 2005 they expanded across the street and added the Brase Clinic and Vision Center. On July 1, 2013, Kenya Relief Academy opened its doors and now with a staff of over 100, Kenya Relief strives to empower Kenyans and build a better tomorrow.

The various kinds of ways Kenya Relief supports the community offered me the chance to explore many different kinds of documentary photography. I became a regular in OR rooms and listened to incredible stories from patients traveling from all over Kenya and Tanzania. I sat in classrooms and listened to lectures and rode the school bus to get a glimpse of life as a Kenyan. My time with Kenya Relief gave me a real taste of the enduring spirit of the Kenyan community, chai tea and chapati included!

Over 700 children from preschool to 8th grade receive a quality education at Kenya Relief Academy. One unique quality of KRA is their ability to provide tea and lunch to all students and staff. Other local schools force children to walk home every day to eat. Especially during harvest, many children stay home to help with the family farm and do not return to school. These children end up missing half of their lessons and quickly fall behind. Being able to provide food for the students is more than just providing a meal, it gives them the chance to stay and learn.

Kenya Relief Academy has multiple school buses that are able to pick up and drop off students, even those that live far away. This allows students to spend more time sleeping, studying, or playing and gives them a safe ride to school so they are not walking miles in the dark. The school also houses 110 boarding students in 7th and 8th grade. I witnessed dedication and passion from all 24 teachers and 12 additional support staff. With an extensive curriculum, a soccer team, and a case full of trophies, it is no wonder there is a long wait list to attend!

I reached my step goal most days walking up and down the halls of the Brase Clinic. The clinic is open every day and is run by Kenyan medical professionals. Between the lab, pharmacy, OR rooms and a stocked warehouse, we are able to provide quality and extensive healthcare to a majority of patients who walk through our doors.

I spent most of my days learning about the medical field (something I never thought I would do) with the local Brase Clinic Marketing Manager. We spent hours brainstorming, planning, and preparing for mission teams to ensure our guests had plenty of patients to operate on.

With over 20 mission teams a year, and a majority of them being medical, there was a constant flow of people with unique stories to tell. While surgeons, nurses, CRNA’s and other medical professionals from around the world offered affordable health care, I sat and listened to their patients and documented their journey through our halls. I learned of the 42 Kenyan tribes and attempted to learn Swahili. I laughed with many, cried with others, and even got a couple chickens as a thank you. Observing eye surgeries and goiter removals, even GYN and pediatric cases, I believe I learned more from the locals than they ever could from me. And with an average of 1,000 patients a month, it’s safe to say I learned a lot!

Elizabeth Otieno

Elizabeth Otieno and her husband Bishop Samuel came to the Brase Clinic in May 2019. Elizabeth was experiencing abdominal pain and the two were struggling to conceive their third child after 9 years of trying. Elizabeth was examined by the GYN specialist and was scheduled for surgery the next day. The surgeons were able to remove multiple fibroids which were likely the cause of her infertility.

I met Elizabeth when she came to the clinic weeks prior to her surgery and we became fast friends. When she was scheduled for surgery and was nervous, she asked me to stay with her every step of the way. I held her hand as she walked into the OR room, I learned from the surgeons during her procedure, and I was there when she opened her eyes. Throughout the days we talked about everything we could think of. We talked about our families and our childhoods and even talked about our faith. Elizabeth and I are the same age, but we are living very different lives. We had a blast sharing stories and finding out we are more similar than we thought. She left our clinic hopeful for her future and with a new friend.

I recently reached out to Elizabeth to see how she was doing, hoping for good news of a baby on the way. Instead I had to read the horrible words of Samuel’s passing cross my phone screen. Now a widow with two children, Elizabeth’s life looks very different. I just hope that one day I will be able to travel to Migori again and give my friend a hug.

Before and After Surgery

Goiter removal is one of the most common surgeries performed at the Brase Clinic. Before working with Kenya Relief, I had never even heard of goiters. On my first day in the clinic, I sat in the break room with a confused look on my face while medical professionals around me talked about previous surgeries and how excited they were to see the goiters waiting for them in the hallway. Kenya Relief volunteers can easily perform over 500 goiter surgeries a year, so it’s clear to see why the Doctors were confused when they learned I knew nothing about goiters.

Most commonly removed by General, ENT, Head & Neck and Endocrine surgeons, goiters grow because of a lack of iodine in one’s diet. They are so common in Kenya because the local diet is full of greens that are iodine inhibitors. The Base Clinic sees so many large goiters because patients tend to wait years before seeking western medical treatment. Many go to local witch doctors or they simply don’t have the money for surgery at expensive local hospitals. Kenya Relief not only offers safe treatment to Kenyans, but they offer affordable healthcare and they are willing to do anything to help those in need.

Jeremy Ouma

It was hard to ignore the pain in the eyes of this 3 ½ year-old and his mother when they walked through our gates. Feeling desperate, Jeremy Ouma’s mother, Mary, brought him to the Brase Clinic in June 2019 because of the severity of his neck mass. After finding a translator, I learned that Mary is a single parent and had little money to provide necessities for Jeremy, so expensive hospital bills were out of the question. She saved all she could to come to our clinic and was praying for a miracle.

Jeremy had a neck abscess growing for over a year. As it continued to grow in size, so did the pain. It had finally reached a point where eating and swallowing were so painful, he was no longer able to attend school. Mary would stay up all night tending to a tearful Jeremy, then would often leave him alone during the day while she went to work. With nowhere else to turn, Mary finally listened to a neighbor’s advice and turned to our clinic for help. After the Doctors looked at Jeremy and scheduled him for surgery, I learned that Mary had used all her money on the original clinic fees and buying lunch for Jeremy, she didn’t have money to pay for the surgery. I asked if I could share her story then started telling the mission team about Jeremy and Mary. As they listened, it took no more than 5 minutes until I had the cash in my hand to sponsor Jeremy’s procedure.

There were many powerful moments when I was in Kenya, but being able to help Mary and see the look on her face when I handed her the funds for Jeremy’s surgery, was one of those moments that will stand out forever. It is moments like this that make the 4am wakeup call worth it and why I continue to do what I do. After a surgery with no complications and a quick night in the hospital, the two left smiling hand in hand.

Bonnie is the missionary at Kenya Relief I was lucky enough to call my roommate. At home in Sweetwater, Texas she is an RN with the best sense of humor, but in Kenya she runs the Brase Clinic…also with the best sense of humor. Part of her job is to ensure surgeries and daily operations run smoothly and work alongside the Kenyan staff to provide quality healthcare. When she isn’t teaching me how to be a nurse, she lends her beautiful voice to our Sunday service!

Barack

When you are one of almost 100 children at Brittney’s Home of Grace, you might think it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. But one peak at Barack’s smile would make you realize why he is born to stand out.

At a very young age, Barack’s disabled mother gave birth to him after being violated. Born without a leg, Barack later lived in a Catholic Orphanage where he was only able to crawl on his knees. At the age of 2, Barack joined our program and Kenya Relief was changed forever. Now, the 9-year-old is finishing first grade and has been able to get prosthetics because of Kenya Relief. When you see him running across the yard keeping up with the other kids, it’s easy to forget about his disability. Barack plays soccer, climbs the jungle gym, and jumps off every surface he can.

His story or disability aren’t what make Barack unique. It’s his love of life, his caring smile, and his ease in front of a camera. We are so thankful we get to see Barack’s spirit every day!

Kenya Relief is a faith-based organization and for many years, the orphans and staff would go to a nearby church for Sunday service. Due to the societal stigmas around being an orphan, the children were often ignored and treated without dignity. Most of the children never felt a connection to God because they didn’t feel the connection at church.

Two of the current missionaries, Curtis and Devry Coghlan, wanted to make sure our kids were developing spiritually as well as physically. They hired a pastor and started a Sunday service for the 97 children and 110 boarding students, as well as visiting team members. The lessons are tailored to children and the kids practically run the worship service leading praise and worship, prayers and testimonies. This church rocks!

Because of the relationship the children are able to develop with the pastor and small group leaders, many of the older children feel led to be baptized. At the end of the year, we hold a special service so that the kids that have been counseled all year can choose to be baptized.

It is hard to encompass all that Kenya Relief does. My time in Migori changed my life forever. I am grateful for the organization and for the people of Kenya. For more information or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.kenyarelief.org