After months of hard work, dedication and fundraising the Karuri Health Centre was officially completed on 8 October, 2013. Since then, the myriad of refurbishments that were completed this year at the centre have been well used by the hundreds of mothers and babies that have passed through the Karuri Health Centre doors.
The project started in April 2013, when the centre’s outdoor courtyard was given a roof to shelter the many women who were forced to stand, often breastfeeding, while they waited to see healthcare professionals. The healthcare staff would also struggle to give health and nutrition talks to patients on different corridors as they waited. The project was completed in phases, this one being the first of five phases that would later be completed by a local contractor and his crew.
Construction began again in April and ran through September, with roofing, tiling, painting and benches being fixed in the covered courtyard, transforming it into the new patient’s Waiting Bay. Later on, the new room would be outfitted with a television that will play educational videos for patients, and a Baby Monitoring Room was also created in the old courtyard, allowing for nurses to conduct preliminary examinations of babies behind private screens.
“We are so grateful for what you are doing,” head matron Susan said halfway through the construction period. When it was confirmed that later stages would include the refurbishment of staff changing room and toilets, Susan and her staff were thrilled.
“Thank you for thinking about the nurses and our changing room, and also the washrooms, we have never seen or heard of a donation given specifically for the staff…that is very special,” she said, mentioning the refurbishment of the staff changing room, toilets and a comfortable space to rest, cook, clean and keep personal the creation of pigeon holes for staff’s belongings as highlights for the nurses.
Along with the staff changing room refurbishments, other rooms were given drastic facelifts. The ante-natal consultation room, labour ward, and an old bathroom was renovated into a beautiful HIV counseling room fitting group sessions of up to 20. All of these refurbishments were made possible by the generous donations of Kathy and Norman Richards, who fundraised throughout the year by holding events, making speeches and spreading the word about The Happy Africa Foundation and the Karuri Health Centre Build.
As a testament to the incredible work of the Richard’s Family, their church, and friends, a plaque now stands at the health centre’s site. However, their generosity is not something easily forgotten by Susan and her staff, who now hope that their placement at Karuri is long term.
“We want to thank Kathy and Norman, the church members, and everyone who has contributed to this project,” Susan concluded. The staff at Karuri bought beautiful Kenyan curios to send to the Richards in the UK in time for Christmas.