Sept 23 - The Nursing Home

     Today we visited the Senior Citizen’s Nursing Home in Kikuyu. One of the boys who works for the volunteer organization we work with took us on the single short matatu ride from our house. 

 We were stunned when we arrived. Both Denise and I had braced ourselves for the very worst, having been to Kenya enough to realize what bad can really mean. Instead, the home was in a very nice suburban type house, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and living room, completely fenced in.

 There were only six residents there, three men and three women, that Denise and I can remember. Even though we were told that we could take pictures of them, that just didn’t feel right.

 The home is run by Helen, a retired school teacher who is supplementing the home with her pension. (It was news to me that anyone in Kenya received a pension after they retired.)

 Behind the house sat a very large garden plot, which looked to be growing peppers, lettuce, and cabbage.

 In the middle was a Loquat tree, which bears a small, delicious yellow fruit, it reminded Denise of a pear. I wasn’t sure, but it was good. We ate quite a few, but I was afraid too many would give me a tummy ache.

(Do you see the boy in the tree?)

 The residents? I wish I could remember. One of the men was a retired pastor and teacher, another was a retired police officer, who had lived and worked in Chicago at one time. One of the women looked like she might have Down’s. The others I really can’t recall.

 Helen’s three grown children were all there that day, and after our tour of the building and grounds, we spent the next hour or two visiting with them. Great kids, who were very supportive of their mother’s work.

 It’s Helen’s dream to buy a piece of property and build a larger home so that they can accommodate more residents, as well as continue with a garden and raise some livestock to support the home. What an amazing woman.

  When it was time to leave, Denise and I were once again confident that we could catch the correct matatu back on our own, as our earlier escort had left for other business. Helen’s kids were just going to run to Kikuyu town to do some shopping, so they offered to give us a ride. I have to say one more time, they were great kids.