Contrast: Canada and Kenya
Karen, a medical student from the University of Ottawa, writes about her trip to Kenya, as do the other students on attachment to TICH this summer (read about the experiences of Karen, Parham, Jackquie and Angela on www.dogooder.com). Karen has given me permission to post her assessment of services (mostly lack of services) provided to Kenyans by the government. Karen writes:
"We visited orphans who live at the ‘Pillar of Faith Home for Needy Children’ out by Lake Victoria just outside of Kisumu. This initiative was created in 1997 by Reverend Ayaga and his wife Patricia to help with the large number of orphans who live in the streets. This home has 31 children and provides education (all primary school is free in Kenya but children must pay for their outfit and supplies and food, and so many children cannot afford to go to school), food (they are currently able to serve 2 meals a day, which usually consists of the staple diet- ugali, rice, vegetables, meat sometimes), shelter (with 2 to a bed), psychological development (their set-up tries to promote a family type atmosphere), clothing, recreation, and spiritual fulfillment (Christian-run organizations are the majority here). It is financed mostly through donations.
I am amazed at to how easy it is to round up a bunch of kids and provide for them through donations. This is very different from Canada where an orphanage would have to be registered, meet certain criteria and provide certain basic needs. And so I hear about many orphanages here run by a couple who felt the ‘calling’ to help some of these children and take them into their home. I am amazed by this couple's work in running this orphanage, knowing the children are so much better off than in the streets, yet I wondered what role social services should play and what more they could offer the children.
The truth of the matter, though, is that Social Services in Kenya are completely absent here. Children are taken off the streets, fed, instructed and clothed; people are taken off the streets when sick or during accidents and brought to the hospital; schools are built, educational programs are run, farming initiatives are improved, mostly if not completely by Kenyans themselves or by organizations or foreigners who work here. Police, firemen, social workers, child aid, homeless shelters, pensions, maternity-paternity leave, universal health-care coverage, disability leave, insurance, social assistance pay, etc. are completely absent here or play a very different role than we are ‘BLESSED’ to have in Canada."
Karen's assessments are valid. And she's only been in Kisumu for five weeks! The people of Kenya get practically nothing for the huge tax rates they pay (somewhere around 40%). They're not guaranteed clean drinking water, electricity or health care. Every other building here is the office of an aid organization from a European, Asian or North American country. Kenyans work very hard to make little money, to get food, to help each other out. And people from all over the world come here to assist by sharing their skills, money and knowledge. It's as though there is no government in Kenya. All the monies go to pay back Kenyan national loans at exorbitant interest rates. The rest goes into individuals pockets, instead of into schools and asphalt for the deplorable roads. I've refrained from complaining and being critical. But this lack of infrastructure and governmental support is simply reality here and Karen's astute observations, after such a short period of time, echo what I've been seeing.
We can all learn from Canada. The US would do well to duplicate Canada's socialized medicine scheme, ensuring health for all. And that's all I'll say about Kenya's governmental deficiencies and the hugely expensive, mostly inaccessible health care system in the US (for now).
"We visited orphans who live at the ‘Pillar of Faith Home for Needy Children’ out by Lake Victoria just outside of Kisumu. This initiative was created in 1997 by Reverend Ayaga and his wife Patricia to help with the large number of orphans who live in the streets. This home has 31 children and provides education (all primary school is free in Kenya but children must pay for their outfit and supplies and food, and so many children cannot afford to go to school), food (they are currently able to serve 2 meals a day, which usually consists of the staple diet- ugali, rice, vegetables, meat sometimes), shelter (with 2 to a bed), psychological development (their set-up tries to promote a family type atmosphere), clothing, recreation, and spiritual fulfillment (Christian-run organizations are the majority here). It is financed mostly through donations.
I am amazed at to how easy it is to round up a bunch of kids and provide for them through donations. This is very different from Canada where an orphanage would have to be registered, meet certain criteria and provide certain basic needs. And so I hear about many orphanages here run by a couple who felt the ‘calling’ to help some of these children and take them into their home. I am amazed by this couple's work in running this orphanage, knowing the children are so much better off than in the streets, yet I wondered what role social services should play and what more they could offer the children.
The truth of the matter, though, is that Social Services in Kenya are completely absent here. Children are taken off the streets, fed, instructed and clothed; people are taken off the streets when sick or during accidents and brought to the hospital; schools are built, educational programs are run, farming initiatives are improved, mostly if not completely by Kenyans themselves or by organizations or foreigners who work here. Police, firemen, social workers, child aid, homeless shelters, pensions, maternity-paternity leave, universal health-care coverage, disability leave, insurance, social assistance pay, etc. are completely absent here or play a very different role than we are ‘BLESSED’ to have in Canada."
Karen's assessments are valid. And she's only been in Kisumu for five weeks! The people of Kenya get practically nothing for the huge tax rates they pay (somewhere around 40%). They're not guaranteed clean drinking water, electricity or health care. Every other building here is the office of an aid organization from a European, Asian or North American country. Kenyans work very hard to make little money, to get food, to help each other out. And people from all over the world come here to assist by sharing their skills, money and knowledge. It's as though there is no government in Kenya. All the monies go to pay back Kenyan national loans at exorbitant interest rates. The rest goes into individuals pockets, instead of into schools and asphalt for the deplorable roads. I've refrained from complaining and being critical. But this lack of infrastructure and governmental support is simply reality here and Karen's astute observations, after such a short period of time, echo what I've been seeing.
We can all learn from Canada. The US would do well to duplicate Canada's socialized medicine scheme, ensuring health for all. And that's all I'll say about Kenya's governmental deficiencies and the hugely expensive, mostly inaccessible health care system in the US (for now).
posted by Cindi at 6:50 AM
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