A hard day in Kitale

It was a hard day today in Kitale.  After a great day at Mattaw, I (Phil) met my friend Sammy at the district hospital to help out one of his friends.  As usual, the story was confusing and hard to understand over the phone, but after meeting Sammy and his friend, it all started to come together. 

Sammy's friend Faith, a young girl no older than 20 years old, had gone into labor two weeks ago, at the same time her husband was killed in a car crash on his way home from Mombasa.  Faith had complications during her labor, and needed to have a C Section at the hospital (most girls from the slums jut give birth in their homes).   However, Faith did not have the 7000ksh to pay for the C section (about $70USD).  After her baby was born, she was informed by the hospital that she would not be able to leave until she paid her bill, and that she would continue to be charged 300ksh everyday she stayed. 

In a country where the average person makes less than $1 a day, for a poor girl who was orphaned at the age of 10 and lives in the slums, paying a $75 bill is impossible.  We were able to pay Faith's bill using donations made by people who clicked the button on the top of this blog to donate.  After getting Faith out of the hospital, where we had to literally show a receipt at the door before letting us leave with the baby (similar to Costco), I asked Sammy a question I wish I hadn't.

I asked Sammy "What would have happened if we weren't here to help Faith?" Sammy responded "They would not let her leave with her baby until she paid the bill."  At first I laughed, unable to comprehend what Sammy had just said.  He reiterated, "Many times the Moms have to leave their babies because they cannot afford the hospital bills, and then the babies are sold".... "Sammy? Really?" I stated in disbelief.  "If you don't believe me, let's leave Faith and see what happens." 

After getting home, I couldn't stop thinking of the 50 or more other women in the maternity ward laying with their babies, and how many of them won't be able to pay their bill.  And what will happen then. 

I asked a few other friends in town if what Sammy had told me was true... everyone sadly corroborated his story.  Each person I had talked to knew of at least someone who had the same thing happen to them.  There was also an investigation that happened at another hospital in Kenya where a woman was kept hostage in a hospital for two years because she was unable to pay her bill and unwilling to leave her new born child.  

I'm not telling this story to guilt you into donating more money to help, I'm not telling you this story because I want you to be impressed at something we did to help, I'm not telling you this story to show the horrors of Africa.   I'm telling this story because I don't know what else to do.