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Comment by Nav Matharu on June 15, 2009 at 10:52pm

Hi Phil
Thanks for showing interest in our work.
Our Kenyan expedition starts of in Kenya's Capital city, Nairobi, where our team sets up mobile treatment camps at a different location each day. We spend two days in the heart of the Nairobi Slum of Kibera, treating children and women.A High percentage of our patients have chest or pelvic infections, fever and other systemic presentations. Our Osteopathic skills come in handy in treating musculoskeletal problems and help to strengthen the patients immune system so they are better able to fight off simple colds, fevers and infections. We do dispense antibiotics, paracetamols and eye drops in cases were medication is needed. This is because for many of the patients we see, we are the first and only healthcare practitioners they will see. We also offer the free camps because normally our patients are not able to afford medical care or medication. From our days in the Slums we will then hold clinic in two charity hospitals, were crowds flood in when they hear our team is in town. On an average we treat 350 patients and ALL of our patients leave with a smile and full of gratitude for the help we are able to offer. The second phase of our trip takes us on a 12hour bus ride north of Nairobi along the rift valley into the dessert were the Pokot tribe await eagerly for our team. People walk for days in the dessert to reach our medical camps in the sweltering heat. Mothers carrying sick children in the hopes of finding help. On average in the dessert we treat 500 children and women daily. The days medical camp ends with the distribution of grains. Our patients wait till day end to recieve their share of grain. Most of the tribes people survive on goats milk, so when they recieve grains, its like a blessing from the heavens.

The trip is physically and mentally challenging but overall it is emotionally challenging and we all shed some long held assumptions about ourselves. It changed you as a person, and as an osteopath.

Volunteers wishing to head out with us for the 2weeks should budget about £700 to £750 for the trip.
Tickets cost between £300 and £380. Currently there is a special for tickets at £300. In a bid to attract more tourists to Kenya, the government has not cut the fee for Visa in half. So, a visa will now cost you £20, which you get at the airport when you land.
We recommend certain immunizations to our volunteers, which in the UK, many GP's offer free. Homeopathic nosodes are also available from Helios at a cost of £3.50 for each immunization.
We do reccommend out volunteers to have full travel insurance to cover flight delays, loss/delay/damage to luggage and loss/theft of any valuables along with any incidences where a volunteer may need hospital treatment.

Other costs are what you may spend on souveniers or personal spending or drinks on a night out.

We generally ensure that the team have a good and memorable time while accomplishing its mission of providing free medical assistance to impoverished children and women.

I hope this is enough information..if not, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you'd like a volunteers first hand account, please visit the page of Clement Rhein, he was one of our volunteers last year who posted information about his trip on his page.

We hope to welcome you as a part of our Kenyan Expedition Team..

Regards
Nav

Comment by Phillip McDowell on June 15, 2009 at 9:22pm

Hello Nav.

Can you tell me more about the Kenya project. I may be interested. I see from the Divinity Foundation site that the two weeks trip in October is a cost of £350? But not included are flights, visas, and various other things. Please can you give me an idea of the likely cost these additional expenses would come to?

My personal e-mail is philmcdowell@ntlworld.com

Look forward to hearing from you.

Asante sana!

Phil

Comment by Nav Matharu on June 13, 2009 at 6:34pm

Welcome!!
My name is Nav Matharu and I am an Osteopath based in the UK. I've been working in the humanitarian NGO field as an osteopath and project developer in africa since 2005.
In 2008, I decided to start my own humanitarian organisation aimed at providing Medical, Educational and Food Aid to impoverished and abandoned children in Africa with plans to branch out to India.
Unlike other humanitarian organisations which only accept doctors, surgeons or engineers with certain language skills, we offer everyone with a compassionate heart the chance to volunteer and do something hands-on to help humanity. Being an osteopath and knowing how difficult it is for osteopaths to get into Humanitarian work, let me tell you today... Osteopathy is a beneficial manual medicine modality in the Humanitarian field. Osteopaths are invaluable and WE welcome Osteopaths who have the zest to stretch out of their comfort zones and step into the slums of Africa to help treat children and women.
If you're interested, contact me and please post your thoughts....