Registered charity number 1001709
The Charitable Trust is governed by the Deed of Trust set in January 1991
Lord Carey
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Professor Michael Richards
Mr Michael Wooldridge
Miss Elizabeth Salmon | Honorary Chair |
Mr Brian Lloyd | Honorary Treasurer |
Mrs Gwen Cottrell | Trustee |
Mrs Gwyn Sloan | Trustee |
Dr Michael Hughes | Trustee |
Dr Festus Kipkebut | Trustee |
Mrs Margaret Gandon | Trustee |
Mr Tony Parrish | Trustee |
Ms Kate Jones | Manager |
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Mrs Nicola Venus | Administrator | (appointed November 2004) |
Mr Dan Hayward | Administrator |
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The principal address of the Trust is:
Church House
23 Great George Street
Bristol
BS1 5QT
England
Telephone: | 0117 9074205 |
Email: | |
Website: | www.hospicecarekenya.com |
BankerExamining AccountantCafCash Ltd
Monahans |
The charity began in 1991 in response to the terrible suffering of people with terminal illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. The first hospice was opened in Nairobi, and now we help to support six others in Nyeri, Eldoret, Kisumu, Meru, Mombasa (Coast) and Nyahururu. The hospices are centres where patients come for pain relief, wound dressing, and, together with their families, counselling if required. Patients travel many miles to the hospices to receive help, and the hospices never turn anyone away, even if they cannot pay the small fee charged. The hospices also provide home based and hospital based palliative care. The hospices do not have beds for inpatient care. When patients are too ill to travel and if transport is available, a nurse will visit the patients at home. In Kenya the saying is �hospice is best at home�, and the nurses train the family to look after their relative.
Cancer is as common in Kenya as in the UK, and much more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage, when it is no longer curable. Increasingly a high proportion of cancer patients have an underlying disease of HIV. Palliative care in Kenya is in its infancy and awareness is low amongst the general public and amongst the medical profession. Today, many terminally ill patients still die without receiving any medical care: but things are improving.
During the year two HCK trustees visited Kenya (at their own expense) and both came back with encouraging news. Brian Lloyd travelled out in November and his visit coincided with a meeting of the steering committee charged with setting up the Kenya Hospice and Palliative Care Association (KHPCA), at which, amongst other things, the Memorandum and Articles of Association were signed. He also learned of the meeting earlier in the year between the Director of Medical Services and the CEO of Nairobi Hospice, Brigid Sirengo, and plans for the provision of palliative care to be incorporated into the government�s five year plan. By the time of the visit government hospitals were already making space available, but were looking to the hospices to provide the care.
Brian was able to report that the new vehicle that HCK had helped to fund this year at Nyeri Hospice has made a huge difference. It is a practical 4 wheel drive dual cab Toyota Hilux pick up truck, so they can get at least four people in the cab and carry supplies/passengers at the back. They appear to look after their vehicles very well as the 1996 Suzuki, also funded by HCK, still looks very smart.
Dr Mike Hughes made a return visit to Kenya in February, after an absence of eight years. Mike had worked in Nairobi Hospice for four years and when he left in 1996 there were only three hospices in the whole of Kenya. Now there are seven, and plans for at least three more, and the KHPCA is helping them to work together. Mike reported that training has improved dramatically with the Oxford Brookes Diploma of Palliative Care (six nurses sponsored by HCK this year) and the ongoing Doctors on Rotation scheme which trains eight doctors every year. This is now funded solely by HCK and its supporters.
Both Brian and Mike reported that there is no shortage of enthusiasm on the part of the staff at all the hospices. What they are short of in many cases is good local trustees, training for staff, vehicles and good communications. We can, and do, help with training, transport, computers and drugs.
One of the great success stories is that of the Doctors on Rotation scheme. Palliative care has not been on the medical school curriculum in Kenya, and this scheme was developed in an attempt to introduce medical professionals to the concept of palliative care in order that the unnecessary suffering of so many terminally ill people may be alleviated. Doctors are sponsored for three months at either Nairobi Hospice or Nyeri Hospice. During this time the doctor takes part in every aspect of hospice work - consultations, teaching, counselling, dressing wounds, case conferences and home visits. At the end of the three months the doctor returns to his/her own speciality aware of the scope and value of palliative care for patients for whom cure is not possible. The scheme has been running since February 1999 and has been tremendously successful. As a direct result of their period of secondment, two doctors have gone on to open new hospices in Meru and Mombasa.
HCK hosted its second Malaika Ball ("Malaika" is Swahili for "angel") on Saturday 19th March 2005, and it was a tremendous success.
Gwyn Sloan welcomed supporters and guests and gave a short talk about the charity and the work of the hospices in Kenya. We enjoyed a splendid dinner, followed by a short interlude for after-dinner drinks while being serenaded by music group Capriccio (directed by Iain Sloan, Gwyn's husband). This was followed by the auction which was very enjoyable. More music and dancing followed, after which the raffle prizes were drawn.
We were delighted to have guests from Kenya - Mr Galma Boru, First Councillor and Mr David Musyoka, First Secretary from the Kenya High Commission. It was a truly wonderful evening and we are pleased to be able to announce that all the hard work has paid off. Heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, supporters and all those who made donations � with their help we have so far raised over �13,000 after all expenses.
The hospice movement in Kenya was given a boost recently by the Kenyan Government. A meeting was held in April with Dr James Nyikal, the Director of Medical Services and members of Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association. Following the meeting, the Ministry of Health directed all Provincial Hospitals to support existing hospices and encourage and promote the creation of new facilities for palliative care and as a result three new hospices are planned at Malindi, Siaya and Kerugoya.
We gratefully acknowledge the support we have received from individuals, groups and charitable
foundations. In particular we all our friends who organized fundraising events, from the sale of home made marmalade, coffee mornings, concerts, sponsored events and the ball. Particular thanks go to: Gordon & Anne Davies of Tiverton and the Revd & Mrs Davies of Haverfordwest for their coffee mornings; David and Katie Miles who hosted the summer concert; and not least to Gwyn and Iain Sloan for their hard work organizing the Malaika Ball. Fundraising events combined raised �21,400 for the funds. We would also like to thank everyone who donated following our two newsletters this year, which contributed a further �15,200.
Kate Jones, Trust Manager