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                                                               John,Lissa, Richard & Gina

 

                                                                APPEAL FOR WHEELS!

                             on behalf of The Marich Pass Centre, Central Pokot District, Kenya

Background

The Marich Pass Centre occupies a shady spot at the foot of Kenya’s majestic Cherangani Hills (520km north-west of Nairobi), close to where the Moruny River emerges from a narrow gorge to begin its long winding journey northwards, across baking  plains, to Lake Turkana. The Centre was the brainchild of Dr David Roden, a geographer and teacher, who died tragically in a road accident two years ago. The Centre is now run by his widow Hidat and his son Paul.

As its name suggests, the District is home to the Pokot people who form part of Kenya’s large Kalenjin ethnic group (perhaps best known to the outside world for their superb distance runners like Kip Keino, as well as for previous Kenya president Daniel Arap Moi). The Pokot are arguably the most isolated tribe in this group. Split between settled agriculturalists living in the hills and cattle-rearing nomads, it is perhaps the latter who face the harshest conditions. Occupying the hot lowlands, their lives are subject to the periodic threat of severe drought – this year’s drought has been catastrophic for livestock and humans – as well as to the constant danger of armed conflict with neighbouring tribes

The work of the Centre        

The Marich Pass Centre serves a variety of purposes. Its primary function is as an educational resource and base, available for use by students from Kenya (and elsewhere in the world) who wish to learn about the area: its geography, geology, sociology, economy, and history. It provides significant employment for local people. The Centre hosts some 15 visits per annum from student groups, as well as receiving a variety of other paying visitors. Second, it serves as a focal point for non-government organisations active in the area, particularly perhaps those who are new and need the Centre’s help in brokering relations with both statutory bodies and voluntary groups in the area.

This in itself might seem enough for the Centre to take on. However, of equal importance is the part it plays in community development and community leadership. Recently however the Centre has been involved in 2 major initiatives. First, in establishing and running Marich Primary School: the school is at the Centre and serves the small settlement of Marich as well as families from surrounding villages. This is a vital core service in a District which overall is poorly provided with schools.

Secondly, since 2006, the Centre has been spearheading efforts to build a hospital and clinic for pastoralists at nearby Tikeet, in the hot dry Masol plains to the east of the Centre. It is calculated that up to 7000 pastoral people live within a 35 square mile radius of Tikeet, without access to medical services. There is an infant mortality rate of 67%, and children are estimated to have only a 15% chance of reaching the age of 5. Diarrhoea is a major killer and blindness from Vitamin A deficiency is another major health concern.

                                                                                

There has been no financial support for this undertaking from the Government of Kenya, and all funds have come from voluntary or private sources. Particularly significant has been the effort put in by a group of Rotarians from Sussex. Not only have they fundraised continually since 2006, but have also travelled a number of times to Tikeet to work on site clearance and construction with their bare hands – often in temperatures above 35C. As a result, a clinic building is now virtually complete while another building earmarked for wards (including a maternity ward) is waiting only for a roof and interior plastering. Ongoing responsibility for site security and maintenance falls to the Marich Pass Centre.

Lack of transport

Amazingly, the Marich Pass Centre carries out all these tasks without owning any form of motorised transport. When David Roden was still alive the Centre had a small Suzuki 4x4 which now stands irreparable in the compound’s car park. All visits to town for whatever purpose - whether procurement (including all food for the Centre) or administrative purposes - are undertaken on public transport (that is, in the bumpy matatu taxis well known to all Kenya visitors). Lack of transport makes visits to the remote Tikeet clinic site particularly problematic.

It is for this reason that we are launching our Appeal for Wheels. We believe that a small 4x4 is essential and will allow the Centre to:

·        Carry all out its tasks more efficiently;

·        Respond quicker to occasional emergencies (for eg health crises amongst staff, or obtaining urgent supplies or equipment);

·        Move around the district in all weather conditions: many roads are very bad, and recently a local bridge has collapsed, so that a 4x4 is needed to negotiate the ford, particularly when the water levels rise;

Supervise and complete the clinic and hospital at Tikeet

 

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 John, Lissa, Richard & Gina

 

written by John Low