By Eden Grace; Africa Ministires Field Staff
This phrase is painted on the hospital walls at Kaimosi and Lugulu Hospitals where the staffs are dedicated to treating the whole person, physically and spiritually.
The medical work at Lugulu Hospital steadily grew from an aid station in the early 1900s to a mud-and-thatch dispensary in 1946. Eventually, the dispensary developed into a certified health center in 1967 and became fully licensed hospital in 1977. Today, Lugulu has 110 beds in four wards - men's, women's children's and maternity - and averages more than 28,000 patients each year.
Founded in 1902, Kaimosi Hospital became the leading hospital for Eastern and Central Africa. Because of poor management by a Commission of the Government of Kenya from 1987 to 1994, East Africa Yearly Meeting was given total governance in 1997 but lacked resources to bring the hospital out of a state of disrepair. By January 2006 management was given back to Friends United Meeting.
FUM is deeply committed to global partnership, mutual accountability, transparency, capacity building and local ownership. Within this model, we see ourselves as Christians who are called to walk alongside the Kenyans with support, encouragement and provision of resources, so the hospitals can again be the pride of African Quakers and a powerful symbol of global partnership for the sake of health and wellbeing in the region.
Eden Grace is a member of Beacon Hill Friends Meeting, NEYM, in Boston. She has been active with the Massachusetts Council of Churches and Friends United Meeting. She holds a Master of Divinity from Episcopal Divinity School. She and her family are currently serving as Field Staff with Friends United Meeting, ministering among East African Quakers.