Monday we visited Rift Valley Academy at Kijabe about an hour out of Nairobi. This was Cindy and Curt’s first visit. We brought Rachel Tang and her son Ben along to see her children, Thok (10th), Jal (8th) and Jyadang (6th). We were able to speak with the superintendent, have lunch in cafeteria and get a tour. What a great place. About 500 children attend RVA with the large majority being in high school. The freshman class is 66. The Tang children enjoy participating in soccer, basketball and rugby.
We also visited the CURE Kijabe pediatric orthopedic hospital. Kijabe is a large mission station with Africa Inland Mission. In addition to RVA there is a large hospital and a Bible School. In 1998 CURE started the pediatric orthopedic section of the hospital which is now its own separate facility. Dr. Tim Mead and his wife Jana started this hospital. Tim is a Covenanter from Forest Park Covenant in Muskegon, MI. Today they have an outstanding ministry not just in the treatment of pediatric orthopedic issues through the hospital and regular, every 6 week, visits to 9 mobile clinics where they screen new patients, but more significantly in training others. Some quick numbers: They see about 7,000 patients per year through the hospital and clinic visits and perform ~2,000 operations per year. Tim has trained 7 orthopedic surgeons who are now serving in Kenya (at Kijabe & Eldoret), Malawi, Zambia and one other place. Their vision: “Transforming Lives through Emotional, Spiritual, and Physical Care of the Physically Disabled Kenyan Child and their family.” And they are. Praise the Lord for this ministry.
