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Cooking is done over open fires. Meals of rice and beans are eaten anywhere students can find a place to sit on the ground. This is the situation at a school for the deaf with over 100 students in Karungu, Kenya. Until recently the dormitory was a railroad car. Now there is a new building with bathrooms. Plans are underway to build a kitchen facility with running water and a dining hall. A laundry room will be added if funds are available. This is an overview of the program presented by Dr. Christine Albrecht at the April 17 meeting of the Rotary Club of Staples.

Dr. Albrecht is a family physician and Chief Medical Officer at Lakewood Health System. She has been working with Rotarian Jim Hofer, previously on the LHS board, on this project. Albrecht’s overseas medical experiences led her to facilitate a partnership between LHS and a hospital in Tabaka, which is near Karungu. LHS staff have visited the hospital, bringing equipment, providing services and teaching medical practices.

The Staples Rotary Club is exploring partnerships with other clubs and District 5580 to seek funding for those projects that could lead to a Rotary International project. A Rotary Club partner in Kenya is already on board. The cost is estimated at $100,000.