Transforming Church

Medical Assistance in Africa (MDH)

Medical Assistance in Africa (MDH) is a non-profit organization that provides healthcare for the poor in Kenya. Dr. Olaf Foerster is the founder and chairperson of Medical Assistance in Africa. He has been working in Kenya since 1996. His Lutheran church in Germany has provided much of the support for the project. His Lutheran church in Johannesburg, South Africa is a partner with our Ministry Network. He can be reached by e-mail at: olaf.foerster@mdh-africa.org

MDH works in partnership with a hospital in Malindi, Kenya where needy patients receive treatment at minimal cost or even free of charge. MDH also runs a clinic in Kokotoni, a disadvantaged rural community. Some of the patients treated in Kokotoni walk through the bush for two days to reach our clinic-they have no other access to healthcare facilities.

In the remotest areas of the country, MDH operates mobile clinics run by teams of doctors, dentists and pharmacists. Sometimes the clinic will operate out of a schoolhouse or church, but often the best spot is underneath a shady tree. During mobile clinics, we'll often treat more than a thousand people in a day. Patients receive medical treatment, drugs and prescription lenses free of charge. The mobile clinics are important to our mission, since these people often have no other way to get medical care.

MDH also trains community health workers to care for AIDS patients. AIDS still carries a stigma, and many infected people die under miserable conditions. The public health system is overburdened, and many chronic cases are simply sent home to die. Our community health workers are there to care for people in their homes and teach relatives how to look after sick and dying loved ones.

There is not safety net here. Most of those infected with HIV are family breadwinners, which means that once they become too sick to work, the family often goes hungry. AIDS is wiping out the productive generation, leaving the old and young without means of support. Children are taken out of school to care for sick parents. To alleviate this problem, MDH has begun a hunger relief program. Patients with advanced AIDS are given money to buy food, and orphaned children infected with HIV and their caregivers also receive financial support.

Medical Assistance in Africa is a non-profit organization-salaries are paid only to a nurse in at the clinic in Kokotoni and the community health workers. Most of our work is done by volunteers. We are always seeking donations to keep our work going. [information about how to contribute]

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