Seven Daystar University students are one lot who thought of going out of the way to bring something more than food and glamour to the table; help raise funds for the ELDERLY SICK patients at Thigio Hospice. The event held on 27th October 2015 at United Kenya saw a contribution of Ksh 100,000 (USD 1000) in spite of the short time the young ladies had to organize the event. “I am proud to have been a part of something that will touch someone out there and put a smile on their face,” says Sarah, one of the students.
The late Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Prize winner once said that bringing a difference does not have to involve huge initiatives, just a ‘little thing’ can change an entire nation and she proved that by defying all odds and maintaining our beautiful environment which back then was facing exploitation. It is with the same attitude that the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) teamed up with the students to do their ‘little thing’ and as it would appear at the end of the event, someone somewhere has their life touched by that little gesture of humanity.
The event was graced by different people and professionals. The five guests from Thigio included three staff members and two other people who are sons of one of the patients at Thigio Hospice. “My father who is 100 years old has been at the hospice for about two years and I couldn’t be more grateful for the support that he has been given and that we have received as a family since his admission” says one of the sons. Dr. Zipporah Ali from KEHPCA echoes the message of gratitude and urges everyone to participate in such initiatives because most of these patients cannot not afford to pay for the services of palliative care and it is up to us all to take a step further and chip in not only financially but also emotionally and spiritually. She also emphasized on the need of palliative care strategies for the older people, a most often neglected population. ‘The elderly have multiple problems including frailty, complex pain, Non Communicable Diseases well as loneliness. We need to embrace them and provide holistic care to them’ says Dr. Ali.
It is all about making a choice, the students made theirs, have you? Make the right choice; put a smile on a face.
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