LUFTHANSA’s Cargo Human Care Brings Medical Clinic To Maasai Tribe Of Kenya
Cargo Human Care, the charitable group born within Lufthansa Cargo is best known for its wonderful efforts in helping young children, orphans, and others with needs near Nairobi, Kenya.
Specifically, the group supports the Mothers’ Mercy Home for Orphans, the John Kaheni Residence where older children and young adults learn important skills necessary for their future, and the CHC Medical Centre where over 2000 patients a month receive treatment.
Lufthansa Cargo donates the transportation for German doctors throughout the year so that members of the local community supported by Cargo Human Care have constant access to free, high quality medical care that would normally not be available to them. The entire organization is driven by Volunteers, even the medical professionals donate their time to help the CHC cause.
To expand on this wonderful effort, CHC has for the first time taken their concept and brought it the the Masai people who live in Bushveld of Kenya and Tanzania. For those of you not familiar with the Masaai people, they are among the most recognizable tribes of Africa and are well known for their unique and wonderful culture. They live in the region of Africa that sees the wonderful annual migrations of Wildebeests and other animals of the African wild. So wonderful is this event that is is known as one of the ‘Seven New Wonders Of The World’. Over 2 million animals are estimated to take part in the migration between June and October.
Coordinating efforts between several organizations, CHC recently established a 2-day clinic at the Iltolish Mara Primary School in the Kimitet region of Kenya. German doctors spent these 2 days treating 166 patients ranging between 3 months and 88 years of age. As a result, the doctors actually identified a 3-year old boy with a potentially serious heart disorder that left untreated would have potentially taken his life. Fortunately for all involved, the doctors and Cargo Human Care arranged for the child to travel to Nairobi to receive proper care in a hospital equipped to handle the condition. One 2-day clinic, one life saved. Not bad!
The team of German doctors who visited the Maasai
Normally people in this region would need to travel over 50 miles to visit the closest hospital, and with the Maasai not having a mode of transportation other than what they’re born with, it becomes nearly impossible to have regular access to medical care.
Interestingly enough, the doctors discovered that the ‘diseases of civilization’ such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity has not been brought to the Maasai. Good for them! What doctors did discover were mostly ailments related to joint pain, skin conditions and respiratory issues.
Due to the complete success of this inaugural clinic, CHC has decided to continue this concept with other clinics that will be scheduled for the future.
To learn more about Cargo Human Care and their efforts, please visit their website.
