The Spiritan dispensary at Machakos, Kenya, is the only source of hope for more than 2,600 residents from the villages of Kalimbini, Kawese, Kandolo, Kavuthu, Kilia, Lumu, Ngoto and Ikuyuni. The mobile function of the clinic reaches out to these locations when it is not feasible for villagers to travel to the dispensary. It also serves about 1,800 students and staff from the surrounding schools which include Holy Ghost Secondary School, the Spiritan Technical College, Kawase, and the Christopher Kiamba memorial schools.
Donations from friends of the Spiritans allowed the dispensary to expand its service to include counseling and testing for the HIV patients, tuberculosis screening, immunization of children, mother and child health care, general counseling, and major and minor dressing and suturing.
The most common diseases encountered in the region include upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infections, amoebiasis, Peptic ulcers, and tinea corporis (ringworms) of the skin, malaria, typhoid, and children with malnutrition-related conditions.
Spiritan facilities such as this one animate the Congregation’s solidarity with the vulnerable, offering both hope and an enhanced quality of life.
A Donor’s dedication to improving the quality of education in Tanzanian neighborhood: 15 years in the making
Upon his return from a business trip to Dar es Salaam, a Houston businessman announced to his wife, “we are going to build a school in Tanzania.”
During that trip in 2007, he met Fr. Rogath Kimaryo, C.S.Sp., who shared with him his dream to build a primary school in an economically depressed area south of the capital’s airport. The businessman immediately decided that he would help Fr. Rogath’s dream to become a reality.
In 2007, the school consisted of one small classroom for toddlers.
The campus now boasts 2 three-story classroom blocks with a library and computer lab. A kitchen was added to the parish life center, as well as a toilet block and 2 water wells.
Annually, teachers and administrators select a girl and boy to receive a one-year tuition scholarship based on their academic achievement, willingness to help, and their demonstrated care for others.
The scholarships are named for the Wilkinson family whose generosity is responsible for the expansion and development of the school.
Libermann School was awarded recognition among the schools in the surrounding Kipawa Area at a meeting conducted in December 2022.
Some of the outcomes from the development of a master plan and the execution of these plans over 15 years---more conducive learning environment, connectivity to the Internet, improved test scores on the national and regional levels, and a more qualified teaching staff.