On June 17, John and Marcie Ricklefs of Kansas City, Mo., will depart for their latest trip to Kenya to volunteer to help with a health clinic for some of the poor, rural communities in the area.
John said they have gone to Africa each year since 2007. The original idea came from Evoline Achacha, who the Ricklefs met through a small group at their church, First Baptist Church of North Kansas City. When Achacha earned her licensed practical nurse degree, she told John and Marcie she planned to return to Kenya to fulfill a promise.
“I promised my mother before she passed away that I would do a health clinic for the people of my village,” John said Achacha told them.
Because of the inaccessibility of medical care in those areas and a lack of clean water and other resources, John said the clinics have proved as popular as they are necessary.
“We saw 1,200 people in four days,” during one of the trips, John said.
They never go empty-handed, often carrying as many medical supplies as they
can afford to pack on their plane and giving about everything they take with them away during their trips.
This time around, they’ll have plenty to share because of Goin’ Sewin’, a group that meets every two weeks at the Council on Aging. Barbara Regnier (LHS Class of 1967), the coordinator for the group, said she proposed using the skills of the group members to help the Ricklefs out on their mission. Together, Goin’ Sewin’ produced about 360 items for the Ricklefs to take with them to Kenya. They include pillowcase dresses, blankets, lap pillows and some small purses. John said during their last trip, he and his wife took about 60 similar items to the small village in Kenya to give away. The supply was “woefully” short, Marcie said. But the impact of gifts like that cannot be overestimated, John said.
“You can’t imagine the joy that these kids have to have something nice, something that is new to them,” he said.
Though some groups have in the past offered to give supplies for the trips, John said they have yet to receive a gift on this scale.
“This year, there will be a lot more smiles,” Marcie said.
Goin’ Sewin’ has been meeting to sew together for close to 10 years and their work for the Ricklefs was not the first service-related project. Regnier said the members worked hard to complete their contributions.
“Even though not everyone could be at Goin’ Sewin’ every two weeks,
everybody pitched in and did their best,” she said.
Lula Dillon, a longtime member of Goin’ Sewin’, said she is happy to help with those efforts. She agreed it helps the members connect, in this case and with past service projects, with people in places the members may never be able to go. It also helps her stay sharp, she said.
“It’s something that occupies our time and makes us feel needed,” Dillon said.
In this case, they will get to see some of the fruits of their labor — John, a photographer, said he plans to take plenty of photos from the trip.
Copyright 2012 Leavenworth Times. Some rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment