News from Abha Light Foundation Nov09

Abha Light News

Newsletter

November 2009

Homeopathy & Natural Medicine
Accessible, Affordable, Alternative

Greetings!

We've had a struggle this year, but it's been productive. We've settled well into our new HQ at Kilimani, Nairobi with its good location and beautiful space for all our central activities.

The classrooms & library are large and airy, the garden is beautiful and the pharmacy has it own space. We have two therapy rooms for clinical practice. So the new house (rented) has proved to be a blessing, after our abrupt move last April.

The Abha Light College of Natural Medicine has got a great group of students from our youngest at 19 years to our oldest at (about!) 65!

Our clinics are picking up after the last year of economic downturn. Our practitioners at Kambi-mawe, Kibwezi (Manyanga), Ikutha, Makutano, Mombasa, Kericho, Nakuru, Wote and Nairobi are active. Soon to open will be at Thika, Kilgoris and Lamu Island. Mobile clinics continue around the country.

We're looking forward to developing our products and getting them into the market as a way of generating some income for ALF.

Welcome too, to visit our YouTube site for an interesting video from our partners - Real Medicine Foundation - about their work with our Malariax medicine in treatment in Ugandan refugee camps. click here for that video. Ameet

Oh! and yes, Abha Light has re-formed our Board and structure. Let's welcome
Dr. J Claire Niala as our new chairwoman
Dr. Ameet Aggarwal as our treasurer
Of course, Didi is still with us as Secretary
and Steve Smith is our Vice Chair

Claire Ameet

Running the show at our HQ is, as usual, Didi as Director, Rawi as programmes officer, Abby our pharmacist and our great team of instructors at the college - Dr. JK Wanjeru, Shem Ochieng, Jaqui Morris and Dr Arvind Pathak

Building constructed at KambiMawe Village

Last April we reported that KambiMawe village donated parcel of land to Abha Light for our clinic.

Thanks to donors we're able to undertake building the first 5 rooms of a 10-room plan.

This first phase is now near completion thanks to the team at KambiMawe headed up by Julius Wambua. Dennins Kamore, and Dorcus Kisunga (married to Julius).

For this project, we chose to make our own compressed adobe interlocking bricks. These bricks are sun-dried soil mixed with cement. They're ecomomical and ecological.

Beyond this project the clinic will create a small brick making industry to become a continuing source of income. We look forward to celebrating the opening ceremony in February.

Acupuncture Training Completed

The third and last acupuncture training by the Pan African Acupuncture Project (PAAP) took place at Dr. Wanjeru's hometown in Nyeri.

Trainers from PAAP stayed with us for a week. About 500 p Acu training

eople showed up for the free clinic.

Twelve ALF trainees completed training as "acupuncture technicians". The trainees have been taught a limited number of techniques and points as a type of simplified treatment for HIV and related conditions.

Class of 2009 is here!

Our sixth round of students will graduate later this week, November 2009.
Martin and Kenny are our new Naturopath-Herbalists, Evelyn, Janet, John, Umi and Julius Mungai are our homeopaths. (Sorry, photos next time.)

Its a small group of 7, but dynamic! All students, whether studying homeopathy or herbal medicine, were also trained in Reflexology. Additional classes include Health Sciences and Nutrition.

Thanks to SheafTrust UK and other donors most of these students were sponsored.

Abha Light College ready to start 2010

Our 09 students are enjoying at our HQ centre at Kilimani Nairobi.

We are ready for our next intake in jan 2010.

Helga teaching

To the right. Helga Rijke (standing right), volunteer from Netherlands is demonstrating about chakras in Reiki training.

New home for our Pharmacy

At our HQ too, our pharmacy now has it's own "home" of 3 rooms. Here we'll be able to manufacure our products in a "clean space". To the right, Abby, our pharmacist, is standing in front of the pharmacy.

A Message from Didi

ALF started in 1998 and so much has been accomplished these last 10 years. We continue growing.

We have done a lot of work this year to establish our HQ as a place of learning and healing.

I humbly ask you to remember the work we are doing in Kenya. Alternatives to health care is more needed now than ever. We have solutions to affordable, sustainable health care, but to achieve it we need your help.

Your donations go to:

opening a new village clinics
medicines
training of economically-constrained Kenyans
textbooks & resources for the students & college library
maintaining our charity free HIV clinics for HIV orphans and People Living Positively
malaria prevention for families in high-risk areas

Please think of us this coming season of giving, even if its just a small amount, it will be helpful. Contact us , visit our webpages or click on the PAYPAL logo to donate to Abha Light. Thanks.
Didi Ananda Ruchira, Director

Director, Abha Light

In This Issue