A great big THANK YOU to Dr. Neil Shulman and his lovely wife Zoe for inviting us to and hosting us throughout our 4 days in Atlanta while attending Emory University’s Global Humanitarian Summit. It was an honor and privilege to have presented the work of Clean Water Kenya in such a prestigious academic environment.
Judy and I had very productive meetings with doctors and scientists from the Center for Disease Control, Emory University’s School of Medicine and a public health legend in the field of enteric diseases, Dr. Eugene Gangarosa. Dr. Gangarosa, who is known as the ‘heart of public health,’ defined the pathogenesis of cholera while studying patients in Bangkok, Thailand in the mid-60’s and it was his work that provided the foundation that led to the discovery of oral fluid therapy. He was kind enough to specifically attend my presentation and then afterwards invited us to sit and discuss with him and his assistant, Dr. Yvonne Kienast, our work in bringing clean water to the Maasai of the Rift Valley. His insights and assistance are invaluable to our work.
We also met with Dr. Rob Quick, an epidemiologist with the CDC who works in Kenya along the Uganda-Kenya border, and had a lengthy discussion regarding water turbidity, alternative filtration technologies, the success of our program and future steps towards water stabilization in the Maasai population.
Another meeting was held with a water chemist. The possibilities of creating partnerships with other organizations which include the building of wells and drilling bore holes were discussed. These discussions were with Dr. Bao Ping of the CDC and Phil Talboy of the Talboy Foundation, a CDC doctor who was one of the first on the scene during the most recent outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Liberia.
We also met with some Kenyans living and working in Georgia who have connected us with Kenyan government officials interested in our work.
Many great connections were made in Atlanta that will help Clean Water Kenya grow and continue to provide a more healthy and prosperous environment for the Maasai of the Rift Valley of Kenya. It was a great opportunity to share our work and to meet others who share the same heart and desire to help others around the world. -Ken Clark
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We will continue to share our experiences with our readers as we travel the Kenyan Rift Valley. If you enjoy learning more about the Maasai and their lives, please consider a donation that will help us deliver them clean water systems.
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