Bucks County Herald – June 7, 2007

Enid Corkran Africa K-MET

Dear Friends,

Good morning. A Good Samaritan is one of my favorite topics. Fortunately for Bucks County, we have many Good Samaritans. A week ago, I spent some time with Enid Corkran, who lives near Doylestown.

Last September, this Good Samaritan went to Kenya to help a remarkable, but not well-known, African organization. Known as K-MET, which stands for Kenya Medical and Educational Trust, this private institution serves Kenya’s poorest of the poor. Enid, her husband Jim, Dr. Eileen Engle (a gynecologist) and her husband, plus a couple from Connecticut had their eyes opened to the third world.

And, they paid their own way.

Through the generosity and challenge of billionaire Bill Gates, American institutions are developing sister relationships in the third world. Planned Parenthood of Bucks County accepted the Gates’ challenge and is helping poor girls and women in Kenya. Enid and Eileen are members of Planned Parenthood’s board of directors.

In 2005, several board and staff members traveled to Kenya to see the plight of poor girls and women for themselves. Like Enid and Eileen, they paid their own way. That’s where they met Monica Oguttu, a remarkable young Kenyan woman with a passion.

Last year, Monica Oguttu came from Kenya to Bucks County to speak about women’s health issues at high schools and local organizations. The ravages of AIDS and abortion have decimated the woman and children of Kenya. Monica started K-MET by herself 10 years ago.

K-MET gets no funding from the Kenyan government and relies totally upon private contributions. “There are very few doctors in Kenya,” Enid Corkran began. “Monica [Oguttu] is a nurse and midwife. She trains nurses and midwives throughout the country.

“K-MET provides education about AIDS and family planning,” Enid continued. “Girls and women don’t receive this education in church run schools (most schools in Kenya are church related). K-MET also saves women from botched abortions. In addition, K-MET teaches women about proper nutrition because without it [nutrition], drugs for AIDS patients make them sick.

“K-MET volunteers prepare, package and distribute nutritional supplements,” Enid said. “And K-MET teaches families how to raise chickens so the people can feed themselves. K-MET makes small loans to women so they can start small businesses. There has not been a single default on a loan.”

Enid spoke about the volunteers who visit the Kenyan villages and teach health care. “They walk many miles,” she added. “Contributions paid for 20 bicycles. The volunteers wept when they received them.”

She also told me that a gift of $600 would feed, clothe and educate a Kenyan child for a year. Enid shared a heart-warming letter from Monica Oguttu about two young girls in the fourth and sixth grade. Thanks to contributions to K-MET, the girls were receiving an education.

Enid described the village hospitals where two patients occupy the same cot. “During malaria outbreaks, you’ll find three to a cot,” she said. The three diseases, which are the most prevalent in Kenya, are tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria.

Describing her advocacy mission for African girl’s education and empowerment, Monica Oguttu wrote, “Never give up,” followed by, “We will never watch women die from preventable causes just because they have been denied access to quality services due to bad [governmental] policies. Pregnancy is a journey from which many women in Africa never return, especially those who suffer from unsafe abortion.

“The vast majority of those [women] who will never return are the poor, powerless and ignorant women in the rural communities that I serve,” Monica continued. “It is my duty and responsibility to advocate for them as I am better placed to be heard by the policy makers.

“As a Pro-choice and Pro-life activist, I believe it is difficult if not impossible to save the baby without first saving the mother…especially in Africa,” Monica’s letter concluded.

You only need a few moments with Enid Corkran to understand why she’s so passionate about this cause. You can help. Send your tax-deductible contribution to Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County (ear mark the check for K-MET), 610 Louis Drive, Warminster, PA 18974.

Two more groups from Bucks County Planned Parenthood will be traveling to Kenya in September…on their own nickel. They’ll be learning about K-MET, just as Enid and Eileen did. “It’s so worthwhile,” Enid said.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith