When her husband and newborn baby were recovering from a serious illness, Kelin received medical training at Kompiam hospital to help her community.
Story by Tajs Jespersen
“With his little lungs severely affected by tuberculosis (TB), it took almost two months before little Bani was able to breathe without the need of Oxygen,” said Dr Diana Zwijnenburg at Kompiam hospital.
The family was recovering miraculously well upon their serious illness, but they were unable to return home to their community in Kaiam due to the rainy season.
You can read all about their recovery here.
That was when good news arrived. A Village Health Volunteer (VHV) course was coming up and Kelin was keen to participate while her husband and son fully recovered.
“She was like a fish in water,” said Dr Diana. “One day, she came to me asking a question about how to manage a particularly difficult delivery scenario. We talked it through, and it was clear that she had a very good understanding of what had been taught - despite being illiterate.”
Kelin progressed through the course quickly and in October 2023 she completed the course.
“There was a gleam in her eyes when I handed her this well-deserved piece of paper. She has worked hard to mentally digest all the material that has been presented to her these past few weeks,” said Dr Diana.
Then Dr. Diana reached out to MAF again for an important piece of equipment.
“Just wondering if MAF and MAF tech can do something for Kelin,” Dr Diana wrote. “Now that Kelin is a VHV for Kaiam, she needs to go out at night to attend births, but she does not have a light. Is it possible she can get a Fosera Solar Light donated?”
God had already marked Kelin to be a VHV mama and brought her to Kompiam
Bryan Matthews from MAF Technologies responded promptly to the request for a solar light and as there was no funding for it specifically, MAF technologies decided to donate the light.
“Seeing her determination, availability and eagerness to be available to help at any time of day and night caused me to think deeply. How can we help such a wonderful person who does not receive any form of payment for her love, support, and service to her communities?” said Bryan.
You can visit MAF Technologies at www.maftech.org
While returning home still wasn’t easy and would involve another hard and long trek through the jungle, there was now hope despite all the hardships the family had been through.
“How could anyone have guessed the life-path of this family? God had already marked Kelin to be a VHV mama and brought her to Kompiam and God saved her husband and son,” said Dr Diana.