Games and Visits

 

Apart from teaching children in the wards, V4FK offers additional opportunities to volunteers at the hospital. Amongst others, these include opportunities to organize games and activities for patients, as well as general visiting opportunities. 

Board Games
At the moment, our games activities are specific to board games, e.g. checkers (or 'drafts' as it is known within Kenya). The main reason for focusing on board games as opposed to other, more active games, is to provide opportunities for immobile patients to join in as well. (Games requiring walking, for example, would eliminate all patients who cannot walk from participation.)

Apart from board games, however, patients have also responded well in the past to other alternatives, e.g. card games. And some volunteers have been able to create an enjoyable experience through simply entertaining patients, e.g. through the use of various magic and card tricks, telling (culturally appropriate) jokes and stories, and/or looking for other ways to put a smile on the faces of the patients. All such activities are encouraged with V4FK's hospital volunteer program, so long as they stay within the basic rules and regulations of the hospital.

*Note: There has also been some mention of arranging to show movies (on a laptop) to patients in various wards, although if this is to be done, it is advised that the film be suitable for all patients within the ward.*

Visits
Finally, our hospital program seeks to connect volunteers with patients with no (or few) friends or family to visit them. The length of visits are flexible, with some visitors preferring brief visits (e.g. a few minutes), and others longer visits (e.g. 20 minutes or more). Volunteers should be sensitive to feedback from patients about their feelings on the visit, as well as aware of what is going on around them in the hospital.

Also, while the visitation program is not religious, some patients have expressed an interest in things like reading the Bible and praying together with visitors. So volunteers with an interest in those sort of activities can speak with the program coordinators; arrangements can be made for such activities with interested patients.

Swahili?
It is not essential to know Swahili (Kenya's co-national language) to visit patients at the hospital, though knowing a few basic phrases and greetings can be helpful. Still, it is not a necessity.

V4FK (usually) tries to find English-speaking patients for English-speaking volunteers to visit. However, sometimes volunteers may wish to visit patients who don't speak English.

Upon request, V4FK can arrange for translators to accompany volunteers for their visit, to help them communicate with the patients. When not possible, volunteers are recommended to make an effort to appear friendly in their body language, e.g. through smiling, making eye-contact, and trying to take a personal interest in the patient. Often with hospital visits, one communicates more with their body language and actions than they do through their words anyway. (For volunteers interested in learning Swahili, V4FK's hospital visitation program provides an excellent opportunity to get some 'field experience' with hearing and speaking the language.)

Table Tennis

A team of private donors recently sponsored the purchase of a table tennis ('ping-pong') set for use at the hospital under the auspices of V4FK.  As such, we are in the process of initiating a program especially for (but not limited to) patients at the hospital.  Volunteers are sought to help organize competitions (and give demonstrations about the basics of the game), including ushering patients to the table so they can participate.  Come join the fun!

*Please beware that HIV infection rates are roughly 10% in Kenya. So volunteers are advised to take special precautions with anything that might expose them to bodily fluids. (Although infection risks within the hospital are reduced for visitors, it may still be wise to carry a pair of latex gloves on you while visiting.)

Also, we do encourage an atmosphere of patient confidentiality; patient details are to be kept private out of respect for patients and their families.*

More Information
For more information about free hospital volunteer opportunities with V4FK, please write in at volunteer4freekenya@gmail.com. Thank you.