Heart and Soul: Facing death in Kenya

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.3 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Kenya, palliative care - which involves end of life care for terminally ill patients - is often treated with suspicion. There's a deep taboo around speaking about the death of a person before it happens, which is thought to be like welcoming it. Some feel that taking up end of life care indicates that you've lost faith in the power of a healing God to cure your illness.

But serious and complex illnesses like cancer are becoming more common in Kenya, and end of life care is a much-needed service for people facing death. In Eldoret, Western Kenya, a group of Christians have made it their life's work to defy the stigma, and to help those with terminal illnesses find peace in their final days.

Kimbilio Hospice, run by a Christian charity called Living Room International, was established by Pastor David Tarus over a decade ago. The hospice provides specialist medical care to ease symptoms at the very end of a patient’s life, but often they first have to convince patients' families that it's OK to accept the facility's help. BBC Africa reporter Esther Ogola visited the hospice to see what exactly that entails.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I was one of many people that were victims who was used by somebody who was
0:05.2	psychotic. Let's tell this story. World of Secrets, season 2, The
0:10.9	Disciples. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
0:15.0	You're listening to the documentary from the BBC World Service. I'm Esther Ogola in
0:21.2	Kenya for Hat and Soul, which explores personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.
0:29.0	When it comes, I have my wishes. I wish I would have my family around here,
0:35.0	and my kids to be around, my wife to be around.
0:39.0	I would wish God to give me a voice of telling them just allow me to go, you stay in peace, that's my wish.
0:47.0	In this episode, facing death, in a country where many are too afraid to even say the word,
0:55.0	I'm meeting the Christians who've made it their life's work to help ease the passing of those with terminal illnesses. This is the warmest welcome I've received when arriving to record.
1:05.0	This is the warmest welcome I've received when arriving to record a story.
1:19.0	I'm at Kimball Leo Hospice, Alish's green space in Kenya's beautiful rift valley,
1:22.0	run by a Christian territory called Living Room
1:24.6	International.
1:26.2	The first word Kim Bilio is well known here in Kenya.
1:29.9	It's Swahili for safe haven or refuge.
1:32.4	The word hospice on the other hand,
1:34.2	may not be so well understood.
1:37.0	As a palliative care facility,
1:38.9	Kim Bellio provides specialist medical care
1:41.2	to ease symptoms at the very end of a patient's life.
1:45.1	But this kind of treatment is in 12 established in Kenya and is often treated with suspicion. We arrive on a warm sunny day and ready to meet me and my producer are dozens of people.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.