Laughter is said to be the best medicine. Although it cannot cure diseases like cancer, it boosts a patient’s will to live. That is what Strathmore University Community Outreach Program club members discovered when they visited a children’s ward at Kenyatta National Hospital on December 3rd. The children for the most part had no families. They shared with the Strathmore students’ tales of being abandoned by their parents and left in the confines of the hospital, with nowhere else to call home.

The students took one lesson from the kids: that they need not complain much, and should rather learn to count their blessings.

The visit was a part of the students’ curriculum community service program.

Their arrival at the wards was met with a lot of cheer, with the children running towards them and embracing them. Their names became irrelevant as word ‘Teacher’ became the word for the day.

“Each one of us was clung onto by a tender hand, and taken for a tour around the ward, regardless of whether one was familiar with the place or not. The place was just buzzing with activity,” said COP’s Michael Babu.

The children’s ward transformed to a playground with songs, laughter and joyful shouts filling the air. There was no holding back, and the kids’ energy was a hard act to follow for the students!

The experience was a journey down memory lane for the students under the stewardship of the kids, as nursery rhymes became the plaything for the day. Evidently, most of the students struggled to remember the words of the rhymes and fell back to humming.

Some of the abandoned children are adolescents and lack basics such as sanitary supplies. The visiting students mobilized funds and bought some.

There were many more heart-rending tales. But these are best appreciated during a visit. And COP invites all students and staff to the next visit.

Students and staff can also help in other ways. COP is currently collecting donations of cash and kind. The donations will be distributed to the needy. Donation boxes are located at the main entrances of the University’s buildings.