A Very Special Experience

The first time I ever heard about Matoso  was a couple of months ago, when my boyfriend left Chile to go there and work as medical volunteer. The idea of visiting him really made  me happy and I decided to go there and stay one month. I knew it was going to be a very special experience.

Ariel Castillo, Medical Director, Matoso, Kenya

I come from a country where I work as a dentist and my belief is I have everything I want or need.  However I must say that in Chile, people just live their lives, work all day and don´t pay much attention to one another.

In Matoso, and I believe that in many villages of Kenya, they don´t have electricity and  drinking water  is a luxury. Every day I saw women walking along Lake Victoria [to collect and haul] water. Life is hard and very different from what I’m used to. What really caught my eyes is that people are very friendly and seem happy all the time, despite all the problems or needs that they may have. They have always  a smiley face and even if you are just passing by they can scream to you “Hello Mazungu”.

"Kenya is not only safaris, it is a country with a rich culture and strong people."

I had the [opportunity] to share  lunch and chai with many Lalmba staff [members], and other members of the community. I saw the reality of a different culture, the treatment of  children with malnutrition, different kinds of sickness. It was one of the most important experiences I've ever had. This was not a movie, not TV, this was reality. It will be my pleasure to come back again and for sure tell the world that Kenya is not only safaris, it is a country with a rich culture and strong people.

I would like to thank everybody in the Matoso Medical Center and  everyone I met. You have been all very kind and I really appreciate that.

Pilar Torres Martínez

" It was one of the most important experiences I've ever had. This was not a movie, not TV, this was reality."