Chesongoch Mission Hospital Covered in Mud and Debris Following Floods.
When the ground trembled and a roaring sound pierced the night of October 31st, the Benedictine Sisters in Chesongoch thought the generator had come on unexpectedly. But within moments, cries from outside shattered the silence, “Sisters, open the gate! Let us die together here!”
It was not the generator, it was the river bursting its banks. The community was being swallowed by a powerful landslide.“We knew it was the end”
Sister Lilian Muoti Raymond recalls the chaos of that night vividly, “There were many patients in our hospital which is near the river,” she explains. “We rushed to bring them to the convent, which is on higher ground. There was much singing, praying, and desperation from the people in the community .
By morning, silence replaced the cries , revealing the full devastation: homes buried in mud, lives lost, and the hospital grounds unrecognizable. “The electricity was off, and it was only in the morning people could see the immense damage. Disappearance of many people and destruction of properties”, Sister Lilian recounts. “Our community in all the world was affected, for once one part of the body is hurt, the whole body is hurt.”
A Hospital in Ruins
Chesongoch Mission Hospital, a lifeline for thousands in the remote region, offers a full range of medical services from maternity and surgery to dental and radiology. Today, much of it lies in mud. “Our generators and power stabilizer were carried away. Several beds are destroyed, the source of water completely gone, and we lack electricity,” she says. Patients are now being treated in makeshift spaces. “Our patients are using the classrooms as wards,” Sister Lilian notes with quiet resilience. “It’s painful because ours is the only hospital in the area with a theatre and blood transfusion services.”
“Without Prayer and Faith, It Is Easy to Lose the Essence of Life”
Despite the loss, the Sisters’ faith remains unshaken. “I feel that the Year of Hope was for us,” Sister Lilian reflects. “We have been faced by so many challenges but are hoping for a better tomorrow.” Faith, she says, has been their anchor.
“Without prayer and faith, it is easy to lose the essence of life. But when you remember the experiences God has guided you through, it brings comfort and joy.”
Help from the Community and the Church
Amid the devastation, the Sisters have seen the best of humanity.
“We have the Red Cross, the Ministry of Health, Kenya Defence Forces, and the Disaster Management team on the ground,” Sister Lilian says. “Kenya conference of catholic Bishops and the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret have helped us too.”
The community, too, has shown deep compassion: “The people are speaking good about us. We have been invited to join the disaster management team and we are hoping to remove the debris in the hospital.”
Rebuilding with Courage and Faith
The Sisters’ immediate priority is to restore temporary health services and rebuild the hospital. “People of goodwill can help us with food, medication, buying destroyed machines, and building a burning chamber,” Sister Lilian appeals. “And if they have nothing to give prayers and encouragement are important.” Her message to Kenya and the Church is simple but powerful:
“Let’s stand together and pray for each other in all circumstances. Let’s never lose trust in God. Seeing the intensity of the floods, I expected our hospital to be swept away yet all the patients were saved. God is a God of miracles. In all things, may God be glorified.”
“We Treat, God Heals”
For the Benedictine Sisters in Chesongoch, the tragedy has deepened their call to serve with humility and courage. Their motto, “We Treat, God Heals,” has never felt more alive a testimony that even in loss, faith can rise stronger than the flood.