With every good thing, there is always some danger lurking in the shadows if we are not careful to recognize it. With all the wonderful improvements the hospital brought to OlKalou, it also brought immorality. Majority of the hospital staff were widely traveled and had more exposure in life than the naive OlKalou locals they were now interacting with.
Local girls were flattered to have these working class “doctors” notice them and want to date them. Most of the girls got pregnant and when they notified their “doctor boyfriend” who was not really a doctor but a Laboratory Assistant, or a clerk who issued cards at the front lobby, their “boyfriends” asked for a transfer never to be seen in OlKalou again. The girls had no idea which part of the country these “boyfriends” came from or who their families were, or if they were already married. Nobody had concrete information on their origins or where they had transferred to; and none of their colleagues were willing to disclose that information. Parents knew this was a losing battle. They did not wish to waste time and money looking for individuals who already showed zero interest in their daughters.
Today, when you meet a young man in OlKalou whose name is Kimani but you actually thought he was Ochieng from Siaya, a young woman you thought was from Busia but her name is Wambui or a young man you thought was an Arab but learnt his name is Njoroge, those are OlKalou natives who have no connection or relation with the strangers their naive teenage mothers encountered at the hospital back in the 70s and 80s.
All that shines is not gold. With all the wonderful things the hospital brought to OlKalou, locals forgot to look out for the hidden dangers that came along with it.
