"What Two Have Done and Are Doing in Africa" -- by Hannah Miller

When Drs. Nancy and Gerry Hardison retired, that's when they began their real life's work. While employed, they volunteered at the San Diego Liver Foundation and the County Jail, helping wherever they could, and being enriched by their experiences.

“We both felt strongly that we should use the skills we received in our educations and our work to help those in need,” said Dr. Nancy Hardison.

Upon retirement, Dr. Nancy Hardison accepted an invitation to teach in Africa, and Dr. Gerry Hardison agreed to work at Kenyatta National Hospital. That experience led to more opportunities and now, almost ten years later, they are involved in over ten different ministries in Kenya.

About the Orphan Feeding Program

The Rev. Michael Russell, Rector of All Souls’, San Diego, the Hardisons’ home congregation, describes the Orphan Feeding Program: “Maseno is one of the epicenters of the AIDS/HIV pandemic in Africa. Tens of thousands of children have been orphaned and many of these are HIV positive. They are shunned by the culture and cared for by aging grandparents, usually widowed grandmothers. In response to this incredible devastation, the Mothers’ Union has organized, with Dr. Nancy Hardison’s help, to support these children.”

The mothers, supported by funds from the US, prepare and serve one hot meal a week to the orphans. They also play games with the children and teach classes.

“The Mothers’ Union members and the guardians of the children all volunteer their time, often causing friction at home and within the larger community. When asked how they found it in themselves to defy social convention, they answered, ‘We are mothers.’”

About Working in African Hospitals

“I saw familiar diseases in stages more advanced than I had thought possible,” said Dr. Gerry Hardison. “I saw diseases I had never seen before and learned about their accepted treatment. I found physical findings that I had read about in medical school but had never seen. … When the time came for staff to give speeches at my farewell party, one consultant admitted that they all thought I had come for a short vacation and no one expected me to show up each day for work. The next speaker expressed surprise that on rounds I actually touched the patients and examined them. Both were dead serious.”

Advice On “What One Can Do”

“Start with what is near you and then follow,” says Dr. Nancy Hardison. “God will open doors as you respond and you will find yourself stretching way beyond what you dreamed or thought possible. Gerry and I use Matthew 25:31-46 as our marching orders: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, … Whenever you did it to the least of these, you did it to me.’”

About Volunteering in Africa

“It is a joy, a blessing and a privilege to serve here,” says Dr. Nancy Hardison. “Our faith continues to grow as we serve. We see the miracle of the loaves and fishes all the time. We are thankful for the support back home.”

Congregational Involvement

In 1999, the Hardisons’ home parish, All Souls, San Diego, donated enough money to complete the rectory of Essaba’s small Anglican parish, St. Andrew’s. All Souls’ continues to be the main lifeline of support for the Hardisons; their treasurer, Cynthia Fleri, wires funds on a monthly basis to Africa. The rector of All Souls, the Rev. Michael Russell, visited the Hardisons and wrote a comprehensive guide to their work in Kenya, “Partnering with Kenya’s Poorest: putting the bottom rung on the development ladder.” (click here to read it online) In it, he says:

All Souls’ Episcopal Church has worked with two parish missioners, Nancy and Gerry Hadrison, on several projects in Kenya. Nancy is a retired business professor from Point Loma Nazarene University and Gerry is a retired gastro-enterologist from the University of California, San Diego. Together they have worked on medical and business projects in Nairobi and Maseno, Kenya. All Souls’ has been their sponsor with the Episcopal Volunteer Service and has been a financial conduit for delivering contributions safely to the projects. In addition, we have committed portions of our central budget and other outreach monies to projects they have helped organize.

This fertile collaboration has not only changed people’s lives, it now offers All Souls’, and those who wish to work with us, the opportunity to deliver contributions directly to projects that will move people on to the development ladder.

The article contains information about the programs All Souls’ helps to fund, including Maseno Hospital, the Mother’s Union and more. Contributions can be sent directly to All Souls’ Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107. The monies are wired to Kenya on a monthly basis. The Rev. Michael Russell can be reached at: michael.pointloma@gmail.com. The Hardisons can be reached at: hardison@africaonline.co.ke.

Photos:
Top - Dr. Nancy Hardison with members of the Mothers' Union
Middle - Orphans line up for their one hot meal per week provided by the Mothers' Union
Bottom - Drs. Nancy and Gerry Hardison relaxing at home in Kenya with their best friend

Hannah Miller is the communications assistant in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego