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Dr. Amanda Schoenberg- 7 Years Building Preventative Healthcare in East Africa

by Johanna Gereke & Amanda Rosenberg on December 3rd, 2011

Providing the Help that’s Asked For

San Francisco pediatrician Amanda Schoenberg is one of Tiba’s most dedicated medical volunteers. For the past 7 years, she has returned annually to rural Kenya to provide care for thousands of patients. During her first visit in 2004, she performed the simple–yet often overlooked–act of listening to the people in Ugenya District: “We didn’t come in saying you need healthcare.  We went in asking ‘What do you need?’.”

Her experiences in Kenya have charged Amanda to not only continue returning annually to work in Kenya , but to give even more time and energy as a board member, in which roll she helps shape Tiba’s commitment to preventative healthcare.  Amanda has helped to spearhead programs for deworming, for reproductive healthcare, and for continuous and personalized primary care for children.

Compassionate People: The Essence of Preventative Medicine
Every time Dr. Amanda arrives in Ugenya she checks in with Dr. Fred Okango (pictured left), who oversees local pediatric services year-round.  Working with Dr. Fred over the years has been one of Dr. Amanda’s greatest pleasures.  “He’s a physician, not a doctor.  I say physician because he’s a real caregiver…he just has the most infectious laugh.” Tiba’s local partners are hardworking and charge volunteers like Dr. Amanda to continue giving care in challenging conditions.
Experiencing Tiba’s Profound Impact First Hand

One of Amanda’s most memorable experiences in Kenya was seeing a patient named Felix (pictured at center with Dr. Amanda) return for a wellness check healthy and happy. 3 years before this photo, Felix came into the clinic with his father.  Though he was 4 years old, he was the size of an average 2 ½ year old: he had HIV, extreme anemia, and most likely malaria as well.  Dr. Amanda treated Felix in his severe state, hoping that he would continue to become stronger and healthier after her departure.  During Amanda’s trip in 2009, she spotted a healthy 7-year-old boy waiting for a wellness check with his mother.  It was Felix.  His mother, with a huge smile on her face, said “You’re Dr. Amanda!” as she approached.

This moment, and dozens of others, provide Amanda Schoenberg with the energy and motivation to improve the healthcare system in rural Kenya.  And the more she learns, the more strongly she believes that while effective emergency response is important, preventative healthcare is the real catalyst to improving quality of life in impoverished communities.

Building a healthcare system is challenging, but Tiba’s staff, board, and dedicated volunteers have fallen in love with the work. Amanda feels like she has “two different homes – here in San Francisco and there in Kenya,” she continues to say of the people she’s met there, “I will do anything I can to help– it’s family.”  Tiba Foundation and our volunteers have the privilege of knowing we’re making a profound impact for patients and the community at large.

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  • Coco Swartchild

    This really warms my heart and makes me so proud to be your mom.
     

  • http://tibafoundation.org/blog/2012/01/25/dr-fred-one-of-matibabus-greatest-resources/ Dr Fred Okango – one of Matibabu’s greatest resources

    [...] Tiba board member and long-time volunteer, Dr Amanda Schoenberg recently said, working alongside Dr Fred Okango is a profound pleasure.  This gentle and diligent [...]

  • Amattog

    God bless you for all you’re doing for our community. Thank you so much!

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