The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Government of Kenya Cabinet Ministers and Tiba’s founder, Gail Wagner.  Tiba was also represented by board members and its team of volunteer surgeons, who had recently completed a surgical camp treating dozens of patients.  Six hundred community members attended the festive celebration, as well, and most of the congratulations were offered to the hardworking staff and leadership of Matibabu Foundation who all have been working for many months to make this day a reality.

Workers dug the foundation and constructed the footing of the hospital at the end of 2010.

Today, about a  year later, this brand new hospital module is ready to open its doors for the community.  It’s a significant milestone towards accessible health care in the Ugenya region.

Unlike some medical facilities, the Matibabu Women and Children Hospital is very much a part of the fabric of this community, and has been since it was first conceived.  Everyone joined in to mark the momentous day:  above, the photo captures a group of sewing students who were showing off their wares during the opening ceremony.  “They were pretty much cleaned out and people happily overpaid!” said Tiba’s founder Gail Wagner, MD, one of the honored guests in attendance.  She continued, adding, “the opening ceremony was a wonderful success!”

It is with heartfelt thanks to all who have supported this ambitious project that Tiba joins Matibabu in celebration.

Click here to see more pictures from the opening of the hospital.

This was the first time surgeries were performed in Rwanda by Tiba surgeons and it can’t be described in any other way than as a success. Due to a delay of the renovation at the Kanombe Military Hospital, a last minute change of hospital had to take place. The surgeries were instead performed in Kabagabaga, a suburban hospital. “People were incredibly thankful for our service and the local surgeons were in particular happy with us sharing our expertise,” Dr. Ramachandra said. “We spent nearly a week in Rwanda and truly had a ‘wow’ experience.”

As this was only our first trip to serve patients in Rwanda, we hope the success bodes well for a growing relationship with the Government and increasing opportunities to help individuals who may not otherwise have access to care.

Interested in volunteering for Tiba? You can learn about Tiba’s volunteer program here: http://tibafoundation.org/volunteer

Dr Fred has been working at Matibabu since 2007, and in addition to numerous managerial duties, he is Matibabu’s Medical Director.  This means overseeing all facilities-based and community-based activities for the growing organization: a far-reaching public health program addressing HIV-related illnesses and other infectious diseases like malaria in a population of more than 300,000; two clinics serving 30,000 walk-in patients per year; and the newly opening pediatric short-stay hospital ward.  Dr Fred’s responsibilities are significant, to say the least!

We deeply appreciate his service and dedication, and can see the positive effects of his work every day.

Superstar volunteers: a group of Tiba surgeons is on the way to Rwanda to perform surgeries at Kanombe Military Hospital (80% civilian patients) in Kigali. They will then proceed to rural Kenya for a week long surgical camp.

Stay tuned for the results of the surgical visits!

Jackline Obiero

Jackline wants to write about the challenges that ordinary girls in Kenya face daily. She wants to give voice to to the unjust cultural expectation that girls should look after the health, education and well-being of their relatives while boys go to build their own families. “As a female journalist, I can help to shift this imbalance of familial responsibility,” Jackline explains. “It won’t be easy but it will be possible if we encourage support for all girls in Kenya to receive an education and to have a chance at creating a better life.”

Jackline is a confident and ambitious young woman who is determined to reach her goal. A few days ago we received a poem from her:

Hard work is the key.
Determination and patience will keep me going.
I believe, my dreams will come true.

by Jackline Obiero

Mike Dunn, center, with a Tiba medical Team, September 2011

Mike Dunn is an unassuming, plain spoken, friendly guy. He is also a family physician from Colorado and one of Tiba’s compassionate medical volunteers in rural Kenya. Together with his wife Terry, a surgeon, he has returned five straight years to work with Tiba’s local partner, the Matibabu Foundation.

When volunteering at Matibabu’s clinic in Ugenya, Mike puts his medical philosophy into practice:  He is driven to provide comprehensive medical care in acute and chronic situations. During his visits to Kenya, Mike treats infections in children and adults and sees a plethora of patients–sometimes over 25 in a single day– suffering from malaria and HIV/AIDS related symptoms. Mike gives everything he has to the work, but is only too aware of that he can’t help everyone. “Unfortunately, it’s only a drop in the bucket,” he says.

Patients wait for care at Matibabu Clinic

Severely limited stocks of medications and medical supplies are massive issues medical volunteers here must tackle every day. These problems are mainly due to limited financial resources as Mike explains: “The challenges are not so much cultural. Lack of resources is more challenging.”

Mike takes this issue head-on. He brings various medical supplies with him to Kenya. Now that Matibabu’s N’zoia clinic has moved into a new, more spacious building, Mike is excited to help equip and supply the facility–he hopes these efforts can help provide more efficient and effective medical care to the many patients in Siaya County.

Two of Mike's patients, September 2011

Despite the challenges, and because of them, Mike loves this work. He particularly likes the cooperation with his Kenyan and American counterparts. “We discuss the diagnosis, and how to diagnose is a mutual learning process,” says Mike. It can be a powerful learning experience to spend time as medical volunteer in rural Kenya. Mike knows that. He has helped many patients in need but he has also built personal friendships with his colleagues in Kenya. He remains committed to the work, and will be back in 2012. “I love what we do together.”

Paul Oseso and his 7-year-old daughter Imani at Tiba's annual gala, May 2011

Paul Oseso was born in Nairobi and spent his nascent years in Kisumu, in Nyanza Province.  As a critical member of Tiba’s board, he continues to make real impact in his ancestral home.

Paul moved with his family to Santa Clara, California 10 years ago, where the hotel entrepreneur today juggles three enterprises.  With his business success has come an increased drive to give back to the underdeveloped community where he spent formative years.  “As is common in Africa, your village is part of your family.”

In Nairobi, Paul’s parents often hosted rural people who had just made the disorienting move to the city.  The family spent holidays in the village: “our home would be filled with neighbors who would come for such basic things as sugar, bread and soap, which my father would bring along in plenty in anticipation.” Paul later realized that while he was playing with the other children in the village, his friends were suffering from malnourishment and sicknesses like kwashiorkor and jiggers on their feet.

These memories left a deep impression. They drive a growing desire to help bring real change to his community. This is why Paul has been dedicating his expertise and time to serve on Tiba’s board.   “I have always participated in giving but in a less structured manner.” Tiba has given him the opportunity to give to the people he cares most about in an organized and sustainable way.

Paul found that, beyond the mission and meaningful commitment, “Tiba is an organization composed of people who offer service above self. ”  He continues, “The mere fact that people are willing to take their treasured time to assist the underprivileged thousands of miles away, by itself moved me.” Tiba is grateful to have Paul on the board; he brings a local perspective, an abiding compassion about the work, and encourages the foundation to deliver practicable solutions that make real improvements in people’s lives.

Pascalia Obango

Nurse Pascalia Obango sees herself as a “mother of everything” for her patients: she listens, gives feedback during visits, and is only a phone call away. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she quickly replies that it is seeing a sick patient leave treated and with a smile.

Pascalia works for Tiba grantee the Matibabu Foundation, in rural Kenya.

Dedicated Tiba volunteer Dr. Mary-Ann Van Dam has worked with Pascalia during her working visits to Kenya: Pascalia “has a voice, a strong will and a heart filled with compassion that makes her an effective advocate in community health.”

In the midst of the challenging work, Pascalia is a dedicated team member who brings a smile to her colleagues’ and patients’ faces.  “Working with her is wonderful because it feels like we are a team. Despite our cultures being vastly different, we work effectively on problems with a common understanding,” Mary-Ann says. “She was a wealth of knowledge and helped me understand my options for what I believed a patient needed.”

Before joining the Matibabu Foundation, Pascalia worked in two bureaucratic hospital environments, and so she truly understands the impact of Tiba’s grants on her work.  “Matibabu is different.  At the community level you get in real contact with the patients.”

Pascalia (L) and Mary-Ann (R)

“I believe with Matibabu—the kind of staff we have and the kind of help we get from [Tiba]—we will be able to continue providing quality healthcare to the community.  We’ve made a name already.  People come all the way from very far parts of Ugenya to seek our services because we provide the best quality care to them.”