education Programs
“Matibabu is a movement”
– Dan Ogola, MFK Founder
We take a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of poverty and the barriers to healthcare. One of the major challenges faced in Kenya is the lack of medical professionals: East Africa desperately needs nurses. The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of 1 nurse to every 400 community residents (1:400). In the area that Matibabu serves, this ratio is at about 1:3800. This nursing shortage is endemic in East Africa.
Matibabu College of Health Sciences (MCHS)
A natural next step for building accessible healthcare and prosperity for the community was to develop medical professionals. The Matibabu College of Health Sciences (comprising the Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing) was founded in 2014. Since its opening, 100% of graduates have passed the national exam and secured professional jobs within six months of graduation.
MCHS has proudly become one of the top-rated nursing colleges in Kenya.
MCHS offers:
Diploma in Community Health Nursing (KRCHN)
Diploma in Perioperative Theatre Technology
Certificate in Perioperative Theatre Technology
It is estimated that a Kenyan nurse will work with over 100,000 patients during their career. Investing in nursing multiplies the impact on community health.
A villager who becomes a nurse is also a keystone in pivoting generational poverty. Nursing school graduates can expect to start earning $400-$600 a month –a far cry from the $60 monthly salary they could expect otherwise– allowing them to provide for their families, with a high likelihood that their children will also complete college some day.
Impact
Total number of MCHS students to date
%
Of MCHS graduates have passed the national exam and started a professional job within 6 months of graduation
The number of patients a nurse will serve over their career
Increase in income for rural college graduates
Expanding Our Capacity to Educate the Next Generation of Nurses
Due to limited space, many aspiring nursing students are placed on waiting lists, unable to join our program. MCHS is committed to addressing this issue by constructing a new academic building that will open doors to hundreds of future healthcare professionals.
This state-of-the-art facility will accommodate over 600 students and will include modern classrooms, advanced nursing skills labs, computer labs, and a gender innovation podcast studio dedicated to educating the community on women’s health.
Help Make the College Dream Come True!
The annual tuition, together with books, fees and uniforms, of $1,000 is a serious obstacle for nursing school students. Scholarship donors can commit to $3,000 ($1K per year for 3 years) or give to the Dream Catcher Fund, to support students in emergency financial situations.
*We are proud to pledge that 100% of donations go to supporting our partners in Kenya
Lifunga
Lifunga Girls High School & the Nursing Promise Program
Due to various social and cultural circumstances, most women in rural Kenya have about an 8th-grade education, so Matibabu also co-founded Lifunga Girls Secondary School with the intention of helping vulnerable girls attain a higher level of education, and consequently, create new opportunities for their life and career.
The Lifunga Promise is Matibabu’s promise of a full scholarship to all Lifunga Girls who apply and are qualified to attend the MCHS college. MFK has proudly hired several Lifunga graduates who are now permanent staff at the hospital. The Nursing Promise Program connects Lifunga Secondary School, Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing, and Matibabu Hospital to create a pathway for village girls to become successful nurses.
The journey begins with a two-week summer STEM camp and teacher training at Lifunga. Graduates who qualify then advance to Matibabu College with a full scholarship. Upon completion, students gain hands-on experience through a six-month paid internship at our hospital.
Rita’s Story
Rita lost her parents at a young age and was raised by an elderly grandmother. She loved school but expected (like most girls in the village) to have no educational opportunity beyond 8th grade. Thanks to her hard work and Matibabu, which helped found the Lifunga Secondary School for vulnerable girls like her, Rita was able to graduate from high school, and then attend and graduate from the Mary Ann van Dam School of Nursing with the help of a scholarship. Now Rita works as a nurse at Matibabu Hospital and is a role model to other young women in the community.
