Quality Health
Tiba supports Kenyan grassroots organizations that show successful, long-term health efforts that build resilient communities.
Community Health
Employment
Maternal Health
Health Coverage
Disability
Cervical & Breast Cancer
Capacity Building
Q.I.
Matibabu Hospital (MFK)
The rural community of Ukwala Kenya desperately wanted a community hospital, and with confidence in Matibabu local leader, Dan Ogola, and Tiba’s committed board, donated the land for Matibabu Hospital.
The MFK Hospital is a fully operational Level 4 hospital serving almost 50,000 per year, staffed by locals dedicated to building quality healthcare and running 24 hours a day within the rural community it serves. The hospital is accredited by the government of Kenya and offers the following services:
Outpatient
Inpatient
Comprehensive Care
Maternal & Child Care
Laboratory
Pharmacy
Surgery
Imaging & Radiology
Optometry
Dental
Community Health Programs
Community Healthcare Workers
A NEW OPERATING THEATER
“Surgery is such a powerful tool: I might remove a deadly breast cancer [and save a life] or a facial growth that allows a girl to have a normal social life.” -Rhiana Menen, MD, Volunteer Surgeon
Surgery is a critical part of a holistic healthcare system, with the potential of curing one-third of all human illness and disease. We work in the rural area of Ukwala, with a population of 126,944, where Matibabu is the only hospital that can provide surgery. Matibabu is drawing clients from the larger county of one million and expect to serve patients from throughout Kenya and potentially Uganda, which is less than an hour away.
In January 2024 we were excited to celebrate with US Ambassador Meg Whitman, FIGS Founders Trina Spear and Heather Hassel, Tiba & Matibabu Boards, staff and community at the opening of our new FIGS Operating Theater!
Our 3,000+ SQF facility includes three expansive surgery suites, nine perioperative beds, and a specialized ICU. We aim to establish Matibabu as a leading surgical center, focusing on breast cancer and orthopedic care. To support this mission, Matibabu College of Health Sciences offers specialized courses in perioperative nursing and theater technician certifications tailored to our new Operating Theater.
Your support today can have a long-term effect – we are currently raising funds for equipment. If you would like to support our efforts, you can do so here. If you would like to volunteer in the new theater you can reach us here.
Core Areas of Focus
Community Health
Large-scale community health improvement requires not only state-of-the-art facilities, medicines, equipment, and professionally trained staff, but a concerted effort to educate and change the attitudes and behaviors of a community. Matibabu Foundation has helped transform local practices by:
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Encouraging HIV+ people to courageously role-model openness about their status and adherence to medication
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Championing the inclusion of the disabled, and empowering disabled individuals and their caregivers
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Elevating the status of women by creating jobs for professional women, establishing a high school for girls, providing college scholarships for women, and promoting the Boda Girls to support women’s education, health, and livelihood
Improving Maternal and Child Health
In Western Kenya the Maternal Mortality rate is unnecessarily high due to a lack of access to health screenings during pregnancy and facilities that offer life-saving c-sections during delivery. To combat this, MFK now has 4 ultrasounds in the area, and with the help of Boda Girls, their goal is to complete at least one ultrasound scan for every pregnancy in the county, in order to identify and address complications in time to ensure a healthy birth.
Thanks to these efforts, maternity and perinatal mortality rates have declined and in-hospital deliveries at Matibabu have increased by 67%.
Maternal health includes: Pre-natal classes (8-12 classes), ultrasound, labor and delivery, vitamins and vaccinations, and the Boda Girls help plant a kitchen garden at the home and dedicate an avocado tree to the child (MFK provides monthly checks on children up to age 5 to prevent malnutrition).
Disability: From Isolation to Inclusion
Living with a disability in rural Kenya traditionally has been difficult and isolating because of cultural stigmas surrounding these physical conditions. MFK is proudly committed to bringing care to everyone and has made significant strides in influencing community attitudes toward inclusion and care. Their programs now support over 200 families living with special needs by providing regular home visits, medicines, health care, wheelchairs, livelihood opportunities, and hope.
Quality Improvement Programs and Capacity Building
Throughout the year, Tiba’s team of volunteer Quality Improvement experts partner with Matibabu leaders to perform quality improvement processes. After discussion and careful study, a cycle of inquiry, testing, and sustaining improvements is generated. Our joint QI team hosts online webinars and panel discussions with Kenyan and US specialists on topics of interest.
The final key component of our QI process is offering in-person, hands-on training to Matibabu’s medical staff through medical missions.
Tiba has been honored to complete in-depth projects with three teams from the Harvard Business School Community Partners, providing expertise and comprehensive analysis of our existing processes.
Hiring in the Community
MFK is one of the leading employers in the area, employing over 200 Kenyans at the hospital and college, and continues to develop professional healthcare workers through its education programs.
This is significant as 70% of locals are subsistence farmers or work in the informal sector earning only $1-2 per day, while a health professional earns at least $20 a day, creating financial security for their family and future generations.
Universal Health Coverage: NHIF
The Kenyan government recognizes the quality of our partner’s facilities and services, designating them as eligible for National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which reimburses Matibabu for services provided to insured, low-income patients. This funding helps sustain the organization and their ability to provide services to those that don’t have the capacity to pay.
Collaborative Projects: Beating Cervical and Breast Cancer
Cervical cancer in countries like Kenya is up to 20X more deadly than in the United States, even though it is preventable and easily treatable if caught early. In Kenya, more women die of cervical cancer than any other cancer, due to the correlation of high rates of HIV in women and the lack of access to regular Pap smears.
In 2021, Tiba in partnership with the Matibabu Foundation and the African Cancer Foundation launched the LREB Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign with public healthcare leaders from the region’s 14 counties and private partner organizations. Our goal was to saturate the area of 10,000,000 people with information about cervical cancer and link them to cancer screenings, vaccinations, and treatment. In 2024, the collaboration has extended to support breast cancer interventions and is looking for partners.
Our collaboration is on a mission to eliminate cervical cancer in Kenya in a generation.
2023 Impact
Patient Visits
Surgeries
Counties in our cancer awareness program
Maternity Ultrasounds
Lab Tests
Help build healthy communities in rural Kenya!
Your support empowers rural Kenyans with the tools and opportunities needed to build holistic solutions for sustainable change. Consider becoming a monthly donor of any amount to support transformation that our partner communities can count on!
*We are proud to pledge that 100% of donations go to supporting our partners in Kenya
