Matibabu is set to unveil a state-of-the-art Operating Theater by the end of 2023, thanks to a generous $500,000 donation from FIGS and numerous dedicated Tiba donors over the past several years.

Dr. Morgan, Matibabu’s Chief Medical Officer, highlighted the exceptional quality of this theater, featuring piped gas, modern equipment, two spacious operating rooms, a minor procedure room, a perioperative bay with ten beds, an ICU, and a telehealth center—a standard seldom found outside Kenya’s capital city and not in poor rural communities. This development is a tremendous support to the more than 500,000 individuals in the area who will benefit from these vital medical services and the dignity of having quality medicine available nearby when you or a loved one might need it.

Matibabu has secured approval to receive rebates from the Kenyan National Insurance Fund, covering surgical costs for those in need. This not only ensures accessibility to surgical interventions but also contributes to Matibabu’s long-term sustainability. The construction, led by Engineer Judy Musisa from Tiba’s partner Construction for Change, has engaged over 100 Kenyan skilled and unskilled laborers in the effort. An Open House event is scheduled for late January, allowing long-term Tiba surgical volunteers, FIGS volunteers, and leadership to celebrate this remarkable achievement.

Download the FIGS Operating Theater Design

Matibabu Foundation is addressing a pressing need for a mortuary facility in Ukwala Kenya, where traditional Luo customs involve holding deceased family members for extended periods so the family has time to gather to bury the loved one on ancestral lands. The lack of local mortuaries forces costly and distant transportation, which makes visits difficult and this sad time even more stressful.

Tiba is happy to support the goals of our long-term partner Matibabu Foundation on this project and have engaged Construction for Change once more. Matibabu aims to provide respectful care for the deceased and ease the burden on grieving families. In conjunction with this effort, the hospital is developing palliative care and home health visits, ensuring a dignified end-of-life experience.

Additionally, Matibabu supports widows through gardens and fish farms, providing food for families during the time of need and promoting nutrition and entrepreneurial skills for widows to learn to sustain the health of their families for the long term. The services are expected to be self-supporting after construction and even enhance the sustainability of Matibabu Foundation.

Completion is expected in 2024.