Joshua's fund to save rural lives
Donation protected
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Dr Carla Handley. I am an anthropologist who has been working with pastoralists in northern Kenya for the last 13 years. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University, where I continue this work.
Two years ago, I was working in a remote area of the nomadic Rendille ethnic group when I met Joshua Nambere. At the time, Joshua was a trained community health worker for the local pastoral communities - a population that is severely impoverished, marginalized, and grossly under-served.
Since meeting Joshua, I have witnessed first-hand his extraordinary skills as a health provider in an economically and logistically challenging area. Joshua is the only reliable resource for medical intervention and assistance in more than an 80 km radius. People in these areas face deadly snake bites, uterine ruptures from risky births, third-degree burns from cooking fires, fractures, infections, and all manner of tropical diseases.
Most recently, I saw Joshua handle a serious skull fracture from an accidental fall that ultimately saved a young woman's life. Not only is Joshua capable of treating emergency cases, but he also focuses much of his efforts on preventative testing, treatment, and vaccination of diseases and on prenatal care. In these communities, it is often difficult to be effective in this capacity, as there are traditional cultural beliefs and practices that may conflict with modern medical assistance. Joshua has proven himself highly effective in gaining the trust of these local communities so that people now seek his advice, come to him to vaccinate their children, and follow his guidelines when planning for a safe pregnancy and birth. Joshua has been so effective in this regard that the county government has constructed a child and maternal health ward for him in his area so that he may further his outreach.
Finally, Joshua's dedication to helping others is well beyond that of a normal human being. He travels by motorbike to the most remote areas to assist people whenever asked, I have seen him work 18 hours a day on mother-baby clinics and preventative testing, and he has even volunteered to assist with emergency medical intervention for communities from other ethnic tribes. Joshua has a passion and heart to care for others, an intellect and aptitude for medical practice, and a drive to save and protect lives like no other I've seen during my work in Kenya.
He has done so much for his community, and now he is asking for support in his endeavor to provide the best medical services that he can to the people that he serves. Last year, Joshua enrolled as an undergraduate in the Nursing and Public Health program at Kenyatta University , one of the best universities in Kenya. He and his family were able to raise $2,200 towards his tuition, which has covered two terms of training. Unfortunately, this is all of the money that they were able to secure and now, Joshua is in need of $5,200 to complete his medical training and bring this important formal education back to his practice in northern Kenya.
People like Joshua don't come around every day. The need for humanitarian support in northern Kenya is over-whelming; however, I feel it is important to shine light on Joshua's plight for good reason. Joshua is one person but yet, his knowledge, skills, and dedication literally save the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of people in an area that has been largely forgotten and does not attract international humanitarian assistance. By investing in this one individual, you are investing in the health and future of so many mothers, men, and children - already born, and those waiting to be born. Thank you for your generosity!
Two years ago, I was working in a remote area of the nomadic Rendille ethnic group when I met Joshua Nambere. At the time, Joshua was a trained community health worker for the local pastoral communities - a population that is severely impoverished, marginalized, and grossly under-served.
Since meeting Joshua, I have witnessed first-hand his extraordinary skills as a health provider in an economically and logistically challenging area. Joshua is the only reliable resource for medical intervention and assistance in more than an 80 km radius. People in these areas face deadly snake bites, uterine ruptures from risky births, third-degree burns from cooking fires, fractures, infections, and all manner of tropical diseases.
Most recently, I saw Joshua handle a serious skull fracture from an accidental fall that ultimately saved a young woman's life. Not only is Joshua capable of treating emergency cases, but he also focuses much of his efforts on preventative testing, treatment, and vaccination of diseases and on prenatal care. In these communities, it is often difficult to be effective in this capacity, as there are traditional cultural beliefs and practices that may conflict with modern medical assistance. Joshua has proven himself highly effective in gaining the trust of these local communities so that people now seek his advice, come to him to vaccinate their children, and follow his guidelines when planning for a safe pregnancy and birth. Joshua has been so effective in this regard that the county government has constructed a child and maternal health ward for him in his area so that he may further his outreach.
Finally, Joshua's dedication to helping others is well beyond that of a normal human being. He travels by motorbike to the most remote areas to assist people whenever asked, I have seen him work 18 hours a day on mother-baby clinics and preventative testing, and he has even volunteered to assist with emergency medical intervention for communities from other ethnic tribes. Joshua has a passion and heart to care for others, an intellect and aptitude for medical practice, and a drive to save and protect lives like no other I've seen during my work in Kenya.
He has done so much for his community, and now he is asking for support in his endeavor to provide the best medical services that he can to the people that he serves. Last year, Joshua enrolled as an undergraduate in the Nursing and Public Health program at Kenyatta University , one of the best universities in Kenya. He and his family were able to raise $2,200 towards his tuition, which has covered two terms of training. Unfortunately, this is all of the money that they were able to secure and now, Joshua is in need of $5,200 to complete his medical training and bring this important formal education back to his practice in northern Kenya.
People like Joshua don't come around every day. The need for humanitarian support in northern Kenya is over-whelming; however, I feel it is important to shine light on Joshua's plight for good reason. Joshua is one person but yet, his knowledge, skills, and dedication literally save the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of people in an area that has been largely forgotten and does not attract international humanitarian assistance. By investing in this one individual, you are investing in the health and future of so many mothers, men, and children - already born, and those waiting to be born. Thank you for your generosity!
Organizer
Carla Handley
Organizer
Alexandria, VA