Meet varsity student who set up hospital to offer free treatment to poor patients

student doc/photo: benjamin obegi

Nairobi; Kenya: Many Kenyan youths in universities are always looking forward to getting well-paying jobs after graduation. And while these energetic and educated lot may not be bothered by the plight of the poor in most rural villages, Jack Nyalando, a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology is making a difference in his village.

At just 21, Nyalando has made a decision to ensure that residents from his village have access to a hospital.

The third year student’s dream has been shaped by the loss of his father and the suffering he went through in his village.

Nyalando’s father died beause he was not able to get medical attention. Nyalando also grew up seeing women lose children due to lack of maternity care. With time, conviction grew that it was within his reach to alleviate the suffering that many families undergo. Against this background, Nyalando set out to achieve his mission to change the lives of other villagers.

The death of his father who was their breadwinner saw the family left in a state of hopelessness. “After sometime, my mother became ill and was not able to do anything. At only nine years, I was forced to start fishing so that I could support my mother and two siblings. It was hard but I had to do it. Our livelihoods depended on it,” he says.

His mother, Zilper Auma, is still not in good health. As the sole bread winner of the family, Nyalando would go to school and fish after school and during weekends.

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When he reached Standard Seven, his aunt brought him to Nairobi. The aunt who is a fish monger in Mathare slum, Nairobi enrolled him in a nearby primary school. Despite the challenges, he performed well in his Standard Eight examinations. In 2007, he joined Jamhuri High School in Nairobi.

JOURNEY TO SUCCESS

This would mark the start of a long journey to success. “I could wake up at 5am and trek to school. In the evening, I also did the same thing. My aunt was not able to give me bus fare every day. I would get home tired but I had to go to school. To avoid the long journey to and fro, I went to the principal and asked him to allow me to sleep in school. Luckily, he allowed me to use and old mattresses which had remained after the school changed from boarding to a day school. I would sleep in classrooms and this helped me a lot as I was able to read at night. I would only go home on weekends,” he narrates.

When he finally sat his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, Nyalando scored a B+ and qualified for university.
As he waited to join university for a biochemistry degree, he began farming. His aim was to raise funds to start a small hospital in Migori. “With friends, we planted tomatoes which fetched a good price. I raised Sh300,000. Armed with this, I began my dream of establishing a hospital to offer free services to the poor. I identified a building in Kababu village, Migori and paid rent. The remainder was spent on buying a microscope and drugs. Fortunately, I got volunteers who work as nurses,” he says.

Known as Mama Clinic, the hospital which was registered in 2013 offers free services to pregnant women and the elderly. According to Nyalando, pregnant women are the most affected by the cost of treatment in hospitals.

“It was painful to see how only Sh200 could deny mothers access to hospital. With us, pregnant women get maternity advice at no cost. We only charge them Sh300 for giving birth. The elderly get all treatment for free. Given the proximity of the area to Lake Victoria, we also offer free advice on HIV and Aids to young girls who are easily infected after being lured by fishermen,” he says.

50 PATIENTS

Currently, the clinic has two nurses, one administrative secretary, a cleaner and a security guard. A retired medic sits in as medical officer in-charge.

“All the staff understand my dream and so we normally share the small proceeds we get. I also pay them from my government funded university loan. Our ultimate goal is not to deny anybody an opportunity to get treatment where we are able to. The little payment they may afford is what is sustaining us,’’ he says.

Mama Clinic can handle 50 outpatient cases per day and has four beds which can accommodate four in-patient cases. But Nyalando is not stopping at that. “I want the hospital to grow and serve nearby counties. This is why every time I have free time at school, I travel to Migori to support my staff. After completing my studies next year, I will dedicate all my time to the clinic,” he says.
His advice to the youth? “In life, everyone gets an opportunity to change their community. We can all do something. Our solutions lie in doing something for society and not just sitting and complaining,” he says.